Page 8 of Jeweler to the Blessed (Champions of Chaos #1)

They worshiped Order with or without her champion.

— FROM CHAMPIONS OF KAVIOS

T o say my morning wasn’t going well was an understatement. My world seemed to be crashing down around me.

Alaric was missing, and my only reassurance was that I could scratch arrested for blasphemy from the list of potential whereabouts.

Everything else was on the table. My plans to leave that night felt like they had already slipped through my fingers.

I couldn’t tell if my anxiety was due to my uncle being missing, my plans falling apart, or the fact I was on my way to Glanmore Castle.

Vaddon’s urgency made everything worse. He swiftly marched me out of the shop and down Cross Street.

“Doesn’t your father own the shop in Woodside?”

I had no idea what kind of answer would be less damning. “Yes. I work with him there.”

“He doesn’t teach you?”

I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. Everyone knew Alaric was the better jeweler. Father was fine, but Alaric’s talent was matched only by my own. “They both do.”

“How long have you worked there?” He sounded like every question he asked was a breath he couldn’t get back.

At least, following the king’s advisor as I did, I wasn’t worried about any Blessed taking from me. Few people were on the street this early, and Vaddon glared at everyone we passed.

“A few years,” I said.

Now, Vaddon turned to glare at me.

With the Selection starting tonight, he was probably on edge about Alaric’s absence.

In a few hours, the streets would fill with merchants selling food, drink, and trinkets.

Alaric should receive four commissions from the royal family tonight—one for each Selected to become Blessed at the end of the festivities.

While Alaric prepared what he could ahead of time, he would have less than eight days from the Selection Celebrations to complete the finished pieces.

I wasn’t sure they had a backup plan without Alaric.

Vaddon’s quick strides told this story. He moved purposefully like he’d found the prize he was looking for, even though he sneered every time he glanced at me.

“Have you ever worked with adamas?” he asked.

My palms started sweating. I couldn’t be the backup plan.

“No.” I had no problem answering honestly. Alaric and I always played our little game, but I’d never cut, shaped, or polished the adamas stone. We’d only ever worked on quartz .

Vaddon continued our march down the street regardless of my answer.

I didn’t wish to go anywhere near the castle. Wandering alone at night in the Oldwood sounded preferable. Craning my neck, I stared up the hill as we approached the steps. The castle loomed, imposing with its spired towers and backdrop of mountain peaks.

The grand staircase almost seemed another defense for the royal family.

The steps were wide but unpredictably spaced.

I spent the entire hike up the hill staring down at my feet so as not to trip.

As Vaddon unbelievably increased our pace up the sham of a staircase, I couldn’t even appreciate the intimidating beauty of the Pinnacle Range peaks circling the castle.

I paused to catch my breath and chanced another glance up.

The mountain range all but surrounded the castle—a second line of defense to the wall encircling the city.

I knew from Alaric’s history books that Kavios grew up around the Oldwood Mine.

When the quartz was discovered, people flocked to its offered work.

It seemed Vaddon was out of questions. Was I allowed any? I was terrified for myself, but I needed to use this situation for what I could—information about Alaric. “How long have you been looking for Alaric?”

“Long enough,” he said.

I’d been with Alaric only yesterday. How quickly after that could he have gone missing? I continued up the steps.

“Do you have any idea where he is?”

Vaddon made a noise I could only call a dignified snort. “If I did, I wouldn’t be talking to you.”

I was mildly insulted, but at least he, too, considered this a bad outcome.

Maybe they would decide I couldn’t handle the work in Alaric’s absence, and they’d send me home.

It still left a lot of questions about how I’d search for him, what I’d do next, and how the shape of my plans would change, but at least it would remove me from the Blessed’s crosshairs.

We were at the top of the stairs, high enough to see over the city wall.

Kavios was hard to get to, but I suspected King Rodric liked it that way.

Imported and exported goods entered the city, so traders made the trek.

Some legally, like our quartz leaving or grain and vegetables arriving.

Others illegally—like I now suspected of the youngleaf for Mother’s tonic.

“Hurry up. We don’t want to keep the prince waiting,” Vaddon said.

The castle’s giant double doors opened as Vaddon strode in.

My mouth hung open at the size of the doorway.

What could even require such space? I had no time to contemplate it as I rushed to keep up with the king’s advisor.

As we entered the castle, I found solace in the fact that I wasn’t meeting with the king.

While I was immune to his power—like any other Blessed’s—its strength genuinely terrified me.

He kept the city in a state of constant calm when the citizens should feel anything but.

I wasn’t sure I could look him in the eye and hide my true feelings about him.

Prince Elias was the face of the royal family.

The king may conduct the Blessing Ceremony, but the prince was the master of events and festivities for the city’s celebrations.

He would host the festival tonight, announcing those selected.

He hosted almost all the events in the eight days of celebration: the Cornucopia, the Presentation, and the Masquerade.

Prince Elias was all smiles for his people, and the city loved him for it. Maybe I should have warned myself that weaponized charm was just as dangerous as what his father wielded.

The prince’s head tilted ever so slightly as Vaddon ushered me into his study. He stood from his seat at a large wooden desk, clearly assessing me.

My utterly random thread of thought said his first question must be who taught me to curtsy. The problem was that I didn’t know either. I thought I made it up. His lips pursed like he didn’t know what to make of it as I rose from my attempt.

His hand scratched his clean-shaven chin in thought. “Who is this, Vaddon?”

Vaddon glowered at me as if he expected me to speak.

I didn’t—the prince had asked him a question, not me.

Instead, I used this opportunity to study the room.

Two large chairs sat in the corner, a table between them filled with bottles of dark brown liquid.

The walls were almost barren, which seemed disappointing.

I don’t know what I expected. Maybe more books?

More things should be needed to run a city-state like Kavios.

A single tapestry depicting Themis, Goddess of Order, hung behind him.

Elias circled the desk, the fall of his light brown hair interrupting my appraisal of the room’s decor.

Now that I’d seen him, his face was too perfectly symmetrical to look away.

Green eyes stared back at me, less striking than the deep forest green ones that had, only yesterday, held mine captive in the mirror’s reflection.

“Alaric’s niece,” Vaddon finally answered when he realized I wouldn’t.

The prince looked like he’d say something, but Vaddon continued. “She was in his workshop when I arrived.”

Elias turned to me. His hand stroked his chin again as he appraised me. “What’s your name?”

“Emberline,” I said.

“Emberline.” My name on his lips sounded lush and full of promise. “Why were you in Alaric’s workshop? ”

“We meet for training some mornings.”

“She also works in her father’s shop. The one in Woodside.

” Vaddon’s voice was so slick, it seemed the words might be used to hold his hairstyle in place.

It made the hair on my neck stand on end, but I kept my features neutral.

I was in the castle—the heart of the Blessed.

Currently, I was under Vaddon’s protection, but that could change at any moment.

One wrong move, one touch, and someone could learn my secret—that I was immune to their magic.

This was everything I’d been trying to prevent with my plan to leave.

Vaddon’s lead had brought me past numerous guards unchecked.

If the prince found me helpful, he’d probably use me as a replacement jeweler.

It would put me at risk of being exposed for my ability to detect adamas, but maybe he’d aid in a search for Alaric.

I might not escape the castle without a Blessed attempting to take from me if he didn’t.

It was unclear which option to hope for.

Neither were ideal. Both gave the royal family information about me that Alaric had done everything to prevent them from learning. I’d be furious with Alaric for putting me in this position if I wasn’t also terrified for his safety.

The prince peered at me like I was one of Uncle’s experiments to be closely observed. “I see. And how long have you been studying under Alaric?”

The phrase sent a chill up my spine. The prince couldn’t know about Alaric’s forbidden tomes. I’d checked this morning, and they were undisturbed in the storage room.

“How long have you been training?” Vaddon asked. He seemed impatient for me to respond as he wandered the edge of the room.

I couldn’t understand why he was agitated. He was the one who dragged me here, but I clung to the rephrasing he offered. I shrugged, repeating the answer I’d given Vaddon. “A few years.”

The green of Vaddon’s adamas was glowing before he next opened his mouth. Unsatisfied with my answer, he would force one from me through persuasion. But before he could speak, Prince Elias held up his hand, silencing him.