“You wait and see. He’ll find a way to get her behind a tree or around a corner, and he’ll kiss her. He’s the type.”
Amalie, be careful with him, Cammon sent out to her. Valri thinks he’ll try to take liberties. Turn around at any point and go back inside. You don’t have to placate Storian quite so much.
But Amalie’s mind was completely closed to him. He couldn’t even tell if she heard him, and she certainly didn’t respond.
So he fretted for the next thirty minutes, every time a bend of the path or the stoop of a tree momentarily hid the princess and her swain from view. Even Justin and Coeval, a few feet behind, must have lost sight of their quarry now and then, Cammon was sure. Once, as Amalie and Toland slipped past a dairy house, they disappeared for a good fifteen seconds, and when Cammon could see them again, Amalie looked flushed and Toland smug.
“He kissed her,” Cammon whispered to the queen. “I’m sure of it.”
“Why doesn’t she look more upset?”
Cammon felt a profound and bitter blackness settle over him. “I don’t know. Maybe she likes him after all. Maybe she was just pretending before.”
“Well, he is handsome in a sort of hearty and stupid way.”
His mood grew even darker, and he made no answer.
Cammon had been so absorbed in watching the suitor and trying to guess Amalie’s response that he hadn’t paid much attention to where they were heading. But a small exclamation from Valri made him realize Amalie had led them all the way to the far end of the compound where the raelynx made its home.
“Why bring him here?” the queen murmured.
Amalie said something indistinguishable to Toland, and he caught her hand in his, lifting it to his heart. Suddenly the still winter air was shattered by a blood-chilling and inhuman sound-the wailing shriek of a raelynx, rising and rising, increasing in intensity, until it was abruptly cut off.
Toland dropped Amalie’s hand and whirled around, fingers on his dress sword, eyes wide and frightened. Cammon saw his lips move. What was that? Justin and Coeval had drawn their weapons and taken defensive postures-though Justin, at least, recognized the sound of a raelynx and knew there was no defense against one.
Amalie’s clear voice was distinct in the sudden silence. “That’s my raelynx. One of my many defenders.”
She twisted the key in the lock and flung wide the gate.
The raelyx bounded out.
For a moment, everyone was frozen. Cammon caught Valri’s sudden silent scream of horror, felt Justin’s wicked spike of fear-those two knew what a raelynx was capable of, how impossible it was to contain. Toland’s fright was more elemental and uninformed. He just knew that this large, feral, unfamiliar creature was stalking in his direction with its hot eyes fixed unwaveringly on his face.
“It’s going to kill that boy,” Valri whispered, and suddenly both of them were running. Toward the big cat, which was insane, hoping to save the serramar, hoping to save the princess. Cammon felt Valri’s mind open up as she reached out for the raelynx-felt her utter astonishment when she realized that the cat was under someone else’s control.
Justin and Coeval were also on the move but, without looking at them, Amalie held up her hand to keep them at bay. Cammon and Valri skidded to a halt beside the Riders, and Justin gave Cammon one quick, wide-eyed glance. But no one spoke. No one moved except Amalie, who took two steps closer to Toland and buried her hand in the fur of the raelynx’s neck.
The raelynx released another of those preternatural cries. Only Amalie seemed unaffected.
“One of my protectors,” she repeated to Toland in a tranquil voice. “I told you I had many.”
“What-what is it? Will it eat me?”
“He’s a raelynx. Imported from the Lirrenlands. He would most definitely eat you if he was hungry. And if I wasn’t here to stop him. He responds to my will and to my moods. He knows that you have upset me a little with your behavior-and you see, that’s upset him as well.”
“I didn’t! I-I didn’t know and he-he-what are you going to do with him? Put him back! Lock him up!”
Amalie stroked the cat’s fur. “I don’t think so. He’s been locked up too long as it is. I believe I’ll take him back with me to the palace tonight.”
That was so outrageous that suddenly all of them found their voices, Toland, Valri, and Justin all simultaneously begging Amalie to change her mind, to not be ridiculous, to think of the danger, Majesty, think of the panic. Cammon said nothing aloud but he put a question directly in her head. Are you serious?
This time she replied, a single word, but he heard it distinctly. Yes.
By the Bright Mother’s red eye. “She can control it,” he whispered to Valri. “I’ve seen her do it. Better than you or I can.”
“Can you take it away from her? I’m trying, and I can’t.”
He shook his head. “I think we have to trust her.”
“It’s madness!”
For the life of him, he couldn’t repress a grin. “I know.”
Amalie was smiling impartially at the whole group as if they weren’t all regarding her with varying degrees of terror and despair. “I think ser Toland is getting a little chilled. Shall we all head back inside?”
Justin, living up to his reputation for reckless bravery, actually gainsaid her. “Majesty. Think a moment about the chaos you will unleash throughout the palace if you try to bring that creature inside.”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m sure there will be some consternation until people get used to him. But he responds to my direction. There is no need to fear.”
Justin held his ground. “But there will be fear. If nothing else, let someone return in advance of you to warn the inhabitants what danger is on its way.”
Amalie tilted her chin at him, clearly not liking this suggestion. It was the first time Cammon realized that she was blazingly furious and that only the most iron will was allowing her to keep her anger in check. Sweet gods, if she lost that control, the raelynx would slip away from her, and then there would be a reckoning such as she could never have imagined.
“I would never do anything to endanger my people,” she said loftily.
“Then return the raelynx to his cell and bring him out some other day when his appearance will not be so terrifying.”
Amalie hesitated-then glanced at Cammon. Half of him thought it would be marvelous to have Amalie parade the wild cat across the compound and show the entire city what strange and potent resources she commanded. Half of him desperately wished to see the raelynx safely behind a barred gate. This was not the time to give in to his more adventurous impulses. He nodded slowly.
Amalie seemed to deflate slightly. “Very well. Since you are all so worried. I will return him to his pen for now. But I will release him on some future date, and you will see then how well he minds me.”
Justin bowed very low, his fist against his shoulder. “Majesty, that will be a most memorable day.”
Amalie’s hand tightened in the cat’s fur, and she seemed to tug it toward the fence. “Come,” she said in a soft voice. “Just a taste of freedom after all.”
For a moment, the raelynx resisted, and the rest of them all grew motionless again. But then, growling with protest, the big cat turned under her hand and slunk back into the garden. In a moment, the gate was shut, the lock was thrown, and Amalie was giving them all that sunny smile.
“Well?” she said. “Shall we head back?”
Toland drew a shuddering breath and stumbled up the path toward the palace without waiting for anyone else to move. Valri sagged against Cammon, clutching his arm as if she might fall to the ground without his support. Justin gave Cammon a very serious look-and then, the smallest grin. Coeval said nothing, just sheathed his weapon.