Page 17 of Daughter of the Ninth Line, Part Three

Sixteen

Avalon

O ur research—as well as, uh, other plans—halted as both Vox and Hayle got called to Fortaare for a Conclave, which was basically a meeting of the Barons and their non-sitting Heirs.

Father would be there, as well as my middle brother, Bach.

I missed my siblings, more than I’d thought I would.

I’d thought that being away from Rewill would feel like such a relief, that I wouldn’t miss any part of my life there.

But I missed my brothers, and the hunting dogs, and the cooks. Despite it being filled with bad memories, the Keep had been my home since forever.

“You’re fully addicted to Hayle Taeme’s cock. You’ve been useless for the last three days,” Acacia told me sternly. “I mean, I don’t blame you. I’ve heard rumors about his magic stick, but girl, snap out of it. No dicking is that good.”

Viana bumped my shoulder with hers. “You just haven’t gotten laid in a long time, Cace.

Jealousy’s turning your hair green,” she teased, pointing to Acacia’s flaming red hair.

“I can say that if I’d been subject to those Third Line charms on a regular basis, I might also be looking longingly at the sea, waiting for him to return. ”

I flushed, realizing I had indeed been looking toward the port. Awkward. “Let’s go back to training. Besides, I haven’t been subject to any Third Line charms or whatever.”

“I can remedy that,” a voice said, and Lucio appeared beside me.

I’d met him a couple of times now, mostly in passing, and he always watched me with an expression somewhere between awe and suspicion, which led me to believe that Hayle had told him about the Soul Tie thing.

If my brother told me he had a magical connection with a random woman from a different Line, I’d probably be suspicious too.

I was trying to think of a polite way to say no, thank you, when Shay appeared and slapped the back of Lucio’s head. “Not if you want to survive the day, fleabag.” She looked at me. “Taeme won’t be back for another four days, so I have to agree with the Twelfth—grow some ladyballs and stop pining.”

Looking between the four people around me, I frowned. I doubted Boellium had ever seen a more mismatched group of people standing together without bloodshed. “One, I wasn’t staring at the ocean,” I lied. “Two, what is happening right now?”

Lucio gave me a crooked smile. “As the Third Line’s second-in-command, I’ve been ordered to keep an eye on you. Well, me and Quarry.” He nodded toward the raven who sat perched on the gate post, just watching.

Shay didn’t say anything, because it was a secret that Vox and I were seeing each other, even from his own Line.

Acacia was watching the woman with suspicion.

Her eyes flicked from me to Shay, to Lucio, then back to me.

I saw the moment when she added two and two together, and I gave her a tiny shake of my head.

I’d explain later, somewhere with no ears or eyes.

She stared at me a little longer, before lifting her chin slightly in agreement.

The Twelfth Line might be low in magic, but that didn’t make them stupid.

I pasted a smile on my face. “Thank you, but it’s really unnecessary. No one cares about me within the walls of Boellium.”

Shay snorted. “You aren’t that stupid.”

I flinched back. Acacia and Viana stepped in front of me—ready to defend my intellect, I guess—but I reached my hands out to stop them. They didn’t need to be on the First Line’s radar. “What do you mean?” I asked lightly.

Shay raised a taunting eyebrow at my friends, as if challenging them to continue.

“You are openly fucking the Third Line Heir. He’s committed to you in a way he hasn’t ever committed to a person at Boellium, in all the time he’s been here.

One of his hounds follows you around at all times, and if they aren’t here, you have his eyes and ears.

” She tilted her head at Quarry. “And the somewhat dull wit of his most trusted friend.”

She stared at me, her eyes seeing far too much.

“You’re a target now. Any chance you had at being anonymous is gone, Avalon Halhed, and the more prepared you are for that, the better.

If that isn’t something you wanted, then I suggest you end your little affair now, because you’ve been thrust into the world of backstabbing and politics, whether you want to be there or not.

” She shook her head derisively, something like pity in her expression.

“You’re a fucking lamb, alone and unprotected, being led to the slaughter. ”

Blinking dumbly at her, I had no pithy retort as her words rolled over and over in my brain. What she’d said was painfully true.

Acacia stepped forward. “She isn’t alone.

” She stood toe to toe with this woman who was so far above her station; to someone as powerful as Shay, killing Acacia would be little more taxing than swatting an annoying gnat.

“She has the Twelfth Line. We don’t forsake our friends.

” There was an underlying taunt in there, and I reached out, gripping her elbow before she got herself frozen into an ice statue on my behalf.

Shay continued to stare Acacia down, until to my surprise, she smiled. Shay Vylan smiled. It was a disconcerting expression. “Loyalty is something she’ll need,” Vox’s cousin—and the second most powerful person at Boellium—said softly.

They held each other’s eyes for a moment longer, until the stubborn standoff turned from angry to something more charged.

I definitely got the impression there was more subtext going on here than I could understand.

You didn’t have to be an emotional empath to feel the sexual tension so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

Just then, the instructor blew the whistle that released us from training, but no one moved. Shay straightened her face into the same imperious mask that Vox used as she flicked her gaze back to me. “Be careful.” Her eyes slid back to Acacia. “Twelfth.”

“My name is Acacia,” she purred, but there was a little bite to it too.

Shay nodded once and turned on her heel, striding out of the ring. I blinked, my eyes flicking between her and Acacia.

Lucio whistled low. “That was so fucking hot.”

Acacia raised a bright red eyebrow at him. “Be a good boy and run along.”

He groaned beneath his breath, looking over at me. “I’ll leave Leviat with you.” He pointed to his war cat, who was licking her paw with an expression that might have been disdain for us all. Lucio looked back at my friend with heart eyes. “Nice to meet you, Acacia.”

She gazed at him haughtily. “You can call me Twelfth.”

With a lopsided smirk, he clutched his chest. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be seeing you, Twelfth.” He strode off in the same direction Shay had gone.

Viana was fanning her face. “I’m not sure what just happened, but I’m going to need a cold shower.”

Acacia’s face finally flushed pink, clashing with the red of her hair. “Hush. Let’s go. Our little Ninth Line adoptee has been keeping secrets.” She dragged me back toward the atrium, dodging the people heading to the food hall.

“What about lunch?”

“Clancy made meal cakes. You won’t want to miss them. Now, stop stalling,” Acacia ordered.

I looked back at Viana. “Has she always been this bossy?”

Viana snorted a laugh and nodded. “The First Line is lucky she can’t back it up with magic. Otherwise, we’d all be bending the knee before her throne.”

The girl in question rolled her eyes. We descended the stairs in silence, and it wasn’t until we made it to the bowels, striding through the common area and into Acacia’s room, that I was content that there were no listening ears.

No one would waste spies down here, because they believed that the Twelfth Line conscripts were little better than rabbits, prone to breeding and not worth much.

They were so wrong. I’d found more warmth, acceptance, and beauty down here than I’d ever seen in the Upper Lines.

From the wall mural of the rolling sand dunes of Western Ebrus, to Clancy’s culinary masterpieces that made my eyes roll back in my head, to the clothes and jewellery that were basically pieces of art—every single thing they did was with intention to create a community of appreciation, joy, and togetherness.

In my opinion, it was worth more than magic.

As Viana shut the door, Acacia put her hands on her hips.

“You’re fucking them both? Do you know what a dangerous game you’re playing?

If they find out, they’ll tear each other apart, and then you.

They’re powerful , Avalon. The Third Line is territorial, and if Hayle Taeme finds out you’re fucking his archnemesis…

” She swallowed hard. “You’re just a Ninth Line conscript, not a powerful Heir. You’ll bear the brunt of their rage.”

Her words were stern, but I saw real fear on her face. Fear for me. It warmed something deep inside my chest.

I shook my head. “I’m not having sex with either of them, but what we have is… something else.” Something more than meaningless sex, anyway. “And I’m not doing it behind anyone’s back, especially not Hayle’s. It was his idea.”

That dumbfounded them both. “Hayle Taeme had the idea to share you with Vox Vylan?” Viana reached out and grabbed my fingers tightly. “Are you on drugs? Some of the shit peddled by those Upper Lines can cause serious brain damage. We can help you get clean?—”

Raising my other hand to stop her, I shook my head. “I’m not on drugs, V. I was just as surprised as you, I promise.” I squeezed her hand in mine. “This can never leave this room, okay? Swear it?”

Viana swore immediately, but Acacia hesitated. “I swear, unless I feel like your life is in imminent danger.”

Was that good enough? I needed friends, and a friendship couldn’t survive if it was based on half-truths and lies of omission. I’d have to take a leap of faith.

“Hayle says I’m his soulmate. He said he just wants me to be as happy as possible.”

Viana let out a little whoosh of breath. “Well, getting double-teamed by two hot, powerful guys would definitely make one part of you happy.”

“And Vox?” Acacia prompted.

“Vox believes that there’s some kind of magic at work, but we can’t figure out who or what would benefit from us being…

together. We’ve decided to roll with it, because one day he’ll leave and have to enter into a political marriage with someone from the Upper Lines, and he’ll live in miserably married convenience forevermore.

I think he just wants to have this moment of happiness, without political maneuvering and social climbing.

To be desired as Vox Vylan the man, not the Heir. ”

They both stared at me silently for a long time. Finally, Acacia spoke. “And Shay knows?” I nodded. “And Lucio?”

“I think the whole Third Line knows that Hayle is my boyfriend, but only Lucio knows that I’m their version of, like, a soulmate. Neither of them know that we suspect some kind of magic is at play. They wouldn’t take that well.”

Viana let out a long whistle. “Adopting you is the most interesting thing the Twelfth Line’s ever done.” She wrapped me in a hug. “Just know that whatever happens, we’ve got your back.”

Acacia hugged me from the other side. “Even if we do think you’re fucking insane.”