Page 29 of Immortal Origins (Chronicles of the Immortal Trials #1)

R eminded of her mission, Ambrose made her way carefully through the crowd, dancing so she wouldn’t draw unnecessary attention.

If she could make her way around the fire, at some point she should run across her brother or Ernaline.

She just needed to do it without looking like she was doing anything out of the ordinary.

If she took her time she knew she would find them.

As she spun her feet and swept through bodies and tangled limbs, she took a few deep breaths and focused her intention. Head swimming, she wished she hadn’t had so much wine but there was no going back now. Through each deep breath she pulled in her focus.

In. Out. In. Out…

Her skin tingled and the sounds of the crowd began to dissipate, senses sharpening as her ears focused solely on the sounds her feet made as they slid across the dirt.

When she could feel the ground and every rock, no matter how small, the drag of her feet and the rough feel of the hard dirt, she threw her focus into the ground.

As deep and far as she could push it. It was a new magick that Magnus showed her recently during her training.

One that took an insane amount of concentration but he encouraged her to master it every time they met.

The hair of her arms stood on end as the current inside of her pulsated from her body and into the dirt.

She closed her eyes and could see each pulse as it made its way through the ground like an echo.

Shapes took form as each of those echoes showed her every individual who moved around the fire.

Lovers holding one another tightly as they swayed and spun.

Friends embracing each other as they happily drank and laughed.

Fighters flexing and showing off bodies they worked tirelessly for.

Humans and fae alike clinking their glasses and filling their mugs.

Each image a golden shadow of its owner as the echoes carried across the terrain, showing her the beings around her.

She pushed her magick further and deeper, searching for someone in particular.

After it seemed as though she searched the entire gathering and would need to accept that he hadn’t come, she found who she was looking for.

She slowly made her way to the edge, keeping her eyes closed as she moved.

When she reached him, she swept up beside him but made sure to appear as though she wasn’t giving anyone her attention.

“Adym,” she whispered after making sure no one else would hear her.

His shoulders tensed in a way that only she would recognize as surprise, his composure nearly impenetrable.

“Ambrose?” he whispered, the shock mirrored in his tone. “What are you doing here?”

“I came looking for you. I’ve been waiting months to talk to you.” Something swelled in her chest as she realized how much she’d missed him. They’d never been separated for more than a day and months without him came crashing down onto her all at once.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said shortly, back stiffening. “You shouldn’t be speaking to me. Are you trying to get us killed?”

“No. Of course not. I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t be risking this, but I had to talk to you. This was the only way.”

“Then talk.”

“I…” Now that she was in front of him, she had no idea what to say. Months of speaking to him every day in her head and now that she was standing next to him, she had no words.

“Fine. I’ll talk,” he fumed. “What the hell did you do ?”

“I didn’t…”

“Didn’t what? Didn’t think?” he demanded, accusingly. “You never do.”

His words punched her in the chest. “You have no idea what happened. You weren’t there. ”

“I know the royals have never been this intense. They’re beyond themselves.

Casimir has the guard doing extra duties and shifts.

No one is allowed to leave the palace unattended at any time.

He has us drilling hours before the sun comes up with no sleep and sends us to our posts without breakfast. At any point, he grabs one of us and takes us in for questioning, which some of the no-stars haven’t come back from.

At all. The entire palace is on edge because of you .

” He broke his composure enough to angrily turn his head towards her just slightly, seeing her for the first time.

His brows scrunched as his eyes flared with anger scanning her face, to her hair and finally, to her mark. “Ambrose. What did you do? ”

She tucked a colorless strand behind her ear to get the reminder away. “You don’t understand. It wasn’t my fault.”

“You murdered a guard.”

“I didn’t mean to. It happened so fast, there was nothing I could’ve done,” she defended.

“Nothing you could’ve done?” he hissed and turned away from her. “You could’ve done anything else. You could’ve listened to me. You could’ve kept your head down. You could’ve done your duty, but you never listen to me. Now look. Are you proud of yourself?”

“My duty ?” Red seeped into the corners of her vision and a spark cut the air between them. “You have no idea what I’ve been through in the last few months. You have no idea what I’ve had to do to protect myself.”

“I know exactly what you’ve had to do to protect yourself.

” He did an excellent job of appearing stoic but his anger vibrated off of him.

“I never would’ve taught you to use a sword if I would’ve known you were going to use that knowledge to murder a guard.

Do you even understand how dangerous of a position you’ve put us in?

What they’ll do if they find out I’m the one who helped you?

Training was supposed to give you confidence.

Help you feel stronger so you would fit into your duties better knowing that you had strength somewhere.

I thought if I taught you to fight you would make peace with that and fall into place, and you’d finally be safe.

Now, we’re in more danger than we ever have been. Well, I am at least. Trial Champion. ”

His words cut her as though he struck her down with the sword at his hip.

“Adym.” Anger like she’d never known coursed through her veins. “Look at me.”

He refused.

“Look. At. Me.” Her hands balled into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms.

He refused.

The rage that simmered turned to fury as it bubbled up and threatened to unleash itself. Her skin hummed as the current inside her roared to life and she fought it back, forcing it down with intentional breaths. She couldn’t lose control now. Not when so many innocent lives were around.

“I never intended for this to happen.”

“You never intend for anything to happen. You don’t know your place, that’s the problem.

I know mine. Everyone knows theirs. It’s the way things are.

You don’t seem to understand that,” he lashed out.

“You murdered a two-star. You know they questioned me after it happened? They’re tearing through the guard looking for who could’ve taught you to use a sword.

You’re even putting my life at risk right now . ”

“Your life is always in danger. Safe isn’t for servants. Our lives are always at risk as long as we live in the empire,” she countered, chest heaving.

“No. Your life is. Because you never stop. You never know when enough is enough. What could’ve possibly made you decide to make the pledge?” he asked, voice heavy with anger and regret.

“What was I supposed to do, let them kill me?” she demanded.

“You should’ve never been in that trial in the first place.”

“You act like I asked for this.”

His jaw tensed. “Maybe you did.”

“How can you even say that?” Tears stung her eyes but she held them back.

“How can you deny any personal responsibility?” he snapped.

“Because this isn’t right!” It was as though her heart was being clawed to pieces. “None of this is right! How can you possibly think it is? ”

“It’s not about right, it’s about what is.”

She looked at her brother. Armor glinting against the firelight that proudly displayed the Eltorian crest. The king’s color fell down his shoulder with great care and every inch of metal was polished to the point of new.

She felt as though she were seeing him for the first time and it broke her heart.

It was so hard not to see the juvenile she’d grown up with.

The boy that would run with her and catch frogs and snakes was long gone.

Now she saw the man that had grown in his place.

When had the boy become a soldier? How had she missed that?

“When did you grow up?” Everything in her heart begged for this not to be happening.

“Why didn’t you?” he asked flatly.

She couldn’t take it anymore. Without another word she fled into the crowd, the care she took before gone as she shoved her way through. She had to get away from him.

How could he blame her?

She didn’t ask for this.

She never wanted any of this to happen.

She just wanted everything to go away. The tournament. The trials. The kingdom. She couldn’t take it.

She had no idea where Ernaline was and couldn’t think of finding her anymore. All she could think about was finding somewhere away from everything.

Then she remembered the crack and threw herself into the direction of the familiar blemish in the city wall. She found the location of it in her mind, knowing she wasn’t far. She just needed to reach it.

The sounds of celebration died behind her and it wasn’t until she was sure no one else was near did the tears finally fall. She screamed until her throat was as raw as her anger. She slumped to the ground, beating it with her balled fists until cuts formed and her blood stained the dirt.

What kind of world was this?

Would he ever forgive her?

How could she save him when she couldn’t even save herself ?

“I’ve finally found you.”