Fate Forged

by B. P. Donigan

  “Your Aegis?” Alaric sputtered. His face turned an unhealthy shade of red.

  Silas glared at him, a clear challenge in the set of his shoulders. “Yes. She bears the Valeron sigil.”

  Alaric opened and closed his mouth, not just once, but two times. Anger built into white splotches against the red of his cheeks. “You can’t do that!”

  Elias leaned forward in his chair and stared intently at Silas. “You cannot invoke privileges you relinquished when you refused to take your family’s seat on the Council. You ceded your title as Prime of your House. Without your family’s seat, you cannot keep your vow of protection.”

  Elias’s words rang in my ears, and it slowly dawned on me that Silas couldn’t protect me, no matter what he had vowed. He’d promised me safety, but he had no way to guarantee it. Oath or not, the Council would kill me.

  Silas’s jaw clenched. His face contorted before it settled back into a blank mask. When he spoke, his voice was level, flat. “You’d have me abandon the hunt for the Brotherhood to take the seat? I am close to finding them. We know where Titus—”

  “You’ve wasted too much time chasing the Brotherhood across Earth without any results,” Elias said more firmly. “The search within Earth can continue without you. You are required here.”

  “You can’t force me into this,” Silas said through clenched teeth.

  “As you wish.” Elias waved his hand in my direction, and the guards on either side started dragging me backward.

  I could feel the magic prickling on the surface of my skin. I was about to lose control. “Silas!”

  “If I take the Council seat, will you honor the bond and the sanctuary claim?”

  “That would be your privilege as a member of this Council,” Elias said with an eagerness that made me think he anticipated Silas’s response.

  “My bond-brother has been declared Prime of House Valeron,” Silas said. “I would not strip him of that honor.” The way he stressed the last word made it clear what he really believed. “He will take the seat as the representative of our House.”

  “No!” Alaric exclaimed. “You can’t have it both ways. Lord Stephan is not eligible to take the Council seat.”

  “Agreed,” Elias said. “Your bond-brother is not a Guardian and cannot take their representative’s seat, as you well know, Lord Silas. And since only a House Prime can take a Council seat, you must reclaim your Guardian position and House status to take the seat yourself.”

  Silas’s jaw flexed, and his hands curled at his sides as he stared at Elias and Alaric. After a very long, tense moment, he spoke. “Very well.”

  Elias nodded at the guards at my side, who released me. The staggering relief that hit me almost dropped me onto the floor.

  Silas’s magic flared. His hands flexed at his sides, and suddenly, he was gripping his sword.

  I grabbed his arm. “Have you lost your ever-loving mind?” He was going to get us both killed.

  We locked gazes. He turned the sword around and held it out hilt first to Elias. “I accept your offer.”

  Elias smirked at me as if I were a misbehaving child. He accepted the sword and laid it flat across his lap. “Lady Maeve will be a guest of the Council until we can confirm her origins and her usefulness. In exchange, Lord Silas will take his family seat. Are we in agreement?”

  The other Councilors agreed one by one. Alaric leaned back in his seat, his face still red and his narrowed eyes locked on Silas. He didn’t say anything else because he was already outvoted.

  Elias and Silas waited expectantly for my response. I had no idea what they intended to do to verify my origins, but for the moment, Silas’s deal meant that I would live another day. And that meant I had more time to get myself out of this mess. My heart beat in my throat, but I nodded. “I have nothing to hide.”

  The dome of energy unraveled and shivered to the ground. The noise of the crowd buzzed in my ears until Elias held up his hand, quieting them. His voice carried across the room, confident and official. “The Council welcomes Lord Commander Silas, Prime of House Valeron, to its ranks.”

  Applause broke out, and Silas’s name echoed from a hundred different voices around the room. Silas stood with his back to the crowd, so they didn’t see the scowl that took over his already tight expression. The Councilors retreated to an opening at the back of the platform. A few gave long, curious glances my way before disappearing. Lady Octavia, the Shifter female, locked gazes with me in obvious challenge. I held her stare for a long second before I worried about challenging her and dropped my eyes.

  The noise in the room grew louder as people lingered, speculating over what had just happened in excited tones. We’d put on quite a show. And I’d put myself in the Council’s hands, which was exactly what Father Mike had told me not to do.

  The Lord Councilor reemerged onto the main floor and stopped in front of us, his floor-length white robe swirling dramatically around his legs. “Appoint your Second this night, Lord Commander,” Elias said. “No more avoiding your life here, or our agreement is void.”

  Silas folded his arms across his chest. “I understand.”

  “And a word of advice—Lord Certus is not your enemy. You’ve extracted your revenge; now I suggest you focus on keeping Aria happy. Fulfill your mating bond.”

  Silas turned away without responding. I stared at his back, trying to decipher what I’d just heard. Mating bond?

  Elias took my hand between both of his. “I suspect we will be seeing one another very soon. I so look forward to spending time with you, my lady.” The words were loaded with meaning.

  I tried to control my shaking hands. He’d suggested killing me with no more thought than ordering himself a sandwich. I didn’t want to be on his radar at all.

  He left, and with the room nearly empty, I quickly found Silas speaking with Stephan next to the dais. I didn’t know him well, but Silas’s brother didn’t seem upset at losing his title. I couldn’t hear them, but from Stephan’s expression, he seemed to be trying to calm Silas down.

  The brothers clasped forearms before Stephan glanced over Silas’s shoulder and said something. Silas turned with a frown.

  “What the hell is the Lost Sect?” I demanded instantly. “And why didn’t you tell me about them before?”

  His mouth went tight. “You didn’t need to know.”

  “Like hell I didn’t! You just accused me of being one of them and almost got me killed.”

  One of Silas’s eyebrows arched in that irritatingly superior way he had. He crooked his fingers at someone behind me. “You’re overreacting,” he stated.

  “You knew since the moment you saw my flare, didn’t you? You saw my white magic, and you did whatever it took to get your claws on it.”

  His jaw clenched, confirming my suspicion.

  “You only swore to protect me because you thought I would lead you to this Lost Sect.” I lowered my voice to a harsh whisper. “You tried to have sex with me so I’d trust you—all just so you could drop me in the Council’s lap!”

  “You’re making no sense. I could have taken you to the Council at any point! I was trying to protect you, but as usual, you wouldn’t listen.” Silas’s voice came out in a low growl. “The Council had to believe you were more valuable to them alive, and linking you to the Lost Sect was the best way to do that.”

  “Are you crazy? Setting me up as part of some group they’ve been hunting down is the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard. As soon as they figure out I can’t control this magic, I’m dead! You were supposed to protect me from them.”

  His nostrils flared in anger. “I kept my word. I took you to the Fate, and I’ve gone out of my way to keep you alive. Time to live up to your end of our oath. The goodwill of the Council is your best protection now.”

  A man spoke behind me. “If you’ll come with us, my lady?”

  Legatis Landas stood behind me with two other Guardians. His smug expression made me want to smack him. A spike of panic overtook me
as my situation sank in. Elias had called me a guest of the Council, but I was obviously a prisoner until they decided what they were going to do with me. They wanted me to use the magic abilities I’d inherited from Marcel, but I had no idea how to do that. If I couldn’t convince the Council I was more valuable to them alive...

  I turned back to ask Silas where they were taking me, but he and Stephan were nowhere to be seen inside the hall. Silas had left me without a word of explanation. Hurt and panic flared. I had no choice but to follow Landas to whatever prison cell awaited me.

  The Guardians escorted me up a narrow staircase cleverly hidden behind the raised dais. Sandwiched between two guards, I followed Landas, twisting through several guarded hallways. We walked in silence until we reached a solid section of wall with a doorframe carved into the stone.

  Landas laid his palm on the frame, and his aura flared a pale red. The stone wall melted away, and he stepped back to let me enter. “If you require anything, you can use the communication panel inside.”

  “What if I want to leave?”

  “We will bring you anything you require, my lady.” His eyes darkened, and I wondered what he shifted into. I bet there weren’t a lot of bunny rabbits among the Shifters.

  “I want to talk to Silas—Lord Silas. Lord Commander. Whatever.” I would drag answers out of him if I had to.

  He didn’t move. “I will relay your request.”

  I looked past Landas and down the long, guarded hallway. Beyond that were two sets of ports to get down to the surface, none of which I could use. Even if I were able to make it all the way back to the portal to Earth, I wouldn’t have been able to use it without help. There were no exits, no matter how badly I wanted to turn and run.

  I made the only choice I had left and entered my prison with as much dignity as I could muster.

  The door solidified behind me, and I was alone. I counted to ten and placed my palm on the solid wall to see if it would open. Nothing. I tried to clear my mind and access the power trapped inside of me, but I couldn’t control it. The magic was present but faint, completely useless. I was trapped. Exhaling, I surveyed the inside of my prison. The plush sitting room held a velvety-blue overstuffed sofa and side chair. A simple wooden table sat on top of a thick rug covering the red stone floor. Without any windows, the chamber’s only light source filtered from a grid-like spell embedded in the ceiling. The room was elegant but sturdy.

  I walked into the adjacent room and noted a round stone table and four oversized dining chairs. On the opposite side, through an open doorway, was a large bedroom drowning in blue fabric. When I walked in, another lighting spell activated in the ceiling, startling me. I needed to get used to seeing magic blending in with technology.

  A small bathroom completed the suite.

  The place was better than a dank cell, but it was still a prison. I walked back to the middle room and pulled open the thick blue draperies to reveal a large picture window.

  In the valley below, the City Centre glowed against the night sky. A jumble of streets and lights spanned the entire window. That deep inside the mountain, there was no way I was looking out over the city. Slowly, I reached my finger toward the window. The image of the city bowed and rippled with the slight touch of my forefinger. Despair and homesickness hit me, and I blinked back tears.

  Numbly, I walked through each room again and replayed everything that had happened since I’d arrived in Aeterna. I had believed Silas would help me navigate this mess, but now I wasn’t sure. Technically, he’d fulfilled his duty to keep me alive, but it seemed as though he’d washed his hands of me. Every kindness he’d shown me was suspect. He’d only been trying to get information on this Lost Sect. Then again, he clearly hadn’t wanted to take the seat on the Council, and he’d done it anyway. Just as he’d said, he had fulfilled his end of our bargain by taking me to the Fate rather than dragging me to Aeterna when we’d first met. It was the stupid Fate who had sent us into the hands of the Council, not Silas.

  I was so confused. Then I remembered our kiss, and I flushed with embarrassment. No wonder he’d pushed me away. Elias had mentioned a mating bond to someone named Aria. I wasn’t stupid. I could put two and two together. Silas was married to another woman. The stream of curse words in my head would have made Father Mike blush. Thank God nothing more had happened in that sleeping bag.

  My current situation was not looking good. I had all this power, but so far, all I could do was relive Marcel’s memories and steal other people’s magic. Sometimes. Because I didn’t even know how I’d done that. I briefly considered an attempt at stealing magic from one of my guards but decided against it. Even if I could figure out how to do it, there was no way I could get myself through the ports, across the city, and through the portal to Earth.

  No, I was stuck in Aeterna for the moment. If the Council decided I was a threat, there was no way I could stop them from killing me. I had to figure out how to use the magic trapped inside me to convince the Council I was useful to them alive. If I could buy myself some time, maybe I could figure out a way home. I could even find Father Mike—maybe he was still in Aeterna. And while I did all of that, I needed to figure out how to fight back with Marcel’s magic if I couldn’t convince the Council.

  Determined, I padded back to the sitting room. Sinking down onto the thick rug, I rolled Marcel’s charm between my fingers as I focused on breathing. Folding my legs yoga-style, I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on the power inside me. The magic was a ball of energy inside my gut, connecting me to... something bigger. I just needed to get the power on the outside, where I could do something with it—like scorch off Silas’s irritating eyebrows.

  Focus.

  I took a deep breath and tried to clear my mind. I had accessed the power before; I just needed to do it again. The power was there—yet far away. It was like trying to grab something on the other side of a window. I could sense it, but I couldn’t get to it. I needed to figure out a way to shatter the barrier between me and the magic.

  I ground my teeth. This is hopeless.

  A three-toned chime rang through the room. I popped to my feet as the door to the suite shimmered and disappeared. A Guardian wrapped in a bright-blue aura bowed slightly in front of me. She was tall, but lithe and graceful in a way that her brown, boy-cut hair and severely tailored uniform couldn’t hide. When she straightened, I noticed delicately pointed ears and lavender eyes, confirming her Fae heritage. Unless I was misjudging, she was only a few years older than me.

  “My name is Thessaly d’Vente. Lord Valeron asked me to watch over you.”

  A little burst of butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I recognized that name; she was Silas’s friend. Maybe I wasn’t being abandoned. Maybe Silas had just sent me an ally. “I’m Maeve.” I stuck out my hand to the Fae woman. “Nice to meet you, Thessaly.”

  “If we’re being informal, you may call me Tessa.” She gripped my forearm in a strong hold that almost left a bruise, and smiled. She stepped farther inside, and five people in brown tunics entered from the hallway, their arms loaded with supplies. They dispersed around the apartment.

  “What is all this?” I asked, waving my hand at the people fluffing pillows and placing trays of food and drinks on tables throughout the suite. One of them placed a vase full of fresh flowers on a side table. I glared at the blooms. Seriously?

  “The Council wishes you to be comfortable during your stay.” Her tone stayed perfectly neutral, but the expression on her face was just shy of an eye roll.

  “I need to talk to Silas.”

  “He received your request, my lady. He sent me.”

  “Sonofabitch!” I should have known better. “Silas needs his ass kicked.” I would have been happy to be the one to do it.

  She bit her lip and stifled a laugh.

  “I don’t see why that’s funny,” I said, my hands on my hips.

  “Shall I summon him? Perhaps you’d like to challenge him to a fight?”

 
I sighed. Confronting Silas right then would not have been a good idea, not when I had such confused emotions. I needed to calm down.

  The people bustling around us each had a double set of those parallel markings glowing with energy on both sides of their necks. They cleaned and stocked the suite, glowing with pale, clear power that seemed strangely translucent. I’d seen the same clear power in the ports in the Lower City.

  “What’s wrong with their magic?” I blurted. Then I clamped my mouth shut. I had a very bad habit of letting my tongue move faster than my brain, and the day had been long and taxing.

  Tessa grimaced. “These servants are Barrens, born without a natural connection to magic.”

  Once the room had been stocked to their satisfaction, the servants left silently. Only a man with shoulder-length brown hair remained behind, standing by Tessa’s left shoulder, his eyes glued to the ground unobtrusively. Despite being huge, both in height and muscle mass, his entire demeanor screamed submissive. Plainly dressed in a brown tunic-style shirt and pants, his most obvious feature was a wide band of sigils wrapping around each wrist, dark against his pale skin.

  “Don’t all Aeternals have magic?” I asked Tessa.

  Everything I had seen in Aeterna functioned with magic. A person couldn’t even open a door without it. I certainly couldn’t.

  She hummed in agreement and picked up a glass from a silver tray. The amber liquid inside bubbled gently. “It’s a problem. They drain our resources more than other citizens. Most Houses can’t afford the energy it takes to sustain a Barren. They almost always choose termination at birth.”

  Shocked, I examined the man closer. He still hadn’t met my eyes, and his gaze remained locked on our feet. This conversation about—people like him—suddenly seemed so... inappropriate. We were discussing him as if he weren’t there, and I felt really uneasy about what my questions had started.

  She waved her hand, dismissing my surprise. “In the last century, Barrens have been kept by the Council. The Barren receive special sigils to access the Citizen Source, and therefore, they serve to offset their drain on the public resources.”