A Kingdom This Cursed and Empty (Kingdom of Lies, #2)

by Stacia Stark

“For a woman who swears she no longer wants him, you certainly sound…admiring.” I gave her a mock scowl. “I was admiring his form. The way he swung his sword.” She smirked. “I bet you were admiring his form. And his sword.” Her

In fact, he’d almost treated me like a stranger. Just as I’d insisted I wanted. My gut twisted, and I forced myself to shove that thought deep down into the depths of my mind.

If Lorian hadn’t destroyed Crawyth, I needed to know why everyone thought he had. I needed to learn the truth—and soon. Because the more time I spent with him, the more difficult it was to picture him slaughtering my people. I was afraid that with him, I lost all judgment. All semblance of reason seemed to abandon me.

“That is not for me to tell you. I love that boy like a son,” he said, and I almost smiled at the thought of Lorian as a boy. “And yet, I’m not blind to his faults. His temper is as bad as yours. Only, when he rages, people die.

And it hurt wanting the man who’d betrayed my trust. The man I still couldn’t trust. Wouldn’t let myself trust.

“Fine. If this is all we’ll ever have, then I’ll take it.”

“Mine,” he told me, his mouth catching my instant denial.

“Beg me, Prisca.”

“What. Do. You. Want?” he growled. “You know what I want.” “I’ve been burning for you since we left the castle. And I’m feeling mean. You’ll beg me, Prisca.”

“That’s it. Only me, Prisca. Only ever me.”

I’d never felt safer than when I was wrapped in his arms.

When I pushed his sword aside without my arm howling at me, I let out a pleased laugh. Lorian went still, staring at me. “It’s been a long time since I heard that sound.” I shrugged. “I haven’t had much to laugh about.”

“Is that your strategy? Tire me out until I tell you what you want to know?” His laugh was a low taunt. “If I wanted to tire you out, I wouldn’t do it in an arena.”

Getting to my feet, I reached for my power, holding it ready. “What did you do to Lorian?”

“Who will train me?” “His name is Galon.”

Dearest cousin Spies are unnecessary. If you’d like to talk, I’m more than willing to meet. - Zathrian That was it? He killed a man and offered a meeting?

“Conreth decided, didn’t he? He liked the idea of making you into a monster and pointing you at his enemies. He didn’t care about what it would do to you to have everyone tremble at the thought of you coming for them.”

“Ah,” she said, and that beautiful face turned cold. “You assumed I’d taken the jewels and run. Because I’m not just useless with a bow and arrow, I’m a thieving coward too.”

Lorian had written this before he knew who I was. He’d told his brother I had the power of time, but he’d said it as if he was…proud. Not as if he was planning to use me.

“You were planning to take me with you,” I said. “Even before your brother knew who I was.” One sharp nod. “Why?” “I told you why. Because you’re mine.”

“You can raise all the walls between us that you like. I’ll knock them down one by one. In the end, it will be us, wildcat.”

“I’ve gone my whole life feeling like I’m holding my breath. Like my lungs are burning. Like I’m desperately fighting for each gasp of air. But when you’re around, I can…breathe. And I’m furious at you, because when that ends…when we’re forced apart, I don’t know how I’ll take a full breath without you.”

“Believe me, wildcat, I’ve always found it difficult to keep my hands off you.”

“You can’t come with us,” Rythos murmured. “We’re heading into dangerous waters.” “Dangerous waters are my favorite.” Next to Lorian, Marth rolled his eyes. “The most dangerous waters that man has experienced were in his bathtub.”

“I think the true measure of someone is not how much power they have, but how they choose to wield that power. You choose not to make anyone feel the way you felt. If you’d been a small person, you could have lashed out. You could have used your power on them and then left.”

The ground disappeared from beneath my feet. The last thing I heard was Lorian roaring my name.

“Nelayra will be fine,” she told me. “Our people want to meet her alone.” I didn’t give a fuck what their people wanted. “How could they take her from this kingdom?”

“Don’t agree so freely, Your Majesty,” the hag said. “This kind of power is forbidden by all but those who worship the dark gods. And the dark gods demand sacrifice.” I kept my face blank, even as my stomach spiraled. “What kind of sacrifice?” “Something so precious, most in your position would never pay it.”

“I cannot see this either. You must choose. But know this. If you sacrifice this opportunity, it will never be gifted again. Your womb will never ripen. You will never feel a child stir within you. You will never hold your daughter.”

But if I chose that future, my son would die.

“Picture the one you seek. Picture only this person, or the magic won’t strike true.”

And that person wasn’t the hybrid heir. I took a deep breath. “Madinia.”

A rough tongue licked my cheek. Lifting my head, I met those black eyes. “You’re not going to kill me?” It turned and wandered to the edge of the clearing, sniffing at something I couldn’t see. “So you tamed the Drakoryx,” a voice said. I whirled. An old man stood at the edge of the clearing, a wooden staff in his hand. “The Drakoryx?”

“There is a reason the elders insisted you meet the Drakoryx first,” he said, glancing at the creature behind me. “He has judged you worthy.”

“Because the Drakoryx would only approve of someone it considered fit to rule this kingdom,” he said, and his tone made it clear he didn’t agree with the creature. “Which means you can now meet those who have risked their lives for your people while you grew up safe in your village.”

Rivenlor raised one eyebrow. “You compare yourself to the mad king?” “He not only believed he was the best choice at the time of his rule, he believes he is the best choice to rule forever. Power corrupts.” “And you believe yourself corruptible?” He glanced at Ysara as if I’d proven his point. I smiled at his attempt to bait me. “Everyone is corruptible at their core.”

Ysara smiled, and it was terrible. “The woman who stole you has damaged you irreparably,” she said. “But never mind that. We can fix you.” Agony engulfed me. I dropped to my knees and screamed.

Oh, I planned to see. I would see my dagger slam into her throat at the first opportunity. A long pause. “Your thoughts are rather…murderous.” Was she laughing at me? “Just a little. That wrath is a good thing. Your rage must be nurtured until you become exactly who you should be.”

“Your grandmother. The current hybrid queen.”

“Nourish the spark of your rage, Nelayra.” “Why?” “When you have to, you will change the worlds. If I have to torture you to convince you that you’re the only one who can do it…” I felt her shrug. “Well, what must be done must be done.”

“Protection.” I froze. So did Lorian. “Did you hear that?’ “Yes,” he said. “The creature wants protection.” The Drakoryx let out a yowling sound that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I choked out a laugh. “I don’t think that’s it. I think it’s offering us protection.” “Not us,” Lorian said. “You.” The lightning in his eyes disappeared, and he nodded at the Drakoryx. “Welcome to the group.”

My kingdom needed a leader. No, I wasn’t the perfect choice. I was about as far from it as you could get. But my people needed someone who would stand with them. Someone who would fight with them. Someone who cared for them.

I stared across the sea toward my kingdom, and I made a vow. I may not be a worthy ruler yet. But I would become one. Not for the elders. Certainly not for myself. For my grandmother, who had loved her people with a fierce, all-consuming love that had turned to helpless rage. For my parents, who had led their people through the Asric Pass, only to watch as their safe haven was destroyed once more. And for the hybrids themselves, who had been hiding and suffering and dying under Regner’s rule.

She was my mate. And I couldn’t tell her. Prisca didn’t choose to be born the hybrid heir. She didn’t choose to go to war. She’d had so few choices in her life so far, I refused to take any further choices from her. Oh, she knew mates didn’t have to stay together. But I wouldn’t place the weight of more expectation on her shoulders. And…some part of me, a part I’d never acknowledged before…it needed her to choose me. Of her own free will.

gift. The other half of our soul waiting for us to love. To cherish. I wanted that. With her. And if there was one thing I had, it was patience. I could wait. At least, for a little while.

“Oh, wildcat. Don’t you know by now? I would have found you. No matter what happens, I will always find you.”

“I need to find Tibris. And then…” I glanced down at myself. “A bath.” He gave me a wicked smile. “It just so happens I also need to bathe.”

The war had barely begun. And we were already losing.

“I told you, wildcat. I’ll always find you.”

“You don’t bring out the worst in me,” he said. Ah. So he had heard that. He pressed his forehead to mine. “Something in me died the night I lost my parents. And then I met you. You brought me back to life, Prisca.”