Page 42 of The Stolen Throne
Without a word, Vos leaves me there alone.
18
The Zaripha
“If I may…”
I glance up to find Magda standing in the doorway Vos vacated a few minutes ago.
“I wanted to be sure you have everything you need.”
Wanderer hospitality is beyond compare in all the six dominions. Even when they don’t particularly like you.
“I—” I glance around me. “I haven’t had a chance to get settled.”
The zaripha says very little beyond pointing out amenities for my comfort. In addition to a satchel of water that hangs from a post beside a collapsible animal skin bag to use as a wash bin, they’ve also laid out clothing—Wanderer clothing that appears to be the right size. Even better.
“Thank you—”
“Cainis only takes one wife at a time, if that’s what you’re trying for instead of Cain,” she says.
I have to swallow a sarcastic snort. As if I’d tie myself to that.
“He’s not like some other zariphs or zariphas, who take many heartmates,” she says.
Ah. Well, that explains the nasty looks. I’d like to laugh her off, because I wouldn’t take that man as a heartmate if my life depended on it. Which it might, actually. Instead, I can hear Omma’s voice in my head. “Some allies are worth cultivating, and some are not. Be wise enough to know the difference.”
I face Magda fully, looking her directly in the eyes. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you, zaripha. The way he listens to you. There’s a reason he hasn’t taken other wives.”
Her shoulders drop ever so slightly, but doubt lingers in deeply mysterious eyes the color of moonless midnight. Not quite black and not quite blue. Somewhere in between.
I sigh. “I’ve already given my heart away to…someone else.”
The words feel strange on my lips because I haven’t ever admitted that out loud, only in my head. Everything happened too fast. Except the truth that blooms inside me as a warmth that spreads through my bones tells me my words are real.
My feelings are real.
Somewhere between being kidnapped and fighting side by side, I gave Reven my heart. And he wants to abandon me. Let me be given to Cain, even.
Magda blinks, probably at the way I would share such a thing.
“And if marrying the strongest zariph of the largest zariphate in the dominion helps you defeat Eidolon and win back your dominion?”
She has a good point, and I cock my head to acknowledge that, but I also smile, though it feels stiff on my face. “I’ve shared everything about my life with my sister.” Hell, I was even expected to share Tabra’s husband eventually, with him none the wiser. Mostly, I pretended that bit of repulsive reality wasn’t going to happen to either of us. But now… “I won’t ever share a heartmate with anyone.”
Magda must see the sincerity in my eyes, the way I hold myself, because after a moment she nods. “Thank you for that. In return, I’d like to say that I think you should visit your sister again.”
I blink, not expecting that. “Tabra? But what if she—”
“She’s…calmer…in daylight hours.”
How would she know this?
She must see the question in my eyes. “I’ve tried to help her, when I can.”
There’s more to this woman than I realized. “Thank you.”
She dips her head almost like a shrug. “We take care of the people in our zariphate, no matter if they are temporary guests or born to our people.”
