What a curse it was, to have someone own your body.
“What did he say?” Kye asked. The playful, if not irritating mood in the room dropped at Pheolix’s words, both Kye and I hesitant around the man who had worn the name of Thaan as long as we’d known him. Kye’s hand slid along my side, landing just over the flare of my hip bone, pulling me in.
“They still think I’m him, of course.” Pheolix’s hands wrapped around his cup. “They’re calling half the palace guard to Winterlight. And all of the soldiers stationed in Calder City. Including you.”
Kye released a slow exhale beside me, then dropped a kiss on my temple. “I need to see Aren.”
I crossed my arms.Alright.
Will you stay here?
“I need to walk down to the water,” I said. “I have to speak with Nori and have Aitne check my leg.”
Kye’s hand found the back of his neck, and he rubbed it hard. “I’ll go with you first.”
“I don’t think they’ll appear if you’re with me. They don’t trust human men.”
“I’ll go with her.” Selena bent to sweep the glittering mess into a dustpan.
Kye’s jaw tightened, molten eyes flicking to me, unsure. I found his knuckles along my hip and slid my fingertip across them. I’ll be fine.
He kissed my forehead, and I watched him leave, ducking to avoid hitting his head under the office doorway.
Behind me, I could almost feel Selena’s hidden laughter.
“Get it all out,” I said, dropping into a chair beside Pheolix and avoiding crossing paths with his eerie white stare.
“I said I’d marry him. I didn’t say I’d mate with him,” Selena trilled, smile erupting now that Kye had left the room.
I stared at the wood grain of the desk and clamped down on my own smile. “Are you aPrizivac Vode, Selena?”
“Not that I know of.”
“And howmightyou know?”
She slowed her sweeps, thinking. “I believe there is some theory in tail color. Something about silver and blue tones being common, and tails tinged with red or gold hold the inherited blood of aVidere. My tail is steel-gray. It looks violet in the sunshine, when you get close enough. But I’ve never given it much thought past that.”
“Really?” Pheolix asked her. Something in me cringed at the sound of his voice. Thaan’s voice. I supposed I’d have to grow used to him being nearby.
“Yes, really,” Selena answered. “Why? Do you know?”
“The force of a Naiad’sspiculaehas always told me.” He turned his empty eyes in my direction. “Yours was always strong. It made Thaan nervous.”
I didn’t ask how he knew when I looked at him if he was blind. Something informed me the answer was as unsettling as his clouded pupils.
“What color was my mother’s tail?” I asked her.
“The same shade as Selena’s, but bronze,” Pheolix answered.
I leaned back in my chair, studying him. It should have been obvious that Pheolix had known her if he’d been Thaan’s puppet and Selena’scordaeall this time. But the thought surprised me anyway. How many other people had I surrounded myself with that had known her?
“Well, you must be aPrizivac Vode,” I finally said, directing my words at Selena even though I stared at Pheolix. “Because I am. Sidra named me her heir in the dry season before I came here because of myPrizivacblood.”
I felt her turn slowly to stare at me, eyes wide and mouth open.
“I killed her two days ago. TheDomusvowed their loyalty to me. I've taken her place as queen.”
The absence of sound hung like the chemical cloud of avacous’sscent in the air, thick and acidic enough to choke on.
