All the Stars and Teeth (All the Stars and Teeth Duology) (4 page)

I wonder if I look half as terrifying in my crown as he looks in his.

“You shouldn’t be here, Your Highness,” Olin answers. “You should be in the gardens, readying yourself for your performance.” His attention lifts to Casem, who wilts behind me.

“And I will be, once someone tells me what’s going on.” I look around him and at the Valukan adviser who now stands tall behind Father. He said something about Kerost, and as I look over the representatives surrounding him, there’s one color in particular I don’t see: amethyst.

“Where are the Kers?” My chest tightens as Father’s placid expression slips. The more I look around, the more startling their absence is. It’s not just a Kerost representative who’s missing.
In all the excitement of the night, I hadn’t noticed an entire island of my people was missing. “Are they all right?”

“They’re fine,” Father says at the same time the Valukan adviser says, “They’re revolting against Visidia.”

Father groans, turning over his shoulder to glare at the Valukan. The young man glares back at him while the surrounding advisers shift uncomfortably.

“I’m trying to help you,” the adviser presses. “The least you can do is hear me out—”

“You’re all dismissed.” The anger in Father’s booming voice causes the adviser to flinch back. He opens his mouth as though to protest, but screws it shut when his hazel eyes find mine. I try not to stare back as Father says, “I’d like a moment alone with my daughter.”

Olin and the other advisers bow before they push the Valukan boy’s shoulder to get him to move. “Fine! But don’t say I didn’t warn you!” He growls a few choice words as the rest of the advisers apologize for his ignorance and steer the Valukan away.

Eventually only Casem remains, though he excuses himself to a spot several feet away, out of immediate hearing range.

“Strange that I haven’t met him before,” I say to Father. “I could have sworn I knew all the advisers.”

Father grunts. “Lord Bargas was apparently too ill to make the journey, and sent his son in his place. Charming boy, that one. Stormed in here and demanded a meeting like he himself was king.”

Though I don’t want to, Father’s blatant annoyance at the Valukan makes me laugh. It eases the tension in his shoulders, and clears the air between us just a little.

“I wasn’t aware Lord Bargas had a son,” I say, though the adviser certainly looked like the son of Valuka’s lead representative—smooth brown skin, a strong square jaw, and
an almost annoyingly straight nose. He was built similar to the baron, too. A little stocky, with broad, muscular shoulders and arms that the rest of his body hadn’t quite grown into, and the cocky look of someone with wealth to flaunt. “What did he mean when he said the Kers were revolting?”

“No one’s
revolting
. The Kers are only trying to make a statement; it’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“Then tell me what they’re protesting,” I argue, igniting a twitch that eats Father’s jawline. “Surely it’s something, if they’re trying to make a statement.”

“By Cato’s blade, you’re as stubborn as your old man.” He steps forward, and it’s impossible to determine whether it’s anger that lights his eyes. I steady myself, prepared to argue, but he drops his hand on my head, just before my crown, and the fire within me fizzles out.

“They want something I can’t give them.” Father’s voice lightens from the powerful baritone he used with the advisers and into the soft and quiet voice he uses at home. “Kerost has always been plagued by vicious storms. It’s why we employ groups of Valukans with a water affinity to live there, to help calm the tides and prevent the storms from destroying the island. But the Kers don’t like being dependent. A few seasons ago, I started to get reports of the Kers bribing the Valukans for training. They wanted the Valukans to show them how to control the water.”

His words snatch the air from my lungs. “They wanted to learn multiple magics? But that’s suicide!”

Father grunts, dropping his hand from my head. “If enough people were to practice multiple magics, our hold on the beast would eventually fall. Souls would be ruined, and the beast would run rampant. That’s why I had to remove the Valukans from Kerost, to end the temptation. Unfortunately, they fell victim to a bad storm early last season. And without the help of the Valukans, it destroyed part of their island.”

It’s as though a thousand leeches suck the blood from my veins, making me cold and nauseous.

“What about the Suntosans?” I press. “Did you at least keep healers there to help them?”

“I had to remove them from the situation, too,” he says, and I’m glad to see that there’s at least a hint of shame reddening his cheeks. “It was only meant to be until they agreed to stop trying to learn multiple magics. But then the storm happened, and the timing was … unfortunate.”

How could he have kept this from me? And not just him, but Mira, too. As closely as she’s connected to all the kingdom’s news, surely she would have known.

I’m to be the ruler of this kingdom, and I intend to be a great one. But how can I be expected to protect Visidia if I don’t even know what’s happening within it?

“I needed to ensure you didn’t lose focus,” Father says, as if reading my thoughts. “Remember, Amora, until you or Yuriel have children, you are but one of two possible heirs left for the throne. Right now, the most important thing you can do for this kingdom is perform well tonight and claim that title.”

I squint my eyes shut as frustration swells within me, trying to quell it enough to see the situation clearly.

I know tonight is important. And it makes sense that the Kers are angry. But if Father let them get away with practicing multiple magics, Cato’s agreement with the beast would be voided and the kingdom would fall.

However, without the help of the Valukans, the Kers’ homes are being destroyed. We can’t let that happen, either.

“We need another way to help them,” I say. “We can strengthen their understanding of the potential dangers of practicing multiple magics, but we also need to give them stronger materials for their buildings and help them repair. We can’t take away their only source of protection.”

He sets a hand on my shoulder. “And I don’t intend to. But as the King of Visidia, I have to protect
all
our people. Keeping the Valukans there was a death sentence on our kingdom. But trust that we’re figuring it out, Amora. Trust that I’m going to fix it.”

Of course I want to trust that Father will make things right, but what I don’t understand is why he isn’t already in Kerost, helping them rebuild. If the storm was last season, why are we still standing around trying to figure this out?

“Just where does Kaven fit into this?” My head feels thicker by the second. How have I been so clueless? How has everyone managed to keep this from me?

Clearly wishing the discussion over, Father’s sigh is long and annoyed. “He’s a man who doesn’t agree with some of the decisions I’ve made,” he answers flatly. “But no one can agree with everything I do, can they? He’s no threat to us. Now settle your thoughts. All will be fine for one more night.”

Thinking back to the Valukan’s angry face, I’m not sure I believe his easy dismissal. I want to argue with Father and tell him I deserve to know more, but as I open my mouth, Aunt Kalea comes clambering up the hill with a grin. My aunt doesn’t wait for permission to approach, or even stop to think for a moment that she might be interrupting something important. Carelessly, just barely avoiding my epaulettes, she throws her arms around me with a hearty laugh.

“Oh, my beautiful girl! What a vision you are!” When she pulls away, she bats Father lightly in the shoulder. “How did an oaf like you manage to raise such a radiant woman, Audric? She’s stunning!”

Father laughs. “She gets all her charm from Keira. I’m afraid all she gets from me is her stubbornness.”

“And your sense of adventure,” I add, which makes Father still, his eyes softening. It’s a strange moment; a slow one where
he trails his eyes over me, then onto the crown, as though seeing me in it for the first time. When he smiles again, it’s warm with pride and heats my blood.

“And my sense of adventure.” He turns to his sister and claps her on the shoulder. “If you’ll excuse me, I should find my wife before the ceremony, but bring Jordi and Yuriel by and we’ll celebrate with some wine afterward. I’ve three barrels reserved just for us.” He grins toothily, looking like the silly older brother I only see him be when my aunt’s around.

“And Amora?” he adds quietly. I turn, nearly flinching back when he bows his head to me. “I love you. Remember that after tonight, won’t you? Once you’re officially the heir and are off on all those grand adventures of yours.”

“Don’t go getting all sappy on me now,” I tell him, trying to hide my embarrassment. “I love you, too.”

His smile is soft as he bends to kiss my forehead. The teeth of the eel crown graze my cheek.

And then Father’s gone, leaving my aunt in his place.

She’s lovely in a gown of soft blue. It’s a statement gown—a mix of Arida’s sapphire and Mornute’s soft hues. It says she understands her roots are with Arida, but that it’s no longer her home. She’s a small woman with olive skin similar to Father’s, deeply tanned and brushed with gold from so much time spent in the sun. She’s plump and youthful, with only the soft wrinkles around her eyes hinting at her age.

“I’m so glad I found you before the performance,” Aunt Kalea says. “How do you feel?”

For as long as I can remember, Aunt Kalea’s hands have always been the softest, warmest ones I’ve ever known. She cups them around my arms, holding me close so she can inspect me with molten eyes. They’re the same eyes as Father’s, but significantly less stern. And though she does well at masking her expression, worry rests in the tightness of her breaths and the
hitch of her words. If she’s to keep her lavish life on Mornute, she can’t afford for me to make any mistakes tonight. And I can’t afford to, either.

Should I fail to demonstrate control over my magic and prove I’ve tamed the beast within me, I’ll be held until Aunt Kalea’s proven she can become the throne’s successor. Given that the law dictates a Montara without fully controlled soul magic cannot remain free, I can’t ignore the possibility that I could even be executed if I’m deemed too much of a risk. Our magic is too dangerous to not be fully controlled.

“Like I’ve been training my whole life for this,” I say. Aunt Kalea searches my eyes for another long moment, and there’s a flash of concern before she pulls me in for a firm hug.

“You can do this,” she whispers, her thick curls tickling my neck. “No one’s more ready for this than you.”

Though I know she’s right, the anxiety that’s been gnawing at me since the puppet show is building. I force myself to smile at her, trying to snuff it out.

Only after Aunt Kalea draws back does Casem hesitantly step forward. “I don’t mean to rush you,” he says, “but it’s time for Amora to get going.”

“Of course.” Aunt Kalea nods, tucking a soft brown curl behind her ear. I try not to stare at the lines of concern crinkled between her brows, or think about how both our futures hinge on whether I deliver a proper performance.

She kisses my cheek before peeling herself away. But before she lets go of my hand, her eyes capture mine, and I’m not prepared for what I see within them. No longer are her eyes the rich brown that match Father’s—they flash a bright, piercing pink, there for one moment and back to brown the next.

“Do your best.” Aunt Kalea’s smile trembles. “Please. For the kingdom.”

The anxiety doesn’t snuff out; it surges until it’s like hands around my throat. The noise I make as her hands slip from mine is hardly human. The ground beneath me is like the sea, swaying as her words sink in.

Aunt Kalea’s learned enchantment magic.

I am no longer one of two possible heirs; I am the
only
possible heir. Should I fail, there will be no one left to protect Visidia from the vengeance of the beast within the Montara bloodline.

Aunt Kalea showing me this was a warning—should she be forced to accept Aridian soul magic, it’ll be her second magic. The bond with the beast will be severed.

“You were supposed to wait.” My words are as shaky as my trembling hands. “How could you do this?”

“It was an accident.” Her eyes are wet when she reaches back out for me, but I refuse to look at them for another second. I take Casem’s arm. His eyes are narrowed with uncertainty, not having seen her use enchantment magic.

“Take me to the gardens,” I tell him, needing to get away from her as the magic within me stirs. “Now.” Casem obeys without hesitation.

It’s only a short walk to the gardens’ entrance, and my head is still swirling with a thousand thoughts when we arrive. I have to try my hardest to push them to the side and focus on the task at hand, just as everyone has been telling me to do. I can’t let myself be distracted by her betrayal.

Tonight, I must be perfect.

A place of worship, the gardens sit atop the tallest peak in all of Arida, about two miles north of the palace. The entrance is through a cavern that’s covered by heavy vines and thick ivy that Casem pulls back so that I can enter without snagging my adornments.

“You’ve got five minutes before others arrive,” he says as I duck into the cavern, greeted by the bioluminescent flora that coats the walls and helps guide my way into the gardens.

The moment I step into it, the sight steals my breath, as it always does.

These gardens are beautiful in the daytime, but their true magnificence shines beneath the stars.

A field of untamed flowers stretches out before me, some of them tall enough that they brush against my satchel, while others drip from trees in perfect spirals. Much of the flora is bioluminous, petals and bulbs glowing in brilliant shades of greens, pinks, blues, and purples.

I brush my hands across the bulb of a flower that’s taller than my hip, and it rocks back as if in surprise, its petals unfurling at my touch. They shimmer as they open, stretching awake.

Behind them, at the back of the garden, rests a small waterfall that glows as brightly as the flowers, creating breathtaking scenery that many travel from all over the kingdom to see.