Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms #4)(78)

“Possibly,” Taran repeated. “But not definitely. That doesn’t sound like much of a plan to me. In fact, it sounds outright reckless.”

“It would be a risk, sure. But I’m the one putting my neck on the line.”

“Why would you do this?” Mikah asked, his tone thick with suspicion. “Why would you help us? Just a moment ago you were threatening to kill us.”

“Hey, you came to me for help, remember? Help you wanted so bad I now have a broken nose to show for it. And you’re complaining that I’m willing to give that help to you?”

“That doesn’t answer my question. Tell me why you’ve changed your mind.”

Felix went silent for a moment as he sorted through his jumbled thoughts. “Perhaps I’ve finally chosen once and for all to fight for the right things.” He absently scratched his arm. His clan tattoo had started to itch, as if to protest his decision.

Mikah grinned. “Welcome to the revolution, Felix.”

“Happy to be here.”

Taran’s expression remained rigid, his eyes narrowing on Felix.

“You’re still officially with the Clan of the Cobra,” Taran said. “Mikah here might believe you when you say your loyalties have shifted, but how would you convince someone like the prince?”

Now, that was an excellent question. What could he possibly write in that message, sent from his current station as the king’s bodyguard, that might gain the prince’s trust?

Felix scratched his itch again, then pulled up his sleeve to look down at his snake tattoo. The physical evidence of his oath to the Clan and to the King of Blood, etched into his very skin.

“I think I know a way,” he said.





CHAPTER 20


MAGNUS

LIMEROS

The princess wore blue.

The princess always wore blue.

Magnus leaned against a palace wall, watching Cleo and Lord Kurtis as they began her archery lesson for the day. It was the first time he’d gone out to watch her practice, but after Nic and all of Cleo’s little rebel friends vanished from the palace in the dead of night without permission—allegedly to buy a gift for the princess in celebration of her seventeenth birthday—he’d decided to keep a closer eye on the deceitful princess.

His fury at learning that his new “allies” had disappeared with all of the information he’d revealed to them had since calmed into a seething, but controllable anger. The princess had not accompanied them. If she had, he would be scouring the land for all of them and would show no mercy when they were found.

Nic, he knew, would return. He would never abandon his precious princess so easily.

And, so, Magnus waited.

Since then, he’d grown much more curious about Cleo and her progress with a bow and arrow.

She wore a cloak of robin’s-egg blue, which she’d purchased in Ravencrest a few days ago. She’d taken Nerissa with her, and after a day of shopping, they’d stopped in at Lady Sophia’s villa.

Lady Sophia’s villa. A place that would forever hold unavoidable memories for Magnus. And none of them had anything to do with Lady Sophia herself.

Magnus narrowed his eyes as he watched Kurtis place his gloved hand upon Cleo’s shoulder and whisper something in her ear. A small fleet of guards that Magnus had appointed—more to protect Cleo from Kurtis than from any outside threats—stood rigidly a few paces beyond them.

Now the kingsliege motioned toward a target twenty paces in front of them. Cleo nodded with confidence before expertly notching an arrow in her bow.

She drew back the string, aimed, and—

Magnus held his breath.

—the arrow flew straight up into the sky, as if she’d been targeting a cloud. It landed only a few paces away from her, burying itself in the snowy ground.

Hmm.

Kurtis edged closer to Cleo and gave her an encouraging smile as he handed her a new arrow to try again. She nodded firmly, then put the arrow into place, pulled back, aimed, and . . .

Magnus watched Kurtis shield his eyes from the sun as he followed the arrow’s upward path. Then, suddenly, he started and leapt out of the way to avoid being hit as it came back down.

Magnus covered his mouth to conceal his grin.

Oh, princess. You’re absolutely dreadful at this, aren’t you?

She tried twice more, with the same results, then threw the bow to the ground, stomped her foot, and gestured angrily at the target.

“Now, now,” Magnus said under his breath. “Don’t be a sore loser.”

Then, as if somehow she could hear him across such a distance, she turned in his direction. Their eyes met.

He froze, instantly remembering the painful animosity of their last confrontation and the fresh hatred that blazed in her eyes when she’d mentioned Theon.

But instead of turning away, he began to clap. “Oh, well done, princess. You’ve a natural gift.”

Cleo narrowed her eyes and frowned, then headed straight for the palace gate closest to Magnus, leaving Kurtis behind without a farewell. Magnus gave him a dark look, then strode over and met Cleo at the entrance.

She pulled off her gloves. “You can make fun of me all you want, I don’t care. You weren’t invited to watch.”

“This is my home, my palace. I can do anything I want, including watch you practice your incredible weaponry skills.” As much fun as it sometimes was to taunt her, he had more important matters on his mind. “Tell me, princess. When will your friends be returning?”