Page 39 of Crown of Briars
“Let me see you to your rooms first,”she insisted.“I don’t trust this place.”
“Me neither.”
Azure led me down the hall, and I swallowed around a knot of emotions, trying not to panic. Just when I feared all the doors had been closed, we reached the set of open ones—mine and Ramia’s. My breath left me with a relieved exhale as we darted inside. The balcony doors were still open, and Azure made her way toward them, wings folded against her back. She angled her head toward me, eyes intent.
“Be careful, Sybelle. I won’t be far.”
I nodded. “Stay hidden. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“That’syourhabit, remember?”
I chuckled as she leapt off the balcony and took off into the sky. The silhouette of her great form, wings spread wide, shone against the moonlit sky. With each flap of her wings, my heart settled into a steady rhythm. Still, I kept my fingers wrapped around my amber stone, just in case.
When Azure finally faded from view, and all was quiet once more, I could finally breathe easily.
“The elixir is ready.”
I looked up from my desk, my head throbbing from trying—and failing—to come up with a solution to the riots breaking out in the lower towns. I was attempting to write a missive to my general with instructions on how to quell the unrest.
My people were suffering. The deadly shadows were drawing closer, and I had no way to protect them. I couldn’t blame them for panicking.
Tislora stood at my open door, arms folded across her chest. “I used all the human’s blood. You’ll need to get more.”
“Why can’tyouget it?” I growled, running a hand through my dark curls.
“If you’re going to be cantankerous, you can make your own damn elixir,” she said.
I groaned, sitting back in my seat. The chair creaked loudly as I massaged my temples. “I apologize. This is my problem. Not yours.”
“Varius.”
I gave her a weary look. Her silver orb-like eyes seemed to peer into my soul.
“You have to tell her,” she said. “It’s the only way.”
“I can’t lie, Lor. I’m not exactly ready to tell her that thiscurse will kill her. If I start to tell her the truth, she will ask questions. This one is… curious.Toocurious.”
Tislora leaned against the doorframe, her lips forming a thin line. “You knew this wouldn’t be easy. And she is onlyone human. The fate of your kingdom is at stake.”
“Iknow,” I snapped. “You think I don’t know that?”
“I think that bleeding heart of yours is going to get you into trouble. Who gives a shit if the human has a comfortable life or not? She was born to be a pawn in this game those human royals play. She doesn’t matter. But your people do.”
I clenched my teeth to refrain from snapping at her again. I knew all this. Truly, I did.
But I also knew that the elixir would be the most powerful if I allowed the bond between Sybelle and myself to strengthen first. It had only been one day since the wedding ceremony. I didn’t think that was enough time to make a strong enough connection between our blood.
A darker part of my mind registered that consummation was the surest way to solidify a blood bond between husband and wife.
Tislora was right. My people were more important than one mortal woman’s discomfort.
If I had to bed her, I would.
If I had to bleed her dry, I would.
But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t look for every alternative before resorting to those measures.
“Leave the elixir on my desk,” I said, my voice tired. When Tislora didn’t move, I added, “Please.”
