I loved him too.
But what had his name been?
Indigo, I realized with sudden clarity. I tried to say it aloud, but nothing more than a moan emerged.
Indigo.
My one true love who’d died so I could be alive today.
I tried to say his name again.
Everett leaned down near my ear. “What was that, love?”
I cringed, hating his nearness. I loathed his voice, and his smell, his disturbing laugh, his rough hands, and his dead, dead blue eyes.
I wished he was dead.
But then he gasped and pointed at the map. “Holy shit,” he murmured. “Would you look at that?” Then he shouted. “Afton! Get over here and look at this.”
I blinked through blurry eyes and squinted until I made out red dots slowly beginning to appear on the map with names sputtering to life above them, and finally, some started to move as if they were walking around.
“It’s working,” Afton murmured in awe. “It’s actually working.”
“Of course it’s working!” Everett shook his shoulders and whooped. “It had to work. Son of a bitch, we should celebrate. We need to—go!” he ordered, shoving the younger man toward the door. “Get a jug of wine. We’re having a drink, and then we’ll send a raven to the king to report our success.”
“Yes, sir. Right away, sir.” Afton hurried out the door, slamming it shut behind him with a whoop.
“Fucking amazing,” Everett whispered, bending close to the names. “And look! Right there. Three Graykeys grouped together in Lowden. What are those names?” Squinting, he bent closer. “River, Reeva, and Rhage, huh? Damn, it looks like the Q generation’s starting to pop out babies already. Or are they yours?” His hand stroked my hip. “Hiding some children from me, are you, love?”
I swallowed, wishing I could shove his touch away.
Voice going hard, he wrapped his hand painfully around the back of my neck and squeezed. “Did you spread your legs for someone else, you fucking whore?” He sounded angry and jealous as if I’d cheated on him. “Are they my nephew’s issues? The betraying little bastard. Did he drop his seed in my Graykey cunt?”
Meaty fingers dug into the side of my throat, strangling me, just as a knock came on the door.
“Dammit,” he muttered before letting me go with a vengeful shove to the back of my head and lifting his voice. “Come in.”
The door opened and footsteps entered. Multiple footsteps. Alarm littered Everett’s voice when he cried an indignant, “Hey! You’re not Afton. Who the fuck are you people?”
“Kneel before the King of Lowden.”
“Lowden?” Sounding confused, Everett complied anyway, falling to one knee, even though he technically only served the High Cliff crown.
Even in my dazed, pain-inflicted state, I squinted, wondering what the heck King Tomrick from House Gill would be doing, coming here.
“Your Majesty,” Everett started. “This is a surprise. I wasn’t expecting a visit from—”
“Yes, I know,” interrupted an urbane voice that sounded somewhat familiar, though mostly not. “But when I heard about the little experiment you were conducting over here, I thought I’d wander over and have myself a peek. After all, I believe my kingdom would benefit most from eradicating all Graykey scum. Don’t you?”
“I’m sure you’re correct, Your Majesty. In fact, I’ve just discovered three living not far from you, just outside the capital of New Gill.”
There was a pause. And then King Tomrick murmured a quiet, almost deadly, “You don’t say.”
“Yes,” Everett reported eagerly. “And they’re R generation Graykeys, too. Looks like the heathens are cooking up a new batch already after we defeated them in the Great Lowden War.”
“Indeed.” The king’s words were clipped. “Show me.”
“It’s over here. On this map.” Footsteps drew closer. I could make out the material of Everett’s trousers, but then another appeared next to his. The king wore shiny black boots and tight yellow pants.
“Magical cuts in the blood are making it possible to locate, name, and track every blood-born Graykey. There. See. River, Rhage, and Reeva. Not too far from your castle. Remarkable, isn’t it?”
“Well…” The king sounded a little breathless. “I believe your contraption may actually be working after all.”
“It is.” Everett sounded pleased. “And the dots locating each Graykey just started appearing mere moments before you walked in the door.”
The king’s alertness seemed to sharpen. “Did they? So I’m the only person who knows about your accomplishments?”
“Yes. I mean…” Everett paused. “You and my assistant. He ran to get a spot of ale to celebrate our success.”
“Hmm. I’d like to meet this assistant.” A stuttered moment of awkward silence followed before King Tomrick added a belated, “To congratulate him as well, of course.”
“Er, of course, Your Majesty. He’ll return shortly.”
“Excellent.” Feeling eyes on me, I jolted a little when cold fingers brushed the side of my arm before the king asked, “And the woman?”
“The woman?” Protective wariness entered Everett’s tone.
“The naked woman you have stretched out on this torture device,” the Lowden king clarified. “I’m sure you’ve noticed her. Is she the only Graykey test subject you have?”
“Uh, yes, Your Majesty.”
“Hmm. Which one is she?”
“Which…” Everett sounded confused. “Which what, Your Majesty?”
“Which Graykey,” King Tomrick ground out, beginning to sound irritated. “Her given name, if you please?”
“I…”
It struck me then, when Everett faltered for an answer, that he had no idea what my name was. He’d never asked me. And I doubt anyone had told him. He’d just never cared enough to find out. He’d gotten more intimate with my person than just about anyone ever had, became obsessed enough to decide he owned me and might keep me if I survived, and yet he’d never even bothered to learn my name.
“She’s a Graykey,” Everett finally answered. “What does her given name matter?”
“I suppose it doesn’t.” The king sounded cold and aloof. “I’m just the curious sort.”
“Oh. Well, maybe the map could tell us.” Everett shifted closer. “Hmm,” he added after a moment. “That’s strange.”
“What is?”
“It looks like there are two Graykeys here.”
“Really?” The king wandered closer. “That is strange.”
“Yes. One of them says Quilla Graykey.”
“Quilla, huh?” I felt that cool, calculating gaze on me again as he murmured a resigned, “Why am I not surprised?”
“And the other…” Everett leaned closer. I could practically hear him squint when he said, “Is Quall…Qualmer Graykey, I believe.”
Qualmer?
Oh no.
I sucked in a breath, and made a sound in the back of my throat.
But how was Qualmer here? Why would Qualmer be here?