Page 77 of Of Songs and Silence

“I love all of you, remember?” I remind her. “No matter what.”

She relaxes incrementally.

“Well, there’s the obvious.” She gestures to herself. “The intimidation factor, the surprise of me being this tiny, unexpectedly terrifying thing for them. But besides that, I was ruthless in a different way than Damian is. He gets distracted by his baser instincts, whereas I was just her obedient soldier.”

She looks sideways at Zaina, and something starts turning in the back of my mind.

“I think it’s more than that,” I say quietly and three sets of eyes fix on me. “She might have a weakness for her children, but she plays favorites. That’s why it was so easy for you to blame Damian for as long as you did. We can find a way to use that.”

Einar’s fist clenches around his glass, and I know he’s already seeing the possibilities.

Seeing the possibilities, and hating them.

Still, a plan forms behind his eyes. I don’t get a chance to push him on what it is before the alarm bells ring out for the second time in as many weeks.

Before any of us can react or even get up from our chairs, the door slides open and a tall, slim, horrifyingly familiar figure fills up the entire doorway.

Madame has found us.

CHAPTERFORTY-EIGHT

MELODI

Alifetime of Mother’s horrors has been eclipsed by a single, bloodstained room.

Dead and broken bodies float in front of us, arranged throughout the room like some kind of macabre garden. Like trophies.

Did it take him hours? Did he do this alone to ensure that the visual he presented was just so? Just the right amount of shock and horror displayed so that it would have the ultimate effect when we entered the room?

Did he choose where to position each body? Who to display first?

Knowing what I do of the woman who raised me, I have to imagine he did. Much like my mother, everything the king does is intentional. And everything he says.

I know how people lie to protect those they love.

My heartbeat thunders in my ears, but it’s not loud enough to drown out the echo of his words. Something in his tone tells me he has known all along who Ari and I were to each other. He has merely played a game, just as he did with Kane.

Kane.

Though he looks just as lifeless as the rest of the corpses around us, I know in my soul that he isn’t dead. Cepheus could have killed him too, but right now, Kane is more useful to him alive—as leverage over Ari—than he would be dead. My grandfather will ensure whatever he has planned succeeds with the most damage possible.

Another skill he taught his daughter.

A tentacle wraps around my leg, and Napo buries his face in my hip while Ari’s hand clutches mine even tighter.

The king’s eyes flit back and forth between us and I am suddenly aware of each part of my skin that touches Ari’s. The way I’m clinging to his arm. The protective stance he’s taken.

“In light of this revelation,” Cepheus over-emphasizes the word. “There will be a change to the games today. An addition to the contenders competing for your hand.”

“I thought Warriors weren’t allowed to compete,” I say tentatively, and Cepheus tsks in response.

“Come now, Granddaughter, surely you have learned enough through yourstudiesto know that doesn’t matter when it comes to the mating bond. The bond chooses for us, regardless of station.” There is an edge to his words, his hatred for the bond coming through with each syllable. “And I cannot imagine that our Commander here would object.”

It’s a challenge, and Ari doesn’t hesitate, not even for a moment, before responding. “Of course not, my king.”

Pride and fear run in equally vicious currents through my veins. Ari’s shields are fully in place and his expression is neutral, but I can feel the rage coursing through him.

“Very well,” Cepheus says, paying no mind to the victim behind him. “Then let us begin.”

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