Queen of Monsters and Madness Read online

  A ringing filled Sam’s ears. Most other men wouldn’t understand what the healer was alluding to, but not him. He’d met many girls with the same symptoms over the years. “She’s with child?” he croaked. It hurt even saying it.

  “Yes,” Mira said softly while tucking a blanket around the unconscious Jasmine.

  He dropped his head to stare at his boots, sorrow for the woman washing over him. The injustice in the world never ceased to amaze him. No one deserved ravishment, to have their choices stolen from them in such a brutal manner.

  “She told you what happened?” he asked.

  “No, she doesn’t have any recollection of the conception at all.” Jacob muttered a dark oath. “She defended the men who held her captive. She didn’t believe me, so she asked for an examination.” He shook his head. “I should have waited. It was too soon.”

  “She would have noticed, father,” Mira said, placing a hand on Jasmine’s forehead before sinking down into the chair next to the cot. “We had no choice.”

  A rage unlike anything Sam had ever experience ignited in his chest. How dare someone touch a woman without her consent. It was one of the most disgusting things he could think of.

  His hands twitched by his sides, wanting to strangle someone. This was why men killed for women. This reason right here. They provoked a deep-seated feeling of possessiveness that called for men to protect them.

  Mira eyed him, her face hardening. “You reek of unchecked anger. You need to calm down.”

  “I’ve got it under control.”

  “Not from where I’m sitting,” she retorted. “If you want to truly help Jasmine, you need to calm down right now, or I’ll bar you from the infirmary.”

  Sam scoffed and smiled arrogantly, even though all he really wanted to do was beat someone into a bloody pulp. “I’m a prince and the spymaster. You couldn’t keep me out of here if you wanted to.”

  Mira pushed from her chair and threw her shoulders back, a steely glint in her eyes. “Listen to me and listen well. You’ve been in here every night since Sage and Jasmine arrived. Don’t think I didn’t see you lurking in the dark.” She stabbed a finger at Jasmine. “She has been through hell, and she doesn’t even know it. From this moment on, she’ll need stability and a calm environment. Pregnancies with too much stress will cause damage to the babe and could kill her. She’s delicate enough without you bringing a barrage of messy emotions into her life. So, you either calm down and help, or you get the hell out. You better believe me when I say, I’ll cut you open before I let you hurt this girl.”

  He swallowed and forced his anger down. Mira was right. “I’m sorry. I am angry.”

  “As we all are.” Mira tossed her hands in the air, a tear leaking from the corner of her eye. She scrubbed at it angrily. “Which is why I’m going to leave the room until I can regain my composure, and I suggest you do the same as well.” It was more of a command, not a suggestion.

  Mira strode to her father’s side and dropped a kiss on his whiskered cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Jacob cupped her cheek. “Take your time. I’ll stay here with her.”

  “I know, but I don’t think she should be alone with men right now, so I’ll hurry.”

  The healer nodded, his gaze returning to the fire.

  “Sam?”

  He glanced at Mira. She snatched a leather pouch off the long table covered with jars of herbs.

  “You speak of this to no one.”

  “I’m as silent as the grave.” He’d not breathe a word of it. Once it was out that she was with child and not married, well… He ground his teeth and hissed out a breath. The way of the world was not kind to unmarried pregnant women, no matter how they’d become that way. Again, his rage flared up.

  Mira waved her leather bag at him. “You fancy throwing daggers?”

  Stabbing something would most definitely help. “May I accompany you?”

  “You needn’t ask. Come along,” she called, moving through the infirmary door. “Let’s stab something. Maybe I can exercise the anger and disgust out of my system.”

  He followed her but didn’t reply. Sam already knew the truth. There was no way to rid oneself of those emotions. He’d tried for years. The best he could come up with was to forge it into something else.

  The time would come for him to unleash his rage on the world, but it wasn’t this day.

  Today, he would hone his self-control, so he didn’t hurt the little, broken brunette in the infirmary.

  Five

  Tehl

  “There’s been an attack along the northern border, near Nagali,” Garreth reported. He leaned over Tehl’s desk and handed him the missive.

  “Our northern border?” Tehl asked, his brows furrowing.

  He’d been waiting for the warlord to strike, but this was rather anticlimactic. Why had he attacked there? What used to be a lush farm area was nearly a desolate wasteland. In fact, it had been that way for over two hundred years. There were only a few stubborn Aermians who stayed in the area. But it was a rough way to live between the sand storms and the attacks from predators.

  Tehl cut open the missive, scowling further at the letter. There wasn’t much information. Basically, only what Garreth had reported. “Is there no further news? Nothing at all?”

  “I’m sorry, but no. The only other piece of information I was able to glean from the messenger was that there were few casualties.”

  “That’s good news,” he muttered.

  “But there were disappearances.”

  Sage, who had stayed silent until that moment, sat up from the chair she’d been slumped in. “How many?” she asked sharply.

  “Ten.”

  “All women?”

  “No. They took three men.”

  Sage pushed from the chair and strode to the window overlooking the balcony, but not before Tehl saw a flash of pain cross her face. He stared at his wife’s back for a moment before glancing at Garreth. “Has Sam dispatched anyone?”

  “Yes. We’ll have word within a few days.”

  “All right. Thank you, Garreth.”

  The Elite bowed to him and exited the room, a slight hitch to his gait. Tehl stared at the missive as the door closed silently behind his friend. “What are you up to?” he muttered.

  “He’s playing a game,” Sage said.

  Tehl scowled and glared up at his wife, who’d moved across the room like a wraith. “You’re as bad as Sam.”

  A ghost of a smile flitted across her mouth then disappeared as she leveled a serious look on him. “This wasn’t a random attack.”

  Tehl leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking. “There’s nothing out there.”

  Sage shrugged and sat on the edge of his desk while fingering the feather of his quill. “Make no mistake.” She tapped the missive with her knuckles. “He struck here for a reason. He does nothing without a purpose.”

  He met Sage’s haunted green gaze. “What are we really up against, Sage?” She’d said very little about the warlord. Only that he was dangerous.

  Her face crumpled, and she turned away from him to pace from one side of the room to the other. “He’s calculating. Each move he makes serves a purpose to further his agenda. To say he’s intelligent would be like saying the sun is bright.” She scrubbed a hand over her face. “The warlord is charismatic, charming. His enthusiasm makes you want to believe what he believes. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s…” She swallowed, her gaze darting to him. “Well, you know, handsome.” Her hands curled into fists.

  Tehl pressed his lips together, hating that just speaking about that monster brought her such pain. “You know I wouldn’t ask unless it was important.”

  She chuckled, the sound bitter. “It’s more than important. It’s dire. I don’t have a choice.”

  “You always have a choice.” Even as he said the words he knew they were a lie.

  “I’ve never heard you tell such a bald lie before, Tehl.” Sage flopped into her chair a
nd slung her legs over the arm of it. “This was just the beginning.” She rolled her head to the side, staring at him. “It will get worse from here. We don’t know his angle right now, but we know where this leads.” A pause. “War.”

  War. It was only three letters long, but it held a sinister edge to it and left a bad taste in his mouth. “We need to meet with Rafe tonight.”

  Sage nodded and closed her eyes. “It needs to be private. I have questions that need to be answered, and he owes me.” She cracked one eyelid to peer at him. “I also need to speak to him privately.”

  He bristled a little but tamped it down. He trusted Sage…and now he trusted the rebellion leader, too. “All right.”

  “All right?” she arched a brow at him.

  “Yes.”

  “That’s different,” she whispered. “What’s changed?”

  “Rafe has proven himself honorable when it comes to you.” That and he seemed to have turned his attention to a certain Scythian beauty.

  Her eyes narrowed. “What do you know that I don’t?”

  “Nothing that needs to be said.”

  “You’re keeping secrets from me?”

  He frowned at her. “It’s not my secret to tell.”

  Her lips twitched. She was teasing him. He blinked. It was odd, but he liked it. He’d seen her tease and play with others, but she’d never engaged him before. “Maybe if you’re nice, I’ll tell you.”

  Her jaw dropped open, and her eyes narrowed further into slits, causing him to stifle his grin.

  “You don’t want to play this game with me.”

  Oh, he most definitely did. Each day was filled with its own anxieties, worries, and dangers. But he’d seize each opportunity to invite laughter and light in. It was a rare gift. One he’d not take for granted again.

  Tehl arched a brow at the rebellion leader as he strolled into the room like he owned the place. His arrogance never ceased to surprise him. Rafe pulled the lid from the decanter and gave it a heavy sniff before pouring it into an ornate goblet and throwing it back.

  “Help yourself,” Tehl said dryly.

  “Long day?” Sage called from the balcony. She turned from the sunset and abandoned her vigil, strolling into the room.

  He sighed, his body relaxing as she moved away from the drop. Sage had been standing at the balcony for so long, Tehl hadn’t been able to focus on the letters scattered across his desk. His mind kept imagining her swinging a leg over the railing and disappearing from view. She’d never mentioned her conversation with his father, nor her attempt, but she spent enough time on their balconies that he could never forget what had happened.

  Sage gave him a funny look, and he shook himself, realizing he’d been staring for quite some time. He pulled his gaze from his wife and met golden eyes watching him with amusement. If he had been prone to blushing, he would have done so. He knew what the rebellion leader thought. That he was gawking at Sage.

  Tehl scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. Even if he was staring, it was his right. She, by law, belonged to him. If he wanted to gawk at his wife, he bloody well would.

  Rafe cocked an eyebrow at him as if saying, ‘Really? We’re back to this?’

  Tehl rolled his shoulders and placed his hands on the desk. The rebellion leader was right. There was no need to be so defensive. Rafe eyed him for a moment more then turned to Sage with a warm smile.

  “Nothing I can’t handle, little one.”

  Sage winced but quickly wiped the expression from her face. “We’re about to add to your burden.”

  “Is that so?” He leaned against the bookshelf, his gaze bouncing between Tehl and Sage. “Out with it,” he said, reaching for the decanter again.

  “We need you to deliver a message to your people.”

  He froze for only a moment before slowly pouring more spirits into his goblet. “Oh?”

  “We need your people to align with us.”

  Rafe took a measured sip. “That is a huge undertaking. I’m not sure I can guarantee much of anything. I don’t hold as much power as you think.”

  Sage scoffed, her eyes narrowing. “Cut the lies. You and I both know you hold a great deal of power. I’m not sure what your station is, but I know you can arrange for us to meet with the crown of Methi. Not only that, we need you to do it quickly and quietly.”

  “How quickly?” Rafe questioned.

  “Within the week,” Tehl said.

  The rebellion leader barked out a laugh. “You expect me to arrange a meeting with the Methi crown within the week? It’s impossible. Travel and negotiations would take months.”

  “We don’t have months,” he said. “Scythia has attacked again.”

  Rafe growled. “When?”

  “Within the last several days.”

  “The causalities?”

  “Minor, but still disturbing,” Tehl answered. “We don’t know when Scythia will strike again, but we know this is just the beginning. It will only get worse from here.”

  “And you expect Methi to aid you without an incentive?”

  “If Methi does not support us, they will be next.”

  “That sounds like a threat, little one.”

  Sage shook her head. “Not from Aermia. There won’t be any Aermia left. All there will be is Scythia. The warlord is coming, and it’s not just for us. If Aermia falls, so do all the kingdoms.”

  “Methi is not without its own defenses.”

  “True,” she mused, perching on the arm of the leather chair. “But if you think your prowess in battle and your mountains will protect you, you are a fool. When he sets his mind to something, he will gain it.”

  “And you believe he’s set his mind on Methi?”

  Her face hardened, even as it paled. “He wants it all.” The way she said the words sent a chill down Tehl’s spine as her gaze emptied of all emotion. She turned her blank gaze from him to the rebellion leader. “We will all perish if we do not unite.”

  Rafe studied Sage, his expression grim. “It will not be an easy thing to unite the world.”

  “It’s not easy to escape the depths of hell, and, yet, here I am,” she said, holding her arms out to her sides. “And it was only done with the help of all the races. Aermian, Sirenidae, Methi, and Scythian. If we do not work together, we will all perish.”

  “I will do my best.”

  Sage stared at him before glancing out of the window at the darkening sky. “I know you will.”

  Rafe swallowed another sip of spirits and placed his goblet on the bookcase, nodding to Tehl. “There is no time to waste, it seems. I’ll send a missive immediately.”

  Sage chuckled and glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t pretend you don’t have your people nearby.”

  The rebellion leader’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. “You were always my best pupil.”

  “No, just your favorite.”

  His expression softened. “That’s true as well.”

  Tehl watched Rafe and Sage stare at each other, and he smiled inwardly. Their friendship had healed. He’d been threatened by the rebellion leader when he’d acted so dishonorably with Sage, but, now, it was clear there was nothing but the kind of love friends shared.

  His wife pushed off her chair and strolled to his side. Tehl tipped his head back to stare into her face. She leaned close and pressed a kiss to his cheek. A jolt went through him at the simple touch that made him want to yank her into his lap, but she pulled back and slipped her hand into his.

  “You remember what I asked earlier?” she murmured.

  Tehl stared at her lips for longer than was polite as her words sunk in. He blinked. She wanted to speak with Rafe in private. He nodded and pushed from his chair.

  “I have many other engagements this evening before I seek my bed. So, if you’ll excuse me,” he said.

  Rafe tugged on his vest. “I’ll follow you out.”

  “I wish to speak with you,” Sage said.

  “If you insist,” the rebellion le
ader said, settling back against the bookshelf.

  Sage squeezed Tehl’s hand once and let go. Tehl surprised himself by snatching her retreating hand and bringing it to his lips to kiss the inside of her wrist. Her eyes widened as he lingered.

  The devil inside him, that he kept a tight leash on, grinned in delight. “I’ll see you tonight.” He breathed across her skin, and a little shiver visibly worked through her that made him want to cheer.

  “I’ll see you tonight,” she said, a little breathy.

  He smiled, dropped a kiss on top of her head, and tried not to strut toward the door.

  One step forward. Many more to go.

  And he looked forward to each one of them.

  Life with Sage wasn’t simple. It was exhilarating.

  Sage

  The door clicked shut behind Tehl, leaving her alone with Rafe for the first time in months. She glanced at him and then away. His golden eyes always saw too much, and today wasn’t about her. It was about him.

  She rubbed her forehead and then gestured to the chairs. “Would you like to sit down?”

  “If it will make you more comfortable, little one.”

  Sage nodded and stalked to her favorite chair. The buttery leather seemed to give her a hug every time she slid into it. Rafe prowled to the other chair and sat, dwarfing it much like Tehl did. She studied him for long moments, and he let her. His deep wine-colored hair was longer than it had been when she’d met him. It was the lone braid at the front that surprised her.

  Dark, beaded hair curtained around her face…

  She gritted her teeth and dug her fingers into the chair arms to ground herself. You are not there. You are here, in Tehl’s study.

  “Are you all right?” Rafe’s deep voice asked.

  Sage opened her eyes, not realizing she’d closed them in the first place. He stared at her, concern clear in his reflective eyes. “I’m fine.”

  “No, you are not.”

  She glared at him. It was easier to be angry than accept his pity. “Why haven’t you visited me?” she demanded. It had been bothering her for the last week. She’d even sought him out, but couldn’t find him before she grew so tired she had to retreat back to her room.