Emberhawk - Jamie Foley Page 0,79

Hopefully he couldn’t see the flush she felt spreading across her cheeks. She’d thought he was cute from the beginning, and a little streak through his hair didn’t change that.

But she didn’t like him. Obviously.

He was a thief and an enemy soldier. Well, not an enemy, but . . . well . . . a foreigner. Except she was the foreigner here. But still . . .

“Fox got your tongue, balemba?”

Kira cleared her throat. “Thank you for protecting me back there.”

Ryon nodded. “My pleasure.”

The tingling multiplied and dizzied her. She bit the inside of her lip, hard.

This couldn’t be happening. How could she not like the half dozen suitors her father actually approved of, then suddenly get butterflies for him?

“Sorry you got pulled into that.” Ryon looped his thumbs under his pack’s straps and started walking again. “You sure you’re okay?”

Oh, good—she could play off her being frazzled over him by pretending to be even more frazzled over being electrocuted. It wasn’t that much of a stretch.

“I’m fine.” Kira rubbed the smooth hilt of her d’hakka stinger and wondered if she could find a proper sheath for it in Jadenvive. “Why does Zamara want you to . . . marry her daughter, if you obviously hate her, and your dad . . . ?”

Ryon let out a long breath. “Queens don’t rule in Emberhawk tradition. They have other duties—many more that are arguably more important. But only kings have ruled the tribe for generations.” He didn’t meet her gaze. “The late king had two sons, Lysander and Coriander, by the real Queen Deirdre. But Zamara must have borne him two daughters without his knowledge: Illiana and Alunette.”

A shudder rippled through him. “I’m guessing she wanted her own children to rule, so she pressured Lysander to abdicate, and Coriander left to form a rebellion against her. If she wants Illiana to rule as queen, the people won’t have it. She would need to get Illiana a husband of royal blood to hope to win them over. Especially if it got out that Illiana is illegitimate.” Ryon’s shoulders slumped. “And I guess she thinks she can control me.”

Kira mulled over his words through a long, awkward silence. “So you would be the true king.”

Ryon shook his head violently. “No, Lysander is the rightful king—I don’t care that he abdicated. But since that technically invalidates him, Coriander is next in line. Then Coriander’s young son after him, and any other children he has with his new wife.” A muscle twitched in Ryon’s jaw as he clamped it shut. “Or if something happened to them, if Illiana had a son, it would fall to him. Assuming the people don’t throw them out for being illegitimate. Assuming the people don’t throw them out for being illegitimate, if they ever realize she’s not actually Deirdre.” He sighed. “Or, if they knew she was Zamara in the flesh, they might be even more zealous for her.”

Kira lowered her voice. “Well, if you were the father of Illiana’s son—”

“Don’t,” Ryon snapped. “Just don’t.”

Kira flinched at his anger but didn’t blame him for it. Perhaps a change of topic would be best. “Can she . . . Could Zamara find you again inside Jadenvive?”

“Maybe, but she’d be a fool to enter Felix’s territory.”

Kira wondered who was more powerful: Felix or Zamara. Or if that depended on how much of that strange silver element they’d collected. “Felix lives in Jadenvive?”

“It’s one of his haunts. Though you never know where he’ll be,” Ryon muttered, “or if he’ll show up when you need him.”

“Well, thank the tails he showed up when he did,” Kira said. Although they could have used a hand a few times before. “Do you have a way to summon him?”

“No. Although once he said if I ever needed him, I could go to the crow’s nest and squawk like a cuckoo bird.” Ryon rolled his eyes and veered to avoid a young birch with greedy branches.

Kira followed. “The crow’s nest?” Wasn’t that something on a boat?

“The highest point in Jadenvive,” Ryon said. “I’m not his only vessel, you know. There are a few others he looks out for, and unfortunately he can’t be everywhere at once.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” Kira asked. “Why would an elemental give humans his power?”

“Because you go crazy if you hold too much—it clogs the blood. So Felix finds humans he trusts and gives each of us some of the power he collects,” Ryon said. “That’s why he’s called trai’yeth, which means ‘sealing