Page 68 of Lies That Bind
I sat erect on Liana and held my chin up. “Kohen Badshah confessed to killing my father.”
I paused for the gasps of the surrounding soldiers.
“I want to lead the fleet into Imbria to get him back and hang him for treason!” I barked.
Commander Ledger’s jaw was clenched, his face holding on to barely contained rage.
“Yes, Empress. I’ll rally the troops. We will go by train and through the Wilds. He will pay for what he’s done.”
I nodded. “I’ll fly ahead and try to catch him.”
“Lieutenant Colt is out on the field, but I’ll send him after you when he returns,” Ledger offered.
Colt was the only other soldier who could ride on their flying creature.
The crowd of soldiers parted, and then Alek was there, face filled with concern as Iniki flew circles around me, seemingly probing me for wounds.
“Empress, permission to send Iniki with you?” Alek asked, back erect, eyes forward, but I saw emotion stirring there.
Alek, sweet and loyal Alek. Maybe I should have been looking his way all along—not at the charming poison dripping from Kohen’s foul mouth.
“Granted,” I said and kicked off the ground, taking for the sky.
Iniki wouldn’t be able to keep up with Liana at full speed, but she’d at least be able to trail behind and send word back through Alek. It was helpful.
Liana flew super fast. The wind ripped past me, and I pinched my eyes shut.
‘Onyx lied to me,’she said, and there was a jumble of anger mixed with hurt coming off of her.‘I didn’t tell you this, but I suspected Kohen right after your father died. I grilled Onyx about it, and he swore Kohen had nothing to do with it.’
I bristled at that.‘You suspected Kohen?’
‘He’s protective of you,’she said.
‘Okay, and he was my father. I don’t need protection from my own father.’
I sensed something stirring within her, like she wanted to say something to me but then thought better of it.‘Doesn’t matter. Kohen shouldn’t have killed him. He could have subdued him, locked him away, a hundred other things, and then he lied about it. Kissed you as your heart grieved for the loss of the last parent you had left.’
Her frank and sympathetic assessment of the situation shook me. Tears bit at the backs of my closed eyes. My throat pinched with emotion as I fought down the sob.
‘You can show your feelings to me, Aisling. I won’t judge you as weak just because you are human.’
I shook my head. ‘Feeling is what got me into this mess in the first place.’First Jace, then Kohen. I couldn’t believe I’d been so naïve.
A deep sadness fell over Liana, filtering through our bond.
‘Why are you sad?’
‘I’m grieving the loss of a son. Onyx will perish when we kill Kohen.’
I had wondered if she would be okay with that. My killing Kohen, knowing it would hurt Onyx.
Onyx lied to her, but he didn’t have a hand in killing my father. Kohen blew the dart into his neck. Kohen planned the whole thing. Onyx was a creature protecting his bonded.
‘I’ll try to do it in the Wilds if we can catch up with them there before they cross the border. That way, when Kohen dies, Onyx will still be able to breathe.’
‘You would do that?’She sounded surprised.
‘I don’t fault Onyx, not fully.’He had an immature teenager vibe to him. I wasn’t even sure how old he was, but I’d avoid killing him if I could.
