A Rip of Realms (A Shade of Vampire #39)(15)

“Lies!” roared the farmer. “We’ve heard the rumors! Do you take us for fools?”

“No!” Ash said quickly. “It’s not lies, it’s just unbelievable—but I wouldn’t lie to you. A great evil has been locked up in Hellswan castle for centuries; the emperor unleashed it, and Tejus and I, and the rest of us, are trying to contain it again. If you want to blame anyone, it’s Queen Trina!”

“Tejus’s lover!” one of the women spat. “We know their history—they’re like a pair of snakes!”

Mentioning Queen Trina had been a mistake. I could see the villagers rousing themselves into a fury. In a quick flurry of movement, one of the farmers produced a thick-bladed hunting knife, holding it out toward Ash’s face. I froze in horror.

“I don’t want to do this,” the farmer hissed, “but you’re making desperate men, King Ashbik.”

Ash stared at the tip of the blade.

“Take this as a warning. Neither you, nor any king, hold claim over us. We’ll protect what’s ours, and if there’s any more of this funny business, we’ll hold you to account. Got it?”

Ash rested his fingers on the blade, lowering it and then moving it away from his body. The farmer watched him with curiosity, not daring to actually follow through with his threat.

“You can turn your back on us if you wish.” Ash spoke, his voice surprisingly level. “You’re more than welcome to. But understand that you will be in danger wherever you go. At least here you have guards and ministers to protect you.” The farmer opened his mouth to speak, but Ash silenced him with a look. “I know they haven’t been of help in the past. That is about to change. We need each other, more than ever before. Or we will all die.”

The farmer lowered the knife completely, re-sheathing it.

“I want your word—as a man, not a king,” he muttered, defeated.

“You have it,” Ash replied.

The farmer nodded, slowly backing away from the room. He didn’t remove his glare from Ash until he’d left the doorway, and then he and the rest of the villagers turned and left.

I exhaled, hardly aware that I’d been holding my breath throughout the entire exchange.

“Wow,” I whispered. “Are you okay?”

Ash remained staring at the door, and I hovered where I was, not knowing what to say or do.

After a few moments, Ash’s shoulders relaxed and he turned to face me, his face practically gray and his expression deeply concerned.

“I’m worried there’s going to be an uprising…if it remains contained to the Hellswan villagers we should be able to manage it, but if it becomes wider spread than that…”

His voice trailed off.

We’re in trouble.

He didn’t need to say it out loud. If the villagers’ opinion was shared throughout Nevertide, then there would be a lot of ruler-less sentries with no one to guide them—and one convenient target they could lash out at.

“I need to call a meeting,” Ash muttered. He walked out of the room, and I followed him, not sure where I’d be most helpful, but not wanting Ash to feel like he was alone in all of this. Where is Tejus?

Ash looked over the banister of the mezzanine to the floor below, and called to two guards waiting by the door.

“Where’s Lieutenant Ragnhild?” he asked.

“We don’t know, your highness—he told us to guard the front doors,” one of them replied. “Do you wish to meet with him?”

“With all of you. Find Ragnhild and gather everyone else in the ballroom.”

Ash turned back to face me.

“I need the lieutenant’s support,” he muttered. “He’s not as liked as Varga was, but he’s respected.”

“Ash…” I hesitated, not sure whether I was overreacting, but wanting to be honest with him regardless. “Ragnhild lied to me, on the night that we went to the Viking graveyard. He said that you sent him, but you hadn’t. I know it’s a small thing, but it means that he wanted to be there—enough that he would lie about it. Don’t you think that’s strange?”

Ash looked uncomfortable, then shook his head. “I don’t have much of a choice. I can’t afford not to trust him, Ruby.”

“Can you afford to trust him?”

“There’s hardly anyone left. I need all the support I can get—and so far, he hasn’t proved that he can’t be trusted. Maybe he just wanted to make sure that you were protected—it’s not that unreasonable. Varga certainly went to extensive lengths to ensure your safety.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I retorted, noting his snarky tone.

“Nothing.”

I crossed my arms. “No, go on, you meant something by that. Was it the letter, or the fact that he saved my life that you’re more pissed about?” I asked.

“This isn’t really the time,” he bit out.

“Ash, he was just a good guy. I didn’t have feelings for him beyond that. I don’t even know why this is an issue. He’s dead!” I was getting really mad now, angry that Ash would be so childish about this.

“I’m not the one making it an issue—you are,” he replied. “I need to speak to the guards. Maybe we can talk about this when you’ve calmed down a bit.”