had so few people to control. So few resources. Jarrett had said it was a like a child playing house.
Here, it would be different. Jarrett hadn’t elaborated, but the hesitation in his explanations and the tight muscles around his eyes told her everything she needed to know. They were throwing themselves at the mercy of the Yellow Queen because they had nowhere else to go.
Her stomach turned cartwheels as the dragon descended rapidly. Soon she could see a platform jutting out from the top of the golden tower. A smooth golden floor without railings. One wrong step and someone could fall to their death.
Without warning, the dragon released Tressa. She fell through the air toward the platform. Tucking her knees to her chest, Tressa braced for the impact. Forcing her eyelids open, Tressa landed in a hard roll, hoping she'd lose momentum before she came anywhere near to the edge.
She lost speed quickly and after her final roll, let her body unfold, sprawled on the platform. Two fingers drifted over the edge. It had been close, but she was alive.
A sharp snap captured her attention. "Bring her to me!" a shrill voice commanded.
Two pairs of feet clomped toward her. Four rough hands grabbed her arms, hauling Tressa to unsteady feet. "Walk." One of the men tugged, forcing her to take a step forward.
"I can walk on my own," Tressa said through gritted teeth. She shrugged off one and glared at the other. "Let me go. Now."
The voice cackled, hidden inside the dark tower. Tressa couldn't see, the sun was too bright, but she had her suspicions who waited inside for her. "Allow her to walk."
The men released their grip. Tressa's knees buckled, but she recovered quickly by sheer strength of will. She wouldn't appear weak in front of anyone if she could help it.
She’d survived the fog. Trained to be an elite warrior. Slayed a dragon. Walking into a tower inhabited by a queen with a legendary temper would be easy. Tressa strode through the entry, her head held high, despite the throbbing in her arms and the blood still pooling at the talon wounds in her arms. She wasn't a queen, but she carried herself as one.
With squinted eyes, she took in the queen. A crown sat atop the golden curls that fell to her waist, contrasting with her dark skin. Her son Henry's complexion had been very light, but his mother's was even darker than Jarrett. She was absolutely stunning.
Her green eyes sparkled like the emeralds in her crown and her mouth curved into a smile cats reserved for pouncing on a mouse. If her appearance was any indication, Jarrett was right about his queen. His lover was a formidable woman. Tressa held her tongue, waiting to be spoken to. She sank into a deep curtsy and stood again.
"You know who I am?" the queen asked.
"You are Jacinda. Queen of the Sands. The one who sits upon the royal throne of the Risos." Tressa recited the titles Jarrett had coached her on. She hoped they were right.
Jacinda's laughter split through the air like a newly sharpened knife. "You forgot one."
Tressa went back over what Jarrett had told her. She knew Jacinda had two sons, one here and Henry, and even the worst torture couldn't have made Tressa tell Jacinda her son had died at Stacia's hands. That was for Jarrett to tell.
"I am the woman who has bedded your man for four years. Nightly. And yet he dares to take you as a bride, bring you here, and flaunt you. For what purpose?" Her eyes took in every part of Tressa's body. "You are nothing. You aren't even shapely." Jacinda thrust one hip out to the side. "Jarrett prefers curvaceous women."
A blush burned on Tressa's cheeks. She didn't want to think about Jarrett like that, but the way Jacinda's eyes flashed in the candlelit room, Tressa couldn't help but wonder if, despite his flirting, Jarrett really did prefer a woman with more flesh to her.
"He won't be here for three days," Jacinda continued, uncaring that Tressa was speechless. "In that time you will tell me how you met, and when and how he first took you. I want to know if he treats you differently in bed than he has treated me."
Tressa's blush deepened. What could she say? Jarrett had done no more than kiss her, but if he was to believed, her safety here depended on his commitment to her.
Jacinda shimmied over to Tressa's side. With one