Page 32 of Immortal Origins (Chronicles of the Immortal Trials #1)

“I guess I could see about taking you outside the city to train in the forest. It would be extremely dangerous, there are creatures you can’t imagine in those woods but you would be able to let your magick go without worry of hurting someone nearby.

I suppose there’s no better place to try than somewhere those skills might actually be useful. ”

Relief washed over her. All she had to do was be patient and make her escape.

She knew the woods, and could survive in them for as long as she needed to.

There was no way she could convince Adym to leave with her and she’d just have to find a way to get word to Ernaline when she made it out safe and could come back for her.

This could be her only chance at a real escape and it hung on Akadian’s ability to convince Casimir .

She might’ve had better odds letting Thornehart kill her when he had the chance.

Either way, there was no turning back now.

* * *

Casimir stood above a kneeling Akadian as he relayed the events of the final night of the festival.

The empty, rough stone room they met in was illuminated only by a few firelights along the walls.

They were so deep in the palace, no one could hear them but Casimir still froze the only exit with a wall of ice so thick, it would be impossible for anyone to eavesdrop.

Water droplets—that had been a slight annoyance as they dripped from the uneven ceiling—hung in the air, frozen in time like shards of glass.

“He said she used Wind Magick. He attacked her unprovoked as soon as he caught her alone,” Akadian relayed from a bowed head. He would gladly accept the punishment. She never should have been left alone.

There was no mistaking the look that fell over Casimir, his rage seeping to every corner of the room. “And why , was she left alone?”

“It was my fault,” Akadian submitted. “I lost sight of her at the festival and couldn’t find her again until after he attacked. By then, he’d already done plenty of damage.” His stomach twisted at the memory of finding her.

A cold pulsed from Casimir as ice crept across the floor and froze everything that wasn’t breathing. “Why was he ever allowed to get that close to her in the first place? I’ve told you how important this one is, haven’t I? Have I not made myself clear enough?”

“No one could’ve predicted the behavior of the lieutenant. He acted against the empire.” Akadian kept his head down and his eyes trained on the floor as each word came with a plume of steam out of his mouth.

The temperature dropped further and Akadian was beginning to lose feeling in his extremities as Casimir drew closer.

“I’m starting to wonder if I misplaced my faith in you when I tasked you with being the one to watch her.

” Casimir bent down and wrapped his cold fingers in Akadian’s hair and yanked his face to meet his.

“Do you think I’ve misplaced my faith? The gods have always had such high hopes for you and what you could accomplish.

You’re one of their favorite creations you know. ”

Akadian clenched his teeth and bit down on the rage growing inside him, and forced himself to meet Casimir in the eye. “No. Of course not. I live by the grace of the gods.”

Casimir pulled his face closer. “ Yes , you do . And you’ll do well to remember that.”

“I would never forget such a gift.”

Casimir released Akadian. “Good. Because I still have use of you. It would be so disappointing if you failed me now. I’m not done with you,” he purred and placed a hand on Akadian’s shoulder. “ Yet .”

* * *

A couple of days later, Ambrose met Akadian in their shared area as he draped himself over the couch.

The night of the festival he took her to Lily who healed her, all while demanding that they tell her exactly what happened as she frantically ran her hands over her injuries, glaring at Akadian as she did so.

When she was finished, he brought Ambrose back to their chambers and placed her into bed where she fell asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

When she woke up, he was sulking more than usual and she gave him a couple days to lick whatever wounds he seemed to be nursing before she brought up their conversation again.

“Yes, your training has been cleared,” Akadian told her. “I formed a group that’s going to be accompanying us while we travel just to make sure everything goes smoothly.”

Ambrose did her best to hide her excitement as she strolled out the door and into the gardens, Akadian pulled himself from the couch and followed.

“So, Casimir approved?” she asked while she ran her hands over a particularly beautiful flower the color of the deepest parts of the ocean.

The days grew colder and the nights more harsh.

Nothing that would be cold enough to bother them but enough that his garden shouldn’t be in the full bloom that it was.

Everyone in the palace was discarding the mid-autumn fashion for thicker alternatives as the days grew shorter and the nights longer until the temperature began to rise again in a few weeks.

It didn’t surprise her that regardless of the chill in the air, his garden bloomed vibrantly.

It did surprise her the amount of care it must take to maintain it.

“He seemed interested in your capabilities and encouraged us to explore where they might go.” He kept his usual distance behind her.

The closeness they experienced the other night hung silently between them but neither of them mentioned it.

A part of her wished he’d walk faster so she could feel him that close again.

She could still remember the way his arms felt wrapped around her, and how effortlessly he’d swept her up into them when she needed it.

She could still see the array of colors that made the blue of his eyes that she could only see when her face was inches from his.

She craved that closeness again but maintained her distance.

“So, he knows what happened the other night?” she poked.

“Yes, he does.”

“Everything?”

“Everything.”

“Well,” she said thoughtfully as she sat on a bench. “That’s good. Of course, that’s good.”

Akadian looked at her as though he could see the lie staining her lips.

Ambrose tried to feign calmness as she looked at the mosaic of colored rocks that made up the pathway of his garden. “And where will we be going?”

“The edge of the Fae Forest. That should give you enough room to let your magick go to its fullest extent without worrying of a nearby village or town. It should be relatively safe.”

“That’s really far, that trip alone will take us two weeks just to get there.” Ambrose looked at him surprised.

“Actually, about a month. Maybe more. We’re going to the northern edge.”

“That’s almost to the tundra zone,” she remarked. Perfect .

“Yes, it is.” He nodded.

“Who’s going with us?” She did her best to appear as though this conversation were of no more consequence than he thought, trying to stay as calm as she could, though her heart raced in her chest.

“I’ll introduce you to them when we leave, Little Rose,” he assured.

“And when will that be?” she asked as she pricked her thumb on the thorn of a rose that she pulled from a vine. A crimson drop traced down her hand.

“Tomorrow.” He folded his arms and looked at her. “At first light.”