Page 98

Alex hadn’t allowed herself to think ahead to a physical confrontation with Aven. She’d fought him before, if only once against Vae’varka. That time, she’d somehow managed to evade his blade, but that was because Niyx had jumped in to take over. Despite having survived every encounter with him so far, in the back of her mind, she’d known the day was coming when she would have to face him and his blade of darkness, just as she’d known the likelihood of avoiding at least some kind of shallow cut was almost non-existent.

Which is why she hadn’t allowed herself to think about it— because a single scratch from the blade would have led to her death.

Until now.

“Zaylin,” Alex whispered, staring at the rippling dark material. “I don’t know what to say.”

The Tia Auran looked uncomfortable by the clear emotion in Alex’s voice. “You did spare my life. I figure it’s the least I could do.”

Alex just shook her head, not allowing the helper to shrug aside the value of her gift. “If this is the last of its kind, am I even allowed to have it? Does the empress know about this?”

“She knows,” Zaylin said, beginning to refold the armour. “And she wants you to have it.”

Alex managed to suppress a snort, but she wasn’t able to keep from raising her eyebrows. “Are we talking about the same Saefii here?”

“You’d be surprised just how highly the empress regards you,” Zaylin said, bundling everything back together. “Despite the outcome today, she wants you to have the best chance possible in the battle for your world.”

“Could have fooled me,” Alex couldn’t help muttering.

Placing the folded items back in the bag, Zaylin straightened and said, “The empress did what she felt she had to for the sake of our people, but that doesn’t mean she feels no remorse for her actions.”

“You make it sound likeshe’sthe injured party in all this,” Alex said. “When really, she’s the one who could snap her fingers at any time and change her mind.”

“My people are nothing if not political,” Zaylin said. “There are powers in play that you can’t possibly begin to imagine, and consequences which no explanation would help you understand.” Her voice quietened. “Sometimes what looks likethe easy choice is really the hardest one of all. So as difficult as it is, I urge you not to cast judgement—not without knowing the reasons driving her decision.”

Alex sighed deeply, but nodded. “It’s not like it matters now, anyway.”

Holding her gaze for a long moment, Zaylin finally nodded as well. And when she spoke again, it wasn’t about the armour or about Saefii. Instead, it was to say her own goodbye—one that was much better than Alex’s short offering had been.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to serve you, Alexandra Jennings,” Zaylin whispered. She bent her arm at the elbow and fisted her hand diagonally over her chest to meet her heart in the Tia Auran equivalent of a salute, bowing slightly to Alex as she whispered to finish, “May the light shine upon you always, my friend, and may you never wander from your path.”

And then with a bright flash, Alex was delivered back to the throne room with the gift bag at her feet, but no Zaylin in sight.

The celebrations were still in full swing, but they appeared to be dying down, for which Alex was grateful since it meant they might finally be allowed to leave soon.

Picking her way across the room, Alex zigzagged through the tables until she returned to her awaiting friends.

Acting like she really had just gone to stretch her legs— despite the mysterious bag she now held—Alex took her seat in between Kaiden and D.C. and turned to ask the whole group, “Time to go home, yet?”

“Soon,” Declan said. “Another few minutes, by the sounds of things.”

“You just missed a cracker of a speech,” Bear told her. “You would have loved it.”

His tone was enough that Alex knew ‘love’ would have been the least of her sentiments, so she was now extra glad Zaylin had swept her away.

“I’ll bet,” she mumbled, before looking at Kaiden hopefully. “Did you—”

She didn’t need to finish before he relieved her of her bag— raising an eyebrow when he saw what was inside but refraining from comment—and passed over a piece of decadent cake topped with metallic gold icing.

“Mmm,” she said. “My hero.”

He chuckled lightly. “Doesn’t take much with you, does it?”

Recalling how Niyx had warned Kaiden that she would make him work for it, but the effort would be worth it, Alex’s eyes softened as she looked at him and quietly responded, “Not anymore.”

Since she’d used their unending dinner hours to fill him in on what she’d experienced inside the Gate of Lost Souls, he understood her meaning for what it was and reached out to squeeze her leg gently, unable to do more firstly because she now had a face full of cake, but mostly because Saefii stood and the room silenced.

Quickly scarfing down the rest of her dessert, Alex rose with her friends when the empress called out for them to join her at the head of the room.