Ruined (Ruined, #1)(25)

“Interesting,” Iria murmured. “And it harms you?”

“It closes the throat, so we can’t breathe. And if it comes in contact with the skin, it can cause the skin to split open at the Ruined marks.” Aren peered at his arms, searching for his Ruined marks. He’d had many, evidence of the impressive power that ran through his veins.

Only charred flesh stared back at him, and he twisted his face into a blank expression.

“Would it still have that effect on you?” Iria asked quietly.

“The marks are still there, you just can’t see them anymore. And more will appear eventually. Hopefully not anytime soon.” His gaze hardened. “But I know the hunters have been testing out Weakling on some of the Ruined, so I suspect you already knew what it did.”

“We only wanted to know in order to protect you,” Iria said.

She was right, of course. The Ruined’s numbers were so diminished that partnering with the warriors was the only option. The Ruined needed their help, and their protection.

“Anyway.” Iria cleared her throat. “Find out where the royal family goes in case of an emergency. If any of them escape, we want to know where they’ll be headed.”

“They’ve already told me.” Em crossed the room and opened a dresser drawer. She pushed aside a dagger and pulled out a map. She held it out to Iria. “The day after Cas was attacked, Jovita gave this to me. She said there’s a small fortress in the Vallos Mountains—they call them the Southern Mountains here—and in case of an emergency, I can always go there. It’s called Fort Victorra.”

“I know that place,” Iria murmured, twisting a lock of hair around her finger as she examined the map.

“I don’t think the location is much of a secret, but you shouldn’t be found with that map.” Em held her hand out for it, and Iria took one last look before giving it back. Em returned it to the drawer, putting the knife back in its place.

“My parents argued for immediate action. They wanted to go in and help as soon as we heard the king killed Wenda and took Olivia.” Iria lowered her voice. “For what it’s worth.”

“Not worth much now, considering that didn’t happen and most of the Ruined are dead,” Aren said, striding toward the door. “I have to get to training. Careful with that one guard, Galo. He’s friends with the prince, and rumor has it he reports everything back to Cas.”

“Is he captain of the prince’s guard?”

“No, that’s Julio. But Galo is the one who knows everything.”

“Good to know,” Em said.

“I’ll get you the guard’s schedules and rotations soon. I’m still working them out.”

“Thank you,” Iria said. Aren walked out the door, pulling it closed behind him. Iria stared at the spot where he’d been.

“He’s not the same as he was,” Em said.

“I barely knew him before. He only spoke to me to tease me when I visited the castle.”

He’d probably been flirting with her—Aren was a terrible flirt when he was younger—but Em decided not to point that out.

She gestured for Iria to follow as she walked to the door and headed out into the hallway. “I’ll keep you updated,” she said quietly.

Iria nodded at something behind Em. “Your Highness.”

Em turned to see Cas coming down the hallway. He wore dark pants and a gray shirt that had several buttons undone, and he tossed a piece of hair out of his eyes as he approached.

She really wished he wouldn’t do that thing with his hair.

“Hello, Iria,” he said.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” the warrior said. “I need to find Koldo and Benito before the meeting.”

Cas watched Iria go, then turned to Em. “Good morning.”

He was smiling. He should definitely stop smiling. “Good morning.”

“I thought we could walk to the meeting together. My father is always late, so we can entertain the warriors until he gets there.” Cas offered his arm, and she took it.

“Is this an appropriate outfit?” she asked, gesturing down to the loose black dress. It was short-sleeved and casual, with a long, simple skirt that moved around her legs when she walked. “I didn’t know if there was a certain type of dress for your meetings. Your mother didn’t give me any instructions.”

“No, there’s not. The meetings are casual.” He paused, then cleared his throat. “You look very nice.”

“Thank you.” Em stole a quick glance at him. She wasn’t sure what to make of last night. He hadn’t even seemed angry that she didn’t want to consummate the marriage. Maybe he didn’t want to have sex with her either.

The thought should have been more comforting than it was.

They walked to the Ocean Room, and when Cas opened the door, she understood why the king took meetings there. The space was huge, easily bigger than all her rooms combined. The floor-to-ceiling windows on the east wall showed off an impressive view of the ocean in the distance, and the deep-blue curtains were all open.

Several chairs and couches surrounded the fireplace, and the white carpet spread throughout the room was immaculate. A long wooden table with chairs on either side was in the middle of the room, and a generous spread of fruit and pastries sat in the center.