Page 53 of Of Diamonds and Vengeance
Her wide sapphire eyes looked deep into my pearl-pink ones, and she let out a shuddering sigh. Earnestly, she said, “Thank you, Lady Jacinth. Truly.”
She squeezed my hand as she continued, “You’re right. I still have two wonderful sons to love and protect. I can’t forget that.”
I could almostseeas the woman, who I’d heard from rumors had been hiding from court since her middle child’s funeral, began to piece parts of herself back together. Enough to keep going. To remember who she was.
The sapphire in her eyes blazed.
I looked at her son, to see wide blue-green eyes watching us with a look I couldn’t identify.
“Now, you two should get going. You have limited time to spend together, after all.” The ghost of a smirk crossed her face, and she gathered Neasa up and kissed Azurill on the cheek, patting Alfrikr on the shoulder, before looking at me once more.
“It was wonderful meeting you, Lady Jacinth. I look forward to seeing you again,” she told me, and I blinked in surprise at the confidence in her voice that shewouldbe seeing me again.
“You as well, Queen Mother,” I responded, eyeing Azurill in curiosity, but he quickly ushered me out, Alfrikr following along behind us.
“So, any hints as to where we’re going?” The king asked, a forced levity in his voice that told me he wanted to move past the heavy conversation with his mother.
I obliged, smirking up at him, “Not a one.”
“I should have known better.” He chuckled, shaking his head before he turned to look back at my guard, “What about you? Any hints you can spill?”
“I’m not at liberty to say,” Alfrikr smirked back at him. I laughed as Azurill’s jaw dropped, and he jokingly put a hand over his heart.
“The absolute betrayal.” He huffed, but his twinkling eyes betrayed his mirth. “You’re supposed to work for me, you know.”
“And you told me I had to assist Jacinth with this nonsense, so it’s your own fault,” he countered, raising an eyebrow at him.
I enjoyed their banter as we walked toward the palace gates, eager to see Azurill’s reaction when we arrived. I was anxious, but for what, even I wasn’t quite sure.
I had to secure Azurill’s attention, or else I risked everything being in jeopardy. I haven’t attempted to keep a man interested in me beyond one night before, so it was a novel experience. Especially when competing against some of the most beautiful women in the realm.
I didn’t have a choice now, however. If I ever wanted to experience peace, I had to win this competition and claim my prize. The thought of that bubbling, smoking potion Carnelian had shown me was both a balm and a terror.
It would be my tool of vengeance, most assuredly, but…I’d also never killed a man before.
My eyes cut to the one walking beside me. Conflicting emotions rose within me, yet I refused to bend to them. Some small measure of regret for having to kill anyone was normal, I assured myself.
But this man deserved everything he’d wrought. Hedid. My mouth firmed into a straight line at the thought, closing my eyes momentarily to affix the vision of my parents’ bodies in my head.
A firm reminder of why Azurill deserved to die at my hand.
Why hehadto—no matter what.
Chapter Twenty-two
Jacinth
We left Alfrikr behind at the gates, prompting Azurill to raise a brow in question. I smiled charmingly at him, not saying a word, but reaching out to flip his cape’s hood over his head. He huffed a laugh as I flipped my own up, following after me as I took off down the street.
“If my guards hadn’t obviously approved of this, I might think you were bringing me out here to kill me,” Azurill said jokingly as we descended into the poorer part of town.
I froze for a millisecond before forcing a laugh, winding my arm around his and bumping our shoulders together. “Oh no, too many witnesses saw us leave together.”
“Of course,” he nodded, all faux solemnity, “Probably best not to take me out when you were the last one to be seen with me.” He couldn’t hide his smirk, and I forced that veil of truth over myself once more, matching it.
“Exactly.” I smiled brightly. “Don’t worry, it’s good to get out of your palace now and again.”
We rounded the corner, and I saw the dirty, white brick building with the hanging sign in front reading ‘The Bubbling Gem’, with a depiction of a bubbling potion being poured into a stein painted under it. I stepped up to the door, swinging it open and dragging Azurill with me.
