Crown of Feathers (Book 2 of the Crown Trilogy)

Thirty-Seven

"What did you do, Esmeray?" Borin's voice booms through the sanctuary.

Her head whips in his direction and her lip curls in a cruel snarl. "I did what your husband didn't have the guts to do. If it weren't for me, my army would still be depleting by the minute and my kingdom would never return to normal."

Borin bounds forward with his fists balled at his sides. My father lays a hand on his shoulder, stopping him before he can draw the queen's blood. The last thing we need is for my top adviser to fall out of the Statera's grace.

I close my eyes and rub my lips together, pushing down the rage boiling inside of me. She should have never negotiated with the Allaji without me. A treaty of our own binds our kingdoms. We are allies during this war, so whatever she promised, I want to know Lucent can deliver without putting my people at risk.

"What were the terms of the treaty?" I ask.

Esmeray folds her arms behind her back and climbs to the top of the dais. "I think it is ingenious myself. Every notable player gets what they want. Of course, there were some barriers we had to eliminate for it all to work out."

Fear takes root in me.

She is enjoying the theatrics of her big reveal too much. I have spent little time in her presence, but what I know is she thrives on vindictiveness. The harder the blow she can land, the happier she is.

"Of course, the Allaji were gracious enough to accommodate and prove their loyalty to the plan." Her gaze locks with Zek's and one corner of his lip quirks up. "I can't thank you enough, Zekiel." She chuckles and shakes her head like she has misspoken. "My apologies, King Zekiel. It will take a moment to get used to your new station among the Allaji."

I gasp and take a step back. When? Why? How can my guard be the king of the Allaji?

"It was my pleasure." Zek sweeps his hand in front of him and bows at the waist. Enormous cream-colored wings speckled in brown unfurl from his back. He lifts his head and his bright blue eyes narrow in on me. That mischievous smile I found so endearing graces his face, but now it's laced with malice.

"No," I cry, clasping my hand over my mouth.

He doesn't need to completely shift for me to know I'm looking at Micah's murderer, because everything is piecing together in my head. He didn't throw himself on top of me when the bomb exploded after Kyron's anointment; he went missing. The night Kyron's guard was slaughtered, Zek sat outside my door. I know now he had the strength and wherewithal to lift a man into the air and nail him to a wall. The hawk waited for Kyron and me at Basecamp because I'd told Zek where I was going. He was never taken; he returned to his people.

A scuffle ensues behind me. My father and Leif have wrestled Borin to the ground. He wails and thrashes like a rabid beast, while tears streak down his face. The man who killed his husband stands before him, and there is nothing he can do to avenge his death.

My father wraps Borin in his arms and rocks him back and forth. "You will get your revenge; I promise you will. But not in this place."

"I will kill you," Borin yells through his sobs.

Zek narrows his eyes and snarls like Borin's threat is nothing more than an irritating fly.

My shock wanes, and my curiosity takes control. "How did you become a Lucent guard?"

"It's a funny story, but sort of long." He props an arm on the back of Esmeray's throne and looks at his fingernails. "Condensed version: I wanted to be king. Like I told you before, our people require a notable act, along with killing most of the other competitors for that to happen. I thought, shit, I can find a way to weasel into the Lucent guard, prove I'm the best, get a prime assignment and send all the intel back to my people, so they could plot to take your land. Guarding you was the sweet cherry on top. I was hoping to fuck you, but you know, the whole pining for your parah thing really messed that up."