Shades of Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #16) - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,53

such nonsense.

“So there’s no danger to the world?” she asked.

Kgosi held up a slender hand. “I didn’t say that.”

“But—”

The hand sliced through the air, warning Chaaya she was near the end of the jinn’s patience.

“The question,” Kgosi snapped.

Running her fingers down the shaft of her spear, she allowed the tingles of magic to bolster her courage. She knew the question.

She just didn’t want to ask it.

At last, she squared her shoulders. This was important. She didn’t know why. She just knew.

She forced out the words. “Can you take me to the power who is manipulating Brigette?”

A smile of triumph curved Kgosi’s lips. “At last.”

Basq wasn’t nearly so pleased. Whirling to face her, he studied her in horror. “Chaaya, no.”

She shrugged, already prepared as the jinn waved his hand and a tiny cyclone formed above her head. The wind battered her, tugging at her hair and forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut.

Then, just as she felt herself being sucked off the ground, a familiar hand reached out to grab her arm.

Shit.

* * * *

Inga was always nervous when she sat on the throne. Not only did she fear that it might shatter beneath her massive weight, but it made her the center of attention. Something she hated. Even worse, she had to wear her crown. The stupid thing poked painfully into her skull, and it would never stay straight. No matter how many times she pushed it into place, it would inevitably slide to the side, making her look like a drunken sailor.

The only thing that made her feel better was the heavy Tryshu she gripped in her hand. People might laugh at the sight of her on the throne, but they wouldn’t do it to her face. Not as long as she carried the huge trident.

“Are you ready?” Troy asked.

He stood on the dais next to her, his expression impatient. She heaved a gloomy sigh.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He smiled, patting her shoulder. “You’ll be brilliant.”

She shook her head. “I’m not clever or subtle like you, Troy. You can convince anyone to tell you what you want. If I need information from someone, I bash them over the head.”

He gave another pat on her shoulder. “Just ask him to recount what happened the night Brigette escaped.” He started to turn away, only to glance back. “And make sure it’s a detailed account. We need to discover if he’s been lying.”

Yeah. No problem. Inga forced herself to nod. “Okay.”

Leaping off the dais, Troy motioned toward Rimm, who was standing across the long room. Then, with a last glance at Inga, the imp disappeared into the secret passageway.

Inga released a shaky breath, concentrating on the young guard who entered the throne room with a wary expression.

Showtime.

“Welcome, Riza,” she said, inclining her head in what she hoped was a regal manner, at the same time motioning for Rimm to close the door. She didn’t want anyone overhearing this particular conversation.

Slowly the merman walked toward the throne, his scaled uniform gleaming and his fingers nervously tugging at the belt that held his trident in place. Once he was standing in front of Inga, he performed a deep bow.

“You asked to see me, Your Majesty?”

“Yes.”

There was an awkward pause. Riza cleared his throat. “Is something wrong?”

Inga sucked in a deep breath. She’d rehearsed this encounter with Troy, she reminded herself. She knew what she was supposed to say.

“On the contrary. I believe I owe you my personal gratitude,” she assured the man, careful not to smile.

For some reason the mer-folk found her smile intimidating. Maybe because of her razor-sharp teeth. Or more likely because it usually looked like a grimace rather than an expression of happiness. Not her fault. She hadn’t had much practice smiling.

Riza looked confused. “Gratitude?”

“You were the only guard to be alarmed by the Were’s ramblings,” Inga clarified. “If we had listened to your concerns sooner, then Brigette might still be locked in her cell.”

“Oh.” Riza shifted from foot to foot. He was obviously nervous, but that didn’t mean he was guilty. “I did nothing.”

Inga clicked her tongue. “There’s no need to be modest.”

He stretched his lips into a smile. “Thank you, Your Majesty. If that is all…”

Riza started to back away, but Inga waved the Tryshu in his direction. Immediately the male froze in place.

“Actually, we have need of your services,” she told him.

The guard glanced behind Inga, as if expecting to see Troy. “We?”

Inga nodded toward Rimm, who stood silently by the doors. She’d tried to tell the