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

by Stacia Stark

“Where’s your armor?” His mouth twitched, and I sighed. He was armor. No one would dare attack me with him by my side. “Fine.” He leaned close. “You look very regal.” “Is that right?” “Yes. I want to lift up that dress and—” “The carriage is here,” Asinia called. Lorian sighed.

Lorian’s eyes darkened. “That look on your face is going to get you fucked.” “No, it’s not,” Asinia called, slamming her hand on the door. “We need to go.”

My mother had never forgotten her people. She was the one who’d ensured Crawyth would be safe for them. And she should have still been alive, still fighting for our kingdom. Instead, she’d died crazed with grief as she searched for me in an empty house.

It wasn’t my job to debate the political ramifications of murder. Usually, I left those kinds of musings to my brother. However, if the Gromalian king didn’t stop sneering at Prisca—in between the glances he stole at her breasts—I would gut him. Perhaps then, his son would be more open to an alliance.

“Nelayra?” Taking a deep breath, I smiled up at the prince. He’d stepped closer, and I raised my hand, allowing my fingers to trail through the ends of his red hair. Surprise flashed across his face, and he caught my hand in his. “Are you attempting to encourage your lover to kill me?”

“I know. But if we blame ourselves, if we allow it to cripple us, he wins. You’re allowed to feel like shit. You’re allowed to sleep for a couple of days and shut out the world. But then you have to get up and keep moving. Because we’re all counting on you.” I took a deep breath. Part of me wanted to crawl back into bed, but the rest of me knew she was right. I had to keep moving. And I could do it, because of her. Because of Lorian, my brothers, Cavis, and the others. “Thank you. For being here.” Her smile was fragile, broken. “Where else would I be?”

“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.”

Tibris patted the spot next to him. “Would you like to begin a long, impassioned speech about how useful I am here, but how I’d be much more helpful winning over the Gromalian rebels? And how I can say no at any point and you won’t hold it against me and it’s just an idea, but you thought about it and you really believe I’m the best person for the job?” I glowered at him. “You can be a real bastard sometimes, you know that?”

“As soon as I have that amulet, I will come for you. I promise.” She took a deep breath. “I’m holding you to that promise.” “I told you, wildcat. I’ll always find you.”

My knife slid into his throat like it was butter, and by the time I got to my feet, Cavis was removing the final man’s head from his shoulders. The head bounced on the dirt floor. Asinia leaned over and threw up.

I received a long, shallow cut down my forearm. Lorian took it very personally. By the time he’d finished with Regner’s guard, his face had been unrecognizable.

“It was the right choice,” I whispered. “Maybe. For both kingdoms. But not for you, Pris.”

Asinia joined us a little later, a dark scowl on her face, her clothes soaked and dripping. I gaped at her. She squeezed out her tunic. “Your brother pulled me in. He thinks he’s amusing.” “Uh-huh. You must have stayed in the water with him for a while.” She squinted at me. My mouth twitched. “Sorry. I mean, ‘How dare he?’”

“So, no one is sleeping?” I asked. “Not anymore,” Cavis muttered, and Thol snorted.

Find a weak spot and poke at it. Perhaps it was a family trait. I would have to ask Telean.