A Queen of Gilded Horns (A River of Royal Blood #2) - Amanda Joy Page 0,85

that truth with anyone. I could tell she only told me to denigrate Lei.”

“And I am to take your presence here as proof it did not work?”

“Yes,” he said, tucking a few stray locs behind one ear. “I decided to track Princess Isadore, not to bring her back, but to offer you our allegiance.”

“Why? All of your people are prepared to do this?”

“I never would have joined the Queen’s Army without King Lei. He recruited me when I was a teenager, using my magick, believe it or not, to pick pockets in the streets of a coastal town far west of here.”

I squinted up at him, trying to imagine the street child he must have been. Picking pockets with earth magick?

Mateen surprised me with a warm chuckle. “Little distracts a rich man from his coin purse as thoroughly as the ground shifting beneath his feet.”

That brought a fleeting smile to my lips. “What about the other half of your battalion? I see only Jackals here; where is the First General and his forces?”

“The First General is stationed just to the west of the Arym Plain, waiting for us to capture you and return. I did not share my intentions with the General; I’m afraid he’s a Queen’s man.” That was unfortunate. Mateen’s Jackals boasted a bevy of magickal gifts, but we could have used the sheer might of the First General’s soldiers.

I glanced past Mateen and saw Isa, still glowing with unnatural beauty. As soon as Mateen had given me the letter, she had retreated. But now the understanding that I had been forcing to the back of my mind reared up again. I could ignore it no longer.

“Please excuse me, General.” I offered him a tight smile. “I need to speak with my sister.”

I stalked past Mateen and grabbed Isa’s arm, hauling her away from listening ears.

When I let go, she rubbed at her skin where my claws had scratched her. I found I did not care.

“What do you think you’re—” Isa started, but I cut her off.

“Did you not think I would notice?” How could I have been such a fool all this time, ignoring what was right in front of me? “You aren’t in my head right now, and yet, look at you.”

Isa’s brows knit together. “What?”

“You’re wearing glamour, Isa,” I said, punctuating each word with a shove to her chest.

Each time I’d noticed Isa’s darker curls, I’d just attributed the difference to the lack of potions and paints of the capital. Plenty of women at Court lightened and straightened their hair. Isa was no different, or so I’d believed.

I remembered the day I brought Baccha to Court. Isa had flexed her beauty then, as always, but I’d been under the thrall of her persuasive magick then. I’d assumed she was using her gift to convince everyone she was even lovelier than usual.

But it was apparent now I’d been wrong. No magickal fog was pulled over my mind. This was glamour.

“Stop. That,” Isa spat, returning my aggression with a push that had me skidding back in the sand. “So now you know. I’m a liar and a hypocrite.” She cast out a hand, at the soldiers and everyone else watching our exchange. “Here’s your audience, Eva. Kill me now, expose Mother for letting the Court believe I was Lei’s daughter. Bring your host of soldiers and Generals and take back the throne.”

A noise of disgust escaped me. “I don’t want to kill you. Did you know I killed five people last year? I didn’t want to, but I had to protect myself. That’s why I refuse to let the Rival Heirdom force my hand. That’s why you’re here. I’ve had enough of death. I just want the truth.”

“Well, here you go,” Isa said, lowering her voice so that only we could hear. “I am half fey and don’t ask who my father is, because Mother refused to tell me.”

My heart thudded in my chest. “Oh, Isa, then why were you so angry at us? At Papa?”

Her appearance flickered and returned to what must have been her actual self. Her hair now a mess of golden-brown curls, freckles sprayed across her nose and cheeks, and her face overall softer than the one I’d gotten used to. “I was jealous. In my mind, you two shared a secret I’d been hiding since I was old enough to know what glamour was. You were always so close. I thought you’d been conspiring against me all along and I hated you