Gathering Darkness (26 page)

She couldn't help but laugh at his persistence. “You're serious, aren't you?”

“Of course I am. Unless you were waiting for an official betrothal to a lord, that is. I'm not sure a lowly tutor could ever compete with that.”

She wanted Alexius more than any lord who'd ever existed. “You're impossible.”

He took her face in his hands again. “Say it. Say we can run away to Limeros today to be married and claim the last crystal as ours, and no one has to know until we want them to.”

Today?
She stared at him, a million thoughts racing through her mind. A million doubts, a million questions, all swirling about into a storm of confusion.

But there was one thing she wasn't confused about.

“Yes. Yes, I'll marry you, Alexius.”

MAGNUS

AURANOS

“
T
he king summons you.”

Cronus stood at the archway of the palace library like the looming shadow of a mountain. Magnus was there to search the shelves for more information about the Kindred and, due to his father's recent claims about his true birth mother, he was also researching quite a bit about witches.

“Does he, now. Immediately, or at my leisure?”

Cronus crossed his arms. “Immediately.”

“I was joking, Cronus.” Magnus threw the book he'd been flipping through onto a large pile in the center of a long oak table. The librarian—a strange little woman with bright red hair and high arched eyebrows—would put them back where they belonged eventually.

“Of course. Shall we, your highness?”

“Oh, you've been officially assigned to usher me to him today, have you? That must make it extra important.”

Cronus eyed him. “You're in a rare mood today.”

“You think?” Actually, Magnus was in an apathetic mood. He'd boiled with anger for two full days about getting to the temple, only to find the treasure gone.

Now he was trying to focus on what he could control. He'd sworn to keep an extra vigilant watch over Alexius from that day forward. He knew the exiled Watcher was responsible for the missing crystal—it had to have been him. Who else could it have been?

Perhaps the king still trusted Melenia and the boy she'd sent in her stead, but Magnus didn't. Not for a single, solitary moment.

“Lead the way,” Magnus said to the captain of the guard.

Today could turn into a good day, if he could only convince the king to separate Alexius and Lucia until further notice. A good day, at least, until he was required to attend Lord Gareth's daughter's wedding feast with Cleo that evening.

He'd rather forget about that obligation if he could. Another “opportunity” for him to socialize with hundreds of guests who'd likely rather be anywhere else. Well, at least they had that in common.

When the throne was his, he thought, he wouldn't jump at the chance to throw feasts for the daughters of every nobleman who asked nicely. He preferred privacy and solitude, a life in which public speeches were required only rarely and with much advance notice.

It took ten minutes to reach the throne room through the labyrinthine hallways of the palace. Magnus would never tell anyone, but he'd gotten lost in these hallways far too many times before he'd finally taken the time to sketch a map to help him find his way.

Every hallway looked exactly the same. Lit by lanterns, with marble or brightly tiled mosaic floors, and paintings and tapestries adorning the walls.

Magnus focused on his steps, staying silent at Cronus's side as they reached the throne room. The guards stationed outside pushed the doors open to let them in. Magnus approached the dais at a confident clip.

“We need to talk about Lucia's tutor,” Magnus said before the king could utter a word.

The guards closed the doors, giving them privacy. Cronus remained in the room after the king gestured for him to stay.

King Gaius regarded him placidly. “Do we?”

“I don't trust him.”

The king stood up and walked down the steps to face Magnus. “I'm not surprised you've taken exception to him, given your feelings toward Lucia. He's very handsome and, for all her power, she's still just a beautiful young girl.”

Magnus's chest tightened at the mention of his
feelings
. “My concerns have nothing to do with that.”

“If you say so. But I don't want to talk about Alexius right now.” The king rose from his throne and poured himself a drink. “I've sent a spy to Kraeshia, who has reported back to me that the emperor is currently making plans to launch a fleet of ships set for our shores. He means to conquer us. Conquer
me
.”

Magnus's mouth went dry at the thought. Emperor Cortas could crush Mytica with his vast armada in days, as he'd done to countless other lands over the two decades he'd been in power. The Limerian army was skilled and obedient, but they couldn't withstand a massive, organized attack. “Why now?”

“Because he wants what I have, of course.” The king sounded ominously calm about this, which didn't ease Magnus's mind at all. “What
we
have.”

“How do we defeat him?”

“Lucia will help, but one girl's magic against a force of thousands—tens of thousands?” His knuckles whitened as he clenched his goblet and took a sip from it. “She's mortal. One lucky arrow could end her life. I can't depend on her alone. And my patience regarding news of the Kindred is waning. Alexius assures me that all is going according to plan, but I can't help worrying.”

The king had just admitted he was worried. This was turning out to be a truly momentous day.

Magnus wrestled with himself to keep his expression neutral. “So what do we do now?”

“I must make other plans. And those plans must involve more than a reliance on Lucia and the Kindred. I already have something else in mind, and I want your opinion.”

“What is it?” While he had his endless criticisms of his father, on this they were united. Magnus would do anything in his power to protect Mytica from invaders.

“There is talk amongst the servants that Princess Amara has shared your bed. Is this true?”

An uncomfortable silence fell between them.

There really were no secrets in this palace. Magnus sent a quick glance at Cronus, whose expression remained blank. “Yes.”

There was no judgment in the king's gaze, only consideration. “If I could present a betrothal between you and Princess Amara to the emperor, to convince Amara's father that uniting our kingdoms through marriage would be easier than his taking Mytica by force, it will give me more time to find the Kindred and crush him first.”

Magnus stared blankly as his father's proposition took hold. Then he began to laugh, unable to help himself.

The king's gaze turned to ice in an instant. “Is something amusing to you?”

“
Another
betrothal?” Magnus got his laughter under control, but barely. “You can't be serious.”

“Do I
look
anything but serious to you?”

Magnus sobered quickly, casting another look over his shoulder at the silent Cronus who stood nearby like a statue, his hands clasped behind his back. “In case you've forgotten, I'm already married to Princess Cleiona. At your command.”

“That arrangement can be reversed at my whim.”

Magnus hissed out a breath of frustration. “Even so, the emperor would never agree to this.”

“His daughter is nearly nineteen and unmarried. You are the son of a king and the heir to my throne. You've already shared flesh with her. I don't see any reason for him to refuse.”

As he always did when dealing with this impossible man, Magnus struggled to maintain his composure. “You need to listen to what I'm saying to you, Father. Trust me, if I believed this was a solid plan I'd embrace it. But it's not, so I won't. It is a meager attempt to solve a very large problem. Amara isn't a naïve, simple girl who swoons at the sight of a prince. What we shared wasn't . . . well, believe me, it wasn't the kind of connection that would make her beg her father to make me her husband. If the emperor wants Mytica, he will take it. A wedding—such as the gaudy spectacle you've arranged for Lord Gareth here today—would be meaningless to him. Go ahead and present this plan to the emperor if you're so determined, but don't be surprised if he also responds with laughter.”

Anger flashed in the king's eyes and Magnus thought he might strike him for speaking his mind. But King Gaius's fist stayed at his side.

Almost immediately the anger was replaced with a visage of contemplation. Could it be possible that, for the first time, he would actually listen to reason?

“I know there has to be a solution,” Magnus said evenly, refusing to give up what little ground he'd gained. “But I don't believe this is it.”

The king placed his empty goblet on a table and paced back toward the stairs leading to the throne. “Perhaps you're right.”

A small victory. But it was a true surprise.

“Besides,” Magnus said, gaining confidence “the people of Auranos would find it strange if you were to annul my marriage to the princess so soon after presenting such a pleasant facade during our wedding tour.”

The king searched Magnus's face, making him feel self-conscious, like a child caught behaving naughtily. “Have you developed feelings for Cleiona?”

The question was laughable, especially given his recent and deeply unpleasant altercations with the princess. “She's a means to an end. That's all she's ever been to you or to me.”

“She's become a problem.”

“When has she
not
been a problem?”

“A former lord of Auranos,” the king began, “claiming absolute loyalty to me, came forth earlier today to alert me that he witnessed Princess Cleiona meeting with Jonas Agallon two weeks ago in a local temple. He was at the temple to pray to the goddess when he saw the rebel leader enter the building, followed by the princess. They then spoke in private, he says, for several minutes before leaving separately. If this information weren't so crucial I might have had him executed on the spot for waiting so long to come forward.”

A welling sense of unease closed up Magnus's throat. “And you believe this lord?”

“I'm inclined to consider the possibility that your wife has been feeding inside information to rebels in an attempt to destroy us, yes.”

“And you have what proof? The word of a man who would wait two weeks to say anything?”

“It's enough to make me doubt her innocence.”

Magnus wasn't blind about Cleo in this regard. He was all eyes and ears when it came to that scheming girl.

Jonas Agallon. That name,
always
that name. Magnus should have killed him when he'd had the chance.

“Has she confessed to any of this?” he asked.

“She hasn't been interrogated yet. In fact, I want you to be the one to question her, Magnus. Immediately.”

The request was ludicrous and set Magnus's stomach churning. “You're telling me you'd like me to casually stroll by her chambers and bring up the subject of rebels over tea? Or perhaps I should wait until this evening when we're seated for dinner at Lord Gareth's daughter's wedding?”

“She won't be attending the wedding. She's currently being detained in a private cell in the dungeon.”

Magnus went quiet. Of course she was. A traitor and a spy, even only a suspected one, wouldn't be allowed to roam about freely.

He wasn't sure why this had taken him by surprise—he'd never trusted the girl himself—but
this
? To think that she'd been in contact with Jonas without Magnus suspecting a thing . . .

Or perhaps his father was just being paranoid, reaching for answers and accepting ones that were lighter than air itself.

The king put his hand upon Magnus's scarred cheek, holding his gaze fiercely. “I want you to show me your strength today—a strength I already know you have. A strength I know we share. We are together in this. Do whatever you must to wrench the answers I need from her lying tongue, but in the end, it really doesn't matter if she chooses to stays silent. Suspicion of rebel leanings is enough to warrant a death sentence. I've ordered Cronus to execute her immediately after you finish your interrogation. We'll finally be free of her.”

A heavy silence washed over the room. Magnus struggled to find his voice. “Execute her? Is that completely necessary?”

“Yes, it is. The citizens of Auranos will mourn, but they'll come to understand that when it comes to treason, this is the only decision we can make.” He patted Magnus's arm. “Go with Cronus. I have faith in your abilities and your strength, my son. Your future—
all
of our futures—hang in the balance.”

And with that, the king left the throne room. Magnus stood there for a moment, reflecting on what had been said, what had been commanded of him.

“Your highness?” Cronus prompted.

The king had issued an order. There was no room to argue. “Let's not delay. We can be finished with this by the time the wedding guests arrive.”

Magnus had never interrogated a prisoner before, but he'd seen it done. He'd witnessed the effects of torture. In most instances, it took very little to make prisoners spill every secret. For some, the mere threat of pain was enough for them hand over their own mothers if it would save them from any amount of suffering.

Another guard intercepted them as he and Cronus headed toward the dungeons.

“Captain,” he said to Cronus, holding up a piece of parchment. “A servant found this. I thought you should see it immediately.”

Cronus took the parchment and scanned the message. “Has anyone else seen this?”

“No, sir. I brought it directly to you.”

“Your highness,” Cronus said, turning to Magnus. “You need to read this.”

Magnus took the parchment from Cronus and began to read. His heartbeat quickened and his stomach sank further with each word.

Alexius and I are eloping. Please know that I'm fine, but don't try to find me. All is well. Better than well. I'm happier than I've ever been, so please don't be angry with me. I love Alexius more than anything in this world and it was meant to be this way. I promise to return as soon as I can.

—Lucia

Magnus tore the parchment in two, his hands trembling with rage. He'd known there was something going on between them, but to realize it had escalated so quickly to this inconceivable point . . .

“Send as many guards as you can spare. Scour the city and find them,” he growled. “And when you do, kindly let me be the first to know, so I can kill the bastard.”