Page 55 of A Rose Among Snakes

Clenching my fists I glared at him. I finally registered his last comment and snapped, “We don’t all grow up in beautiful manors with the ocean at our fingertips.”

Picking up my drenched skirt, I wheeled around and ran back to the log to get my shoes.

“Mihrra,” he called, splashing toward me. I shimmied out of the jacket, letting it fall to the sand, turning around to face him as he slipped back into his shirt.

“I need to get to sleep.”

“Mihrra, I’m sorry for upsetting you. I was teasing.”

I kept my gaze fixed on the horizon, worried that if I looked at him my anger would disappear. “It’s fine, I just have a big day ahead of me tomorrow.”

“Alright, I understand. Can I walk you back inside?”

“No, thank you.” I glanced at him, and his sorrowful expression tugged at my resolve, but I hardened my heart. “Goodnight, Velian.”

“Goodnight, Mihrra.”

I carried my shoes in my hand, the pain of the sharp rocks under my feet a welcome distraction, but once I slipped back into my room, my emotions were boiling over. I changed into a dry nightgown and crawled into bed, but his cedar and spice scent still clung to my skin. I bit my lip, fighting the tears threatening to spill over, but I lost. In silence, I berated myself for ignoring my instincts and trusting Velian, soaking my pillow with my sorrows.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kezara

“You,” I gasped. His fingers dug into my bare shoulder, but I barely noticed as the shock of his identity rattled through my muddy head. The man who had lost the duel.

“Are you surprised?” he snapped as he released his grip on me.

I rolled my shoulders to disguise my shaking. “I am, but it makes more sense why you had to knock me out to capture me.”

“Why is that?” He rubbed the back of his head, checking for blood.

Willing more bravado to my voice, I tossed my head and said, “Well, if you can’t simply disarm a man with a sword, it fits that you would need assistance subduing a woman, as well.”

He glared at me and went back to the counter where the food was waiting. He pulled a chair in front of the cell and took a seat with the plate resting on his lap.

“This was meant for you,” he pushed the food around with a fork, “but I think I’m going to eat it instead.” He picked up a piece of white cheese and popped it in his mouth.

My stomach growled in the silence, drawing out a chuckle from my captor. I wished I had another rock to throw at his arrogant face.

“Your logic doesn’t make any sense, by the way,” he said. “It’s significantly harder to abduct someone than to disarm them. Also, I purposely let him win, for your information.”

“Sure you did.” I lowered myself to the dirty floor and leaned on the wall, stretching my legs out in front of me.

“I did. The king asked that I dance with you and goad someone into a fight of some sort. He wanted to see Leoran’s response. He wanted to know if you were a legitimate threat to the crown or not.”

“How amIa threat to the crown?” Red-hot anger began to course through my veins making my fingers curl into fists. My temper—my father’s temper—had always been quick to rear its ugly head and override any other feelings I had.

My captor tossed a small piece of bread through the bars for me. “Leoran told the king he was going to give it all up for you, I guess. The king needed unity with Etheniar, though I’m not sure why.”

He took a bite of an apple and then threw it at me, too. I would rather starve than eat his scraps.

“Anyway, Leoro needs the prince to marry the Ethenian princess because there’s no way Leoro could marry her. Too much of an age difference, I guess. But as long as you were around, the prince was going to put up a fight, so the king simply removed you from the equation.”

I clenched my jaw so tight it began to ache. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He spoke so matter-of-factly, like it wasn’t my life he was talking about. My only hope was in Velian or Leorannot believing my letters. Maybe Mihrra would find it odd I didn’t write to her.

The churning rage burned away my hunger, and I sat there, vacillating between fury and heartbreak, but never fear. I refused to let fear get a foothold in my mind. I worried about my poor, beautiful prince and how he must be hurting. I wondered what Velian was thinking, and if he was upset or relieved to be rid of me.

All the while, my captor sat in the chair and ate my food. I didn’t ask any more questions, closing my eyes instead. My head was pounding, but I didn’t know if it was from the sparkling wine or all the information I was processing—probably both.

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