Four Dead Queens(40)

But the assassin needed to watch. Make sure the poison did its work.

No—enough. I didn’t want to relive any more. But the recorder wouldn’t let my mind go. I remembered it all, and all over again. Quicker and quicker. More and more details each time, unable to detach myself from the despair.

I screamed.

The images swam together. Blood. Water. Fire. Darkness. Death. Arms. Legs. Neck. Abdomen. Knife. Hands. Fire. Poison. Merging together into a tapestry of death.

Then, nothing.





CHAPTER THIRTEEN





Stessa


   Queen of Ludia



Rule six: Once a queen enters the palace, she is never to visit her homeland again.


Lyker was waiting in Stessa’s rooms when she returned from her interrogation with the inspector. Stessa wasn’t stupid. She knew that was what it was. All the queens were being interrogated, under the guise of “gathering information.”

“What are you doing in here?” she asked, quickly shutting the door behind her. “The inspector could’ve been with me! You can’t be here.”

He frowned but stepped toward her. “I was worried about you. Where have you been? Are you all right?” He’d pushed his shirtsleeves up to his elbows to reveal the colorful lines tattooed on his fingers up toward his heart. She knew he hated wearing the long sleeves of the advisor uniform.

“It’s too dangerous with the inspector sniffing around.” But her body automatically moved toward his. She forced herself not to trace the lines up his arms as she normally would.

He curled a short black lock of hair behind her ear and grinned. “I’ll take my chances.”

“We have to be careful, now more than ever. They’re watching us. He’s watching us.” That man with his disgusting fingers. She couldn’t believe she’d briefly thought him handsome. She shivered at the idea of his dark eyes, or anything else, upon her.

Lyker took her hands in his. “Don’t stress, Stess.” He grinned at his rhyming words. “If we act weird, they’ll know we did something wrong.”

“The inspector already thinks I killed her.”

“How do you know?”

“I’m the newest queen. And you”—she pointed at his chest—“are the newest advisor. We’re easy targets. Don’t you feel them watching us?”

“You’re being paranoid.”

“I’m not. We have to stay away from each other. Just in case.”

“Seriously?” he asked. “What’s the point, then? After everything we’ve done to be together? After everything we’ve given up?”

Stessa hated that she’d pulled him from the world he loved so fiercely. A quadrant of art and color and music. But they’d agreed they would be enough for each other.

“That’s just it, Lyker. If they find out about what we’ve done, what I’ve done, I’ll lose my throne. Worse, I’ll be locked up.”

His hands were clenched at his sides, his temper rising. “But—”

“Please,” she said, running her fingertips along his arms to soothe him. “For the length of the investigation.”

“I’m worried about you. The other advisors believe Iris’s murder was an inside job. I want to stay with you until this is over.”

“You can’t. And I’m a queen, remember? I don’t need you hovering over me like I’m about to shatter. There are guards roaming the halls. I’ll be fine.” He had to realize that protecting their secret was paramount. They would be together in time. A few days would be forgotten in their lifetime together.

“This isn’t getting any easier.” He ran his hand through his coiffed hair.

“What are you talking about?”

“Us.”

She grunted. “I never said this would be easy.”

“I know, but it’s nearly been a year. I’m not sure how much longer I can pretend to care.”

Her heart stuttered, and tears swam in front of her eyes. “You don’t care about me anymore?”

He swept her hands into his. “Stess, don’t be absurd. I was talking about my position. Look at me”—he gestured to his colorful arms—“I’m not built for court, palaces and politics. I feel like I’m losing myself.” His voice softened. “I can’t lose you too.”

“You’re not going to.” She wished she could offer Lyker a different future. She wanted to make him a priority, as he had done for her, but what choice did they have? She had no female heirs; she couldn’t renounce the throne and leave Ludia without a ruler.

Stessa had heard from her mother that if you loved someone, you should let them go, but she couldn’t face a future without Lyker.

“Be patient, please,” she said. “We’ll find a way to make this work.”

He nodded but didn’t look convinced.

She pressed her cheek against his chest, wrapped her arms around him and started humming their favorite song. The beads in her hair and around her neck tinkled as they swayed.

“As long as we’re together,” she said, “I’ll make sure you don’t forget who you are.”

“And you? Do you feel like the same girl as before?”