Two Wicked Courts

Chapter 8

Leander returned shortly and didn't mention the trip to the Isles. I highly doubted he would keep it from me, if anything he'd be talking about it nonstop, so I said nothing. Lys and Alana had abandoned their game and Leander and I played a hand.

The cards had two sets of impressively detailed renditions of their gods and goddesses, one fully colored and one in black and white, and each card had a respective numerical value, but there was only one Runera. Runera was often regarded as a wild card in other games, especially given the card's inherent magical ability to only appear rarely, but she was the winning card in this. The game was about playing the highest valued card and winning the most cards until the other player ran out, or Runera was flipped. It had less to do with skill than luck, or the ability to stack the cards in one's own favor.

I won and I was surprised. It must have shown on my face because Leander leaned over the cards and grinned. "If I wanted to always win, I'd play with my pathetic courtiers, as you put it. I don't place my value in a game of cards."

"Oh?"

"Come here and I'll tell you what I place my value in," he purred.

I sincerely had no interest knowing what he placed his value in, but I obeyed and sat on his lap. He took my chin in his hands and turned my face side to side, inspecting me. "Something about you is different from most humans. If you knew what it was, would you tell me?"

"No."

"So difficult," he chuckled and lowered his hands to my waist. "You've been incredibly well-behaved lately. How do you suppose I should reward you?"

There was a knock on the door and Cia came in, flanked by her servants. She was smiling, a far cry from her mood earlier. "Hello, boys. I have some news."

"What is it?" Lys looked up from whatever he had been doing with Alana.

"It's been ages so I've decided we're going to see your grandparents in the Isles. It's incredible this time of year."

Leander sighed in defeat, like he knew there was no arguing. "When are we leaving?"

"First thing tomorrow morning," she gleamed.

Groans erupted from the twins and Cia clicked her tongue. Behind her, the handmaiden couldn't hide her surprise. She masked it quickly, but the flash I saw seemed deeper than surprise. It was almost... horror. I glanced away from her so as not to attract attention, but that concerned me.

Lys drew Alana to his chest. "Do you want to see the Cidrian Isles? The sunsets across the white sand would take you breath away."

"Oh, yes," she said dreamily.

Cia lost her smile. "We are not taking our servants or your Favored. An escort of guards should suffice and they are more than capable of helping us with anything we need."

"But why?" Leander frowned and glanced at me, sliding his hand over my exposed thigh where I sat perched in his lap. He had picked the dress for its skirt that parted in several places to show off my long legs. "It will be positively boring without them."

Her brows drew together as she started to lose her patience. "For the last time, you are not taking your pets."

"You didn't answer him," Lys pointed out.

"Because they will slow us as we travel. They are staying at the palace. I will not have any hindrances ruining our journey." She watched me as she said it, as if she were addressing me, and the stark realization was like I had been slapped. It was immediately replaced with terror.

Alana and I were the hindrance. We were the ones she wanted gone.

Leander felt me stiffen and glanced at me questioningly. I schooled my face back into blankness. Even if I tried to tell him, he'd never believe me.