Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(114)

He pushed me down again and I got my first real glimpse at the knife he had held to my throat. It was enormous and wicked sharp. I quickly rethought my stance on being intimidated. “I’ve been kicked from my home for treason, Your Grace. I’ve been told that I will be executed and the Seelie wish to use a spell to not only kill my host but to trap me.”

So they were serious about punishing him. I could bet Dev was behind that one. “I had nothing to do with that.”

“Oh, I disagree,” he returned flatly. “I was convicted of crimes against you.”

“I told Declan and my husband that I didn’t believe you had anything to do with it.”

“I’m sure you protested my innocence mightily.” He bit out his words with a sarcasm I hadn’t thought him capable of. “I’m sure that you cried out my innocence to all who could hear.”

“No,” I said, remembering those terrible days. “I told Dev what I believed and then I went back to bed because I didn’t care. I didn’t care about you, I didn’t care about him. I didn’t give a damn that the world was falling apart around me. I only cared that my child was gone. If that’s my crime then you should punish me for it because I admit to it willingly.”

My admission seemed to deflate a bit of the Hunter’s rage. “I was sorry to hear about your loss.” He was quiet for a moment and then finally went to sit in the chair. “Did you truly tell Devinshea I had nothing to do with this atrocity?”

“I did,” I replied, relaxing a little bit. “I told Declan as well, but he had a confession and that was all he needed. The man who gave me the tea confessed to being your accomplice.”

“It only proves that the Seelie know nothing about us.” Herne made his first appearance of the night and the minute the Hunter gave him the body, I knew the real threat had passed. “We wouldn’t stoop so low as to spike a pregnant woman’s tea with a curse. We would carve the babe from your belly.”

“Yes, that’s much better.”

“You take my meaning,” Herne said impatiently. “The Unseelie are a direct people. We would strike hard and with great violence. We would proclaim our crime. This has Seelie betrayal written all over it. They have put Angus in a terrible position. Now I hear that Arawn is wanted for questioning in your kidnapping.”

“Oh, that was Nim,” I corrected. “She bought me. She wanted a little girl-on-girl action.”

“Really?” Herne asked, his eyes lighting up. “Did she get some?” His eyes rolled and the Hunter looked at me, shaking his head. “Forgive my host. He thinks of only one thing. So the traitor has managed to force Angus’s greatest allies into hiding right before the war. It’s clever. How can I be sure that overindulged idiot Miria calls her heir isn’t behind this?”

It was a reasonable assumption. Declan, as far as the Unseelie knew, hated them and was capable of anything. “I have proof that the Duke of Ain is behind everything and is working with someone named Con.”

“Bastard,” the Hunter growled. “I should have known. Con has been plotting for years to move up in the court. He always speaks ill of Arawn and me to the king. He tried to convince the king that ascended gods couldn’t be trusted, that we would seek to overthrow him someday in order to rule as we did when we were corporeal.”

I nodded. “It’s a good play. I take it Angus hasn’t bitten until now.”

“He has no choice at this point,” the Hunter admitted. “If he wars with Miria, we most likely lose any chance we had at Devinshea performing his duties as our priest. The nobles over here will revolt. If he concedes, we come under Seelie domination and then the nobles revolt. We cannot win.”

“Why didn’t you call a hunt down on me?” If he had truly believed I’d called him a traitor, he could call for the hunt to execute me. It was his right. I was a royal and owed him honesty.

“It’s a good thing I did not. Do you think the Wild Hunt is to be used in this manner? It’s a serious thing. Had I called a hunt down on your head, I would have found it coming after me.”

“Because I didn’t commit the crime you accused me of,” I reasoned.

He nodded. “It’s a great responsibility. It’s not to be taken lightly.”

“Why not just call a hunt down on the duke?” I sat up straight. “I’ll call it. I have the right. I have no fears that the hunt will turn on me.”

He reached out and put a finger to my lips. “Hush, Your Grace. You have the right but this isn’t the time. You must stand in a space with both me and the Duke of Ain and look at him when you make your accusations. You must then request a hunt of me. It would be best, however, if you allow your husband to call the hunt or the queen herself. It is not right or fair, but the Seelie will be forced to accept the sentence of the hunt if it comes from them.”

I didn’t care who said the words as long the Duke of Ain and his daughter met with justice. I nodded my head in agreement. “Will calling a hunt stop the war?”

The Hunter sat back in his chair and took a long swill from his canteen. “It’s important to stop the war before it begins, Zoey. Once the battle is on, I can’t call the hunt until the fighting stops. It’s too confusing. I won’t risk everyone there. We must press on and take this information to the king. Perhaps with you in my custody, he’ll at least take the time to listen.” He leaned the chair back and pointed to the pallet on the floor. “Take the bed. We’ll sleep for an hour or two and then press on to the palace.”