SHE’D SEEN THE KEY.
As Xara restlessly swung her legs, sitting on the garden bench, she remembered Delton’s rescue of her. Shivers ran down her body when she thought of her face pressed against his chest. The springy, wet texture of his dark hair caressed her cheek. Every muscle on his body was defined—a result of the extensive fighting that he engaged in. Her hands had wrapped around that rock-hard chest, sliding down his narrow hips. True, she’d been distraught but the golden metal glinting on Delton’s naked chest wasn’t a figment of her imagination.
That was the reason she was thinking of him. Not because she recalled the steady rhythm of his heart against her cheek. Or the slow circles his palm rubbed on her back as she cried.
After their confrontation in the conservatory, her original bad opinion of Delton returned. He knew of her visit to the city and suspected she was involved with Ifer. How long would it take him to put everything together and realize that she was the one he wanted? He had no intentions of giving up Escayton. Well, neither did she.
For her plan to succeed, she needed to get the key to Osric’s prison and break him out. The problem was that Delton never took off his necklace.
“Your Highness.” Through the corner of her eye, she spied Amara. Xara had met her once before Osric was captured. Ever since then, she’d made it her job to keep an eye on the new spy. Amara has visited the palace every day since Delton had taken up residence there.
The spy’s amber eyes sized her up and down. It was unusual for spies to initiate a conversation with a royal unless it was part of their duty. And this wasn’t part of her duty.
“Good evening, Amara, was it?” Her voice emerged airy and light, trying not to betray the trembling she felt in her stomach.
“Yes.” Her penetrating gaze bothered Xara. “His Majesty told me to tell you that he wants to see you after dinner. Something about finishing a conversation that you began.”
“And he couldn’t tell me that himself?”
“Uh…” Amara looked blank like she’d unwittingly found herself in a lover’s quarrel. “I wouldn’t know, Your Highness.”
Xara had been avoiding Delton for two days. It was only a matter of time before he got impatient and asked her about her sojourn to the city. Or maybe, he had found something behind her back.
“You may leave,” Xara told Amara but as she turned, Xara mouthed, “Wait.”
She turned instantly. “I…I was wondering how Osric is doing.” When Amara blinked, she put in, “He was a loyal servant to me. It pains me to know he’s working with Ifer.”
“He is being held in prison,” Amara said, leaving out details of which prison he wasn’t being held at.
So, she put in, “The king says that the private prison is heavily guarded. Is Osric being fed properly?”
Amara surveyed her carefully, observing her like one observed a dying insect. “He has taken to starving himself. We’re having to force-feed him to keep him alive.”
“What!?” Her heart sank. The thought of Osric being tortured and starved was too much to bear. She wasn’t soft-hearted by any means, but torture went a little too far. Though Xara had expected rough handling on Delton’s part, she’d never thought Osric would try to starve himself. This couldn’t go on.
“I wonder if he’ll speak if you’re there.” Amara’s loud thinking jarred her.
“Why would you think that?”
“You said he was loyal to you.”
“I doubt he’d betray Ifer for me.” Her heart was pounding. Delton’s sudden arrival had put a wrench in her plans. But no more. Tonight, she’d get her hands on that key by hook or by crook.
The short woman leaned in closer until they were standing next to each other. When she next spoke, her voice was a whisper. “I saw you in the city that night.”
Xara stilled. “What?”
“The night Ifer disappeared into the warehouse…I saw you near that place.” She backed off, the threat evident in her tone. “That’s what the king wants to talk to you about.”
Her heart rate increased. Someone had seen her coming out of the warehouse. She gazed into Amara’s eyes and wondered if she suspected her.
“Have you told the king about what you saw?”
“Not yet. I wanted to confirm.”
Tightly shutting her eyes, she chastised herself for reacting so unthinkingly. Amara was a spy, good at hiding and baiting, and she’d taken the bait.
“Are you going to tell him now?”
“That depends.”
“On?”
“On what you were doing there,” Amara said.
Xara remained silent for a moment. But before she could answer, they both heard the crackling of footsteps.
“Amara,” Michael called out. “Queen Xara.”
“Michael.” Amara stilled, eyes moving between them.
“You were gone all morning. I was worried about you.” Her perceptive eyes flashed between Xara and Amara.
She grabbed the opportunity to distance herself from Amara. “Thank you. I think it’s time for me to go back in.”
With that, she walked to the palace in quick steps. Michael was at her feet, following her to the front steps. When they were in, he asked, “Does she suspect who you really are?”
So, he’d heard everything.
“I don’t know,” Xara shrugged. Servants buzzed about. Controlling her steps, she walked side-by-side with him. “I might need your help.”
“Anything. I’m sorry for the last time, by the way. Who knew King Delton would sneak out of the window? I found out later from a servant who saw him.”
“He can be unpredictable,” she remarked. “Don’t worry, it’ll be you leaving the palace this time.”
When they reached the base of the stairs, they parted with conspiratorial smiles.
XARA DIDN’T GO DOWN for dinner. Instead, she spent all that time in the observatory, thinking of ways to steal Delton’s key. Having it forged was a possibility. If only she could get near him. An empty dinner tray sat on her table. She’d found three little bars of soap to use for her forgery experiment, but did not know how she’d pull it off.
When the door creaked, her spine stiffened.
“Your Highness.” The sight of General Darius instantly soothed her nerves. She was in no position to face Delton. Not with three bars of soap before her and a plan taking shape in her head. Xara brushed them under the table, flashing Darius a smile.
“I thought I’d visit the observatory. The king told me it is beautiful. But I can come back later—“
“No.” She stood and the bars of soap slid to the ground. Darius was immediately on his feet, picking them up one by one and depositing them on the table.
“I like the scent…for my bath.” She felt compelled to come up with a lie. “Why don’t you sit down, general? You can see the stars from here.” Motioning to an empty chair, she nervously paced about the floor.
“The stars look beautiful indeed, now that I can see them.” Seated on a wooden chair with his neck tilted up, Darius’ eyes were transfixed on the stars. “I couldn’t see them the first time I was here. Michael described them to me.” He swallowed, making Xara wonder if it was a precious memory. “But there’s nothing like seeing them with your own eyes. I have you to thank for that, Your Highness.”
Xara shook her head, brushing the compliment away. She pulled a chair next to him and sat down, gazing at the stars with him.
“Everything in nature…the sun, the skies, the stars, the trees, the wind…has energy. They have their own colors, own voices, and sounds…much like we have an identity. I use that energy for my magic.”
“How fascinating. I heard you fell into the canal a few days ago. Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes. Did Michael tell you?”
He nodded.
Michael had also told her that Darius about her secret identity. Should she bring it up?
“Do you want to ask me something?” Darius asked.
“Y-yes.” She took a deep breath in. “How do you steal something that belongs to another person…something personal?”
Darius stared at her blankly. He wasn’t expecting that.
Neither was she. Her deepest concern had manifested itself in words.
“I-I mean something like a necklace or a wedding ring…have you ever stolen something like that, general?” Darius eyed her curiously. “Of course, you haven’t. Forget that I asked.”
She didn’t know why she was asking him, of all people. It was so easy to talk to him. Unlike someone she knew.
“Can’t you steal this object when the person is asleep?” Darius answered a few seconds later, tapping his index finger on his chin.
“What if he never sleeps?” Delton spent his nights at the library or moving around in his room. She heard his footsteps at night, her trepidation growing more pronounced.
“Then you must steal it when he has his guard down.”
“No, that won’t work either…He never has his guard down.”
“May I ask what you’re trying to steal?”
“Nothing.” She stood up. Xara didn’t want Darius to become suspicious of her. “I shouldn’t have asked—”
A few silent beats passed between them while Darius looked at the stars. Then, he turned to her, the full force of his green eyes hitting her.
“Make him lose his mind.” His deep voice stopped her in her tracks.
“What?”
“Seduce him. Make him lose his senses until he’s no longer aware of your actions.” Xara’s face flamed. Even though the rational part of her mind knew that it was a plausible strategy, it threw her emotions into chaos. She’d never contemplated seducing Delton. He was always the villain in her story, a demon immune to emotions. Would he fall for her seduction, when he’d cast her away on their wedding night? “Is this man not interested in women?”
“It’s not that…”
“Then it is you who is not interested in him.”
The moment Darius’ knowing green eyes hit her, she knew she shouldn’t have said anything to him. He was far too perceptive. Did he know she was talking about Delton? If he did, then why was he helping her?
“Y-yes.” She saw no point in lying. “The man in question is immune to my charms.”
“Nobody is immune to your charms, Your Highness. I recognized your beauty the moment I saw it.”
She smiled. “While I am grateful for your compliments, general, you and I both know that I am not conventionally beautiful. It is one reason my father married me off to Delton. He thought I’d never leave otherwise.” She inhaled roughly. “Besides, the man in question doesn’t have a heart.”
“It is not beauty that draws one to you, Queen Xara. It is your kindness, generosity, and grace. If he is heartless, especially if he is heartless, he will be drawn to the promise of love that he sees in you.”
Xara choked. It wasn’t the promise of love that he saw in her. It was the promise of darkness—endless bitterness. Because it was all she was capable of now. Ever since the breakdown of her marriage, she’d become an unhappy, resentful person. Though she was kind to others, she knew that she was irreparably broken. That made her different from people like General Darius and Michael who could hope for love.
“Are you going to tell me that love is every man’s weakness as Michael did?” she asked.
“It is. I’m a living example of it,” Darius said. “But men are also weak to sex… to the primal, animalistic attraction none of us quite understand. It invites us to be vulnerable without consequences. Seduce his body, if you cannot seduce his heart.”
Xara highly doubted she would be seducing any part of Delton. But Darius’ words lodged themselves in her mind.
Be vulnerable without consequences.
Wasn’t that what she craved?
Did Delton want that?
Was he even attracted to her? Could he be? The scene at the library flashed in her mind, followed by her clinging to him after he fished her out of the water. As much as she hated it, she had been attracted to him. But did he feel the same way?
Animal attraction, as Darius called it. It was a risky move.
The stars twinkled overhead. They both watched it for a few moments before she stood up.
“Thank you for your suggestions, general. This has been an enlightening conversation.”
“Anytime, Your Highness.” He stood too.
It was time to meet with Delton. She could ignore his summons, but that would only make him more suspicious. No, she’d come up with a convincing excuse, compose herself, and face him. Slipping the soap bars into her gown’s pocket, she made her way to the door.
“Good night, General Darius.”
“Good night, Your Highness.” He rose and bowed. “I wish you all the best with your thieving endeavors.”
BY THE TIME she made up her mind, it was almost midnight. Xara was surprised Delton hadn’t come to her room and dragged her out. She walked through the empty hallway, prepared with a bar of soap tucked under her sleeve. That was her master plan—forgery. She wondered if Delton was in the library, sulking silently in one corner. He’d retired after dinner, but she didn’t know where to find him.
Xara hadn’t figured out her precise strategy, but she’d come up with a convincing story to tell him. It would have to do for now. The real challenge was getting the prison key. Though every cell in her body rebelled at the thought of seducing Delton, desperation quelled fear. If she didn’t do something quickly, Osric would be dead.
A fuzzy yellow outlined the doorframe of Delton’s bedroom. He wasn’t in the library, but in his bedroom. Butterflies danced in her stomach at the thought of seducing him in what had been her mother’s bedroom.
Feet pausing outside, Xara peeped in to find Delton’s shadow hunched over a chessboard. The burning lamps illuminated the pieces on the board. Delton’s bony, silver-ring-wearing fingers gleamed as he picked up a black pawn. Nobody sat next to him. He was playing alone. How strange.
“Who is there?” His raspy voice echoed when her shadow moved. Delton was just as observant as her.
“It’s me.” Xara stepped into the light. Having gone so far, she opened the door a little more and stepped in. The untouched bed was the first thing that floated into her gaze, followed by the books lying on the nightstand and the chessboard at the center of a table that Delton had put up. He sat on a chair while the other side of the board faced the bed. “Playing chess at night? Isn’t it time to sleep?”
She closed the door, her body inside the room. The scent of old wood, flowers, and him permeated her nostrils.
His red eyes turned to her, answering her question. “I can’t afford to sleep with Ifer running free.” It made her happy to know that she was giving him sleepless nights. “I see you have finally decided to stop avoiding me.”
“Amara conveyed your message loud and clear.” She eyed the chessboard. A game had just begun. There was still no clear victor yet. “Why are you playing chess by yourself?”
“I’m not playing by myself, princess.” He hadn’t called her that in a while. The lamplight turned the bolt of white hair on his forehead a gleaming orange. Delton’s hair didn’t gray, but that single silver streak had been his trademark, the manifestation of a rare hereditary attribute. “I’m playing with Ifer.”
She pretended to look around the room. “I can’t see him.”
Delton tapped his index finger against his temple. “He’s in here. In my head. I try to imagine the moves he’d make.”
Xara didn’t know whether he was crazy or obsessive. Knowing him, probably the latter. The real Ifer was standing next to him and Delton had no idea. It was funny but this wasn’t the time to get complacent.
Xara glanced at the chessboard and came up with a quick idea. She could use this game to seduce him.
The golden chain around his neck glinted as he leaned forward. Her gaze trailed down his chest to his hand. A golden wedding ring gleamed on his finger, making her choke.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“You’re still wearing your wedding ring.” The words escaped with a gasp. It was the only golden ring among several silver ones.
She couldn’t believe that he was still wearing their wedding ring. It was uncharacteristic of him. Why would he wear it if he hated her so much?
Delton looked up, his eyes flickering to her finger. “I see that you’re not.”
“I lost it.” For all she knew, her wedding ring was lying at the bottom of River Wolfburg, rusted and unrecognizable. She’d taken it off the night she decided to drown herself and never looked for it.
They fell back into silence as she observed the shadows painting the chessboard. She continued to watch his fingers work, her eyes noticing the flexing of his arm muscles when he moved. His shirtsleeves were rolled back and he appeared unusually vulnerable. Her eyes went up to his sharp jaw dotted with stubble and followed the trail to his lips. She breathed in his scent—musk and something woody.
“Do you do this every night?” She was calculating how this would play out, observing his moves.
“Yes. I can’t sleep at night. Might as well entertain myself.” His large fingers moved a piece. Xara noticed that they corded with muscle too, veins bulging from the tanned surface. Their strength was a testament to how great a warrior he was. Good thing she didn’t plan to compete on strength.
“They say people who can’t sleep are haunted by something…someone. Are you haunted by memories?”
His eyes snapped up, returning to the board almost immediately. So, she’d hit a nerve. He was haunted by something. Perhaps somebody that he’d killed. When he glanced at her again, the mask was back in place.
“Haunted…I like that word,” His voice was eerily calm. “I’ve never thought of myself as such before.”
“Why don’t we play a game together?” It was time to move things along.
His eyes narrowed and he tilted his head to the right. “You play?”
“Yes.”
Xara straightened her spine, coming to sit on the edge of his bed. The intimate gesture made her a little uncomfortable. Her fingers bracketing her thighs, she felt the soft, cotton bedding. Trailing her eyes over the fluffy pillows, she wondered if he’d slept with another woman while she was gone. A flicker of jealousy sparked in her belly—something she quickly tamped down.
“I know you want to know where I went that night. I will tell you if you win this game.” She placed a hand on the chess board. “In Escayton, it is common to have stakes. Would you like to try?”
“What are you playing at, Xara?” His eyes boring deep into hers said that he was intrigued.
“The loser grants the winner a wish…. I believe that is how it goes.” She leaned back, trying to appear calmer than she felt. “If you win, I’ll tell you where I went that night. You may ask me as many questions as you want.”
He closed his eyes, lost in her voice for a moment. When he opened his eyes, they glowed bright red. “No, I don’t want you to tell me where you went.” She deflated. “If I win, I want you to give me an heir.”
Breath whooshed out of her lungs. She was pretty sure he didn’t want an heir. It was a steep price to pay for losing a game of chess. She’d be a fool to underestimate her attraction to him. Was Delton testing her? Purposely pushing her to reveal her motives? Well, two could play this game.
“Don’t tell me you want to give up.” Delton was baiting her.
She needed the key to Osric’s prison, which made her desperate. And desperate people tended to be reckless.
“No.” Her belly clenched with trepidation, but she kept her tone light. “If I win, you must grant me a wish as well.”
“Of course. What do you want?”
This was it, the chance that she’d been waiting for. This chess game would be her opportunity to get Delton to lower his guard. To seduce him, to forge the key, and take another step toward the victory that she’d prepared for.
Xara’s voice lowered to a seductive whisper. “I want you to kiss me.”
She sensed his surprise in the way his shoulders stiffened and his eyes widened. It was the last thing he’d expected her to say. If Xara didn’t know better, she’d think he was scared. Was he scared? Of her? Or of the tension constantly pulsing between them?
“Surprised?”
His voice was solid, his eyes gleaming with predatory instinct. “I thought you wanted an apology before sleeping with me.”
His words heated the air. Dragging a hit of oxygen into her lungs, she pressed her legs together.
“I’m not sleeping with you. It’s just a kiss. Nothing more.” She would never know how she kept her voice steady, her glare skewering Delton when she said that.
He remained still for so long that she thought he might say no. Was the thought of kissing her so repulsive? She wanted to pull back, to disappear into the abyss that was inside her, and lick her wounds. She wanted to drown in all the hurt and bitterness, but Xara reminded herself that none of that would get her the key to Osric’s prison.
She needed to be strong; to seduce him, even though she hated him. Xara had come prepared with a bar of soap hidden under her sleeve. She’d press the key resting against his chest the minute their kiss began. But for that, he needed to agree to the bet.
“If you’re not up for it—” She stood up.
“Sit down.” His intense gaze pinned her. “I accept your terms.”
