The Riven Kingdom: Book 2 by Karen Miller

Author:Karen Miller
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Published: 2011-02-08T04:01:49+00:00

And if he’s lying . . . what has he to hide?

God protect her, there was too much here unknown. Suddenly aware of his closeness, his overwhelming physical presence, suddenly feeling not quite so safe, she took a step back. Put some space between them.

“Yatzhay, Zandakar. I’m sorry, too. I’m very sorry you don’t remember.”

From the direction of the van came a plaintive shout. “Highness? Where are you? Zandakar? Are you near?”

Ursa. She looked at Zandakar and he looked back. For a moment she knew her expression mirrored his: guilty apprehension. “Oops,” she said. “We’re caught out. I think we’d better go.”

Zandakar grinned. It was so unexpected. So vivid and mischievous. She felt her heart thud. “Zho, Rhian,” he said. “We go.”

Turning her back on that blinding smile, she stumbled over the running stream’s uneven stone bed and onto dry land. Zandakar leapt out beside her, flashing her another swift smile. The dry land shifted beneath her feet and her blood became a waterfall, thundering through her veins. She pressed a hand against her thudding heart and made herself breathe normally.

It’s nothing. It doesn’t matter. I’m going north, to Alasdair.

They were greeted back at the van by outrage. Helfred, of course, led the chorus of dismay.

“Your Highness, what were you thinking, dis-appearing like that?” he demanded, thrusting himself at her with his hands fisted on his hips. “What were you doing?”

She looked quickly at Zandakar, whose blue eyes had kindled. “Wei. I’ll deal with this.” Turning back to Helfred, she stood her ground before him. “I was taking exercise, Helfred. Zandakar was teaching me his hotas.”

“His hotas?” Helfred’s eyes popped wide with shock. “Whatever possessed you? You’ve no need for his heathenish dances!”

“I disagree,” she said coolly. “Helfred—”

He shook a pointed finger in her face. “Princess Rhian, you will listen to me! You are an unmarried minor, a ward of the Church! You cannot traipse about the country-side unsupervised with a man of no character, a man not your father, a man of dubious antecedents! Good God have mercy, think of your reputation! If you—”

“Helfred,” she said, her voice coated with ice. “One more word and I’ll unleash Zandakar.”

As Helfred gobbled, Dexterity cleared his throat. “Rhian, really, he’s not being unrea—”

She turned on him. “Did I ask for your opinion? I don’t believe I did. Or yours, Ursa! Hold your tongues, both of you!”

They pursed their lips, but stayed silent. Rhian shifted her glare back to Helfred.

“You are my chaplain, Helfred. Not my father, my brother or my keeper. I don’t require you to lecture me on proper conduct. Whatever I do is proper, because I do it. Can you honestly think you have more care for my name than I do?”

The colour had drained from his face. He looked pinched and older and bitterly hurt. “Your Highness—”

Hurt? Why hurt? I’m the injured party here. “Oh, you make me tired,” she snapped. “I was perfectly safe.”

“Not necessarily,” said Ursa, irrepressible. “Zandakar is a powerful man. He might have injured you. Perhaps not deliberately, but by accident.

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