Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
I started to leave the Throne Room, but he reached out a hand to grab my wrist.
“Wait—don’t go! I need you here—I’ve never done a tribute day by myself before.”
“Neither have I,” I pointed out.
But I stayed just the same. I had a feeling that my spineless little brother would need someone to back him up and since my father was gone, I was the only one he had. I just hoped we could convince the Enforcer to take the fake jewels and give us more time to raise the money.
I had no idea how badly our little plot was going to go.
3
AURORA
Just at that moment, Slade walked into the Throne Room. As always, he was wearing a hand-tailored suit that looked more expensive than our entire palace. It was charcoal grey which seemed to bring out the bright metallic sheen of his curling golden horns. His eyes—which always reminded me of a cat’s eyes—were golden too, and his close-clipped beard was neatly trimmed. His shiny black shoes made no noise as he walked down the threadbare red carpet that led to the throne.
When he reached us, he bowed twice—once to Roderick and once to me.
“Greetings, King Roderick…Princess Aurora,” he rumbled in a voice so deep I could feel it in my bones. “I have come to collect the half-year tribute on behalf of my father, the Chieftain of Clan Cruel.”
Roderick turned white and immediately began stammering and stuttering.
“Oh, well…you see…the thing is, we don’t…we can’t…” He couldn’t seem to get a whole sentence out.
“We don’t have the money right now,” I said, stepping in since my brother couldn’t seem to manage it. “We had bad harvests this year.”
“Yes! Yes, that’s it!” Roderick seemed relieved. He grasped my lie in both hands and ran with it. “Bad harvests,” he babbled. “A famine—a drought! Our people are starving!”
“Oh?” Slade raised one dark eyebrow in polite inquiry. His expression was so much like the look he’d given me when he caught me examining his shaft that I felt a rush of embarrassment, which I tried to ignore.
“Yes, unfortunately. But things are getting better now,” I said quickly. “We’re sure we can get the tribute money for you very soon. In the meantime, we were hoping you would be willing to take the Crown Jewels of L’Crist—just as collateral until we can raise the credits.”
With a trembling hand, I held out the fake tiara to him.
Slade took it from me, his expression completely blank. It looked tiny and fragile in his big, powerful hands. He examined the tiara from all angles and then I saw his golden eyes narrow.
With a quick twist, he broke the tiara in two. Fake zircon diamonds popped off and fell to the carpet below. Deliberately, Slade stepped on one, grinding it under his heel. When he raised his foot, there was nothing but glittering dust where it had been. Then he glared at both of us.
“I assume there’s some reason the two of you are trying to give me fake fucking jewelry instead of the tribute you owe my Clan?” he growled.
My heart—which had stopped in my chest—suddenly started pounding madly, like it was trying to get out of my rib cage and run away. Oh Goddess of Mercy, what were we going to do? I had never seen him angry before—he was only ever coolly courteous. Now I saw there was something inside him—a darkness that was both terrifying and somehow magnetic. It moved behind his golden gaze and froze the blood in my veins.
We should never have tried to fool him.
Slade glared at my brother, an air of menace filling the air between them. The big Enforcer leaned forward and Roderick shrank back, as though he was trying to disappear into the throne he was sitting on.
“Try again.” Slade’s voice was a low, menacing growl. “Offer me something else.”
“I…I don’t…I don’t have anything else!” Roderick was nearly blubbering now. He was so frightened I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him wet his royal britches any moment. Once again, I felt I had to step in—though I didn’t know how I was going to save this situation.
“We shouldn’t have tried to fool you, Enforcer. Please, forgive us.” My voice trembled but I held my head high as I spoke. Despite his air of menace, I found myself stepping closer to the big Brute. “The fact is that the tribute money is gone, but if you’ll just give us some time—”
“What happened to it?” His calm, almost deadpan question caught me off guard.
“I’m sorry—what?” I looked up at him blankly.
“The tribute money—the credits you owe my Clan. Where did it go?” He raised an eyebrow at me again, making me blush.
“I don’t—” I stared to say.
Slade raised a finger warningly.
“Don’t lie to me, Princess. I want to know.”