Page 13

Chapter Thirteen

Arien

Frustrated with my father, as always, and now with my mother in a totally new way, with both sets of frustrations centered totally around Asteria, I couldn’t stand to be in the palace any longer.

I quickly made my way to my rooms to change out of my armor. My rooms were one of the few places that had no gold in the palace. After a particularly bad fight with my father as a kid, I demanded that everything gold be covered up or replaced.

I couldn’t say I regretted it. It was a nice break from the constant gold my father insisted be on everything.

“We must show others our superiority. Our blood is that of Earendel himself, king of all gods. The sun runs through our veins.”

I scoffed, remembering my father’s words now. Those very same gods he thanked for his powers now chose a woman, and he’d be all too willing to ignore that , according to the Oracle.

Though, he also seemed to ignore that Erebus was just as much king of the gods as Earendel was. It must chafe that Calix was equal to him in that way.

Either way, I was glad these rooms were mine . No gold, just a comforting cream and brown color scheme. Old leather and wood making the space feel warm and comforting, as opposed to the ostentatious displays of wealth my father preferred. Even the other buildings in Sunglint District used gold as a nod to the royal family. Sometimes, I just ached to escape to CloudBlur District, where I could lose myself in the human slums. There was definitely no gold to be found there, despite being part of Avalon.

I was changing into my regular courtly attire when a breeze caught my attention. My windows were shut, so I grabbed the knife strapped to my side and turned quickly to the secret door in the corner of my rooms.

My shoulders dropped in relief as Lord Ergun casually strolled in, flicking a coin back and forth between his fingers.

“Sorry for just dropping in,” he joked as he relaxed back into my brown leather sofa and made himself at home.

I rolled my eyes. Ergun had made a good show of following my father dutifully, to everyone except me. He didn’t even want my mother to know the truth. He insisted that he wasn’t going to follow her , but that his allegiance would be to the next queen, only.

I knew how much my mother would hate that, but we also needed every ally we could get. She’d just have to deal with it and forgive me once my deception came to light. Which would probably be sooner rather than later at this point.

“I’ll ignore it just this once,” I joked back. He dropped in like this every time he was in the city, passing along any information my father didn’t want me knowing or that he’d found out from his own contacts.

His face quickly grew solemn, which roused a sinking feeling in my gut.

“Something is going on.” He shook his head, leaning forward out of his casual sprawl. “Your father has been keeping secrets, even from us. Not even Kem seems to know what’s going on for a change.”

He scoffed at the idea, but it brought me pause. If my father was being paranoid enough to not even tell his closest advisors, something was surely afoot.

“What makes you think he’s keeping secrets, specifically?” I asked as I finished lacing up my top, tilting my head so I could take in any nuances in his expression. I may be a General, not a spymaster, but I’d been raised playing this game.

“He’s allied us with Dusk Kingdom, against Night Kingdom, but he seemed to slip as I was asking him questions after the meeting earlier,” he explained, a skeptical sneer growing more prominent. “Apparently, we’re allied with Prince Cyrus, not King Astraeus.”

That brought me up short.

“What the fuck?” I spat out, blinking in shock. Ergun laughed wryly at my response, but this truly made no sense. “Why go around King Astraeus?”

“I don’t know. Aelius didn’t say why, he just quickly changed the subject. But as I was leaving, he was muttering to himself,” Ergun explained, propping his chin up with his hand.

I sat across from him, letting myself fall into my favorite cream lambswool chair, before pressing him to continue. “And what was he muttering about?”

He flipped that damn coin around his fingers again. I hated to admit I was beginning to see why it drove my father so crazy when he did that.

“He said, and I quote, ‘ she will not have it’ before he cut himself off.” Ergun elucidated, his expression growing grave. “I’m concerned what Cyrus may have told him, Arien.”

I sighed, running a hand through my long, dark hair as that sinking feeling built in my stomach. “How would Cyrus even know? Her identity is only truly known by a few of us.”

“We have no idea what he may or may not know. What we do know, is that Cyrus had her, Calix rescued her, and somewhere in between, the spell broke, and she was revealed as Fae.” Ergun leaned forward, elbows resting on his upper legs. While he had the same coloring as my father, they couldn’t have looked more different. Ergun had clearly inherited some traits from his mother, who’d originally hailed from Night Kingdom.

His sharp features reminded me of Calix, but his eyes were the blue of the sea, and his blonde hair was cut short, with only a single curl coming over his forehead. His own son had inherited his blue eyes instead of his mother’s dark amber, but his blonde hair was beaten out by her vivid red hair. My own father resented that I inherited my mother’s dark hair instead of his light, but every time I’d seen Ergun with his little boy, he’d been the kind of father I’d always wished I had.

I knew he, too, fought for a better world. He feared the chaos that it was clear Celesterra was slipping towards. He wanted his son to grow up with magic, in a city filled with all the wonders it offered.

Not in a land leached of all magic, forced to fight in other men’s wars.

I could understand his concern, and it was appreciated. He knew Asteria was a better bet than the leadership we had now. His words from the day he’d sworn himself to our cause still lingered in my mind.

“Your sister can be taught how to rule. Your father cannot be taught how to unrot his soul.”

“I’ll check it out,” I promised him. “I was about to go for a flight, but I’ll work on figuring out what he’s up to. Maybe some of our spies have seen something they didn’t realize was important.”

Ergun slumped back into his seat, a small smirk that looked only a little forced, tilting his lips as he flipped that damn coin.

“Good. I’ll see myself out.” He got up and made his way to the hidden door, but paused halfway through it, looking back at me with a contemplative look on his face. “I know whatever happens, it will be soon. When you finally see her, tell our future queen that Caersidi is with her.”

I bowed my head in acknowledgment and thanks, and he nodded back before slipping through and shutting the door behind him, the seams blending back into the wall. I slumped back in my seat, running a hand down my face before I forced myself back up.

There was much to do, and I swore I could hear every piece of sand in the hourglass dropping as we made our way toward this conflict.

A conflict I was increasingly sure most of us already expected. How it would play out was anyone’s guess at this point. Too many moving pieces were on the board, and too many unknowns lingered.

Either way, there was certainly no time to waste.

* * *

Making my way out of the palace, I entered the large, open courtyard, the sparkling white stones laid over its grounds glinting under the sun. Golden arches that bulged in the middle stood at each end, and bright blue, gold, and white flowers were planted along the winding paths that led through the various seating arrangements set up for people to mingle. The courtiers always lingered here, so I was forced to increase my speed to get past them without being stopped for something trivial.

Exiting the palace, I prepared myself for the long walk ahead of me. The city of Avalon had been created to mimic the sun by forming a gigantic circle, so the infrastructure had been set up in a ring formation. The first ring outside the palace was the gardens, which separate the palace from the rest of the city’s inhabitants. Each ring went all the way around the palace in a true circle, ensuring that the wealthy were kept far from the poor.

I entered the next ring, where the mansions and estates of the nobles had been built, before moving out of SunGlint District and into the StarFlare District, starting with the ring containing the higher-class shops and businesses, along with the artisans and business owners. Each ring progressed slightly lower in class, until the very last ring, circling the city in a wide orbit, so far from where the palace crested high in the center of Avalon that it was hardly visible. It may have been the widest ring, but it was also the narrowest, with the smallest amount of land despite the high concentration of people.

It was, of course, where the poorest of the poor lived.

Humans.

My father didn’t wish for humans to live among us. Oh, a few were approved to live in the city, but my father insisted that having all our slaves live and sleep near us would be ridiculous. They were instead forced to travel the distance of the entire city each morning and night. As if that wasn’t ridiculous at all.

My mother’s fight to get Soren approved to reside in the palace was just that—a fight. But she got her way in the end, my father wanting her to shut up and go away more than he cared about the slave himself being granted permission to live within the palace walls.

Looking around, I was struck by how quiet the ring was. Usually, CloudBlur District was filled with humans bustling about and going about their days and duties.

Instead, it was eerily quiet. Only one or two humans were walking around, and their slumped, defeated posture was hardly encouraging. It was like the life had been sucked out of them. The sound of someone loudly sobbing in the distance reached me. A mourning wail that sent a shiver through my bones.

I forced myself to move faster. Something was very wrong here.

I preferred to fly off from this end of the city instead of from the spot my father had designated near the palace simply because no one who mattered would see which direction I flew from here. If I kept to the clouds, I could pass entirely undetected, avoiding the gleam of the sun hitting my golden scales and giving me away.

I let myself shift into my dragon form, flapping my wings and soaring up high above the city. As I gained altitude, I caught a glimpse of my army on the horizon.

My soldiers were all following orders. A contingent was heading to Dusk Kingdom while another went to the border with Night, all according to plan. What wasn’t to plan was the contingent of soldiers forcing along a long train of humans.

They walked a distance behind the soldiers who were heading to Dusk, so they hadn’t been spotted yet, but they were clearly following them. The humans were all bound, with rope tied around their hands as they were led in a chain through the countryside.

What the fuck were they doing? I recognized a couple of the humans, even. Several loyal to Mother, a couple loyal to me. None of my father’s favorites were here, and my gut feeling told me that it was no coincidence.

The soldiers leading the train conferred with one another as they gained on the unit ahead of them. As they reached them, the soldiers I’d sent to Dusk paused to meet them. I didn’t know what was happening, but something was very off about this. I stopped flapping my wings to drop down enough that I could interfere if necessary.

But apparently not fast enough, as the soldiers who were leading the humans drew their swords without warning, magic beginning to be flung around as they fought the men they were meant to be fighting with .

I watched my men fall as I darted through the air, barreling toward soldiers who should have been following my orders as General of Day Kingdom’s army. I snarled, giant fangs barred as I opened my maw with a roar of rage, letting it fuel me as their heads snapped up in surprise.

Some tried to run, and those I burned to a crisp with the flame that was all too ready to be let loose. The others, still fighting my loyal men, I couldn’t risk using my flames on. Not when I could catch my own soldiers with it. So, instead, I used my claws to reach down and pick one up, throwing him into a tree with a satisfying crack. I watched his body slump as I used my long golden tail, glinting with purple scales on top, to whack several others away.

I roared once more as my men cheered and drove a talon through the chest of one of the Fae closest to me. Another had started to lift himself up from his slumped sprawl on the ground. I extended my neck out and opened my mouth, letting him witness the fire at the back of my throat, the saliva coating my fangs.

He began whimpering as I let my mouth close around his torso, biting him in half with a rough snap of teeth.

The few men left threw down their swords, surrendering. A collective cheer arose, and I quickly shifted back into my Fae form, landing back on my feet and straightening my jacket. At least the fight was over, so I didn’t have to worry about not having my armor on.

“Prince Arien.” Bellin bowed his head as he approached. I’d assigned him to be the commander of the force going to Dusk, so I was very glad to see he was one of the ones who’d made it. “Thank you for coming to our aid. We didn’t expect our own men to turn on us in such a way.”

His statement carried with it an unspoken question, and I shook my head. “Neither did I. But this has my father’s fingerprints all over it.”

A gleam appeared in his eyes as he nodded slowly. He’d been loyal to me for many years, and I knew he didn’t agree with many of my father’s choices. He’d worked his way up from one of the lower rings in the city. He participated in underground fights to win cash to put on the table, until his talent was noticed, and he was chosen to begin training under a proper warrior. His huge size was equal to his street smarts, and he’d proven himself time and again since he joined the army under my command.

I’d been tipped off about him by one of Beltane’s people originally. My mother’s cousin was just as anxious to be rid of my father as I was. My Aunt Giselle was all but a hostage at this point. Aelius had forced her into a marriage with one of his loyal lesser nobles. He’d let my mother invite her sister to court to ostensibly keep her company and have family with her, until my mother had dared to speak out in opposition to him.

That was when he had Giselle married off. He’d sent them away from court after the wedding, and though her husband appeared from time to time, Giselle wasn’t allowed to join him. Keeping her sister all but captive ensured my mother wouldn’t oppose him publicly. Aelius controlled her fate now, and Mother wouldn’t risk her sister for anything.

Beltane was furious over the entire situation. He hated Aelius to begin with, but he would do anything to keep his family safe and get all of us out from under my father’s yoke. He kept his ear to the ground, finding people we could trust when the time came to act.

Bellin was an excellent find on his part. He wasn’t just one of my commanders, he’d become something of a friend in recent years. It was why I’d assigned him to this squad. He knew our true purpose and wouldn’t act against Asteria no matter what Cyrus may try to demand.

I made my way over to one of the surrendered soldiers with Bellin at my back, his sword at the ready, dripping wet with the blood of our own.

Such a waste, and all thanks to my father. By Hyperion, how many of our men would fall before he finally did?

I grabbed the man by the jaw, forcing his head up to look at me. “What were your orders?”

The man just smiled widely, blood smeared over his teeth. I punched my fist into those teeth, ignoring the scrape as they cut my fingers open, knocking one of his teeth loose as the man howled in pain.

“We can do this the hard way if you insist. I could string you up and play with you like a pinata.” I let my finger shift into a sharp talon, running it down his cheek and leaving a trail of blood in its wake as the sharp point broke the thin skin easily.

“Batting you back and forth until your guts spill out over the forest floor.” I watched his throat bob as he swallowed hard. I hated having to make these threats, but this was war, and I knew worse would undoubtedly be required of me at some point. I forced my dragon side to the fore, letting its bloodlust take the reins.

“Or I could burn you slowly,” I rasped, fire licking every word. “Bit by bit.” I dug my talon further into his skin, dragging it down his cheek to his jaw. “From foot to head, so you’re forced to watch as every part of your body is torched slowly.”

The man’s eyes widened, and he tried to take a surreptitious look down at where his cock was hidden by his armor. Unfortunately for him, I caught it, and like a cat catching a mouse, I let a smirk take over my face. “Ah, I see. Maybe we’ll start with your cock then.”

He shook his head frantically, horror plastered all over his face. “No, please! Fucking Hyperion, anything but that!”

“Oh, yes,” I purred, leaning in close. “I’ll start with your balls, I think. Bring the sac to a nice, crisp roast, before moving on to the head of your cock.” I let a burst of flame leave my lips, aiming just past his head, but close enough to singe the hair on the side of his head.

“King Aelius told us to round up the humans and bring them to Dusk!” He finally admitted, blurting the words out in a rush. The soldier’s taunting smile was long gone, and he cringed away from me, fear and panic wafting off him as he spilled his guts. Thankfully, that didn’t have to be literally.

“Why?” I drew the word out, my claw inching down to his neck as the solider began to practically shake, trying to maintain his composure and stop himself from crying out.

“We were to deliver them to Dusk.” He repeated unhelpfully, looking at me with a plea in his eyes. But I was starting to get aggravated by the lack of information.

I grabbed him by the golden breastplate brandished with house Earendel’s sigil and shook him, “Why does he want them? Why did you attack your own men? Answers!” I demanded, a growl caught in my throat. “Now.”

“Cyrus needs them!” The man shouted, tears forming in his eyes as I began to unfasten his armor, leaving him, and more importantly, his cock, exposed. “Aelius made a deal with him. Something about a trade for his heir.”

I went completely still.

“He told us to kill the soldiers you sent and take over the mission to Dusk. I don’t know why he wanted them dead, I swear to you!” The man begged, looking up at me from his knees.

I sneered down at the coward before me. “Of course you don’t. And did he tell you what Cyrus promised him regarding his heir? This trade you spoke of?”

He shook his head hastily, “Only that he would make things right once Cyrus delivered on his end of the deal. That's all I know! I swear to you, my Prince!”

I turned away from him, trying to hide the slight tremor in my hand. I nodded to Bellin, who raised his sword, and the man’s screams were cut off with one quick slice.

I stepped away for a moment to get myself under control. Bellin came up beside me, eyeing me with concern.

“Free the humans. Have a couple men bring them to the border with Night. Ensure they know they’ll find refuge there.” I instructed, taking a deep breath. “They can’t return to Day, not while my father lives. We can play this like I wasn’t involved and don’t know anything about what happened here easily enough.”

I shook my head, looking back toward where Avalon Palace stood, its golden glory surrounded by the decimation of our human population.

But I couldn’t spare them more thought than what was necessary to prevent my father from realizing I was here. He couldn’t find out I’d had anything to do with preventing him from delivering the humans to Dusk.

“Arien.” Bellin’s worried tone reached me, and I only realized I was still shaking when he put a steadying hand on my shoulder.

But all I could do was gasp out a breath in horror.

“ He knows. ”