Page 48 of Jeweler to the Blessed (Champions of Chaos #1)

He’s fading fast. Adamas she’s touched helps sustain him. Getting it to him is a problem.

— ALARIC SARE’S LETTERS TO ISABELLE ARKOVA

H art followed me into my room after my audience with the king. It was early enough that the sentries weren’t present yet. He stood by the door while I paced before the fireplace.

“What did he want?” Hart asked.

The king wanted seven adamas gems added to his crown.

I couldn’t do it. I’d have to leave. My parents could leave with me—go to Alysa’s settlement. I wasn’t sure that was even good enough.

Lost in thought for too long, Hart pressed again.

He looked like he wanted to step toward me, his body lurching, but remained in place. “Are you alright?”

There was something … different about me.

Something different about the way I connected with the adamas.

Not only could I find and shape it, but I was also immune to its power.

And whatever made this so, it was dangerous for others to know—especially the royal family.

They already knew too much. Because here the king was, with what little he did know, asking me to make an eight-pointed adamas crown for him.

My stomach churned as I considered that kind of power sitting atop the king’s head.

“What happened in the throne room, Ember?” Hart’s voice had softened again. And something warm encircled me at the use of my name.

“He wants me to enhance his crown,” I said.

Hart waited patiently for me to continue.

“He wants each of the eight points on the circlet to house an adamas gem.”

With that news, he froze. His nostrils flared before he took a slow step forward. “You can’t. We’ll get you and your family out of the city. It can be The Storm, or it can be another kingdom. I don’t care. I’ll get you where you need to go.”

Something inside me warmed, and I wanted to stretch toward him like a plant for the sun. He was still halfway across the room.

Slow, careful steps brought him closer. “Do you hear me, Ember?”

He wasn’t calling me Chaos. This had to be serious.

He invaded my space, and I let him. His broad shoulders overtook my view.

I tilted my head back to see the harsh lines of his face softening, signaling I’d be safe, even with his proximity.

Little did he know, this wasn’t something he needed to show me—it was something I already knew instinctively .

“I know you’ll keep me safe, Hart.”

He held my gaze.

I was still unsure of my decision regarding the city.

Rodric couldn’t be allowed that much magic, but that didn’t mean I had to leave.

I searched for the third option, not Hart’s or Alysa’s paths, but one uniquely mine.

I didn’t know what it would look like, but even without the additions to the crown, King Rodric’s power over Kavios made me sick.

At least I knew one thing: “We have to free the captive first. He is the source of the adamas. I’m sure of it.”

Hart had nodded, accepting my decision.

The Oldwood didn’t scare me anymore.

I couldn’t say the same for the rest of those who made the hike to the mines alongside us.

The Blessed who did so looked … nervous.

The insistent press of something against my senses was still present as we walked, but I knew what I had to do.

Hart and I had a plan. The night of the Masquerade, I wouldn’t be needed.

Hart had said he could open the door to the adamas cavern with magic.

We’d trek to the old mine entrance Alysa mentioned and free the captive.

Having a goal calmed me. It was something I’d been sorely lacking lately. Never was it more apparent than in my discussion with Hart last night.

I glanced at him over my shoulder as we walked the Oldwood Trail. I couldn’t believe he’d simply … accepted it. He was letting me lead whatever this was.

The cut and polished stones bounced against my thigh in my cross-body bag. They would be shown to the Selected before the mine entrance today, then returned safely to me. I still had time to determine what to do with them. Maybe I’d give them to Alysa and her people.

Our pace slowed as we arrived at the mine entrance. The Oldwood seemed to thicken here as if hiding entry to a long-protected secret. Hart slipped on a helmet I assumed was actually his own, and we cut through the amassed crowd toward the staircase.

Prince Elias looked in better spirits today.

He smiled and waved to those who made the trip into the Oldwood.

His presence was once again reassuring, starkly contrasting with how he hid his fear behind formalities with his father.

He nodded at my approach, and I climbed the remainder of the steps toward him. Hart followed without invitation.

The prince chuckled. “I see you take your duty as a guard very seriously. I think she’s safe here.”

“All the same, I’d prefer to be within arm’s reach.”

Beneath his mask, I could tell Hart searched the crowd. The energy was anxious. Like with the Cornucopia, those attending must be wary of actions from the Feared.

The prince followed Hart’s gaze, though he directed his question at me. “Good turnout, don’t you think?”

He deigned to allow Hart his imposition, but that didn’t require further discussion.

I glanced around. “Yes.”

There were more in the crowd than I expected. How many had Prince Elias used his persuasion magic on to influence their arrival? With the threat of the Cursed King looming and the gruesome display at the Eastern Gate only days ago—it didn’t feel like a celebration.

“I’m glad you accepted Father’s commission,” the prince said quietly.

I hadn’t realized I had a choice. I gave him a practiced smile, unsure how to respond .

He leaned in—closer than I expected. “I think you’ll enjoy your reward.”

The hair at the back of my neck stood on end. I didn’t have to look at Hart to know he stiffened at the prince’s proximity. I did not think I’d enjoy my reward, but that was a problem I didn’t have time to worry about yet.

Prince Elias held out his hand. “The gems?”

I opened my bag to show him. Each was wrapped in a black cloth and tied with a tag that named the Selected. I handed him the first one. “Where do you want them?”

The prince was determined to let no detail go unchecked. He pulled the tie, keeping the cloth in place, letting it fall to the sides, exposing the gem. Even though King Rodric had checked them only yesterday, Elias still wanted eyes on the gems before the ceremony started.

Did he know something about the Feared’s plans that we didn’t?

He lifted the stone, squinting at it. “Very good.”

I must have imagined the slight shake of the prince’s hand as he held the gem. He dropped it back into the bag before I could confirm. His lips pressed into a firm line as he glanced at the others.

I was starting to think the prince was … scared.

Suddenly, I was grateful for the broad-shouldered guard at my back. As Vaddon approached, Hart’s hand was on the handle of his sword, fingers twitching as he surveyed the crowd.

“Are we ready, Your Highness?” Vaddon asked.

His smile was unsettling, showing all his teeth and arms spread wide as if this were the most joyous occasion of the year. Maybe to him, it was.

I lifted the strap over my head to hand the satchel to Vaddon. “I’ll leave you to it. ”

“No, Emberline, why don’t you stand here and hand me the gems.” Elias pointed to a position just behind him before the mine entrance.

Vaddon’s smile quickly turned into a frown, though the prince didn’t notice. This must have been Vaddon’s responsibility, and though the prince had phrased it as a question—it was anything but.

I shrugged at the advisor, and his returning glare was filled with daggers. He couldn’t hate me more than he already did. I took his position behind the prince, and Hart flanked me.

“Welcome!” Elias’s voice raised well above the muffled din of the crowd.

They silenced immediately as the show they’d gathered for began.

“Thank you for joining us for the Presentation!”

My gaze wandered as the prince spoke. The other guards had spread out at the foot of the steps. Any attackers would have to break their line before reaching me and the prince.

Unfortunately, I found Macen in the gathered group. He must have been required to attend as part of his shift at the mines. He spoke to someone beside him, his mouth moving rapidly and his chin tucked.

I sidestepped slightly to see if I could glimpse the person next to him from a different angle. I couldn’t, but that didn’t matter when Macen’s finger raised, pointing at me on the platform. My heartbeat raced.

“We gather in this location to acknowledge the natural beauty representing the King’s Blessing,” Elias said.

The Selected, just below him on the steps, stared up at him with wide-eyed wonder. For most, I was sure it was the first time they’d seen the majesty of the mine entrance.

“The King’s Blessing grants you power, but the adamas gem is the physical reminder of that Blessing. These mines,”— he gestured behind himself to the towering stone entrance—“are a critical resource for our city. We wouldn’t be who we are without them.”

The words struck a nerve. What would this city be like if adamas didn’t exist? I hoped to find out if my suspicions about the captive were true.

“The mines supply our precious resources, but they couldn’t become the beautiful symbol we know them to be without our jeweler.”

My head snapped up at the prince’s words. Macen shrugged in indifference to whoever stood beside him. His identification of me was no longer relevant. The prince had done it for him.

Elias had decided not to introduce me at the Cornucopia. I assumed it was because making my name more widely known would risk my life.

The Feared were already after me. We didn’t need to make me a more visible target. After having strung up the supposed Feared on the Eastern Gate, the prince must have felt more confident.

The feeling was not mutual.

The prince turned to smile at me, his body bent slightly at the waist, an acknowledgment of who I was, and the crowd applauded.

Elias continued like nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

I worked to slow my rapidly beating heart as he called the Selected to hold their adamas for the first time.

He was scared, yet he still introduced me.

It didn’t matter, I guessed, since Macen was in the crowd pointing me out to anyone who asked.

As Elias called each of the Selected, I handed them their wrapped stone. After receiving their gem, each Selected stood in line at the bottom of the steps. I let myself be distracted by the sheer joy on Deidre’s face as she received her adamas.

The Selected were instructed only to touch the gem through the cloth.

They had yet to be Blessed by the king. Deidre, in her excitement, stumbled as she turned, catching the stone in her palm as she fell toward me.

Hart stepped forward to steady her. The red flash was instant though brief.

She looked down, seeing the color, her brow pinched.

I sucked in a breath. She must have touched him.

How hard would she consider what she’d seen?

I hoped for her sake she didn’t second-guess it.

I’d never realized the distinction, but I’d bet simply wearing the stone meant you could see the color of its magic.

If Deidre realized the stone could sense emotion before the Blessing Ceremony, she might wonder what value the king actually provided.

She was still smiling from ear to ear at being on stage—being Selected. Quickly, she dropped the stone back into the cloth and righted herself, turning to face the crowd as the prince finished.

As the last Selected held out their gem, my spine tingled—something pressed against my skull. I knew it for what it was: the magic of the Oldwood. The mine entrance where we stood was just beyond the Oldwood’s reach, but the magic was the same. It was here.

My part in the Presentation was done. With Hart behind me, I didn’t fear the magic fully taking me. We had plans to rescue the captive tomorrow, which meant I needed to hear whatever else it would tell me. So, I let it in.

“This … Presentation ….”

The ground shook beneath us.

Prince Elias paused his speech. He glanced at Tamara. A crowd, already on edge, began to murmur.

“ Is a mockery of what you are. ”

The prince continued his speech.

I couldn’t let myself be pulled under again.

My fingers twitched as I longed to sink them into the soil.

I felt Hart’s glare. If I succumbed to the magic, everyone here would know.

I didn’t need anyone to notice my oddities more than they already did.

Balling my hands into fists at my side, I dug my nails into my flesh to stay present.

My knees buckled.

A press of heat at my lower back grounded me. Hart’s hand rested there—strong, steady.

The crowd erupted in cheers with Elias’s closing remarks. I stood straighter, just in time, as the prince raised his lightly clapping hands in my direction, offering me and my work a round of applause.

I nodded in acknowledgment as the Selected returned their gems before filing back into the crowd to celebrate.

It was the middle of the day, but food and drink were set at a long table beside the mine entrance.

The prince must have said something, releasing the crowd’s attention. They shifted toward the refreshments.

“Everything alright, Emberline?” Prince Elias asked.

I could only nod as I glanced back at the mines. The captive and the earthshakes were connected. I could feel his anger, his rage with his words. He thought the Presentation a mockery of … what I was. That had implications I wasn’t ready to consider.

My neck craned back to look up at the colossal stone entrance to the mine. How big was the captive to cause such a disturbance? I shook my head. It didn’t matter. I knew I had to get him out.