Immortal Reign(81)

Her grandmother deserved such a title.

Amara turned toward Neela, smiling. “Did you secretly summon Costas here as my gift? If so, much gratitude.”

Neela shook her head. “No. However, Costas did acquire your gift, and he brought it here at great risk to himself.” She gestured toward the door next to the tall guard. “Your true gift is within this room.”

How intriguing. What rare treasure had Costas brought for her at her grandmother’s request on the day of her Ascension?

Amara went to the door, pressing her hand flat against its cool, smooth surface. Despite any misgivings or doubt, she swore she would enjoy every moment of today. To taste it. To savor it.

Whatever this mysterious gift was, she had earned it.

Amara opened the door and entered the small room. A woman dressed all in white turned to face her, then dropped her gaze to the floor. She bowed deeply and moved away from the small piece of furniture she stood before.

It looked very much like a cradle.

Her breath shallow, Amara moved forward, slowly, and looked inside.

A baby with sky-blue eyes and a dark tuft of hair stared up at her.

Amara gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth.

Neela came to her side. “Do you like my gift?”

“Madhosha, what have you done?” Amara asked, breathless.

“Do you know whose child this is?” Neela asked.

Amara could barely think, let alone speak. “It’s Lucia Damora’s daughter.”

“You made no mention of her existence. I had to learn it from Costas. This child is the daughter of a prophesied sorceress and an immortal. A child of such extraordinary parents will contain incredible magic—magic we can use for so, so many things.”

Amara’s grip on her cane tightened. “Madhosha . . .”

Neela reached down into the cradle and stroked the baby’s tiny, velvet-smooth cheek. “What shall we name her?”

“She already has a name. It’s Lyssa.” Amara turned to Costas. “You did this. You took her from her cradle—from the arms of a mother who will level the world to find her.”

Costas’s expression remained steady. “She won’t.”

“She will! The moment Lucia learns that you took her—”

“I thought of that,” he interrupted her. “Of course I did. Queen Neela gave explicit instructions to make it appear as if the fire Kindred had stolen her. The only one who witnessed me enter the palace is dead. Burned as proof.”

“More reason for the sorceress to focus her attention on this fire Kindred you could not find a way to control,” Neela said. “We will raise this child as your daughter, just as King Gaius raised Lucia herself. My apothecary tells me he can use her blood to create powerful elixirs to strengthen your reign. Elixirs to keep you young and beautiful for many, many years.”

“Elixirs,” Amara repeated, again looking down upon the face of this stolen child, “to keep me young and beautiful.”

“Yes.” Neela then kissed Amara on both of her cheeks. “I am so happy to have been able to give you this gift, one you will appreciate more with every passing year.”

Every passing year that Queen Neela advised her on how to rule her people, how to control them, and how to punish those who would oppose them.

I don’t want the gift of a stolen child, Amara thought with a sudden, clawing desperation in her chest. I don’t want any of this.

What have I done?

Still, uncertain how her grandmother would react if she blurted out the truth of how she felt, Amara instead forced a smile to her lips. “My gratitude to you, madhosha, for always looking out for me. For making today possible.”

Neela squeezed her hands. “They will all bow before you. Every man who has ever made a Kraeshian woman suffer. And you will be the greatest and most fearsome ruler this world has ever seen.”

Amara continued to smile her false smile as she left the nursery and headed back to her chambers.

She walked as quickly as she could, fighting against the tears pricking the backs of her eyes.

It had been her grandmother’s idea to poison her family.

It had been her grandmother’s idea for her to kill Ashur if he proved to be a problem.

It had been her grandmother’s idea to kidnap the child of a sorceress.

Amara had trusted her grandmother all her life, had been willing to do whatever she said, knowing that Neela only wanted to help her gain power.

Power that Neela could wield for herself.

Her thoughts jumbled and unclear, her vision blurry, Amara didn’t see the person hiding around the corner that led to her wing of the massive royal residence.

At least, not until they grabbed her.

Her cane fell away from her grip before she could use it to fight back against the large hand that grasped her throat and pinned her up against the wall.

The tip of a sharp blade pressed to her cheek.

“Well, that was easier than I would have predicted,” Felix Gaebras growled. “Not enough security in the big green pointy palace to keep escaped criminals like me at bay. What a crying shame.”

The sight of him was such a shock that Amara didn’t react, didn’t struggle, as he dragged her into her vacant chambers. He shoved her, and she stumbled backward and fell to the floor.

The door clicked shut, the lock sliding into place.