Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1) - Emily A. Duncan Page 0,75

at washing off the blood, hesitantly reaching out to the gods. She would be in deep trouble for all of this, but she was met only with the strange fog. She would be more concerned if Marzenya hadn’t spoken to her in the arena. They were there, watching, but at a distance.

“What’s next?” she asked softly.

“Dinner,” Rashid said. He was dressed in meek servants’ garb that didn’t look right on him. She missed the flamboyant gold chains that used to thread through his black curls.

“I’ve already failed the first etiquette test,” Nadya said. “That bodes well for the next one.”

Malachiasz stretched out towards her before thinking better of it and setting his hand on the arm of her chair instead. She found her eyes drawn to the tattoos on his long, elegant fingers. They were simple, straight lines: two on either side of each finger and one down the back that started at the bed of each fingernail and ended at his wrist in a single black bar.

“Everything is a game,” he said. “It’s all a play for power. We didn’t want it, but you’ve caught the attention of the elite, so you may as well keep it.”

She swallowed hard. “I can handle myself.”

“I know, Nadya.”

She continued furiously scrubbing at her face as Malachiasz asked Rashid if he’d found anything useful.

“Servant gossip keeps a palace running,” he said cheerfully. “The king has barely been seen in months; the queen is in Grazyk, which apparently never happens due to her health. The tension between the king and the prince has reached astronomical levels but none of the servants seem certain as to why. It was quite clear the prince didn’t want this Rawalyk to even take place. Also, the prince was seen in the witch’s tower—”

Malachiasz perked up. “Pelageya?”

Nadya froze. A witch in Tranavia? “What?” she asked at the same time.

“No,” Rashid said. “Calm down, both of you, and don’t get any ideas. That’s how we all get killed and accomplish nothing.”

Nadya and Malachiasz exchanged a glance, their fight momentarily forgotten.

“Mages,” Rashid said, sounding properly anguished. “Parj and I should have done this without you.”

Malachiasz was smiling the faint, slightly feral smile she recognized from the first day she met him.

“Regardless,” Rashid continued, “the witch is known to be the queen’s personal advisor.”

“But she’s Kalyazi?” Nadya asked.

“Most consider it an obvious jab at king and country,” Malachiasz said. “The royal family doesn’t get along.”

“Clearly.”

“The prince had an interview with the Crimson Vulture,” Rashid said. “The king has been paying visits to the Salt Mines, and the prince had someone sent to the Salt Mines who recently returned.”

Malachiasz stiffened. A shutter snapped closed around him and he absently rubbed the scars on his forearm.

“That’s not good,” he murmured.

“Wait, which one is Crimson?” Nadya asked. The rankings didn’t make any sense.

“?ywia is the second in command.”

Nadya didn’t like that he knew and used their names when no one else did. She didn’t need to be constantly reminded of what he was.

“Why wouldn’t the prince meet with their king?” Nadya asked.

“Perhaps the king’s visits to the Salt Mines means he’s working with the Black Vulture and the prince is attempting to undermine that?” Rashid said.

“I’d always thought a schism among the Vultures would be impossible,” Malachiasz said. “But I think we’ve stepped into something bigger than just a silly pageant for a queen. If the Salt Mines are involved, definitely so.”

“If we accomplish this, what will happen with the Vultures?”

“Theoretically, nothing. They would step back if Tranavia fell into chaos. Still…”

“Still,” Rashid said, “the king seems to have forsaken his usual retainer of guards in favor of the Vultures.”

“They’re not guards,” Malachiasz said.

“What are they, then, Malachiasz?” Nadya asked. He was becoming increasingly agitated. Nadya wasn’t going to ignore the tremors of doubt she had when he appeared to falter.

He waved a hand. “It would be like your Kalyazi tsar having clerics act as guards. It’s not their purpose, they’re not supposed to be so deeply connected to the secular throne.”

Nadya sighed. “Except religion is interwoven into our government. It’s not a thing to be shoved aside.” She didn’t like comparing monsters with her religion, but it was an apt enough example. “But back to the point, we have to get past the Vultures to get to the king?”

Rashid glanced at Malachiasz, but nodded. Malachiasz leaned back on the chaise, pulling at his lower lip.

“That complicates things,” Nadya said. “We can’t just wait for the opportune moment. I need to know what I’m doing