The Blacksmith Queen (The Scarred Earth Saga, #1) - G.A Aiken Page 0,108
friend—”
“Uncle Archibald has no friends. He trusts no one. He told no one.”
“So what are you saying?”
Keeley and Gemma stared at each other a long moment before Gemma finally said, “It was Beatrix. She did this. She sent that bastard after her own family.”
Laila gave a little shake of her head. “We don’t know that.”
“We don’t?” Gemma asked. “Then how did Straton’s men find them? Only Beatrix knew where the family was.”
“Trackers?”
“With you centaurs getting us there? Doing everything you could to ensure that trackers couldn’t follow us to Archie’s? You really believe that?”
“But . . . do you really think she’d do that? To her own family? Even to the little ones? The baby . . . ?”
When Keeley and Gemma did nothing but stare at her—silent, accepting the truth of what they believed—the centaur could do nothing more but fold her arms over her chest and look away.
But Keeley couldn’t look away. She had to face this. She had to make a decision.
“So what do we do now?” Keran asked.
“I think it’s finally obvious to all of us,” Gemma said. “We kill Beatrix.” Gemma looked at the centaurs they’d grown to trust and at Keran. And, each one in turn, nodded in agreement.
“Anyone who would do this to their own family . . .” Laila shook her head again as she still struggled to believe the truth. “She has to die.”
Gemma looked at Caid, undoubtedly thinking his support was the most important right now.
Caid gave a small shrug. “It would be hard but . . . it’s what I would do.”
Quinn simply nodded when Gemma turned to him.
And Keran growled, “Kin or not, the evil bitch has to go.”
Gemma finally faced Keeley. “Now are you ready to do this, Sister?”
Keeley gawked at Gemma for a few seconds before she said, “I was ready after she stabbed me.”
“Good!” Gemma turned toward the others. “Let’s all get what we need and—”
“But that’s not what we’re going to do,” Keeley added, slamming the head of her hammer against the floor and using the handle to help her get back to her feet.
By the time she was standing again, Gemma was scowling at her. “What do you mean it’s not what we’re going to do?”
“What part of that did you not understand?”
Gemma stomped toward her. “You can’t seriously be thinking of letting that little slit live!”
“What I’m not going to do is let her dictate my plans.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“Why do you think she did this?” Keeley demanded. “She sent Straton after Mum and Da to distract me. To make me crazed!”
“And because you want to prove what a queenly woman you’ve become you’re going to let that vainglorious cunt live?”
“I’m going to do what I need to do!” Keeley yelled back, now staring down at her smaller sister. “And if that’s a problem for you, fucking leave!” She waved toward the castle exit. “There’s the fucking door!”
* * *
Determined, fed up, and crushed by everything that had happened, Gemma grabbed her travel bag and stormed out of the throne room.
“You’re really leaving?” Quinn said from behind her.
“I am.” She’d return to the protective gates where she’d left Samuel and her horses and those damn demon wolves and she’d head to the Old King’s castle. “Beatrix has to die and clearly Keeley doesn’t have the guts to do it.”
“Really?” he sneered. “You really think that?”
“If nothing else, it’s clear my queen sister doesn’t need me anymore. She has your brother and sister—”
“And Keran.”
Gemma stopped on the last step and looked back at the centaur.
Smirking down at her, he said, “You know, the one who may or may not have started a war with the barbarians due to a drunken conversation she had with one that she may or may not have fucked over a decade ago.” He came slowly down the steps toward her. “And of course there’s your mother and father who will always be by her side. I’m sure they can take time out from watching your siblings to risk their lives in battle to keep the queen safe.” He reached the step just above the one she stood on. “I’m sure servants can raise the children, should all three be lost.”
“So you’re assuming I’ll fail to kill Beatrix?”
“Yes,” he said with a wide grin. “Because she’s expecting either one or both of you to come and she’ll crush you before you can get near her. And then she’ll laugh and laugh! Or,” he added, leaning down so