Page 4 of Skyshade
Astria would be a problem. Being here, in her enemy’s land, would mean lying to Grim. Isla would need to hide her true purpose as she sought to identify her options. Grim’s sense of reason was clouded by his feelings for her, but his general would see things clearly.
Isla reached the end of the aisle, and Grim took her hand. He helped her onto her throne.
Shadows moved curiously beneath her skin like extensions of Grim himself, but she didn’t dare flinch as the crowd rose to their feet.
Isla had the sudden urge to unleash her power. She was surrounded by enemies. Some of these faces she recognized not from the past, but from the battlefield.
For Oro, she would sit among them. She would learn their plans. And, if they put him and Lightlark at risk, she would stop them.
“What now?” A voice dared break the silence. Isla knew of only one soldier foolish enough to speak so boldly. She found the source immediately, a hulking man who was difficult to miss. He wore armor shaped for his great stature. His hair was a single long patch down the center of his head. No one dared stand too close to him, even with his hands covered. It seemed no one wanted to be caught touching him. He was a powerful Nightshade who could control a person by touching them, an ability in their realm that had become rare over the centuries. Grim didn’t acknowledge the man, who continued talking as though he had a death wish.
“We were winning. Don’t think we don’t know why we retreated.” He stared pointedly at her, gaze fixating on the stone resting between her collarbones. “That necklace. It is an abomination for—”
“Tynan.” Grim’s voice was as cold and cutting as the shadows that stilled beneath her. No one dared move a muscle. “My father was known for taking the tongues of his soldiers, you’ll remember. Following orders doesn’t require speaking, isn’t that what he used to say?” He frowned. “It’s a wonder he let you keep yours. Perhaps that needs to be rectified.”
To his credit, Tynan stood tall, though his metal-encased fingers clashed together in anger. He was dangerous. But not to Grim. Grim’s power was as undeniable as the tide. The force of him was felt in the room. He could kill every one of them without leaving his throne, and they all knew it.
“Hundreds were lost,” Tynan continued, his voice shaking in fury. “Over a woman, over—”
Grim raised his hand, and Tynan froze. The Nightshade made a gurgling sound. “That woman is my wife,” Grim said clearly. “And your ruler. You serve her.” He released his hold, and Tynan staggered forward. “Now bow.”
“Ruler, I—”
“I said bow.”
Isla watched the man, his eyes flashing with hatred, as he sank to his knees.
“Lower.”
The man placed his hands on the floor, gauntlet clashing against the stone.
“Lower.”
Tynan’s shoulders shook with undeniable rage as he pressed his forehead to the floor.
“Now,” Grim said, leaning back in his chair. His voice turned almost casual. “We might have retreated...but we did not lose Lightlark.”
Isla stilled.
She turned her head very slowly to face Grim. He didn’t even look at her. Panic spilled like poison through her chest. “Quite the contrary,” he continued. “We have reclaimed our greatest chance at overtaking the island. Three rulers founded Lightlark, including my ancestor.” Only then did he turn to her. “And hers.”
Isla wasn’t breathing.
“The king of Lightlark is in love with her,” Grim said, as if it were a joke. As if she had been a spy sent in to make Oro, King of Lightlark, fall in love with her to gain access to his power. The court laughed. The soldiers began to murmur. Her rage turned into a wildfire. Isla’s hands gripped the side of the throne, the shadows’ sharp edges digging into her palms, nearly drawing blood. She wanted to silence them all. She wanted to drown them with the power thatsurged like a rogue wave within her. She wanted to strangle Grim. Especially as he said, smirking, “Now we have everything we need to take Lightlark.”
Isla watched every soldier and member of Grim’s court file out of the room, her blood boiling to such a degree, it was a wonder she didn’t catch fire. Finally, the doors closed behind the last of them.
Her blade was at his throat in an instant. She pinned him to his throne. Her words shook with anger and betrayal. “You manipulative, villainous—”
“As much as I would love to hear the end of that sentence,” Grim said, seeming unconcerned by the blade beneath his chin, “do save your barbs for a different time, when you actually have reason to hate me.”
She bared her teeth. Everything he had just said—
“I’m not planning on invading Lightlark, heart.”
She blinked, incredulous. “You just said—”
“I know what I said. I told them what they wanted to hear, to buy some time.” He searched her eyes. “The portal would have saved you...and it would have also saved my people.”
