House of Shadows (Royal Houses 2)

Benton clucked her tongue at the camp. “Allow us to take this down for you, miss.”

“Call me Kerrigan, please. I can’t have attendants that I can’t pay. That’s not how it works.”

“I’m sure you will figure it out, miss,” Bayton said.

“You always do,” Benton said and then went to work, taking down the tent and packing all of her belongings.

Kerrigan shook her head.

Fordham appeared then out of his own tent and stared at the twins in shock. “What have you done?”

“I’m sponsoring their release,” Kerrigan said. “I’ve been offering the opportunity to other Society members to reduce the potential refugee situation.”

Fordham gaped. “You didn’t mention it to me.”

“And when would I have? This is the first I’ve seen of you.”

“I’ve been working.”

Benton bowed deeply to Fordham. “Your Highness, may we help with your campsite as well?”

Fordham flinched at the royal title and looked around to see if anyone else had noticed. “No, I can do it.”

“Absolutely, Your Highness,” Bayton said and then began to deconstruct his tent as well.

Kerrigan shrugged. “They don’t listen to me either.”

“Because you both need looking after,” Benton insisted.

Fordham pursed his lips. “We’ll have to pay you.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Bayton said dismissively.

He ground his teeth and looked to Kerrigan as if this were her fault.

“You’d have known about this if you were doing anything but penance,” she hissed at him. “You should have been in that tent, negotiating for your people. You should be at the head of discussions for the refugees. These are your people, Fordham.”

“Don’t,” he snarled. “I am dealing with it. You deal with your fiancé.”

She glared. “I am dealing with my fiancé. I am dealing with how to get rid of him. That is my main objective.”

“I saw you kissing him in front of the entire camp. Forgive me if I don’t believe you.”

“Believe what you want. You always have made assumptions about me, haven’t you?”

“This is not at all the same thing.”

“Then, what are you doing about everything right now, Fordham? Why are you on the sidelines?”

“It’s the curse!” he barked. “This whole bloody thing is because of me.”

She startled. “When are you going to stop blaming yourself for everything that happens and start trying to fix it?”

“I tried that with you, and look where that led us,” he said, placing another foot of space between them. “The minute that I feel anything at all, it is stolen or killed in front of me. My mother is dead. Dacia is dead. My father is dead. Half of my kingdom is dead! I will not interfere and have the rest die with it. And if you marry March, then good riddance.”

Tears came to her eyes at the harsh words as his cold gray eyes fixed on her with all the built-up anger and frustration. Then, he disappeared in a cloud of shadows, leaving her to pick up the pieces of her heart.

After they had finished with Fordham’s tent, Benton and Bayton carefully bundled her in a blanket, sitting her before the dying fire. Bayton brushed free the snarls in her curly hair and then plaited it back out of her face. Neither of them said a word, but the caution and worry in their faces said everything.

When the camp was packed, Kerrigan shrugged off Fordham’s anger and called Tieran. Audria had agreed to carry one of the twins to redistribute the weight. Over the next couple of weeks, the remainder of the refugees would be brought into Kinkadia by foot or in caravans.

Benton held on tight, only screaming a little as Tieran rose into the skies and headed south toward the city. Bayton looked to be in a blissful state just getting to be near the dragons, let alone to ride on one.

It was a few hours back to the city. Fordham even fly with them. Alura was being carried by a healer back to Kinkadia. Now, it was just the three of them, and Audria wearily took point. A few hours later, they landed in an aerie, and with Benton and Bayton’s help, it only took one trip to get her belongings back to her room. She’d have to figure out where they could stay, but there was plenty of space within the mountain.

Kerrigan returned to the aerie to see if they needed help with any of the remainder of the supplies. She followed Mistress Corinna into the room. She veered straight for Helly, whispering furtively, and handed her a document. Kerrigan kept chancing glances at them, wondering what was going on.

Then, Helly sighed heavily and nodded. Kerrigan read the words on her lips. “Do it.”

Corinna moved into action, and the Society Guard who had been carefully placed around the aerie formed up behind her. She stepped up to Lorian, who had just landed and stood by his dragon, Oria.

“Lorian Van Horn, you are under arrest by order of the Society council for possession of illegal artifacts and treason. Anything you say and do can be used against you.”