No Solace (The Flames of Retribution - Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Kohl Sanfelton

Like a dangerous sumera bloom, Kohl Sanfelton had only grown more ethereal in his beauty in the year that I'd last seen him. I imagined he'd spent many hours with his hooks in many victims, draining them of all life.

His shining dark hair curled around his smirking, angular face like smoke from a candle, and he'd grown taller and broader, fed by his sins. I hated him more for thriving. It was wrong to thrive with death on your hands. He deserved to burn in the pits of Asrit along with the worst of the sinners, but he thrived, safe in the light of Faluel's sun.

He knew it, too. His arrogant smirk turned wicked as my silence continued, mistaking my trembling ire for some other emotion, no doubt. I decided not to burst that useful bubble. "Kohl Sanfelton, third prince, son of the second Empress Erzebet." I knew this angelic face I wore smiled like a blessed saint while I imagined myself stomping on his burning carcass. I continued my greeting with a mild barb: "...with questions of his familial rights, which I am sure are only rumors. You are as ethereal as a sumera and seem to exude the aroma of an imperial."

His voice was smooth as honeyed wine; a voice that lulled you into believing his sins weren't so bad - that the man standing before you wasn't evil incarnate. The smirk turned into a grin. "A sumera bloom? That's a bloom that grows more lovely each time its ground is bathed in blood thus it has whiplike hooks that catch travelers unawares. He smirked. "I rather like that comparison, but I am also sure you have injured my name and pride."

My smile grew broader as I jabbed again. "I meant no offense as I was merely comparing our equal footing." I knew I was risking being impaled by his thorns, but I hated him too much to be polite.

The ambassador cleared his throat and stepped in front of me giving the prince a cool expression. I assumed he was nervous by our hostilities, but his voice was quite firm when he addressed the prince. "Prince Kohl, Dova Rathe, and his family could not have Perron attend. Talesina Sera, Taleat Perron's fiancee, just learned that the Talesina Jasni, her sister, has perished. In light of such a tragedy, they decided to send his trusted relative, Taleat Kaashif."

"That was unnecessary to explain, ambassador. His Highness, Kohl Sanfelton, should have already received your notice of this some time ago." My brows raised at the ambassador's need to over-explain. Too much explanation just led to more suspicion. "The child was traveling with the Tavla, and we're quite surprised the news didn't come from Sanfelton." Despite this awkward exchange, I was inwardly cheering that somehow the ambassador had indeed received the message and was on board.

Kohl shrugged. "The Tavla never arrived on our shores that I am aware of. His Majesty was handling the talks with the man. I knew nothing of the details."

Oh, indeed.

I shrugged in return as my eyes glittered with aggression and my next words were more insults. "Of course not. What would a third prince have to do with such matters? In any case, Jasni's death caused great suffering for the Dovas of Calasha."

Suffering that I was sure Kohl had first hand in. Kohl's smile grew broader at my thinly veiled hatred.

"That is most distressing to hear." The silvery voice of the second prince resounded behind Kohl, and a look of irritation passed over the third prince's visage before smoothing out. I looked past Kohl to find Altair frowning at the back of Kohl's head. "It's also distressing that somehow our schedule was altered, and we were unable to meet you."

Altair was taller than Kohl by six inches and far more elegant, with flowing blonde hair that spilled in waves down his back and icy aqua-shaded eyes. Like everyone else on my list of suspects, he was beautiful, even more beautiful than Kohl. He made Kohl look like an insignificant ant. There were many stories of the animosity between the brothers - an animosity I fully intended to make use of.