Page 49 of Blood Beneath the Snow

He nodded curtly. “Queen of Bhorglid. Yes.”

Everything came to a standstill. “You want to instate me as queen,” I breathed. “You’re training me to win the Trials.” I stared at him, mind blank. “I don’t understand. She could find a more powerful ally with one of my brothers. Frode, or Jac. They’re godtouched, but they want to end the war, too. It doesn’t make sense to choose me.”

He shrugged, staring at the flickering flames. “You’re right,” he said. “And I told her as much. But she refused to listen. She has her heart set on you.”

Set…on me? A godforsaken? I frowned. “This doesn’t make sense.”

Finally he glanced over. “I of all people should know. The best course of action would be ending the war by taking Bhorglid and installing me on that throne. It accomplishes the same purpose of forming an alliance, and at least I’d have earned the position. But instead she insists it be you.”

My heart skipped a beat. The Hellbringer was jealous ofme. “Why wouldn’t she give it to you?”

He slammed his fists on the table. I flinched back. “I don’tknow!” His voice was twisted with distortion.

I stared at him, heart pounding, wondering if I should flee into the maze of halls. Who knew what the Hellbringer would do when he was angry? All he had to do was think about killing me and I would be dead. That part was terrifying enough. But imagining his gloved hands around my throat?

I shivered, and not from the cold.

He stood to pace, and I pulled the blanket up to my shoulders. The smaller I appeared, the better. But curiosity burned at my lips, and I spoke, though every instinct screamed at me not to.

“Why do you want to be king? And in Bhorglid of all places?”

He didn’t answer, merely paced in silence for a long time. My eyes traced his path back and forth in front of the fireplace.

Seemed I wasn’t getting an answer to that question. “Is this why you were following me?” I asked. His head snapped around to face me. “In Bhorglid?” He was silent for a moment, so I pressed on. “You could have taken me then. Why did you wait until now?”

He shrugged. “The queen expected you to make your way into the Trials, but she couldn’t be entirely sure. She asked me to wait until you were in the competition for certain before approaching you. Until then, my orders were to observe. Nothing more.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “At any point, did it cross yourmind that it would have been far more effective to spy on me without your whole”—I made a sweeping gesture to encompass him from head to toe—“costume?”

He growled, and with the voice distortion it was a menacing sound. But I refused to shrink back. I was determined to get answers. One answer in particular.

Why would the Queen of Kryllian want me to win the throne?

The question danced in front of me as if to taunt me. I couldn’t begin to imagine the queen’s motives. I’d never learned anything about her, much less met her. My father openly hated her, which only guaranteed the things he’d said about her in passing probably weren’t true. The Hellbringer seemed reluctant to elaborate on the queen’s specific plans for me, but perhaps with time he would tell me more.

More importantly, the Hellbringer had unknowingly confirmed what he told me earlier: he wasn’t going to kill me. At least, he wasn’tsupposedto kill me.

It didn’t mean I trusted him, though. My desire to escape wasn’t waning, despite his admission of a bigger plan. Ending the war would be a good thing, but did I really need the help of our most notorious adversary in order to do it? Was peace worth becoming a pawn in another ruler’s hand when the Trials were over?

“What about when you’re done training me?” I asked. “How do you plan to return me to Bhorglid without getting caught?”

His pacing slowed while he replied. “I will leave you with your family before they return home.”

My face twisted into an expression of distaste. “Father will be mad you didn’t kill me.”

The Hellbringer paused, glancing at me, before continuing his steady march. “Why would he want you dead?”

I lay back and propped my hands behind my head. “The better question is: Whywouldn’the want me dead? That one has a shorter answer.”

Before I could continue, there was a loud pop and a cloaked Kryllian soldier appeared in front of the Hellbringer. I started, sitting up and pulling my sword closer to me.

I frowned at the weapon. I hadn’t noticed my captor had left it there, easily within my grasp. My jaw tightened when I realized he didn’t see me as a threat.

“Her Highness requests your presence,” a feminine voice said from beneath the hood of the cloak. Her features were well hidden.

This must be the same soldier who had transported us here from the forest.

The Hellbringer’s fist clenched, and I wondered for a moment if he would hit her. I cringed, waiting for the blow to come, but then he relaxed.

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