The Deathsinger: Book 1

Ch 8: The Distraction

"Oi, what are you doing down here, Princess?" Jeromi Rayburn said when he saw us.

Not even a flicker of recognition crossed his face when he looked at me, but I doubted he would have recognized me in my usual garb. As the second son of the High Lord of Terra, Jeromi spent most of his days whoring about and riding on Tievel's coattails. He found his prince's fondness for me amusing at best, and most of the time couldn't be bothered to refer to me by name. Now, his pink eyes continued to drift toward me as he waited for Astreia's response, and there was no mistaking the heat in his gaze.

"Queen Thera sent me to check on Prince Tievel," she responded, dipping her head in unnecessary reverence.

I resisted the urge to elbow her. Our primary goal was to not raise suspicion, and if there was one thing that would do just that, it would be a meek Astreia.

"Guess after that last lashing you received, you jump when she speaks now," Jeromi said, leaning against the doorjamb with a cocky grin. "Heard she whipped you from the back of your thighs to your shoulders. Care to show me? Should still be pink at this point."

Nails bit into my arm to stop me from speaking. Astreia kept her eyes forward, but I received the message she sent. How could she have been so mistreated and not tell me? What other secrets was the princess keeping and did I have any right to be upset when I had a bigger one?

"Jeromi, who is it?"

Tievel's voice echoed off the stone walls and drew me toward him, earning another pinch from the girl at my side. Biting back a snarl, I tilted my head to the side and smiled at the young lord.

"If she's not interested in showing us, perhaps I can help you with a reenactment later," I said with a pur as Tievel appeared behind Jeromi.

Astreia stiffened, and I wondered if I'd gone too far. The little I remembered about the Terra lord suggested he had a proclivity for violence, and he wouldn't be opposed to bringing it into the bedroom.

"Astreia, you may return to your room. You're not needed–" Tievel stopped when he saw me. He did a double take, his eyes lingering on my hair before devouring my silk clad body. "Morana. What? How?"

We took his confusion as an opening and pushed inside. The palace was built on caves, and they'd been put to good use over the centuries, becoming prison cells for royal traitors. This main area was used as a guardhouse, and one other person occupied the room. Lady Yoko, a daughter of the Sea Court, lounged in a chair by a folding table, twirling the tip of her knife into a playing card while eying us coldly.

"It's bad enough you boys wanted to play cards and drink while we're guarding a prisoner, but now you want to rut like animals too," Yoko snarled, slapping her palm over the knife as it tipped sideways. "If you think I'll carry the slack while you two go about your business, you're—"

"What?" Astreia challenged, her braids clicking as she lifted her chin. "If your prince commands you to do so, you'll do it. If your prince commands you to step outside, you'll do it. If he tells you to watch, you'll do it. Was anything I just said wrong?"

"That's enough," Tievel said, running a hand through his light blue hair. He sounded exasperated, but I knew him well enough to know Astreia's outburst amused him. No one cared for Yoko—we all knew she was the Queen's puppet.

"She shouldn't be here," Yoko pressed, then pointed at me. "And who the hell is this?"

"The Princess was kind enough to bring one for me," Jeromi said, putting his arm around my waist, proving my earlier flirtations were right on point. "I believe she has something to show me."