Page 22 of Jeweler to the Blessed (Champions of Chaos #1)

The Glanmores embodied Order, so why did the firstborn fight the summons?

— FROM CHAMPIONS OF KAVIOS

H art didn’t say a word as we scaled the grand steps of the castle entrance.

That was fine with me. I still didn’t know what to ask him.

Just beyond the doors, Hart stopped to retrieve a helmet.

As he pulled it over his head, I found myself loving and loathing the shield from his piercing green gaze.

He led with purpose through the cavernous hallways.

Yesterday was my first time in the building, and the twists and turns left little possibility for me to find my way unescorted.

We stopped before the large wooden door Vaddon had dragged me through previously. Two guards stood on either side of it.

Hart nodded to them. “The jeweler to meet with the prince.”

The guard on the right stepped forward. “We’ll take it from here.” The adamas glowed green before the guard’s following words. “Do you intend to harm the prince?”

The tingle of magic danced across my neck, but the guard’s power was faint. I hadn’t found a persuasion, calm, or now nightmare I couldn’t avoid. This was no different. What little I could see of Hart beneath the visor showed his lips pressed into a thin line in the other guard’s direction.

I answered the guard. “No.”

The green glow of his ring deepened as he urged a response. “It’s alright, you can tell us.”

The magic at least pressed against my skin this time. It didn’t make a difference. Not that it mattered, but harming the prince wasn’t on my priority list. He was maybe the only person I knew who didn’t want me dead and claimed interest in finding Alaric.

In the end, the truth was irrelevant. I could speak the answer they needed with a straight face. “I don’t mean him any harm.”

My gaze met the shadow of Hart’s beneath his helmet as the guard ushered me forward. He looked at me with a curiosity I wasn’t sure I wanted.

“I’ll be here when you’re done,” he said.

I swallowed and stepped into the room.

“Ah, Emberline.” The prince closed a book on his desk and stood from his seat. “Please come in. I’m so glad you’re here.”

His mood was more chipper than I expected.

I reminded myself that Prince Elias was the mouthpiece of the royal family.

He finessed messages many would dislike every day.

Nothing would get done if he silently stewed about yesterday’s events.

I shouldn’t expect to see his emotions written plainly across his face.

Similarly to how I masked my feelings before the Blessed, I’m sure he masked his before … everyone.

“I’m sorry I didn’t meet at the appointed time yesterday.” There was no way he expected me, but something about him made me want to explain myself.

He waved me off. “Your guard reported in. I’m glad you made it out of that mess.”

I guessed that served as notice that Hart wasn’t lying about his guard duties.

“Did you find the one responsible?” I asked.

The Glanmore’s position on the Cursed King was unclear.

On the one hand, he was a champion of their goddess, which made him the rightful ruler of Kavios, according to Themis.

On the other, he appeared to reject that fate and, given his actions yesterday, aligned himself with those who sought to overthrow the Blessed.

“It’s nothing you need to worry about, Emberline.” He spoke gently, and I heard the exhaustion in his voice.

“I think the Feared already identified me.” Hart and I hadn’t discussed how much of yesterday he’d reported. I had to believe this was relevant information.

“I’m aware. It’s sooner than expected, but it’s why we agreed you’d have a guard.” Elias gestured toward the door. “Was he to your liking?”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. Hart defended me from the Feared.

Alaric trusted him, though I still didn’t know why.

In all likelihood, he was the seller of the youngleaf I needed for Mother’s tonic.

But I couldn’t be blamed for not loving his familiarity with the group that tried to kill me yesterday.

Hart had saved me from them, but the connection was … concerning.

I had no idea if he was to my liking. His piercing glare and stupid smirk crossed my mind, and I stretched and flexed my fingers at my side as if to exorcise the image. I cleared my throat. “Yes, thank you.”

“He will be with you at all times during the day. You’ll move into your uncle’s rooms in the castle. And we’ll have other guards stationed outside the door at night.”

I swallowed. This was a logical step for my protection, but it did hamper my ability to search for Alaric and sort out Mother’s tonics. Neither could be done if I died, though. It was a grim thought, but it grounded me. I’d deal with the inconvenience later.

Expecting no objection, the prince continued. “I wanted to give you the list of orders we have for the Selection.”

“Of course. I went to Alaric’s shop this morning to look for it without disturbing you, Highness, but I’m afraid I couldn’t find it.”

He toyed with the gold chain around his neck, holding his adamas pendant, before pulling another paper from his desk.

“We need four new pieces and one enhancement.” Handing it to me, he continued.

“These are the designs for the new pieces. I think Alaric had the design for the enhancement in his book.”

I’d have to check it more thoroughly that afternoon. “And … has there been any sign of Alaric?”

The prince looked at me with pity. “I’m afraid not. The guards have been a little occupied since our last conversation.”

I cleared my throat again, a blush touching my cheeks. “Of course.”

“We’ll continue the search as soon as the Selection is back on track.”

He paused as if waiting for me to ask another question. I wasn’t sure what. We stared at each other in silence.

Before I knew what was happening, I felt a prickle at the back of my neck.

Lost in my own thoughts, I hadn’t seen the green glow creep over his pendant.

The prince repeated himself, as I’d missed his initial question.

“It’s alright, you can tell me. Do you know who was responsible for last night’s events? ”

I tilted my head. “The Cursed King.”

No matter the royal family’s opinion of him, I didn’t think it was dangerous to say what everyone already knew.

The magic displayed yesterday made his existence indisputable.

I wasn’t sure if his question was meant to unearth more, but I was confident my answer would be the same even if I were subject to his persuasion.

His nose twitched at my response like he smelled something foul. “That doesn’t help me.”

I couldn’t blame him exactly. Part figure of legend, now real threat—my answer didn’t provide much to go on, but I didn’t have anything else.

Unsure how to respond to his comment, I waited for him to continue. He toyed with his adamas again. I guessed I could use this opportunity to see if he had any better luck getting information from the Feared.

“Were any of the Feared captured last night?” None would have been if my suspicions were true, that the Cursed King’s attack was intended to create a distraction for them to get away.

The prince’s jaw flexed, his teeth clenching as he shook his head. “They escaped.”

I may not understand why the Cursed King worked with the Feared, but that seemed evidence enough that he did. Which meant I had even more to worry about. If his goals were aligned with the Feared, it was only a matter of time before he came after me directly.

Hart had almost stopped the Feared in that side street. I couldn’t claim he’d hold the same power against the Cursed King .

“The Cursed King is your only answer for me, Emberline?” The prince posed it as a question, but the green glow of persuasion meant he coaxed another answer.

Truthfully, I had nothing else to say. “This is the only answer I know.”

Anger crossed his face, there and gone before I could be sure of myself. I stepped back inadvertently.

As if he noticed my hesitation, the hard lines of his face softened. His voice was calm, without a hint of persuasion, as the green light left the room.

He folded his hands together. “I apologize. I’m sure you had a trying evening, and here you are today, starting a whole new set of crucial responsibilities. We are thankful for your willingness to step in. You’ll be well taken care of for your service.”

His words felt like something slimy and slippery, coating my skin. Years of practice hiding my emotions helped me school my features. “I’m sorry I don’t have better answers for you.”

I didn’t believe the prince’s words when he felt the need to guide the conversation with persuasion.

He spread out his hands, palms up. “Let’s talk about your work. We will proceed on schedule, announcing the Selected at the Cornucopia tomorrow. You must see them before then to get their ring sizings.”

I nodded. I wasn’t surprised to hear the prince wasn’t changing the scheduled events. Fitting the announcement into the Cornucopia was the smoothest way to keep the celebration on track. The path of least disruption was the obvious path to help the city move past last night.

The look on Jasmine’s face this morning, as she remembered her nightmare, was proof the city needed the distraction.

Others, with less to celebrate, must be in worse shape.

Prince Elias had his work cut out for him, rebuilding the city’s morale—and could only do so as long as the Cursed King didn’t unleash his power again.

“I can have them stop by tomorrow. That should give you enough time to settle in. Remember, it’s not only the four Blessed but also the one receiving additional favor from the king.”

I dipped my head, preparing to leave.

“You’ll need to go to the mines.”

He’d waited until the end to drop this seemingly offhanded comment. I knew he’d done that intentionally. This would be the first real test of my use to the Glanmores.

I couldn’t help but suck in a deep breath. “Today?”

Alaric had refused to speak of his work in the mines themselves. I didn’t know what it truly meant for a jeweler to source the adamas. And to get there, I’d have to go through the Oldwood.

He nodded. “I believe Alaric was out of materials.”

I couldn’t argue. As much as I wanted to go to the mines to learn this part of Alaric’s job he’d kept from me, it was also intimidating.

I’d passed the prince’s test to determine adamas yesterday, but what test awaited me in the mines?

And could I even get there, given my latest reaction to the Oldwood?

The prince interrupted my thoughts. “That’s not a problem, is it?”

I knew it for the rhetorical question it was and shook my head.

He clapped his hands together. “Good. We need the talent only you and your uncle seem to possess to select the correct pieces from the mine. Then we’ll see if you’re as good of a jeweler with the adamas as you seem to be with quartz.”

Excitement filled me as quickly as anxiety. I knew these tests would come. I’d had little choice but to accept this role and take them as they did. Still, each step was a new challenge. The Oldwood had to be my first focus.

Only days ago, I’d convinced myself I could traverse the Oldwood to escape Kavios. Now that my plans to leave were on hold, I could admit I was unsure of my ability to pass through it without losing myself to its hold.

At least it was early enough that we could return before dark if we left now. I’d have Hart with me, too, though I was unwilling to concede that was a good thing. It would only give him more information about me I wasn’t sure I wanted to share.

I swallowed, but my throat was dry. I would have to take this one test at a time.