The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash 4)

“I don’t think she heard you,” Kieran replied dryly.

I shot him a glare. “Would you like to help, or do you just want to stand there and watch me get yelled at by an old woman?”

“Is there a third option?”

My eyes narrowed.

“Harbinger!” Vessa shouted. “Harbinger of Death and Destruction!”

Kieran twisted at the waist. “Naill! Need your help.”

“You could just come and get her,” I said. “You didn’t need to call him.”

“Hell, no. I’m not getting anywhere near her. She’s a laruea.”

“A what?”

“A spirit.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered as Vessa continued struggling. “Does she seem like a disembodied phantom to you?”

Naill entered, his steps slowing and his brows lifting as Vessa continued screaming. Emil was right behind him, his head tilting to the side. “Oh, hey,” he said. “It’s the widow.”

“Her name is Vessa, and she just tried to stab me,” I bit out. “Twice.”

“Was not expecting that,” Naill murmured.

“I don’t want to hurt her,” I said. “So, it would be great if you two could take her someplace safe.”

“Someplace safe?” Emil questioned as he and Naill came forward, speaking loudly to be heard over the woman’s screams. “You just said she tried to stab you.”

“You see how old she is?” I leaned back as spittle flew from the woman’s mouth as she continued shrieking. “She needs to be put someplace where she can’t hurt herself or others.”

“Like a cell?” Kieran suggested as the two Atlantians managed to disentangle us. “Or a tomb?”

I ignored that as I bent, picking up the dagger. “Place her in a bedchamber that locks from the outside until you can figure out which of the rooms is hers.”

“Will do,” Naill said, guiding the now-wailing woman from the library.

“Do you think there’s any extra muzzles lying about?” Emil asked as Kieran stepped back, giving them a wide berth.

I turned. “Don’t you dare put a muzzle on her.” There was no answer, so I twisted to Kieran. “They wouldn’t, would they?”

He came forward, his gaze sweeping over me. “She should be in a cell.”

“She’s too old for that.”

“And you shouldn’t be roaming around. Obviously.”

I tossed the dagger onto the table. “I can take care of myself, Kieran.” I dragged my hand over my shoulder, pushing my braid back. “She must’ve heard the Duke speaking about the prophecy, and it messed with her.”

“No one’s questioning your ability to handle yourself, but there’s no telling how many others have heard about the prophecy.”

Maybe that was why the people seemed so afraid around me.

“This is why you should have Crown Guards with you.”

“I told you, Hisa, and everyone else who suggested that, that I don’t want a guard following me around. It reminds me…” I trailed off, tensing. It reminded me too much of Vikter. Of Rylan. Of him. “It reminds me of when I was the Maiden,” I lied.

“I can understand that.” Kieran stopped beside me, so close his chest brushed my arm as he bent his head. “But sending her to a bedchamber? You are a Queen, and that woman just tried to stab you. Do you know what most Queens would do in response?”

“I would hope that most would do as I did—recognize that she is more of a harm to herself than anyone else,” I countered.

His stare hardened. “You should at least exile her.”

“If I did that, it would be a death sentence.” I flopped down on the settee, surprised it didn’t collapse under me. “You saw how old she is. I doubt she’ll be an issue for much longer. Leave her be, Kieran. You wouldn’t feel this way if she’d gone after someone else.”

He didn’t acknowledge how right I was, which was annoying. “Is that an order?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes.”

“As your advisor—”

“You will say, ‘My, what a kind Queen our people have.’”

“You are kind. Too kind.”

Shaking my head, I looked at the records on the tea table as I shoved thoughts of the old woman aside. “Do you know how the first mortal was created?”

“That’s a random, unexpected question.” He crossed his arms but didn’t sit. “The first mortal was created from the flesh—”

“Of a Primal and the fire of a draken?” I finished for him, surprised that the widow had spoken the truth.

Kieran frowned. “If you know the answer, why did you ask?”

“I didn’t know until now.” It didn’t pass me by that I was called the Queen of Flesh and Fire, but my brain was already too full of confusing things to consider how or if those two items were related. “Did you know that the Rite existed before the Ascended?”

“It didn’t.”

“It did,” I said and then showed him the ledgers.

Kieran’s surprise was like a splash of cool water as he dragged a hand over his head. The hair there was growing longer. “I guess it’s possible that the gods had some sort of Rite and that the Ascended copied it.”