Page 23 of Wicked Prince of Mirrors
“Are you joining me?” I asked as I undressed.
“Unless you prefer peace, my father says I talk too much.” She grinned.
“It’s nice to have some female company after days with . . .” I shook away my last sentence.
The smile dropped from Lyra’s face. She tugged her dress off and walked into the water until she ducked completely under. I followed, feeling free, warm, the exotic perfume sinking through every pore of my skin.
Lyra popped out from under the water, hair soaking wet. She slicked it back from her head with the flats of her hand. “I never knew my mother. It’s just my father and me here, aside from those who manage to find us. I know what it’s like to long for what I never had or dream of another life.”
I thought of telling her about my mother, but the words faded from my tongue. Instead I said, “I’ve never dreamed of another life, although I knew once I grew up, everything would change. I wasn’t looking forward to it, in fact, I was hoping everything would stay the same.”
“How so?”
I bit my bottom lip, relieved I had the opportunity to speak my mind. Even though I’d just met Lyra, the openness of her presence made me want to trust her, confide in her.
“My father—” The words caught as shame filled me. As king, my father was not only my enemy but her enemy too. “He’s the king.”
I studied her face for a reaction, aware that she lived in hiding with a father who practiced dark magic. She couldn’t sympathize with my feelings about the kingdom.
Lyra swirled her fingers in the water and gave me a nod, encouraging me to go on.
“I assumed I’d take his place and become queen, but he laughed at the very idea.” The memory left a bitter taste on my tongue. “He’d arranged my marriage to a prince, planned to send me far away from the kingdom, the Boundary, and, he claimed, the beasts.”
“Sounds like he wanted to protect you,” Lyra said gently.
It was the kindness in her tone that sent my next words tumbling out. “Maybe? But I can’t help but think he sees me . . .sawme as a bargaining tool to secure the kingdom. The palace might be safe, but there’s not enough magic to secure the Boundary and keep the beasts from returning. There’s so much fear, of the monsters—one even attacked us on the way here—and the Venators. Now that I have magic I see them for what they really are.”
“What are they?” Lyra asked, a hardness to her tone.
Anger?
“Terrifying,” I whispered, eyes glassy as I recalled the Captain. “Brutes. They claim they serve at the pleasure of the king but I think they enjoy the terror they bring, they like hunting, torture. Death.”
Lyra sank deeper into the water. “What do you want to do about the kingdom’s problems?”
“Me?” The familiar ache of uselessness stirred behind my breastbone. I sank under perfumed waters as though a weight pulled me down. Heat coaxed the tension from my body, softening my skin. When I resurfaced, doubt clung to me. “What can I do? I have no authority, no power. I can’t stop what is coming.”
Lyra tilted her head. “I didn’t ask if you had the power to change the world. The question is simple. What doyouwant? That is all.”
“I don’t know. My father has always guided my life . . .” I trailed off, embarrassedby what that meant. I hadn’t learned to think for myself or question any of my father’s actions. Until now.
Lyra sank deeper into the waters. “Maybe it’s time for you to learn the truth.”
“The truth about what?”
She spread her fingers. “Everything. Magic. The Boundary, the beasts and Prince Methrin.”
My eyebrows lifted. “You don’t know what he is, do you?”
Lyra held a finger to her lips, whispering the word as though it were a curse. “Everminati.”
9
ESMIRA
Ablood curling scream jerked me out of sleep. I sat straight up, heart racing. Darkness enveloped me and thick blankets twisted around my legs. The fire had burned out but the glow of embers hovered, like sinister eyes watching me.
The scream came again, followed by a growl and then the sound of teeth ripping flesh. I leaped out of bed, almost falling as I fumbled for the door. The horrific sounds grew louder, closer as I stumbled into the hall, hoping the sconces were still lit.
