A Queen of Gilded Horns (A River of Royal Blood #2) - Amanda Joy Page 0,83

an illusion so strong, only a fey of higher skill could penetrate it. And Isa had made sure she was strong, testing herself first against her fey nursemaid, Kitsina, and then against the fey nobles of the Court.

She heard the gasps of the nearby soldiers, and even Mateen’s mouth fell open as she cloaked herself in glamour. Isa took two long steps forward to cup his cheek. Touch wasn’t necessary for her magick, but it did make it easier to keep hold of a mind once it was in her thrall.

Remain still, she commanded, and all resistance left his body.

It would be foolish not to at least consider commanding him to take her back to the capital, no matter what his intentions were. She’d be wise to tell the General to capture them all. They would make it back to Ternain in a few months, even quicker if they hired a ship to sail down the coast and up through the River. After that, she would be named True Heir. And in a few years, Isa could persuade Mother to step down and she finally would take her seat upon the throne.

But betraying Eva like this? Marching back to the capital with her death in mind? She and Eva were closer to understanding each other than they’d been since they were children. Even though there wasn’t exactly peace between them, Isa wanted to hold on to whatever this was for as long as she could.

You were ready to kill Eva just months ago, she reminded herself. Now was not the time to become queasy over bloodshed. It was the nature of the crown. As her mother was quick to remind her, our throne is draped in blood, whether the rest of the Court sees it or not.

But try as Isa might, the young woman who’d captured her sister’s lover in order to kill her . . . That version of Isadore was harder and harder to hold on to the more time she spent outside of Ternain. The plan to capture Prince Aketo wasn’t even hers at the start. And it didn’t help that her memories of that night were hazy. Isa’s only clear memories of her sister’s nameday were the Entwining spell and Eva’s transformation.

Several soldiers had unsheathed their blades and pointed them at her, but none dared approach. Yet.

Isa’s eyes fell shut as she sought the magickal connection she and Eva had created during the Entwining and gave it a great yank.

When she opened her eyes again, Mateen glared up at Isa. Her concentration must have slipped, and though her command still held his body, his mind writhed in her grip like a fish on land.

“Why are you here?”

Before Mateen could answer, the air began to crackle with unspent magick.

It shouldn’t have been possible for him to conjure any magick while she held him in place, but the ground beneath her feet quavered. There was that small tremor he’d mentioned earlier. Now that the soldiers could taste the magick on the wind, she would be facing down dozens of blades if she couldn’t regain control of this situation.

General Mateen’s eyes darted past her, widening.

Isa looked behind her. Whatever had drawn his attention, she couldn’t see anything through the narrow seam in the rock. There was no way to know whether her attempt at waking Eva worked, but she suspected her and Mateen’s combined efforts meant everyone was awake. Nonetheless she drawled, “Come on out, Eva. It seems you’ve been caught.”

Isa sagged when Anali, Falun, and then her sister emerged, sword in hand, with Aketo following close behind her. The Captain’s face was murder, and she held a short sword in either hand. Falun immediately eased an arrow from a quiver on his back and pointed it in Isa and Mateen’s direction.

When she caught her sister’s gaze, the look of disappointment in Eva’s eyes was so familiar. Isa scanned Eva’s mental net. Disappointment warred with a desire to protect Isa from this situation she’d found herself in. Eva already believed Isa had betrayed them.

It burned Isa up inside, even though she’d been considering just that.

While Mateen’s Jackals had pointed their weapons in Isa’s direction, they seemed unsure whom to point them at now. The whine of bowstrings pulling taut filled the air.

“What are our orders, General?” Lieutenant Sala called.

General Mateen began to tremble, fighting her still. She held to Mateen with dwindling magick, well aware he would break her hold if this went on much longer. She needed to