Queen of Swords Read Online Free

like that. “I have to.”
    “This is your doing, Marianna,” he growled, crossing the kitchen and shoving a finger in her mother’s face. “If it wasn’t for your ridiculous superstitions and woo-woo feelings, she wouldn’t feel like she had to go.”
    Mama let go of Ophelia and wrapped a small fist around the offending finger, pushing it away. “She has to go. If you try to keep her, there will be consequences.” She paused. “Just as there were last time.”
    “Don’t you dare throw that in my face, woman. What happened on The Dutchman was a terrible tragedy and nothing more.”
    “Bullshit.”
    They all froze, gazes flying to Mama’s face. Papa made a choked sound, his face turning a deep burgundy. Once he got going, he could yell for hours, and Mama would just sit there and watching him, using a few choice words to piss him off further.
    Ophelia slid from her seat and moved between them, forcing their attention off each other. “I’m going. End of discussion.”
    He sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Then sit down, baby girl, and I’ll make you some real breakfast.”
    She obeyed, pulling Mama down with her. Her mother gave a soft smile. “Things will work out.” Because she was Tyche , Mama got feelings sometimes that were as accurate as if she used the cards. The problem was they weren’t always specific.
    The smell of bacon—real bacon—filled the room, making Ophelia’s mouth water. She’d loved watching her father cook ever since she was a child, had spent hours in this kitchen with him. He certainly didn’t look like the homemaker type. His shoulders were absurdly large, closer to Bolkerian than human—minus the spikes, of course.
    He set a glass of orange juice in front of her. “You don’t have to go. It’s too soon. Stay here and we’ll keep you safe.”
    Ophelia ignored Mama’s huff and took a sip. “I have to go.”
    Papa had always held a blatant hatred for the cards. She suspected it went back to his years as a lieutenant of Sanctify—much like his outdated belief women couldn’t do everything men could. He may have lost his innate hatred for anything nonhuman, but he still couldn’t quite make himself believe. To Papa, the cards would always be superstitious nonsense, not the all-important guide they were to Diviners. It was yet another thing that always managed to come between them.
    He growled and flipped the bacon. “He’s using you to get into the family business.”
    “I know.” And she had no idea how the prince knew in the first place. It didn’t sit well with her, but Ophelia had to trust the Lady knew what She was doing. She took another sip and set her glass on the table. “He won’t get anything from me. If you think otherwise, then you don’t know me very well.”
    “I know, baby girl.” Papa turned around, wielding two plates full of bacon and pancakes. He set them in front of her and Mama before retreating for the final one. “But I’m worried about what he’ll do when he finds out.” Papa exhaled loudly, dropping into his chair. “And I don’t know who we’re going to replace you with.”
    Ophelia opened her mouth to suggest… Oh hells, she didn’t know, but he beat her to it.
    “I suppose I’ll have to take over until I find someone.”
    Her mouth snapped shut with an audible click and Mama sighed. Ophelia knew very well how that conversation would go once she was out of the room. It wouldn’t be pretty. She thought fast, picking a name at random. “What about Cain?”
    “He’s impulsive and abrasive. He’d be killed within a week.”
    One could argue the same traits applied to her. She took a bite of bacon and chewed slowly, the meat tasting of ash on her tongue. The synth crap couldn’t compare to real meat, but right now she couldn’t even enjoy it. “You’ll find someone.”
    He shrugged and began shoveling food into his mouth. Obviously there would be no more talking about it. She and Mama shared a significant