Page 18 of Kept

“He chases me, Petru,” I’d slur.

Petru would snort. “Keep praying, Laurent. Ask the gods to humble you. And when they do, ask them to help you stop enjoying it.”

Yes. The old male had known exactly who I was from the beginning.

“Who will take his place?” Given asked.

I answered her more honestly than I had Jordan. “I’m not sure. Petru was High Priest before I was born. My mother knew what she was doing when she raised him up from poverty. It’s unusual for someone so lowborn to hold the title, but Petru was powerful. No one else in the Sanctum comes close.”

“Except you,” she said.

“I can’t be both king and high priest.” It was exactly what my father had wanted, and he’d wanted it for all the wrong reasons. Not that there were any good reasons. “The Sanctum is separate from the crown. Combining them would create too much power. It’s dangerous.”

She tilted her head. “The only universal rule about power is that it’s best to have as much of it as possible. You told me that.”

I frowned. “There are exceptions to that rule, princess.”

“You said people who say that are stupid.”

I looked at Varick, who watched Given with a smile playing around his mouth. He felt my regard and looked at me. The smile stayed put.

“You’re enjoying this,” I said.

“Probably more than I should admit.”

I sighed. Then I pulled a ring off my little finger and slipped it onto Given’s ring finger just above her wedding band. “The night-blooming rose grows on a double vine.” I pointed at one vine. “The Sanctum”—I pointed at the other vine—“and the crown. They are tightly bound, but you still need space between them. Without that space, the rose withers and dies.”

She looked up from the tiny engraving. “At the Rift today…”

“Yes?”

“You didn’t use your power.”

I shook my head. “It’s not useful in battle. One on one, I can kill with a word. But I can’t fell an army. If there is a bly’ad for causing mass death, I don’t know of it. I don’t believe such a word exists.” I turned her hand over and stroked the veins in her wrist. “Blood is personal. I can bind you and bend you to my will. But just you, princess.” I looked at Varick. “Maybe the two of you if I’m well-rested.”

Given shivered.

“It’s very late,” Varick said, his eyes gleaming.

“It is,” I murmured.

His eyes lightened, and I knew I wouldn’t be bending the general to my will. Not at all.

He lifted Given’s other hand and kissed it. “Let’s go to bed.”

Chapter Four

GIVEN

It felt wrong to climb the steps to the Rose Room when the world was in shambles and I had no idea what tomorrow would bring.

But it also felt good.

I couldn’t fix anything tonight. So why not enjoy myself in the moment? Gods, Laurent was rubbing off on me.

There was a simple wooden chair in the room now, as well as a small table that held goblets and a glass pitcher of blood-wine.

For some reason, the sight of the chair raised goosebumps on my skin.

---