ELJIN RAN INTO the room without pausing to acknowledge anyone or even to bow before bounding up the steps and bending over to whisper in Damian’s ear. I longed to know what he was saying, but I kept my eyes on the back of the room where the first four men from Dansii were walking in, dressed in matching outfits, the likes of which I’d never seen before. Dried mud splattered their boots and the loose black pants visible beneath their long white tunics, which extended to the middle of their calves. On top of the tunics, they wore matching sleeveless overcoats made of some sort of rough fabric, dyed a rich purple. Another length of cloth the color of sun-baked sand wound loosely around their necks and up over their heads. Wicked-looking curved swords hung at their sides. These were not outfits made for surviving the heat of the jungle — this was the garb of men from the deserts of Dansii, where the wind, sun, and bitter cold nights were the enemy, rather than storms, heat, and deadly predators.

My heart racing, I glanced down at Damian, trying to read his reaction. Eljin looked up at me quickly before turning to face the Dansiians. The look he gave me was one of warning, causing my stomach to drop. I tensed my muscles, preparing for whatever was coming.

The four men came into the room with matching strides, marching halfway toward the throne before halting and turning to face each other in twos. We watched in silence as another man came through the door. He wore no weapons and was dressed in what appeared to be religious robes of some sort. Did they worship sorcerers in Dansii? I had no idea. His black robe and white overvest reached the floor, and a red sash was tied at his waist. He walked slowly toward the four armed men, his face composed and his eyes on the king. Just before he reached them, he stopped.

“King Damian of Antion, I have the deep honor of presenting Lady Vera of Dansii. She comes to bear King Armando’s condolences on your father’s death, as well as congratulations on your ascension to the throne and the good wishes of the nation of Dansii for a continued alliance.” The man’s voice carried through the hall, and he bowed deeply to the king. I had to fight to keep my expression neutral, to keep my confusion from showing. A lady? All of this was to introduce a woman? I turned questioningly to Eljin, but he still stared forward, his face unreadable above his ever-present mask.

Felton fidgeted below me, and I glanced down to see him looking at the king in anticipation, a smirk on his face. What was going on? What was I missing?

Rylan suddenly inhaled sharply next to me, and my gaze snapped up to catch sight of the single most beautiful woman I’d ever seen gliding into the room. There was no other word for the way she moved. It certainly wasn’t anything as mundane as walking. And it definitely wasn’t marching or striding, the way I usually did. Damian straightened in his throne, giving up the pretense of uninterest. A sudden, sharp pain hit me in the chest, white hot and unwelcome.

Lady Vera wore a dress of deep blue that skimmed the floor as she moved toward us, and showcased her alabaster skin to great advantage. She was as pale as Asher and Felton, but she looked like a statue made of ivory — and every bit as perfect as a sculptor could only dream of creating. She continued past the man who’d announced her. He followed her toward the throne after she’d walked by. The four armed men fell into line behind her as well. She was significantly shorter than the men behind her, but her presence more than made up for her lack in height. Her eyes were on the king, and her mouth turned up in a hesitant smile when she noticed his rapt attention on her. As she drew closer, I could see that her hair was a rich mahogany red, and not a single freckle marred her nose or cheeks. Her eyes were such a strange, bright green that I could see the color of her irises from where I stood.

“Welcome to Antion, Lady Vera.” Damian decided to stand after all when Lady Vera came to a graceful stop near Felton and Deron.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” She sank into a curtsy that made her skirt pool out around her and showed off her impressive cleavage — and the large ruby pendant that rested right above the deep V of her dress’s neckline.

My heart thudded beneath my ribs. I glanced at Damian, hoping he wasn’t so blinded by her beauty that he was forgetting to sense if she was a sorceress. I still didn’t even know for sure how it worked — did he have to focus to find out? Or was it something he just felt, that he knew, even without trying? Or had Eljin been able to get close enough to know already? Neither of them seemed concerned as King Damian inclined his head to her and gestured for her to stand. But I was far from reassured as she rose and smiled again, more boldly this time. King Armando was the one who had sent Iker to his brother. Why send Lady Vera now? What was he playing at?

“Do you bring word from my uncle?” Damian asked as he took his seat once again. I relaxed infinitesimally when he did. I’d been half afraid he was going to walk down and propose marriage to her right then and there. All the other guards were staring at her openly, some with their mouths literally gaping. I fought to suppress my irritation — and embarrassment. They were trained better than to be so easily disarmed by a pretty face. I stood up even taller, my hand tight on my sword handle. Just in case.

“I do. But I am tired from my journey. Would you mind very much if I requested a bath in my room to refresh myself before we converse at length? I do hope that Felton was able to give you enough notice of our coming for you to have rooms prepared.” She said the words with a smile, but there was steel behind her voice. She wasn’t about to take no for an answer.

I didn’t think she deserved a bath and time to prepare for anything — even if she really did just bring word from the king and not a threat. We needed to know what the message was now. We needed to know why she was here.

“Of course,” Damian said. “Take all the time you need.” He made a signal to the sentries at the door nearest to him.

I had to clench my teeth to keep the shock from registering on my face. What was wrong with everyone? Damian, of all people, should know better than to trust someone from Dansii so blindly — even if that person was seemingly nothing more than a harmless, beautiful woman.

“Sire, if I may —” I tried to protest, but Damian lifted a hand to silence me. Lady Vera’s gaze turned to me for the first time and the look she gave me turned my blood to ice in my veins. The smile never left her face, but when her eyes met mine and then moved slightly to the left — to my scars — the smugness I saw there made my stomach fill with acid.

I refused to look away, glaring down at her coldly until she finally gave up and turned back to Damian. She might have woven some sort of spell around all the men, but I wasn’t taken in. And I wasn’t going to let her get within ten feet of Damian ever again — strictly because I was concerned about his safety, of course. It had nothing to do with the way he was still staring down at her when I glanced at him, his expression speculative. And appreciative.

The pain returned to my chest.

“I would like to know with whom I have the pleasure of speaking, however. What is your connection with my uncle?” Damian addressed Lady Vera.

“Of course, Sire. How silly of me not to announce myself more properly. I am Lady Vera Montklief. My father is the duke of Montklief and your uncle’s most trusted advisor and friend.” She curtsied again but kept her eyes on Damian. Was I the only one who caught the calculating gleam behind the flirtatious veneer?

“Interesting that he would send his daughter to bear a message from my uncle and not someone more …”

“Masculine?” Vera supplied, with an amused tilt to her lips. “My father and King Armando were concerned that you might not be as welcoming to a male guest from Dansii, after the unfortunate turn of events with Iker. We were all dismayed when we learned of the wicked deeds that Hector and Iker got themselves involved in. King Armando and my father had hoped that you would be more open to their message if it came from a less threatening source.”

“Such as a beautiful young woman, like yourself,” Damian said, nodding slightly.

Even though his words were true, it still stung to hear him call her beautiful.

Lady Vera inclined her head, a small smile playing on her lips. Her bright green eyes gleamed in the sunlight. “Indeed, Sire. And thank you.”

I didn’t believe her for one minute — I couldn’t believe that Armando would have had no idea what Hector, his own brother, and Iker, the man Armando had sent to be his brother’s closest advisor, had been up to for the last fifteen years or more. The two kingdoms had been allies ever since Hector and Armando had invaded Antion together and overthrown the previous monarchy, killing them all and placing Hector on the throne. And allies, not to mention brothers, were usually quite aware of the other’s dealings.

But Damian was smiling at Vera, some of the tension leaving his body.

“Excuse me, Your Majesty,” a servant spoke from the side of the room, near an open door, “if the lady will follow me, I will show her to her room.”

The servant’s head was bowed as she waited for Lady Vera to follow her.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will look forward to speaking with you as soon as I am refreshed from my journey.” She looked up at the king through her eyelashes. “Perhaps at dinner?”

Damian descended the stairs and took her hand, lifting it. The pain flared again — a sharp, fiery stab in my gut — as he softly brushed his lips against the white skin of her fingers. Skin that hadn’t been tanned and abused by sun, wind, rain, and sword fighting. “I would be happy to have you join me at dinner. I will send someone to show you where to go this evening.”

“Thank you, Sire.” She curtsied again and he let go of her hand.

As Lady Vera turned toward the servant waiting for her, the doors at the far end of the hall burst open yet again. A man dressed in uniform rushed into the room and hastily bowed to Damian.

“Your Majesty, a small squadron has arrived from Blevon, seeking audience with the king,” he said as he rose to standing again. “My captain sent me to ask you if we should allow them in or detain them.”

I couldn’t see Damian’s face to measure whether he was surprised or not, since he stood below me, facing Vera. No one had mentioned a possible visit from the Blevonese army to me. I wondered if General Tinso was with them. The thought brought a surprising amount of relief and excitement. Surely he would help Damian see that even though Lady Vera was a “beautiful young woman,” she could still be a threat. I wasn’t beautiful like she was, but I was a young woman, and if I were sent into the belly of King Armando’s palace to deliver a message, he’d better believe I was the worst threat he’d ever come into contact with.

I could only hope Lady Vera wasn’t as dangerous as I was.

“Yes, you can have your captain bring them in,” Damian replied to the messenger. “I’ll receive them here.”

The soldier pressed his fist to his chest, bowed his head in acknowledgment, then turned and hurried back the way he’d come.

“You may go, Lady Vera,” Damian said, turning to her. “I will see you at dinner tonight.”

“Yes, Sire. I look forward to it.” Lady Vera curtsied once more, and this time when she turned to leave, no one interrupted her. Her men fell into line behind her, including the one in the long robes and Felton, the runner. I hadn’t failed to notice that she hadn’t introduced the man in black. Was it on purpose? Who was he?

Only when they had all exited did Damian finally turn back to us. The coldness of his expression caught me off guard.

“Deron, I want Lady Vera watched at all times and her every word and movement reported back to me. Alexa, you and Rylan will stand guard beside me tonight at dinner.”

Relief coursed through me as I realized he hadn’t completely lost his head after all. He’d been playing yet another part. I should have known. Embarrassment that I had believed his charade as readily as Lady Vera wormed through my body. I knew Damian — I knew that beauty didn’t blind him. He’d had his fair share of stunning women fighting to catch his eye for years, and he never once pursued any of them. Only a handful of weeks ago, he’d claimed to love me, one of the least beautiful women he knew.

He looked at me right then, almost as if he knew my thoughts — as if he knew what a struggle I’d been waging against myself from the moment Lady Vera had walked in. His eyes held mine for a long moment, and I nearly lost myself in their brilliant blue depths. That is, until the echo of the doors being thrown open and banging against the walls made me flinch.

“King Damian, I present the soldiers from Blevon.” The same man bowed before the king again and then stepped aside as a line of Blevonese soldiers marched into the room. Damian strode back up the stairs to his throne while they entered. I watched eagerly, hoping to see General Tinso, but when the entire group had filed in, he was not among them.

There were ten of them, and as they marched toward the king, I studied their faces. Every single man stared straight ahead, face neutral, devoid of emotion. I glanced over at Eljin, to see if he was smiling in recognition or welcome. It was difficult to tell with his mask, but it seemed like he was frowning. His eyebrows were pulled down over his eyes as he watched them approach.

The ten men divided themselves into two rows of five and then halted. One tall man, with hair so long it was tied back at the nape of his neck, stepped forward.

“King Damian of Antion, we come bearing a message from Blevon.” He spoke in our language, but his voice was heavily accented.

“You are most welcome here, and I will gladly hear your message,” Damian responded from next to me, also in our language, though I knew he spoke Blevonese.

When the man looked up at our king, a shiver stole down my spine. His eyes looked strange — hollow. Something was very wrong here. I tensed, unsure of what to expect.

“You have brought peace between our two nations at great cost,” the man said in that same voice, chillingly empty of emotion.

“The cost, though great, was worth the result, I hope,” Damian said, sounding a bit more cautious.

I hazarded a glance at Eljin again to find him staring directly at me. He shook his head infinitesimally and widened his eyes. A warning.

“If you believe the result was peace, you are mistaken,” the man responded, and my head snapped forward again.

The expressionless void was still in his eyes as he stared up at Damian, but he adjusted his stance, tensing slightly, and my blood ran cold. I began to pull out my sword but I was too late.

“There will never be peace for you or your kingdom.” He whipped out his sword and lunged so fast that Deron, who had reached for his own sword a second too slow, was unable to deflect him. The blade sliced through Deron’s bicep as he threw himself backward to avoid being run through. “The blood of your people will water the jungle floor!”