Downworld

Chapter 21

'Jay, may I speak with you a moment?'

I paused, and ground my teeth so I wouldn't say, 'no, you bitch, I'm busy.' Slowly, I turned to face Afra where she was standing in the doorway of one of the sitting rooms that she had claimed for herself. She was dressed particularly well today, in a modest but beautiful red dress, with her dark hair sparkling with diamonds and rubies.

I fucking hated her, but I said, mildly, 'of course, Smoke Princess.'

She gestured me into the room, and I found it empty. That was strange for her, as someone who liked to have one of her servants around at all times, to remind herself how important she was. It was clear she wanted me to sit on a couch with her, and I obliged, hoping to have this done quickly.

'You don't need to be so formal with me, you know, especially since I've heard a rumor that tells me you and Malik were married in secret.'

'In private.'

'Private,' the word seemed to amuse her. 'Of course.'

'Afra,' she smiled as I spoke her name. 'What is it you wanted?'

She leaned forward. 'I want to know what it is that my sweet little cousin sees in you, and what you see in him.'

'That's between us,' I said, refusing to notice the way her cleavage was spilling out of her dress, or the way the musky scent she wore stuck in my throat.

Afra hummed, not leaning back and I resisted the urge to push her away from me. This was the game she'd played after that first meeting; she flirted and I did my best to ignore her. She enjoyed it, because she thought it annoyed me. She didn't realize that my irritation was about her, standing in my way and making veiled threats against Malik, and my own inability to do anything about it that wouldn't upset Malik.

'Perhaps you just haven't had a better offer,' she cooed.

'If I was interested in such a thing, I would sought it out before getting married.'

'Perhaps. Perhaps not, since Malik is so jealous of you he might decide to kill you if you left him.'

'Malik's not jealous.' Nor would he kill someone for something like that, either. But, there would have been no explaining that to Afra -- who had killed more than one lover in the past, if rumors were to be believed.

'You care about him, don't you? Love him.'

'Where is this going?'

'Daud is nearing the end of his life.'

Ah, that was her issue then, she wanted to feel me out for that inevitable day. The question now was: did the wedding smoke her out? Or did she know I'd been talking with the Red King?

'I know,' was all I said, thinking it best to play it a little dumb.

'I'd like to know what's going to happen when he does.'

'You're asking the wrong person.'

'Am I?'

'Yes.'

'Maybe you should be asking me.'

'Why would I do that?'

'Because I intend to fight for the territory. If Malik gets in my way, I will kill him. Unless....'

'Go on,' I said, just like she wanted me too.

'Maybe you could convince me otherwise.' Then she placed a hand on my leg so that there could be no misunderstanding.

'No,' I manage. Just no. Not get your fucking hand off me you moldy bitch. Just no. A feat of self-control, that.

'No?'

'No.'

'So Malik is jealous of you.'

Her hand was still there, and I took it carefully and pushed it from me. I stood and stepped away from her, so I could breathe without her perfume invading my lungs. I didn't turn to look at her yet. Instead I spoke. 'I hate a lot of things about this place,' I said, not caring at that moment to be careful and guard my words, lest the Smoke Princess realize I'm not afraid of her. 'But the thing I hate the most are these politics. I am not a thing that you can use to show everyone how much better you think you are than Malik. Nothing you could offer me, not your body, or your sons' bodies, not even my life or his, could make me let you use me to hurt him. Now, Smoke Princess, I suggest we forget we ever had this talk, like I've forgotten how you've sent half your household to try seduce me over the years, and let's put this little game behind us.'

She is silent a long moment, until I turned back to her. 'You'll change your mind when I'm ruling the Glen. I think you will beg me then, for what I'm offering.'

'I think it very unlikely I'll still be living if that happens,' I said, and made to leave. At the door, I paused. 'And Smoke Princess? The next pawn you send to tempt me, you won't be getting back.'

'Ha, you won't kill someone acting on another's orders.'

'I never said I'd kill them. I just said you won't get them back.' It wasn't an empty threat, for all that I didn't know what exactly I was threatening. She sneered and I left.

She never did send anyone else.