“Immaterial.” He shifted, and looked uncomfortable. “Your focus must be on Aver.”
“As ideal as it would be to only have the tournament to think of, I have a family who needs me. I’m well aware Mikhail is keeping hold of my duties as the first born of my House. Pytor our steward is wonderful, but what House Zar needs is its Lady. Boy is just all over the place emotionally, and at some point I have to talk to him about his magicks. I sense it growing stronger.”
“You sense it.” He frowned. “You are uncommonly in touch with mystic energy for a Chosen. I have been meaning to ask you about the quest.”
She knew exactly what was coming and fought not to stiffen. He’d notice. Once he was on her case he wouldn’t stop probing until he’d uncovered the reason for her unease. “Hm?”
“You conjured flames. Koen did not teach you this.”
The unspoken was neither had he.
They must have compared notes, she mused.
How much did they pry into her goings on without her being aware? Probably more than any woman would be comfortable with. She dispelled the thought.
No point mulling over the unalterable.
“It was instinctive. I just knew how.”
“Customarily only Dragon Lords possess innate command of the elements. That you seem to as well is impressive, and is probably because you are the rare offspring of a Phoenix. Very promising.”
“That’s me – all kinds of kick ass. So you see? I have too much happening to put on blinkers.”
“It all can wait.”
“No.” She levelled him a direct look, her resolve firm. “Zar House needs me, and Boy is my son. Nothing is more important than taking care of my family and establishing myself as a just leader. I refuse to act like the other members of the Courts and only concern myself with money, status and my own needs. Cathryn’s arrival was a wake up call. I can’t ignore the things she pointed out to me.”
“Ignoring her is a trial.”
Marina’s lips twitched. “Be nice.”
“I am!”
“And play nice. She’s here to help.”
“So you say.”
“You’ll be seeing a lot of her Daniil. I want her to be a part of my life here. A big part.”
He winked, but didn’t comment further.
She rolled her eyes.
His lack of response wasn’t encouraging. He’d circle back to the topic at a later date when he thought things were stacked to his advantage.
That was simply the kind of male he was.
She’d be worried his skill at manipulation was a threat to her, but she knew he’d never use it against her.
Daniil would never betray her trust.
“Tell me,” he said, stretching his legs then reclining. “Have you spoken to Koen about the youngling’s abilities?”
“Not yet. He feels it. I’ve seen him eyeing Boy a time or two when a particularly potent surge escapes his control.”
“Three kinds of beings have magicks, Marina. Dragon Lords, their Dragon Mates, and Mages.”
“Oh, don’t start.”
“Boy is not a Dragon shifter.”
“It changes nothing.”
“Mages are our natural enemy.” Glacial gaze darkening – she had to force herself not to shiver – his full mouth thinned. “This will not be received well by the Courts.”
“When is anything I do received well by the Dragon Courts?” She kept it light, smiling even when his brooding turned into true anger.
“Treat the threat of scandal seriously. Much can be impacted by a harsh rumour.”
She so wanted to dismiss him, but checked the inclination. The uninteresting parts of life couldn’t forever be ignored. “Okay.” Her sigh was long suffering. “Tell me why.”
“What?” He appeared taken aback. “You want me to teach you politics? You.” Eyes gleaming, his voice sharpened with enthusiasm. “Truly? There is a wealth of knowledge I wish to share. No one shares my fondness for government. The art of stratagem and the grace of battle achieved with superior warskill. I will teach you my tricks. Teach you to be the finest manipulator Tzion has ever seen.” He rubbed his hands together. Grinned. “You are so unlike a politician they will never see you coming.”
“Uh, let’s not get too carried away.” She giggled nervously. “Think babe-in-arms. How about we add half an hour of political speculation onto my hourly history lesson.” How she wanted to weep. “We’ll take it from there.”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
His fervour suffered no dampening.
Marina could picture the endless lectures hurtling around his brilliant mind.
“We must pace ourselves,” he said. “Ensure we delve into minute detail so you are able to grasp the complexities of the subject matter.”
Happy as she was to have diverted his attention from the ominous feeling driving him to the brink of exhaustion, she hadn’t forgotten how overworked he was.
There were lines on his face that hadn’t been when they met. Signs of strain so visible on his immortal body troubled her.
“Daniil? Will you go sleep now?”
His cheerful yet weary gaze snapped to hers. “But your training. The second quest is a week away and you still struggle to remain calm in water.”
“I can mange alone for the rest of the day.”
“Fia will not be there. What if–”
“Hand on heart, I won’t drown.”
Sceptical was too a mild word for his expression. It was blatantly distrustful. “You won’t remain focused.”
“I swear I will.” She paused. “Unless something urgent comes along.”
“Marina, Koen wanting to steal you away for an illicit rendezvous is not urgent.”
She giggled a denial, stuck out her tongue then fled squealing as he chased her from the room.
CHAPTER TEN
Waving Daniil off, Marina bounced into Cathryn’s chamber. “Morning,” she sang. “What’s happening? What the fuck is happening?”
“Marina.”
“Argh.” Her pitched scream echoed through the sudden silence where there had once been panting. Marina recoiled at the sight of Mikhail’s naked buttocks disappearing under the sheets. “Nooo.”
“Oh my God.” Cathryn scrabbled to draw the sheets to her naked breasts. “Get out.”
“My eyes.”
“Out.”
Flinging out a hand, Marina stumbled. She refused to open her eyes. Death was preferable to sight. “Somebody help me.” She tripped over the shallow ledge at the edge of the room then crashed through the wood and paper screen tearing a gaping hole.
She bumbled into the hallway and slammed into the opposite wall.
Flushed, Cathryn stormed from her chamber.
She hastily wrapped a trailing robe in vivid purple around her sweaty nudity. “Don’t you knock?”
“You.” Hissing like a feline, Marina stopped clinging to the wall for support. Her entire arm shook as she pointed the finger. “I am shocked. Shocked. I–” She paused to shudder when a memory of Mikhail thrusting floated before her eyes. She wedged the heels of her palms into her eyes. Jerked back as if the movement would shunt the memory loose. “How could you? How bloody could you?”
Defensive, Cathryn coked her hip and crossed her arms. Her bare foot – toenails painted a glossy red – tapped against the flagstone. “So you’re the only one who gets to fall in love?”
“Wha?”
“Okay, relax.” She jumped back and coloured. “Maybe not love, but certainly lust. Knee-trembling, panty wetting lust.”
Panting, Marina worried she’d lost her mind. “Did you just say the word ‘panty’ and ‘wetting’ while referring to ... I can’t even ... where my words?”
“You’re blowing this out of proportion. So Mikhail and I messed around a little. We’re adults.”
Marina gaped. Then she straightened and flashed her palms. “Did I hit my head? Am I floating face down in the lagoon? To think I promi
sed Daniil I wouldn’t drown.”
“What are you babbling about?” Cathryn huffed, pushing hair off her face. “This is real, Rina. Do us all a favour. Ease off the wine.”
“You’re fornicating with my father.” Jumping from dazed to hysterical, her voice climbed so high she squeaked. “I saw things no child should see. Ever.” She hyperventilated, chest rising and falling steeply. “I won’t be able to have sex again. I’m damaged for life. Oh, Koen is going to murder you.”
“Give it a rest.” Her words were brave, but her voice cracked. “You’ll be fine.”
Marina leaned against the wall. Her legs felt weak, and her stomach roiled. “Isn’t this illegal?”
Cathryn’s mouth tightened. “How did you come to such a daft conclusion?”
“You are my best friend. He’s my father. That makes you his honorary daughter.”
“Like hell it does.”
“This can be forgotten, a lot of wine, and poof, all gone. No harm, no foul.” Freaked out, Marina drew herself up. “But if I catch you at this again there will be hell to pay.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me. Whatever this is stops now, and I don’t want to speak of this ever again.”
“You can’t bully me into doing what you want. I’m not one of these simple-minded Dragon Lords you have bent out of shape.”
Marina froze. She caught up to the fact Cathryn wasn’t nodding in agreement, but was looking more pissed by the second. She didn’t like being ordered about? Too damn bad. “Sorry to drop kick you into reality, but I can, and am. Get used to it. There are three individuals in this entire dimension of higher rank than me. And in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m about to get a lot bloody more important. So yes, I’m ordering you to close your fucking legs when it comes to my father. If you can’t handle that I’ll have someone take you back across the dimensional border. Are we clear?”
Jaw dropping, Cathryn took a step back. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“High Princess Marina Zar.” Marina’s chin lifted. “First Chosen of Aver and beloved Treasure of Dragon King Koen Raad.” There were some situations she didn’t have to put up with – members of her immediate family screwing being one of them. “Not to mention the daughter of the man you’re leading on.”
“You don’t know anything about it.”
She held up her middle finger as a visual aid. “You’ve known him this many days.”
“Hypocrite. How long did you know Koen before you knew the was the one?”
“Mikhail has a Treasure. You’re not it.”
Flinching, Cathryn’s face turned stony. “So? I don’t buy into that soul mate bullshit. Either two people meet, fall in love and make it work or they don’t. Just because Almeria was dumb enough to throw a great catch back doesn’t mean I am.”
Aside from the fact Marina did believe in that soul mate bullshit, was putting her life on the line daily for it, protective anger washed over all the other stuff she had an issue with. “Did you just call my mother dumb?”
Waving her arms, Cathryn mocked horror, hands clutched to her breast. “God forbid anybody speak a word against the wonderful Almeria.”
“My mother would kick your ass.”
“Good thing she’s not here then.”
“Because she’s dead, you traitorous bitch.”
“Traitorous?”
Both women were nose-to-nose and breathing heavily.
Marina put her hands on her hips and dug deep for calm. Hurt and anger bled into a bubbling confusion that covered the world in a reddish haze.
“I told you me and Mikhail were having problems. Is this your idea of helping us build a relationship? Guess what, you took it a mile past too far. This is inappropriate. What is the matter with you?”
Servants began to gather, drawn by the fierce argument.
Whispers rippled up and down the corridor.
Marina knew half the Dragon Lands would know of the confrontation before nightfall, and she didn’t care. The Houses would speculate and contrive how best to use the apparent dissension within the ranks to their advantage, but that was a problem for later.
Ducking through the ragged tear in the painted screen, Mikhail moved into the hallway.
Clad solely in breeches, his longish hair was dishevelled, his distinguished features wary. “Daughter-”
Seeing him Marina relived a flashback.
She screamed.
She pressed her back to the wall, and covered her eyes.
Admittedly Mikhail was in the prime of his life. It didn’t matter he was ancient by human standards. His body was sleekly defined with muscle and his hair jet black, the exact shade she’d inherited along with his polished, peanut-wood eyes.
There were areas of his life she’d hoped never to be an intimate witness of.
Seeing him on top of the girl she’d played hopscotch with ... she simply couldn’t stop screaming.
Cathryn slapped her. Hard. “Snap out of it.”
She did stop, only to ball up her fist, fully intending to rearrange the woman’s pretty face into black and blue mulch.
“Marina.” Mikhail’s voice was severe. “Control yourself.” He speared Cathryn a quelling look that had her paling and retreating a step. “Never strike her again.”
“She was hysterical. You haven’t seen her suffer a panic attack.” She rubbed her tingling hand on her side. “It’s not good.”
“She has been trained to respond violently to attack. If the Dragon King witnessed the blow you would be dead.” Mikhail snarled. “He would tear your head from your shoulders before you could blink. Daniil, and Nikolai pose the same threat, as do the House Guard of Raad, Kol and Zar.”
Wide-eyed, Cathryn took another step back. “You people are crazy.”
“She is the High Princess of this land, vying for the Ice Wreath and throne to the Empire. You harmed her person. What did you expect?” His voice gentled. “I say this not to frighten you. It is a warning. Aside from the threat others pose if Marina herself spun out of control she would not just harm you by attacking. Your life would be at risk. It would upset her after the fact to have killed you. Do not strike her again.”
Elbow drawn back, Marina had halted, letting this prattle filter past her dangerous rage.
Mikhail was right.
Shame pierced through her haze.
She could have hurt Cat badly, and for what? Yes, they were quarrelling, but this wasn’t much worse than other arguments where they’d gotten bitchy and dealt a few slaps.
Mikhail saved her from making a grave mistake.
Regardless, she couldn’t face him. She felt betrayed and unable to coherently express her pain. These two people meant so much to her in such different ways.
“Is this a twisted form of punishment?” she asked him. “A way to get back at me for not kowtowing to your whims?”
“No.”
“A way to get back at my mother for leaving you?”
Snatching a sharp intake of breath, Mikhail sighed gustily. “Marina, my dearest one, this is how you think of me?”
“Do you love her?”
“It is not about love. Sometimes people need to feel connected, even ancient Phoenixes past their prime. I took comfort that was offered by a beautiful woman.”
“There are thousands of women who’d fall into your bed.”
He hummed. Bobbed his head from side to side. “Would any male do in Koen’s stead?”
Marina grew too angry to speak. She pushed past it, desperate to find sense in the madness overtaking her life. “So on top of everything else, I have to deal with my father and best friend fucking in the room next to mine?”
“I begin to understand Pasha’s obsession.” Mikhail made a noise low in his throat. “Must you be vulgar?”
“Call it what it is. If you loved each other I could overlook the sex, but you just said it’s not about love.” Her gaze switched. Bored into Cathryn. Maybe she would possess a bette
r explanation for her actions. “Of all the people in this Kingdom why him? Why?”
“Why Koen?”
“Why do people keep using my relationship with Koen as justification for their shitty behaviour? What Koen and I share is incomparable to this seedy perversion.”
“Bloody hell. We’re not related. It’s not like I grew up knowing him. Stop judging.”
“Why him?”
“He’s attractive, and I wanted him. You do impulsive crap all the time.” Cathryn rubbed her head looking seriously embarrassed. “I don’t give you this much stress over it.”
“So you’re getting back at me? I thought we covered this last night. I’m sorry I hurt you by disappearing. Did you need to go so far for revenge?”
“This isn’t about you. It has nothing to do with you. My life does not revolve around you.”
“When did I say it did? You have to admit this is ridiculous, and clearly a way to get back at me.”
“No, it’s rebound sex, you moron, for the both of us. It’s not personal. Stop taking it so hard.”
“He is my father. You couldn’t get more personal unless you fucked Koen Raad. Who’s next? Daniil? Nikolai?”
“Oh, now you’re being disgusting.”
Marina jerked a shoulder, eyes narrowing. “Just trying to suss out boundaries. I need to know what to expect.”
Hands fisting at her sides, Cathryn screwed up her face. “Why does this bother you so much?”
Thunderstruck, Marina gaped. “How can you ask me that?”
“It’s not like you give a shit about him. Mik’s told me how you’ve treated him since arrived.”
Mik?
“I’ve been reduced to pillow talk.” Infuriated, she flung up her hands. “The nightmare is complete.”
“Stop acting so flipping spoilt. You have everything and are about to gain more. Why can’t you back off on this?”
Flabbergasted at everything she’d heard, Marina stared, unblinking, uncomprehending.
Anger surged hot and thick, choking her to any reason she might have tried to employ had her friend acted contrite. “You know what? Have at him.”