Page 76 of Four Ruined Realms (The Broken Blades #2)

Aeri

Quu Harbor, Khitan

“Be safe, my love,” Quilimar says to General Vikal. She covers the general’s hand with hers.

“I’ll return to you,” Vikal says.

The queen takes her eyes off the harbor for long enough to exchange a loving glance with Vikal. The general salutes her, then rides with Royo and me to where the path begins on the shore of Quu. Queen Quilimar really loves her. Does that make my aunt better or worse, or does loving someone not affect our value at all?

I don’t have time to think about it, because we’ve reached the shore. I grip the reins of my horse so hard that my knuckles go white. We pause before entering, and that gives me a chance to feel how my pulse is pounding in my neck. This really couldn’t feel more like a trap. Every fiber of my being wants to turn back, but there’s nowhere to go but forward.

Yet even General Vikal takes a deep breath before shaking it off and spurring her horse. Royo and I follow, our horses taking their first hesitant steps onto the mucky path. I tense, waiting for the East Sea to descend on us, but the water walls hold.

A few yards in, I stop waiting for the water to crash down on top of me. A few more and I’m able to marvel at the miracle surrounding us.

It’s…incredible to be riding through a harbor. The dry space is around twenty feet wide and leads to the black rocks at the end.

Gods, that’s like the isle in the Sol.

As soon as I think it, Royo looks over at me. He rides beside me, guarding me, but also staring up at the water towering far above our heads. The prow of a sunken ship sticks out of the water over to the left. We pass lost traps, nets, and other debris, including rusted swords stuck in the muddy sand.

I have stopped time, but I have never experienced anything this amazing. I reach out and touch the wall of water. I can’t help but smile as my hand comes away wet. The sea is constantly flowing fifty feet into the air, yet the only drops that land on our heads are from the monsoon.

I force my wonder aside and remember that I can’t swim. I swallow the lump in my throat. If this goes wrong, I die. Again.

How in the three realms does this keep happening?

I vow to learn to swim if I live through this. It doesn’t look like swimming lessons are in my future, honestly.

We ride toward the rocks where five other people wait—two from Yusan and two from Wei and one other. Although I see their clothes and robes, I can’t make out their faces from this far away. The seafloor dips down. We had a better view from the shore.

Once we reach the rocks, we dismount and scale the twelve-foot boulders of the isle. Royo gives me a boost. My hands slip on the wet stone, but I make it to the top. The first two people I see are General Salosa and Bay Chin. Salosa wears his armor, and Count Bay Chin is in a suit with his noble collar over it. They stand under the banner of Yusan.

Shit.

Short of my father himself, Bay Chin is the worst possible person to stand in this parley. My stomach turns, my fingers icy—Royo’s going to kill him.

Royo reaches the top, and I put my hand against his chest for him to stay a step back. He looks down at my fingers, but then he stiffens when he sees Bay Chin.

Two people also stand under the Weian flag. I don’t know who they are. One wears white-and-blue robes, so I assume he’s a priest, and one wears elaborate armor. The last person on the isle wears gray robes—a priest. I look at his face and his red hair. It’s Luhk! Joy fills me that he survived. He must be here to record this moment and translate.

“Generals,” Vikal says in Khitanese. “And others unwelcome at our shore.”

“Vikal,” General Salosa says.

The Weian person in armor bows with a hand to their torso. They are a mix of genders. Mikail said some people in Wei are not male or female and instead go by xe.

“Vikal,” xe says.

What comes next is a mess of ritual and translation. Everything needs to be spoken in all four languages, despite no one being Gayan on this rock.

I’m not sure why I’m here, and that is a problem. Quilimar had a purpose in sending me, but I haven’t figured it out yet. I would think Vikal was supposed to murder me, but then Royo would not have been allowed.

No, from the way Bay Chin and Salosa eye me, Quilimar wanted them to see that I have the Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord and yet I am on her side. She wants them to know we have chosen to ally with the queen rather than give my father the ring.

As the men stare at me, I realize we won. We did exactly what we had set out to do. Quilimar is on our side, allied with us against Joon. But Euyn is dead, a war of the realms has started, and apparently, I’m going to have to choose between loves.

We won, but at the same time, we lost.

My father stands on the prow of his ship, wearing the Immortal Crown and watching the parley from sixty yards away. The priest king of Wei, however, sits on his throne in the middle of the imperial warship. I can just make him out. I think he’s ten years older than my father, and he’s being served grapes. Snacking as all of these lives are about to be lost.

“No terms can be reached,” Luhk finally says in Yusanian. “Return to your armies and prepare for war.”

I’m many things, but I’m not surprised. Bay Chin turns to leave.

“Bay Chin,” Royo says.

My eyes volley to Royo. He can barely contain his rage, the muscle in his jaw ticking. General Vikal notices as well, coming a step closer as Royo begins to pull his sword. He can’t do this right now. Not when we’re trapped on this rock in the middle of the harbor floor.

“There is to be no violence at the parley,” Luhk says.

Royo hesitates, but he lets go of his blade. “I will smile at your corpse before this is over, Your Grace.”

Royo issues a mocking bow.

“Boy, you have no idea who you’re dealing with,” Bay Chin says. “You’d best crawl back to the sewer you came from. Like your father and mother before you.”

No. I widen my eyes as Royo turns red. He marches the short distance to Bay Chin. I think he’s about to attack, but he stops two feet away.

“Pick up a sword,” Royo says. “Or let’s finish this with our bare hands, man to man.”

Bay Chin smiles. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Coward!” Royo yells. “Fight me now or get on your knees and beg forgiveness for your crimes.”

General Vikal watches, but she doesn’t interfere, content to see how this plays out. I’m not. Not when General Salosa watches him with keen eyes. Royo has chest armor on, but his head and neck are exposed.

“Royo, please.” I step closer to him.

He’s breathing hard, ready to swing regardless of whether Bay Chin consents to fight, but then he finally looks at me. Royo sighs, some of his anger fading. He spits at Bay Chin’s feet and then turns around.

My heart swells as he takes a step toward me. He is choosing love over his chance at revenge. He is choosing me.

But there’s motion behind him. General Salosa unsheathes his sword while Royo’s back is turned. And Bay Chin is smiling.

No!

The sword rises. I go to grab my amulet, but it’s fused to me. I don’t know how to stop time now. I don’t know if I even can.

I throw my arm out for Salosa to stop. Fear pools in my stomach. I can’t do anything. I’m going to watch him cut down Royo. He’s going to die in front of me. I can’t save him. I can’t kill Salosa or Bay Chin, as much as I want to. And gods, how I want to see them dead.

All of a sudden, the ring glows. A bright gleam of gold fills my eyes, illuminating the entire isle. General Vikal and the priests shield their eyes, but it doesn’t bother me. Because I realize what is happening.

I hear the screams I want to hear. And then the quiet of nothing at all.

When the glow fades, Bay Chin stands with his hands out and General Salosa with his sword swung back to strike, but they have been turned into solid gold.

Royo drops to his knees, trying too late to get out of the way of Salosa’s blade, but it’s not necessary. They’re already dead.

He looks behind him. Shock and horror wash over his face, and then he stares at me. But I don’t feel a thing. I did what I had to do, whatever it took, to save him. I’d happily do it again.

Power surges through me, more than before. It feels like the relics are begging to be used again. I don’t feel exhaustion or the pain that Euyn obviously experienced. This is something else.

But then the ground rumbles as the sea begins to fall.

My mouth falls open as water starts flooding the space that had been dry, beginning at the entrance to the harbor. They’re blocking off our means of escape. By now, everyone must realize that I have the ring, and they are coming to take it. Even the Weian general and the priests turn toward me.

And then I realize my mistake: by saving Royo, I may have just doomed us all.

Instead of feeling panicked, though, I am calm.

“A single step closer and you will wind up like them,” I say.

Luhk translates.

The Weian general puts xer hands out, and the priest takes a step back.

I look at the soldiers running around the royal warships and the Water Scepter wielder who is closing off the path. I tilt my head.

Aren’t they at all tired of being powerless?

I am.

I am so tired of not being safe. So tired of being a player in a game I didn’t design. I feel Quilimar’s rage, Sora’s. Mine.

My father leans on the railing, jaw slackened at the scene in front of him—the men who had been his pawns are nothing more than gold statues now. I stare back at him. Even the priest king of Wei stands. He is the same kind of man as my father. Ruthless, pretend gods. All of this didn’t start with them, but it ends with them.

Fury builds as I stare at the kings. Then I extend my arms.

Drown.

Power radiates down my limbs and out of my hands. A golden glow fills the harbor. Then I don’t remember a thing.