Sky and Storm ( Warriors of Vis #1)(41)

“Cloud? Hey, sister, look at me.” Storm waved his hand in front of her, trying to get her attention. Cloud’s eyes were fixed on Sky, big tears running down her face. Storm looked at his father, trying to find some answers there, but the king’s grim face offered no revelation.

“I am so sorry they did this to you, Sky. I always loved you like a brother. Maybe more than a brother, when I was younger. Or maybe I just wanted you and Storm to pay attention to me.”

Sky pushed himself free of Storm’s embrace and walked to Cloud. “I love you too, you little menace. Now release your mother, will you?”

“No!” Cloud’s shout rang through the huge room, bouncing off the stone walls. The earlier mad, blurry look replaced her sorrow. “No, she did this. I can’t release her. Storm will punish her. Punish me.”

Storm had a sinking feeling Cloud was only mad with grief and betrayal. The madness would pass, eventually. But how far did the grief go?

“I did it, Storm,” Cloud said, a twisted smile on her face. “I found out who was responsible. I listened to your spies when they couldn’t see me, and I had Sera… and I knew all the secret passages from when we were kids. It was easy to listen into her conversations. I stole her letters…”

Storm walked to his sister and placed his hand on her shoulder, careful that it wouldn’t startle her too much. “Who did you spy on, Cloud? What did you find out?”

Cloud’s smile fell, her face scrunching in pain. “This bitch did it. She plotted to have Sky taken.”

“Cloud, please. Shut up! You don’t know what you’re talking about, my child.”

Cloud pulled her mother’s hair harder and slapped her across the face. The queen’s yelp made her laugh and she slapped her mother again. “You shut up. Keep that filthy mouth shut. Only lies pour out of it.”

Storm’s blood ran cold. He’d always known his step-mother disliked him, the main cause being Storm’s refusal of letting her control his life. He’d never imagined she hated him enough to have Sky kidnapped.

“Cloud,” Storm said, his voice even, yet cold. His sister’s eyes locked on him, and her face seemed to clear. “Release the queen and come closer.”

Cloud hesitated only for a second. She released her mother and took a step forward, stopping inches away from Storm. “She did it. She was mad enough to plot with Estas to have Sky taken from you.”

Storm couldn’t say what broke his heart more. Cloud’s disbelief at her own words, the fat tears rolling down her face, or Sky’s trembling hand brushing them away.

Cloud hiccupped from all the crying and took a few calming breaths. “I started suspecting when they refused to send birds to you. I told her Eagle was on his way, and she said he’d make it there before any pigeon or raven. She knew he’d been hurt, I’d told her. I think she hoped he’d die on the way.”

Storm steadied both Cloud and his husband, holding them both close.

“Sera and I started paying attention. We intercepted her letters and saw it all. I have the originals and sent only copies to Estas. Fake sigils that they missed. They wanted Sky broken and battered, so that you’d be too ashamed and disgusted to share your bed with him. They hoped you’d be easier to sway then and agree to make the Estas princess your consort.”

Of course, this was about him taking some sort of concubine. Some woman to bear children and break Sky’s heart. Storm snorted and squeezed Cloud’s shoulder. “We both know nothing can make me stop loving Sky. No one else will ever share my bed.”

Cloud nodded and smiled. “I knew that. I was so afraid they’d kill Sky if they discovered it.”

“Shh, I’ll always keep him safe. You don’t have to worry about Sky.”

“He’s right, you know.” Sky smiled at her, warmth as powerful as the sun radiating from his still bruised face. “As long as my Dragon is watching over me, I am safe. You’ve seen it. He’s found me and brought me back.”

“Who else from Vis was involved in this, Cloud?”

“No one, not directly. When the pigeon master tried to send word to you, they had him killed and replaced. I also suspect some noblemen, but I have no proof.” Cloud growled and then sobbed. “I wasn’t good enough to find out.”

“You were brilliant,” Storm whispered, looking at the queen over Cloud’s shoulder. To his dismay, the woman rolled her eyes at the comment. She’d never thought much of Cloud.

“And on Estas’s side?” Storm asked when Cloud had calmed down enough.

“The queen and the princess you’ve met. I don’t know about the king, but he’s only the queen’s puppet.” Cloud turned to look at her mother and sneered. “You can tell they are cousins. Same evil blood running through them.”

“Oh, for gods’ sake,” the queen shouted, raising her arms to the ceiling. “Everything I do is to protect Vis’s future. If you weren’t so melodramatic, you’d see that. Better yet, you and your bratty brother would have never put me into a position where I had to take matters into my own hands.”

Storm looked at his father, who had so far been exquisite at impersonating a statue. “Did you know about this?”

The king only shook his head. For a second, he raised his eyes to look at Storm, but couldn’t hold Storm’s gaze. Shame and pain warred on his face and the man looked feeble. Old. Despite Storm’s hatred of him, he still felt sorry for his father. He was about to lose his second wife.