Destiny: A Story of the Fey Read Free

religious fanatics who have never seen war. You’ll sail in with your troops, wave a few swords, and be able to claim victory over an entire country in the space of a day. I’ll be useless to you.”
    He shook his head. “I’m taking you, and a lot of Spies and Doppelgängers. I am to be military governor of Blue Isle. My father will launch an attack from there onto Leut.”
    Solanda narrowed her eyes and was glad she wasn’t in cat form. She probably would have found an excuse to scratch Rugar, and that wouldn’t have been good for either of them.
    “Spies, Doppelgängers, and a Shifter,” she said. “It sounds like an intelligence force. You won’t need it if you conquer the country as quickly as you believe you will.”
    His gaze went flat. “I will need it.”
    She stared at him for a moment. He knew something and he wasn’t going to share it with her. Spies made sense, even in an easily conquered country. They would find the pockets of resistance. But Doppelgängers had no place there. They killed their hosts and then took over the body, including the memories. Except for the gold flecks in the eyes, no one could tell them from their victims. Doppelgängers had a sophisticated magic — one that the best commanders used sparingly. And certainly didn’t waste them on an already conquered country.
    “You have no need for me,” she repeated. “I stay with the Black King.”
    “You’ll come with me.”
    “Your father said so?”
    “No, but he will.”
    “Because he already acquiesced on Jewel?”
    Rugar started. He hadn’t expected her to know that.
    Solanda raised her eyebrows and allowed herself a small smile. “I am good at gathering intelligence.”
    “And,” he said, “as you pointed out, there’s no need for intelligence gathering in a conquered country.”
    She nodded. “I’ll go to Leut with your father, when he’s ready. Until then, I’ll relax here.”
    “Solanda —“
    “Rugar,” she said, holding up a hand. “You and I have no great liking for each other. I have a hunch your father is sending you to Blue Isle to get you out of his sight. I’d rather not be associated with you in any way. Right now, I hold your father’s respect. I’d rather not change that.”
    Rugar took a step toward her. She could feel the violence shimmering in him.
    She grabbed the doorknob. “Touch me,” she said, “and I’ll scratch out your eyes.”
    “You can’t touch me. I’m a member of the Black Family.”
    She smiled. “I’m a Shifter. Unpredictable, irresponsible, flighty — remember? I’m sure the Powers would let this slide.”
    “But my father would not,” Rugar said.
    “Oh,” Solanda said softly, “but I think he would.”
     
    ***
     
    She tried to see the Black King before she left the building, but he was nowhere to be found. His personal guards were gone as well. She decided she would find him in the morning, and went back to her life as a pampered Nyeian cat.
    The home that she had chosen was a large one on the outskirts of Nir. It had two stories filled with more clutter than any home she had ever seen. Books of poetry, musical instruments, incredibly ugly paintings, and furniture everywhere. The only saving grace was that the furniture was comfortable and the kitchen had a cat door that she could escape through when the wife decided it was time for music.
    Solanda slipped through the cat door, past the kitchen hearth. One of the three Nyeian servants was cleaning the pots from the evening meal. The air smelled faintly of roast beef, and Solanda’s stomach rumbled.
    Still, she didn’t beg from the servant. She knew better. The idiot had kicked her “accidentally” once, and had the scars to prove it. But Solanda knew if she attacked anyone in the house too many times, she would be thrown out, and she wasn’t willing to lose her rich dinners and soft bed just yet.
    She blended into the hideous yellow wallpaper as she hurried up the stairs to Esmerelda’s