Page 10 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
Yes, trapping the cream of the Serpent Clan on the island while we investigated was a deliciously cunning plan–one I hadn’t thought my father capable of and one I was furious I hadn’t thought of myself–but the risk was too grand.
We were already playing with the fates by hiding this wedding from every other Clan, especially the Blood Brotherhood.
The last thing we needed was more intrigue.
I rounded the corner in a huff, only to slam into the widest chest in the Protectorate.
“Whoa, there, Huntress,” Orion “The Mountain” Brawd rumbled and reached out for me as I lost my balance. “Stormin’ through like that, you’ll bowl me over one day. Your cousins were asking where you were.”
I might’ve been tall, but nothing short of an unnatural force could ever bowl over Orion.
“Don’t worry about it.” I ran a hand down my curls–still intact and bouncing. For once, I’d managed to tame my wild dark hair and it had taken a Morgana Clan potion to achieve it. “Nosy as ever, those cousins of mine. Where are they?”
“This way.” He jerked his chin toward the other corridor, leading toward the courtyard balconies. “They’ve already staked out the best view, of course.”
“How’s your wife?” I asked as our hurried steps echoed against the marble. “Did she get the baby basket I sent?”
Orion was one of the best warriors in our entire Clan. He’d overseen my training and watched me fire my first arrow. In turn, I doted over his children. His many, many children. But though he was known for his size and mighty fists, I knew he had a soft heart.
“She loves that little blue blanket, already in the nursery.” He looked around us with a grin so wide, it almost made his small eyes sparkle with glee. “You didn’t hear it from me, but the midwives said we might be having twins.”
“Twins,” I whispered, heart leaping with joy. Even the worry fainted for the briefest moment. “Congratulations! Oh, Dax and Dara are going to love hearing that.”
“Shh, it’s still a secret for now.” He looked up at the ceiling, grin widening. “Thank the gods for this blessing–and may they bless us more, because we’ll have double the trouble. And I need to build another room.”
“With those hands, you’ll be done in no time.”
He chuckled. “If only the power matched the brawn.”
“Hey, we each have our strengths and we should be proud of them.” Orion had plenty of magic, he’d just preferred to train his muscles. “When’s the birth, in two months right?”
“On the full moon.” He puffed up his chest, proud as ever. “You’ll be there?”
“I always am.” I winked at him. Two months was plenty of time to deal with whatever havoc this wedding would cause.
We marched through the hall my ancestors had built long before our Protectorate powers had evolved enough to make the continent quake. Back then, we’d been more concerned with surviving wars.
But survive we did, and we’d thrived in the centuries since then.
Soon, the Clan’s legacy and future would rest on my shoulders, and I could only hope my training had been enough to bear the weight of them. I’d hoped to have someone by my side to share the burden of rule, but that dream had ended in betrayal and a sea of tears.
All of that turmoil could wait.
Hadto wait.
Right now, I needed to help Evie.
This entire so-called relationship with Fabrian felt off. Like a chill I couldn’t shake. One that slid down my spine and overtook the entire island as well. I’d tried talking her out of this madness, but she’d kept saying Fabrian was hers.
“See you in the courtyard.” Orion gave my shoulder a squeeze. “The missus asked for some refreshments, she’s been parched since this morning.”
“Give her a hug from me,” I called after him before I stepped out of the corridor and joined my cousins on the widest balcony.
They stood there in all their Vegheara glory, dressed to the heavens in silver and blue hues, our Clan colors. They watched over the courtyard with the focus of birds of prey. Guests were still trickling to their seats, but the ceremony would begin soon.
Too soon.
A makeshift altar had been placed at the end of the courtyard, flanked by vases filled with myrtle and hydrangea flowers–to bring good luck and passion in the marriage. The sycamore trees stood tall and proud just beyond it, creating the perfect little romantic setting.
