Page 20 of Of Stars and Lightning (Sun and Shadows #1)
Fifteen
Nina
HATE IS A strong word, but Nina hated the King. Anyone other than a Yarrow ruling over Rimemere was an insult to the land’s origin. Initially, everyone looked at Sawyer to rule. As soon as she Settled as a Warden and the mark of the Heir appeared on her back, she was to step up.
But the girl was wild. Unchained. All the things Nina fiercely loved about her court mate made her an unsuitable ruler as she grew. Then she Settled as a Fire Wielder instead and bore no Yarrow mark.
So, her father took the throne when Sawyer was thirteen, a month after her Awakening, after years of it being bare and broken, overseen by a group of useless councilmen.
Sawyer and her father journeyed to Rimemere, where he was meant to rule only until Irene returned, or if another of Yarrow blood claimed it.
But Irene died, and no one else stepped forward.
So Arnold stayed.
And no one had been able to make him step down since.
Wars brewed, alliances once blossomed during Irene’s rule burned, and with them any help from other Southern continents. Later, alliances once again were formed, but by blood, bargains, and at a wall’s length.
Thus Rimemere continued under Semmena’s rule. Nina and her court had set out to search for Sol after whispers of her existence reached them. Soon after their departure the man commanded the wall to be built.
“To keep the uprise of Jinn out”, he had said.
But it also kept all the citizens seeking help out, and all the ones who wanted to flee in. It kept exports difficult and alliances scarce.
It was a nightmare.
Now, as Nina and Cas stood in the throne room where they had declared they were leaving three years ago, similar nerves bubbled inside her, though instead of them being laced with excitement, they were mixed with dread.
They awaited the King and his Court, standing beside each other as if they had been summoned to the headmaster’s quarters.
Caleib stood at the end of the room against a wall, a mess of nerves like always.
When she had been smaller and more naive, Nina liked to play here. She met Cas here, in fact, after the whole fiasco with his father happened. They had stood next to each other, much like they did now, holding hands and holding back tears.
Smiling sadly, Nina did the same now, grasping her friend’s hand.
He glanced sidelong at her and returned the smile.
“We’re never here for a good reason, huh?” he said.
Nina shook her head. “Nope.”
The doors behind them boomed open and multiple sets of steps neared, sending chills over Nina’s skin. This had to be about the wall. She had scolded Cas, but he was right—she also used her magic against them.
The idiots deserved it, though.
“What a way to make your return known, Yarrow Court.” King Semmena’s voice was grating. Nina had pleasantly forgotten it during her years away.
He strode past them and turned, his dark eyes full of smoke and embers. “I’m especially disappointed in you, Miss Amana. Violence was not ever your thing.”
Nina cleared her throat, dropping Cas's hand. “They disrespected the Princess, Majesty.”
“And that should be reported to me, then dealt with by me.”
Gina and Samara flanked Arnold, the women near mirrors of each other in everything but poise. Samara’s fingertips crackled with Shadows as she angled her head, a small smirk on her lips.
Nina bowed her head slightly in silent acquiescence. “Our apologies.”
She knew she had to apologize for them both, because Cas wouldn’t.
Cas had been looking for ways for the King to finally kill him and end his misery, release him from his sentence of servitude to Rimemere and the Yarrows.
Which is exactly why Arnold hadn’t done so.
He loved keeping Cas within his leash and miserable, knowing the memory of his past tortured him more than the mercy of death ever could.
“Unfortunately, that means nothing to me, Miss Amana.” Arnold turned toward his throne, taking long, unhurried steps toward it. “But before we deal with all that—how did you all find this girl?”
Arnold sat, bracing his clasped hands on his knees as Samara and Gina followed to sit beside him in their own seats.
Nina swallowed the urge to run from the question.
She didn't trust these people; most of the Yarrow followers and protectors didn’t.
She herself wasn’t even sure of the answer to that question.
When the note had originally found them, they had been in Graniela, quite literally about to abandon their search.
Then, that wrinkled piece of paper had landed on their Inn’s doorstep, as if carried by Winderlyn himself.
“Luck,” she said finally.
Clearly, Arnold was not satisfied with the response. “No such thing.”
“We ran into—”
“She lived in Graniela. Alone. The birthmark on her back gave her away.”
Nina cooled her features into disinterest, inhaling a bored breath as if she wasn't caught off guard by Cas's blatant lie.
“I don't believe I asked you, Casimir.” Fire pooled in the King’s eyes. “I also don't trust a single thing you Xanthos say about Yarrows.”
“He tells the truth, Majesty,” Nina assured. “We found no other kin, or anything left behind by the late Queen.”
The lies burned like sand in her mouth, but she understood. Cas was protecting not only Sol but lady Yarrow as well. Nina wouldn't put it past the King to seek the healer out of spite if they told him the truth.
“Word reached this morning that a port town called Yavenharrow is under Jinn siege.” He observed them with calculated calmness, provoking Nina’s very soul into a tremble.
“Anything to report from there?” Nina bit the inside of her cheek.
Think. Fast.
“We traveled through there on our way back to Rimemere, Majesty. During our journey, we only saw some stragglers, but nothing more.”
“You didn’t encounter Yavenharrow under total chaos, near rubble beneath fire and blood?” Gina angled her head, as if the woman could see right through her. “Quite the luck you all had by avoiding it.”
After some beats of silence, and the realization Nina and Cas weren’t divulging any more information, Arnold sighed. “We shall begin the Coronation Vows in a week. I must send out formal invitations to the continent.”
Her breath hitched. “The—Is that still a practice?”
“Of course. Rimemere tradition,” Samara added, studying her silver nails. “One of the more fun ones, if I do say so myself.”
Beside Nina, Shadows rose from the ground, swirling around Cas's feet. “I believe the Princess’ situation calls for an exception.”
“Are you still speaking?” The King stood. “And no. Her situation does nothing for her except make her a weakness.”
Blood heating, Nina squeezed her hands into fists, but before she could counter with something, anything to get Sol out of the gods’ awful ritual, Arnold clapped his hands in a summon. “Finigan.”
As if from thin air itself, Finigan Cale stepped into the room, sword in one hand—and whip in the other.
“Punishment for unprovoked assault is ten lashes, Miss Amana.”
Hands gripped her arms, kingsmen she hadn’t noticed dragging her forward.
Nina struggled not to trip as her bones turned to ice and vision blurred at the sight of the whip up close, the image of the last time she had seen it used burning through her eyelids.
Panic squeezed at her throat as they pushed her to her knees.
“It was provoked. Your kingsguard called the Princess a whore!” Cas's tone was fierce, but the edge of desperation tugged at Nina’s chest. “I will take Amana’s lashings. Let her go, Semmena.”
Arnold peered at Cas, a tight smile pulling at the edge of his lips while his golden eyes shone with anticipation. “You are due for something way worse than lashes, Casimir Xanthos Morozov.” Instantly, the room fell dark.
The chandelier flickered and then extinguished, the hall firelights exploding at the mention of the Prince of Shadow’s gods-given name.
Nina hadn’t seen a Draining in years.
Unfortunately, the gods weren’t fond of punishing their connection to the terrestrial plane—the Rimemere ruler. So the Draining would be for Cas and not the one who uttered his name.
Nina twisted out of the kingsmen’s grasp, crawling her way back to Cas.
With an awful groan, he fell to his knees, illuminated by his violet Ward in a halo around him.
“Cas…” Nina breathed as she reached him. She grabbed his arm and slashed it open with her wielder ring.
His blood fell in streams, and where it met the marble ground, it evaporated into golden stars. Cas's face relaxed, his breathing trembling, as he glared at the King with the promise of vengeance.
Around them, the tension dissipated, and the chandelier stuttered back to life as he gave his blood to the gods, the consequence of having his full name uttered by anyone other than himself.
Tears burned in Nina’s eyes as she took him into a hug.
If she hadn't let his blood flow, he would have burned out quickly. Without another entity to punish, he would have received it tenfold.
“It always stuns me just how quickly Warren demands your blood, Casimir,” Arnold said. “So peculiar.”
“Quit the fucking shows, Semmena.” Samara said, the sound of her footsteps storming forward. “Piss off the Yarrows all you want, but leave my brother alone.”
Her mother laughed. “So honorable of you to protect your halfbrother, Samara,” Gina said.
“Ten lashes for Amana.” Arnold tapped the throne’s armrest with lanky fingers. “Now.”
Nina clung to Cas, her tears flowing. He pressed a small, gentle kiss to her forehead and whispered, “You won’t be hurt, Nins.”
“I will supervise her lashings outside.” Samara grabbed Nina’s arm, her nails digging into her already sore skin. “Don’t need to get blood on the floors again.”
Arnold waved a hand. “Fine. Gives me more room to deal with the rest of the problem.”
As Nina was dragged away, the King’s eyes shone with storms, and she feared Cas's lightning would be no match for them.
SAMARA’S GRIP WAS rough.