The Storm Crow (The Storm Crow, #1)(16)

“Bastard,” I hissed.

Caliza’s head snapped toward me. “Maybe he wouldn’t have felt it necessary to prove his control if you weren’t so intent on making him angry. I thought you were going to give him a chance.”

“I did. He blew it quickly. Pretty sure he insulted everything from our food to our architecture.”

“Posturing and Illucian snobbery. Did you expect anything less?”

“No. That doesn’t mean I have to accept it. He likes getting a rise out of us.”

“Out of you,” Caliza corrected. “You make it easy for him.”

I scowled but bit back my retort. “Look, I’m not any happier about this than I was yesterday. Give me a chance to adjust before I sell my soul.”

Caliza’s stern expression relented. Barely. She rose without a word and strode into the castle. I stood too, Kiva moving to my side.

Grinding my teeth, I stepped toward the castle. Ericen’s smug smile lingered in my mind. He’d been here all of a couple of hours and was already throwing his weight around. No doubt he’d asked for the tour to scope out the state of the city. By this time tomorrow, he’d know exactly how little we’d recovered from Ronoch, and we had no choice but to let him.

Yet another thing I could do nothing about.

Scowling, I changed direction abruptly, heading toward the downstairs library. “Come on. Maybe we can find answers in the library.”

Kiva eyed me as if seeing something she hadn’t expected to find. “I hate to say it, but Ericen might actually be good for you.” I must’ve looked absurd, because a grin split across Kiva’s face, and she hastened to explain. “Don’t get me wrong. He’s worse than an ice bear in heat, but I haven’t seen you that engaged with something in months.”

I stared at her. “An ice bear in heat?”

She shrugged. “They’re notoriously foul and vicious. And strangely fond of chocolate.” I rolled my eyes, and she laughed. “I’m serious, Thia. You’ve always needed an opponent. Your mother, Caliza, other riders; you’re the most competitive person I know, and Ericen’s nothing if not a challenge.”

I snorted, but as per usual, Kiva knew me better than I knew myself. I crossed my arms. “A challenge I’ll win.”

She grinned.





Five


I groaned, slamming shut Proper Crow Care with a puff of dust on the table before me. A couple of off-duty guards looked up from their reading, averting their eyes when Kiva gazed coolly back at them. Night had crept in, the large, windowless library lit by sona lamps, inventions from the Ambriels that burned longer than normal lights.

“Anything?” I asked.

Kiva shook her head, tossing the book onto the table with the sort of reckless abandon that would make Caliza pale. “To be honest, I haven’t been paying attention,” Kiva said. “I can’t stop thinking about the Jin prisoner.” I raised an eyebrow, and she leaned across the table, lowering her voice. “Who else would a citizen of Jindae serve if not Razel? The Jin monarchy was torn to ruins when Illucia conquered the kingdom, the entire royal family murdered. But Razel gains nothing if you’re dead.”

“Great, so my people hate me and want me dead.”

“No.” She gave me a flat look. “I heard a rumor among the guards this morning. Some of them have family in Jindae. They’re saying the Jin princess survived. They think she sent the assassins.”

I sat up, leaning close. “Have they seen her?”

She shook her head. “It’s secondhand information, but I think the attack only proves it. If the princess is trying to organize a rebellion to take back Jindae, the last thing she’d want is for Rhodaire to ally with Illucia in any way. That makes more sense than a random attack by angry Rhodairen citizens.”

I shoved a book across the table. “Even our allies are enemies then.” I pressed my face into my hands. It was all too much. Too many questions, too many things to do, too much effort. I’d just started getting out of bed every day; how was I supposed to handle all this?

“We’ll figure it all out, Thia,” Kiva said. “One step at a time.”

One step at a time. She’d said that to me every day for weeks. I struggled to latch on to the words. We’d possibly discovered who had ordered the attack on me. Now, I needed to hatch the egg. But how in the Saints’ name was I supposed to do that?

I attempted a smile. “One step at a time.”

*

I woke paralyzed.

As I’d slept, each of my worries had climbed into bed and settled on my chest like crows to roost. Late morning sunlight poured through the windows, teasing me with its light and warmth, but crawling out from under the covers seemed too big a task.

Move.

Nothing.

This was how it was. One moment, I was moving forward, and the next, I couldn’t move at all. No matter how important the day or what I needed to do, the feeling came and refused to leave.

I hated it.

Why was I so weak? I’d been worthless the last few months. I still was. I couldn’t hatch the egg. Couldn’t help Rhodaire or myself.

Useless.

Illucia had taken everything from me, and I’d given up. They’d taken everything from the Jin princess too, and if the rumors were true, she’d organized a rebellion in response. Not to mention to have known about the engagement, she either had spies in our castle or Illucia’s.