Fantasy of Fire (The Tainted Accords #3)(49)

I nod. “Great idea, and I’ll help where I can.”

“You can’t help. You’re the Tatuma, for fuck’s sake,” she curses. I stare into her eyes until she realizes how stupid that sounded.

“I guess you’ve been doing it for a while now,” she admits. I feel eyes on me and give Olandon a quick smile. He stands in the corner, not talking to anyone. He looks completely baffled. It will have to wait.

“Rhone,” I call. His expression doesn’t change as he moves in front of me. I crane my neck to see his face.

“I need you to do something for me,” I say. “Straightaway, or it will be too late.” He continues to wait. It doesn’t put me off. He’s never wasted words.

“I have some documents I … acquired.”

He snorts. “You stole them?”

I quickly shush him and give the ever-watchful king an innocent look. Jovan narrows his eyes in response.

“So what, you need me to get them?” he asks, bending low.

“They’re hidden behind a rock I pried from the wall in my dungeon room, er, the room I was first put in.” I see a glimmer of humor flash in his eyes. I close my eyes and count.

“It’s on the left wall behind the bath. Seven across from the left, and six down. There’s a little white mark I made in the right-hand corner of the rock,” I say.

“Why can’t you get them yourself?” he grunts. I nearly smack myself on the forehead.

“Sorry. They’re in the Third Sector castle. That’s why I need you to go now. Soon it will be too close to the Fourth to retrieve them. And they are very important to Glacium’s future,” I say. I don’t worry that I’m saying too much to Rhone. He’s proven himself time and again.

“I have one task to complete for the king. I’ll leave directly afterward,” he says with a small bow. I squeeze his arm in thanks.

“What are you up to?” a rumbling voice says directly behind me. I squeal and jump.

I scowl at Jovan and move away to say farewell some of the delegates. It’s a chaotic time for Glacium; it’s a miracle everyone was able to be here at the same time.

“Sadra, Fiona,” I say. “Do you think you could get someone to organize rooms for our Outer Rings guests?” For some reason Sadra beams widely and sneaks a quick peek at the king before nodding at my request. I follow her look and catch Jovan smiling too.

It takes another half an hour for the room to empty, leaving Jovan, Olandon, and myself.

I collapse into an exhausted pile on a hard seat wishing it were my bed. We all stare at each other wordlessly. Jovan breaks out into a large grin and my grin quickly follows suit. He grabs me from the seat, hands on my waist and spins me in endless circles. Peals of uncontrollable laughter leave me as I struggle for breath.

“Put my sister down,” Olandon says. The king ignores him.

“Jovan,” I gasp. “Put me down please.” Another giggle leaves me as I'm placed on my feet once more.

“You did it,” Jovan says. A slow smile spreads across my face. I take a shaking breath as relief and happiness choke me.

“I did,” I say softly.

“What about the woman, Jacquiline,” my brother says. His tone is off. I peer at him curiously, and he turns his face—the equivalent of telling me to mind my own business. I answer his surface question while trying to figure out what’s wrong.

“I believe she’ll remain quiet. I hope in time her temper will cool and she’ll see things reasonably. Though I think our friendship is over,” I say.

He turns his head back briefly and I catch sight of redness around his eye. “What has happened to your eye, Landon?” I ask. It is barely there; his eyes flicker to the man behind me and back.

“I admit I lost my temper, sister. You know these people better than I. What just occurred in here...” His bafflement resurfaces. “I should have deferred to your judgment immediately and I apologize.” His eyes flicker to Jovan once more before he bows and leaves the room.

“Why is my brother acting like that?” I ask.

“I would guess he’s discovering the things he knew as truths are not truths at all.”

The cryptic reply tells me nothing. “And the mark on his face?” I fold my arms across my chest and wait, tapping my toe.

“I hit your brother,” Jovan admits. I wait.

“He needed some sense knocked into him,” he adds. “I’ve been itching to do it for weeks now.”

I smile a little at that and sigh. “Did you hit him hard?” Jovan’s head bobs down to my level.

“No harder than necessary to make him see my way.” He grins. I push his head back and make for the door, picking up my veil and band on the way.

“You can’t knock sense into everyone,” I say, looking back over my shoulder sweetly. “It’s barbaric.”

His eyes roam over my body, making me tremble.

“I’ve never pretended to be anything else.”





Chapter Eleven


I sit next to Jovan that night. My brother remains several seats down between Drummond and Gerden. The advisors look distinctly uncomfortable and I quietly applaud my brother from where I’m placed. I swing my legs beneath the seat as I chew through the crunchy goodness of a pear, wishing I could see to the back of the room where the barracks are sitting. But it’s enough knowing nearly all the people I love are here. If Aquin and the twins arrived, it would be perfect. I throw a bit of meat to Kaura, who lies by my feet.