Page 43 of The King is Dead
Dear God, even the thought froze my lungs.
The knock on the door made me curse again, sure that it was Turo pursuing me. The manrefusedto give me space. He wasforcingme to continue to hurt him, and I didn’t want to!
Turning on my heel, intending to insist that he leave me for a few hours, I stormed back to the door and yanked it open—only to findDiadre on the other side of the door, her eyes wide and hand raised to knock again. We stared at each other, then she looked over her shoulder at the guards. “As you requested, Majesty. I bring news from Jhonas from the front!” she said hurriedly.
“I… yes, thank you. Thank you. Please come in.”
She stepped inside and I closed the door behind her.
Diadre was already making her way to my sideboard, opening it and pulling out two wine glasses. “I thought I was coming for juicy stories of the Nephilim fighters, but I think perhaps there’s something more important that you need to get off your chest?” she said quietly as she poured each of us a goblet of wine. I watched her, feeling deflated.
She handed me a goblet and I thanked her. After one sip, I just stared into the deep red liquid.
“Yilan, what’s wrong? You answered that door like you were about to bite something.”
I sighed. “Everything. And nothing,” I said quietly.
Diadre’s brows pinched. “I’m sorry… but please explain?”
I sighed again. “I can’t tell you,” I said, taking a bigger mouthful of the wine. Perhaps I would just sit here and get drunk and refuse to open the door to anyone with a cock.
It wouldn’t solve anything, but at least I’d get peace for a night.
Diadre frowned. “You must be wise with your words, of course,” she said thoughtfully. “But… I think you need to unburden. Is it about the war? About why you don’t want to advance? Do the Nephilim have some power, or some weapon we aren’t aware of—”
“No, no, nothing like that,” I muttered and started towards the verandah, then caught sight of those infernal screens and changed my mind. Instead, I dropped into one of my chairs, hooking one knee over the arm in just the way Diadre and I used to lounge when we were girls.
She grinned and came to join me, sitting on the couch and pulling her legs up so she could sit sideways and face me.
“Tell me what you can,” she said after a sip of the wine. “Clearly, you’re in need of a shoulder. Or… something.”
I took a deep breath and looked at her.
I’d known Diadre since I was thirteen years old. She’d proven her loyalty. I knew I could trust her implicitly.
But perhaps more importantly, Diadre was not bound by tradition. She couldn’t be. A woman born with a man’s interests and skills, and a brother who encouraged them.
She’d given her parents fits when she was younger, but when Jhonas, who was eight years older than both of us, pointed out thatthe future Queenshared many of Diadre’s interests and skills it apparently convinced them to allow her to train with me.
She was the first female Captain—a rankIwas proud to have insisted that she receive as soon as Turo measured her capable. And even though it had worried him, Turo had promoted her without complaint and always been an example of upholding her authority.
Diadre was accustomed to walking off the beaten path. She was confident in both herself, and in me. And she was a vault when it came to secrets.
“If I tell you,” I said carefully, “you can’t even tell Jhonas. And you would have to promise me that you would takenoaction on it. No matter how… important it might seem. Could you promise me that?”
Her eyes snapped to mine, and her brows rose. “Is the Queen instructing me to keep this conversationsealed?”
She was grinning, but I didn’t return it. I nodded. “I’m serious, Dee, you couldn’t so much as hint. And… it may mean flying in the face of tradition.”
She snorted. “When have you known me to be a stickler fortradition?”she said, gesturing towards her uniform. But then she frowned. “Unless… are you going to kill yourself or someone else?”
I snorted. “No. At least… not on purpose.”
Her brows rose. “I was joking but… never mind. I’m in. Tell me, Yilan. Everything—and this keeping it from Jhonas… does he have any idea? Any inkling of what you’re going to say?”
“No.”
Her smile broadened. “Even better.”
