A Crown This Cold and Heavy (Kingdom of Lies, #3)

by Stacia Stark

The dark kohl encircling her shockingly blue eyes made them almost appear to glow. Even her cheekbones seemed somehow higher. Sharper. She radiated a cool, amused confidence. “I could really learn to hate you,” I muttered.

“Yes. I would never turn on him. I never wanted power. I just wanted a brother. Seeing the way you love yours, the way you’d do anything for them without question, it hurts.”

don’t like this.” “I don’t either. But I’ll have the dragon.” Next to me, Madinia heaved a put-upon sigh.

“Who are they?” “They’re my friends,” Rythos smiled easily. “I thought I was your friend.” The guard’s lower lip stuck out. Behind me, Madinia made a choked sound. “You are. I wanted to introduce you to my other friends too. It’s so nice to have lots of friends, don’t you think?” “I suppose. But I’m your best friend.” The guard slitted his eyes threateningly at me.

“You believe you have lost enough. That the gods wouldn’t be cruel enough to take more from you.” She shook her head. “You should never believe such things. The gods delight in cruelty.”

“Fuck you, Madinia.” Was that a hint of relief in her blue eyes? “Fuck you too, Prisca.”

The gods thought they could take Lorian from me? From all of us? Let them fucking try.

“Stop trying to figure out what it is,” she muttered. “There’s an easy fix for that. Tell me yourself.” “You’re so…” “Handsome? Sexy? Unwilling to stand idly by when I can help fix the problem?”

“Speaking of grief, you need to talk to Marth,” she said. “I know. I’ve tried. He’s not ready to talk yet.” She tutted. “Men.” I poked her in the ribs, and she let out a tiny yelp.

When he was on his feet, he buried his face in my neck and sniffed. “You smell like home.”

Clearly, he held the priestess’s words in high regard. But was it because she knew what she was talking about, or because he wished to remove her blue robes?

“Hold Cavis’s daughter, Prisca. And make her a promise. Promise her you’ll avenge her father.”

Cavis had teased me about holding Piperia. And I’d been too terrified of how small and fragile she was. Now I was finally holding her, and her father wasn’t here to look on with a smile.

“The pirate queen is a self-serving opportunist who would do anything to hold on to her power.” I gave my brother a slow grin and let my gaze flick indolently up to the crown on his head. “You don’t say.”

“No comment about Jamic?” He gave me a slow smile. “I fell in love with a woman with a soft heart and a loyal soul.”

If there was one thing Lorian was particularly adept at, it was distracting me from my thoughts. When he couldn’t use sex, his preferred method was to irritate me until I wanted to slap him.

“Marry me, Prisca. Be mine in the ways of your people, as well as mine.” My throat was too tight to speak. He’d known—how much I’d longed to be married in the future. I’d once told him of the weddings I’d attended. And the words from the woman I’d thought was my mother. “I’m going to get married one day. Here in the village.” “No, you won’t, Prisca. Such things are not for you.” Lorian had remembered. I loved that we were mates, but he wanted me to have a wedding too. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I nodded.

I flinched. And just like that, I was back on that beach, watching Rythos as he knelt next to Fendrel’s body. Next to me, Lorian went still. But it was Rythos who slowly got to his feet. “I suggest you watch your fucking mouth.”

Lorian reached for my hand, found Rythos’s, and knocked it aside, shooting him a warning look. Rythos rolled his eyes.

Just when I’d thought I could no longer be surprised by the ignorance, foolishness, and poor judgment of men, they continued to prove me wrong.

I opened my mouth, but he was already shaking his head. “Your son is free, Your Majesty. If you ever want to see him again, I suggest you leave while you can.”

Lorian had made sure Sybella was holding the baby, banning anyone else from taking Piperia throughout the ceremony. He’d told me he didn’t trust that Sybella wouldn’t walk into that pyre otherwise.

“Are you ready for this?” Rythos asked. “No,” I admitted. “But it has to be now. We can’t wait any longer.” We would take the barrier down. But first, I’d bargain with the pirate queen.

“How are you feeling?” “Fine. I’ll be out of bed tomorrow. I would have been up today, but Tibris clucked like a mother hen.”

“You’re welcome.” “Next time I tell you to run, you run.” And he had to ruin it.

He sighed, losing the battle against sleep. I pressed the back of my hand to his forehead, checking for fever. Despite my best intentions, I found myself gently running my hands through his hair. His mouth curved. “I knew you wanted me.”

“Regner has recently become much more determined to kill me. Almost as determined as he is to kill you.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I don’t know about you, but I find it more than a little…flattering. Do you think it’s his idea of flirting?”

Occasionally, I amused myself imagining Prisca growing up in Regner’s court. It would have been like letting a tiny, venomous snake slip in undetected. Her schemes would have turned his court upside down.

Cannons fired in deafening volleys, setting my teeth on edge. Prisca peered up at me. “Do your sensitive fae ears hurt?” She said sensitive fae as if she really meant tiny baby. I pinched her hip, and she smirked.

“The hybrid heir.” “Witch— Ow, what was that for?” I glanced over my shoulder. Galon had slapped one of Daharak’s pirates over the head.

“A healer in Gromalia owed me a favor.” She frowned. “And yet he still attempted to empty my purse.”

“You knew about this?” He shook his head. “No, but I know him. Now is not the time to question yourself, wildcat. That’s not the woman you are.” I snorted. Sometimes it felt like all I did was question myself. But he was right. “Fine. Tell them to begin.”