“The lady needs no protection from the king,” Amala said. “As long as she does as she should.”
That was hardly my plan. I looked at Darrow with my heart suddenly racing and with sweat on my palms. I had always known that ultimately I would have to face Joth, but the idea of being in there alone with him again was terrifying.
The doors to the throne room opened, and as we began to walk through, I whispered, “Who am I speaking to right now? Are you a Halderian cavalry woman, or am I speaking to Joth?”
Her response was equally soft. “Surely you know, my lady.”
Yes, I knew.
With an entire wall of exploded windows, the throne room was as wintry cold as the outdoor air, and a light falling snow was collecting at the far end of the room. I gathered my cloak around me, recalling how, only days ago, I would have welcomed this cold. Only days ago, I had been this cold myself.
Amala left me at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Scarlet Throne, bowed low to Joth, who was seated on the throne, and then exited the room, closing the doors behind us.
Joth studied me in silence, his mouth slowly widening into a smile. “My lady Kestra. Kneel.”
“I’ve come to bargain for the lives back in Woodcourt.”
“Of course you have, and we can discuss that … after you kneel.” I hesitated, and he said, “We both know that with the powers I now have, I can force you to your knees, and I will do that if necessary. But it would mean more if you choose to obey.”
His threat was similar to one I had made to Harlyn when I had sat on that throne. I understood better now how difficult it was to make oneself kneel to a ruler they had no intention of following.
Stalling, I asked, “And what does it mean to you, if I kneel?”
“It means that you recognize I am the king of Antora, and that I am your king.” He stood and walked down the steps until he was directly in front of me. “But I am a king without a queen. We were connected once, Kestra, and I feel your absence. I must have you for my queen.”
I shook my head. “That will never happen, Joth.”
Disappointed, he clicked his tongue. “It will. But first you must kneel.” He swiped one hand downward, and immediately I fell to my knees. The same power held me there now.
With his other hand, he made a cupping shape, then smiled down at me. “My hand appears to be empty, but it is not. In fact, it contains something I believe you will think is quite valuable. This is Simon Hatch’s heart. I know you care for him. Despite your assurances otherwise, I suspect he is the reason you were never able to fully connect with me. But if he is no longer alive, then I will have your full loyalty.”
With sudden desperation, I looked up, ready to beg at any price, if necessary. “Please don’t.”
He compressed his fingers slightly, and I could almost hear Simon’s cries from here.
Taking his hand in mine, and thus stopping his use of magic, I quickly said, “I will be your queen. But you must let the people at Woodcourt live, all of them. Do this, and I will accept you.”
Joth smiled and pulled me to my feet, then kissed my hand. Keeping hold of my hand, he said, “Soon we will reconnect, and I will restore magic to you, though I hope you understand I will be selective in the powers you can have, and how you can use them.”
“Restore them now,” I said, absolutely serious. Despite what it might mean for me, magic might be the only way I could still win.
“Soon, my dear. We have another job first.” As if on cue, the doors to the throne room opened, and Amala led in Loelle and Darrow, but this time, she remained in the room, closing the doors behind her.
Joth waited a moment, then asked, “Were there not four of you who came?”
“Yes, Harlyn Mindall was here,” Amala said. “But when I returned from delivering Kestra, she had disappeared.”
“Find her,” Joth said. “Go and find her and bring her to me, or you will take her punishment.”
“Don’t do anything to her,” Loelle cried. “Please, my son—”
“You should consider me your king, not your son,” Joth said. “Because you are now only a servant with no particular importance to me.”
Loelle tilted her head. “Oh?”
“Among his other powers, Endrick could heal himself,” Joth said. “Your powers do not benefit me any longer.”
“My powers?” Loelle stepped forward. “Is that all that matters to you?”
“Of course not.” He leaned back in his seat. “What matters is that you chose a side. You are working with the Coracks again, using that power of healing on my enemies.”
“If the sick or injured are set before me, I will heal them first and ask which side they are on later. If any of the restored half-lives are injured here, I will heal them too.”
Joth’s smile became ice. “I restored those with the magic I wanted. They are of no benefit to me anymore.”
My heart stopped as I realized what he meant. Loelle was slower to put the pieces together, but gradually, her understanding showed on her face. Joth must have followed Endrick’s pattern of obtaining powers through the deaths of those whose magic he wanted.
Hence, those he had chosen for me to restore. That was always his purpose.
Loelle shook her head, still in disbelief. “Please tell me you didn’t.”
Joth stuck out his hand unapologetically. “I have acquired the powers of all our people of Navan, except those in my service inside Woodcourt. And you.”
Loelle stepped backward with widening eyes. “I am your mother.”
“Yes, but I do not need you anymore either.” Joth put his arm around my waist, pulling me close. I tried to put any possible gap between us, though every time he noticed, he pulled me in again. “Soon, Kestra will be my wife. She will become the mother to a new race of Navan. Each of them born with magic of their own.”
I looked over at him in horror as Darrow said, “Kestra is my daughter, King Joth. I request a moment in private with her to assure myself that she is marrying you of her own choice.”
“That is not necessary, because you see, the marriage is not her choice. That will change eventually, once I restore her magic. All I need now is her loyalty.” Joth turned to me. “Prove yourself, Kestra. There is someone who needs to die, and I need you to do it.”
“Who?”
Joth smiled. “You’ll see.”
I felt frozen. Not with cold and certainly not corruption, but I could not move. I absolutely would not harm Darrow or Loelle, or anyone upon his orders. But the consequences of my refusal were equally horrifying.
Joth withdrew a dagger from the belt at his waist and set it in my hands. “You wish that this was the Olden Blade, no doubt,” he said, winking at me. “But as that particular weapon is obviously a threat to me now, I have that in my protection.”
I stared down at his dagger. “I can’t do it this way. Not so close.”
“Then how will you do it?” Joth asked.
“Darrow has a disk bow.”
“I have no disks,” Darrow said, for Joth to hear.
“Yes, you do.” Joth nodded at his satchel. “Give them to me.”
Darrow slowly reached into his satchel and pulled out two disks, one black and the other the white one that had restored my life. He placed them on Joth’s flattened hand.