Chapter 9

Elouera

I only survived Callan finding out the truth at the banquet because I got lucky. When his hand tightened around my waist and his eyes widened after catching the scent from my failing suppressants, I acted quickly. I drove my elbow backward and knocked a servant’s silver tray onto myself.

The hot vinegar and pickled eels spilled all over my chest. The smell was awful. It was strong enough to cover the faint smell of wild honey on my skin. Callan immediately let go of me with a look of disgust.

I didn’t wait.

I quickly moved away from him, trying not to show how badly my ribs hurt. Thankfully, it worked. I survived the night. But after that, the palace no longer felt safe. The walls seemed to close in on me every time I walked through the halls. The next afternoon, I went to the glass conservatory.

It was hot inside, almost too hot. I only went there because I wanted somewhere quiet to rest my bruised ribs. I thought I would be alone, but I had been wrong.

Duke Stirling Vance was sitting at a small iron table in the middle of the room. A chessboard sat in front of him, with black and white pieces spread across it. The sunlight coming through the glass fell directly on him.

I stopped when I saw him.

He looked up as my boots made a crunching sound against the gravel. He wasn’t smiling this time. His green eyes were fixed on me.

“Sit, Elian.”

I lowered my head and pulled my shoulders in.

“D-Duke Vance, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll leave.”

“I said sit.”

I froze.

There was something in his voice that told me he wasn’t going to ask again. The smell of cedar and smoke filled the conservatory. It mixed with the smell of the orchids around us. I knew what Stirling was doing. His Alpha scent was getting stronger.

My body reacted before I could stop it. My knees felt weak, and every part of me wanted to lower my head and expose my neck.

I hated it.

I forced myself to keep walking until I reached the chair opposite him.

“White or black?” Stirling asked.

He leaned back in his chair. His white shirt had the sleeves rolled up, showing his arms. “I… I’m not very good at chess,” I said quietly.

“I’ll take black, then.”

He touched one of the black pieces. “It suits my mood.” I looked at him.

“My uncle’s soldiers in the north are in trouble, Elian. Two more supply lines were attacked this morning. Someone is giving the rebels our patrol routes.”

My heart jumped.

I quickly made my face look worried. “That’s terrible.”

“It is.”

He moved a black pawn. “Your turn.” I reached for one of the white pawns and moved it forward. It was a weak move. Exactly what I wanted him to think. For the next hour, Stirling slowly took my pieces.

He didn’t rush.

Every time he captured one of my knights or bishops, he looked pleased with himself. “You retreat too much,” he said. He moved his knight and trapped my queen.

As he pulled his hand back, his fingers brushed against my wrist. I quickly pulled away. His eyes moved to my face. “You give up your strongest pieces just to survive another turn,” he said. “You make it too easy for me.”

“I told you I wasn’t good at chess.”

“Check.”

He moved his bishop. I stared at the board. Then I moved my king into the corner. It looked like a stupid mistake. Stirling smiled.

“Checkmate.”

He moved his rook into place. “You lose, little prince.” He leaned closer. “You always lose.” I lowered my head and let a tear fall. Then I stood up quickly, knocking the chair against the floor.

I didn’t say anything.

I simply turned and ran out of the conservatory. I kept my hand against my ribs as I made my way back to my room. I wanted him to think I was frightened. I wanted him to think I was weak. But the moment my bedroom door closed behind me, I stopped pretending.

I wiped the tear from my face. Stirling was smart. But he was too confident. He thought we had only been playing chess. He didn’t know that I had been using the board for something else. I looked back at the pieces in my mind.

I had allowed him to take them one by one. I had placed my remaining pieces in a certain pattern. From above, they formed the shape of the Silver Peaks. It was actually a map. And when Stirling moved his rook to the final square, he had unknowingly placed it over the exact location of his uncle’s hidden armory in the north.

The same armory I had ordered Kael to destroy two days ago. Stirling didn’t know it yet. But he would soon. At sunset, the military report would arrive. When he saw the location of the destroyed armory, he would remember the chessboard.

Then he would understand. I hadn’t lost the game. I had used it to send him a message. I walked to the window and looked down at the courtyard. I knew I had to leave, and I had to do it quickly. The clock tower began to ring.

One.

Two.

Three.

The gates opened below. A rider covered in dust rushed into the courtyard. He was carrying a sealed black case. It had to be the military report. My heart started beating faster. I turned away from the window and reached for my cloak.

Then

Bang!

The door of my room shook. Before I could move, the heavy wooden door burst open. The lock tore away from the wall, and the door crashed against the other side.

I froze.

Stirling stood in the doorway.

He wasn’t smiling anymore. His shirt was soaked with sweat, and his chest was rising and falling quickly. His green eyes were fixed on me. In his hand, he held the white King from the chessboard.

“You.”

His voice was quiet. He stepped into the room.

“It was you.”