My mind twisted while I pieced together this messy puzzle. “Silas made it sound like this bonded thing was a mutual agreement.”
“Most bonded matches are. In their case, it was not. However, once the Fate has spoken, there’s not a lot the rest of us can do about it, especially when the weight of the Lord Magister is put behind it.”
“Why would Alaric do that?”
“Because our family is older and more powerful than theirs. I know that sounds crass, but it’s the truth.” The angry expression twisting down his mouth and furrowing his brows seemed out of place on his face. “A quarter century ago, House Certus led a political rebellion, which they lost. The Council executed the whole lot of them, and only Alaric and his young daughter were absolved. Many suspected Alaric was involved, but there was never any proof. He’s desperate to get back the standing his House used to have, and attaching themselves to our House would benefit him greatly.”
Stephan resembled Silas more than ever when his expression slipped into a harsh scowl. “Silas had to accept the bonding, but he retaliated by ceding his birthright. He stepped down as Prime of our House and refused the Council seat he’d been groomed for, which naturally decreased Aria’s standing as well. Alaric was—is—furious.”
So many things were falling into place. Silas didn’t want to be bonded to Alaric’s daughter. He’d walked away from everything in protest. Then he’d brought me, branded with his sigil, in front of the Council, which had embarrassed Aria’s father, a powerful Council Member. Shit, what was Silas thinking?
“In all honesty, Lady Aria has suffered the most from the situation. She’s a social pariah in Upper Aeterna. She’s a kind and gracious person, lovely in every way. She is also the sole heir to their entire familial power source and fortune. She would have been a desirable mate for literally anyone else. After the prophecy, she was bonded to someone who didn’t want her, and they live separately.” He blew out his breath and seemed to deflate in his seat. “Not that it’s Silas’s fault either. I understand why he’s acted as he has. It’s just a miserable situation.”
With a pang of guilt, I realized I’d been too harsh on Silas. And I felt bad for this Aria person too. My feelings were even more confused than before.
“My brother has sacrificed much already,” Stephan said. “I’d ask you to give him the opportunity to fix whatever he has done to offend you.”
“I told him I never wanted to see him again,” I admitted.
“I’m confident you can’t get rid of him that easily.”
A pang of loneliness hit me. I didn’t know who I could trust and who was using me anymore. I believed that Stephan was trying to help, but he was also capable of manipulating my emotions. No one in this entire realm had my back.
Except Father Mike. He was the closest thing I had to a friend. Honestly, he was more like the family I never had. I wished he were around to give me advice. Silas had told him to return and report to the Council, but I just realized I’d never seen him in Aeterna. A sudden feeling of dread hit me—I didn’t know if he’d made it to this realm. It was very possible the Brotherhood had found him first.
“I’m worried about a friend from Earth. He should be here, but I haven’t seen him.” An idea came to me, and a bit of hope blossomed inside the ball of anxiety. “Do you think you could find a Harvester named Michael Smithson? He was stationed in Boston.”
Stephan nodded. “I’ll make some inquiries.”
The pods delivered us to a festival straight out of a gladiator tournament. Large open tents were spread across a vast field, with multicolored pennants strung between them. In the distance, a large arena towered over the field like a modernized version of a Greek coliseum. Magic surrounded the multi-level structure while transport pods zipped to and from the various open archways. The crowd pushed steadily in that direction, leading Atticus, Tessa, and the Guardians surrounding us toward the arena.
Magic was everywhere, filling the air with color. Auras in every combination of yellow, red, and blue flared around us. Silas had been right; a pure shade of magic was rare. Under temporary tents, vendors hawked food. Tele-nets hung between the stalls, displaying complicated scoring results and live feeds from the matches. The atmosphere was festive as we moved through the crowd, and I let myself enjoy the mood. I really needed a night off from worrying about people trying to kill me and plots for power grabs.
People kept recognizing Stephan, and he waved and greeted them cheerily, occasionally pausing to point out interesting wares from vendors’ stalls, until we reached an elaborately carved port. A Guardian stood near it, his eyes locked on a tele-net floating above us. He jumped to attention when he saw us.
“My lady?” Stephan hooked my arm through his and led us onto the platform.
My stomach twisted before solid ground rematerialized under my feet. We landed in an enormous tent, and our entourage arrived a moment later. Tessa moved to the side of the pavilion with Atticus. At least a dozen other Guardians hovered along the sidelines with three times as many servants.
The enormous space included a large central area with dozens of private screened alcoves around the perimeter. The entire pavilion contained perhaps a hundred Aeternals socializing in the tent. The hum of conversation floated above the sounds of live music, peppered with bouts of laughter. People were in varying states of relaxation. Men were either bare-chested or dressed in tunics like Stephan. Equal proportions of women were draped in gowns like mine or far less, baring almost everything. There was so much flesh and so little fuss that after the initial shock, it was almost easy to dismiss it as the people ate, laughed, and lounged across the entire tent.
I recognized the Councilors scattered through the crowd. Nerves tensed in my stomach. Tessa told me this was the biggest social event of the year, and that meant I would probably have to deal with the Council. It was stupid of me to think I might get a night off. But I gathered up my mental energy and decided this could be a good opportunity. The conversation with Stephan had revealed how little I actually understood about the Council’s motivations. I couldn’t afford to make any more political mistakes. I needed allies on the Council who could help me convince the others that I was worth keeping around—until I found a way to get back to Earth.
A servant approached us, holding a silver platter with tall, thin glasses. Stephan picked up two flutes with bubbly amber liquid and passed one to me.
“It’s called till,” Stephan said. “Similar to Earthen wine.”
I took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by the crisp, cool taste. It was way better than any wine I’d tried. Of course, I’d only had wine from a box, so what did I know? I hardly ever drank alcohol, but the till was delicious, and I took another sip as Stephan led me to one of the larger alcoves. Two servants appeared with food and more drinks. I waved away the brown cheese platter and took another sip of the sweet drink as I watched the people around us. Each person radiated a slightly different hue of power, creating a rainbow of flickering magic while they chatted and roamed the enclosed space in an ever-moving prism of color and sound.
I spotted Lord Councilor Elias talking with a small group of people. His white Council robe had been replaced by a short blue tunic that hung from one shoulder and draped off his back like a cloak. I needed powerful allies, and Elias was as powerful as they got. Preparing myself for some major ass-kissing, I waved at him. He broke off from his group, glass of till in hand. As he made his way over to us, I was struck again by how handsome he was. Honestly, he was beyond handsome. It was like seeing a celebrity up close and realizing he really was that good looking.
“Lady Maeve, what a pleasure to see you.” He pressed his lips to the back of my hand. His thumb rubbed across my knuckles before he released me. “Lord Stephan, greetings.”
“I was hoping to see you tonight,” I said to Elias. “I wanted to talk.”
“Indeed?” His eyebrows rose. “Lord Stephan, might I have a turnabout with Lady Maeve?”
Stephan gave him a tight smile. “If the lady wishes.”
Elias wrapped my arm through his and led me toward the other side of the tent in a slow stroll. “Has your visit been pleasant, my lady?”
I took a deep breath to steady myself. “I’d hardly call it a visit. I’m a prisoner of the Council.”
“Nonsense. You’re welcome to go where you wish if you’re properly escorted—for your safety. In fact, I shall arrange a tour of Aeterna for you.”
“That would be great,” I said with true enthusiasm. If I could get a better sense of the city, I could figure out how to get back to the portal when the time came.
“Upper Aeterna is quite safe, but we can’t be too careful. Perhaps if Lord Silas were to accompany you...”
His tone was casual, but warning bells went off in my head. I didn’t know what he was hinting at, and I really needed to avoid stepping into more problems. “I’m sure he’s too busy with more important things.”
Elias motioned to a servant against the wall, and she stepped forward with another glass of till. I took it and drained half of it in one swallow in a misguided attempt to calm my nerves. I made a mental note to slow down before I got drunk.
“I’d be happy to take you myself.” Elias’s eyes lingered on my revealing neckline. “I’d never be too busy for such a lovely creature as yourself.”
My heart rate picked up. He made me nervous on so many levels, and I was way out of my league. “Don’t you have a government to run?”
He laughed. “For you, my lady, I would be honored to step away from my duties. I find you... quite fascinating.” He stepped closer and ran the tips of his fingers along the side of my neck. “Would you be interested in sex?”
Shock swallowed my tongue and rooted me to the ground. “Wow, uh. That’s... wow.”
“I’ve made you uncomfortable. I forget that Earthens are not as direct as Aeternals.” He ran his hand slowly along my collarbone, following the length of my necklace downward.
I pulled back, uncomfortable with the direction of his caress, and his finger looped around my necklace. He pulled the pendant into his hand and furrowed his brows at the sigil on Marcel’s charm.
“Sex is meant for physical pleasure,” he said. “Yours and mine. I’m confident we would both enjoy it.”
I opened my mouth, but no sounds came out. That was such a bad idea, I didn’t even have words.
He released the charm, and it fell back against my overheated skin. “Would you consider joining me for the evening meal?” My stomach flipped as he shifted his body inches closer to mine. “I’d like to hear more about how you came to be entangled with the Brotherhood. How else could I be confident of your loyalties if we remain strangers?”
“Are you trying to seduce me or blackmail me?” I snapped my mouth shut and willed my brain to move faster than my tongue.
“The former. Although I’d hoped that would be more obvious.” His eyes crinkled handsomely. “Tonight, then? I’ll send a servant to escort you to my personal chambers.”
“I’m not sure that...” I looked around. “I should probably talk to Silas about...” Shit. Think of something.
“If you’re seeking his permission first, you need not worry.” He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially. “I far outrank him.”
“I don’t need his permission,” I said with a huff.
“Wonderful.” He kissed the back of my hand and twisted on his heel without another word.
I gaped at his back. I hadn’t said yes, but somehow, I’d just let the leader of the Aeternal Council corner me into a date. And he had a lot more in mind than dinner. I’d tried to get Elias on my side, not end up on my back.
This was bad on so many levels.
Chapter Eighteen
As Elias disappeared into the crowd, Lady Octavia, the Shifter Councilor, spotted me across the wide pavilion and made her way fluidly toward me. She moved with a graceful stride accentuated by a draped white dress that showed off her long legs and lean, muscular arms. Over the dress, a royal-blue swath of fabric was looped over one shoulder and draped across her body.
The narrowing of her eyes and her purposeful stride had me bracing myself. When she reached me, she didn’t waste any time getting to her point. “Why did you come to Aeterna?”
“The Fate sent me—”
She cut me off with an impatient wave of her hand, sending golden bracelets tinkling on her arm. “I’ve heard Lord Silas’s account. Let me be more to the point. I don’t believe you’re an innocent who stumbled into the Brotherhood’s Transference. You’re hiding who you are, and I want to know why. Whose side are you on, and why are you in our realm?”
I was so taken aback by her directness that I stopped to consider my response. There were a lot of sides to consider—the Brotherhood and the Council, of course. But I’d also learned about this Lost Sect who seemed to be interested in protecting Earth’s magic. Then there was Marcel, who’d died trying to reach me, all for reasons I couldn’t even begin to guess.
“If anyone had a way to get the magic out of me that didn’t involve my untimely death, I’d be on their side,” I said bluntly.
Her eyebrows rose at what she must have considered a confession of some kind. Of course, there was no way I would join up with a murderous group of criminals intent on killing innocent people to fuel their rebellion, but I continued on, letting the frustration of this ridiculous situation loose. “I don’t care about the Brotherhood or your Council. Hell, if this Lost Sect of yours told me they’d get the magic out, I’d be their best friend. I don’t know anything about your politics, and honestly, I don’t care. I’m so far out of my depth here, I couldn’t even begin to guess whose side I should choose. So I’m on my side, Lady Octavia. All I care about is staying alive.”
She let out a loud laugh, tossing her head backward. “That is the first fully honest thing I’ve heard in ages. You’re positively vibrating with sincerity.”
My mouth twisted as I decided whether or not to push my luck. “Then I’d appreciate your honesty in return. The way I see it, if I prove that I can be valuable to the Council, I’m trapped here forever as your guest. But if I can’t control this magic stuck inside me, you all are going to kill me and drain me dry.”
Her eyebrows rose, but she didn’t disagree.
“What I can’t figure out,” I continued, “is any possible way where I don’t end up a slave or dead. So here’s my question: How can I convince the Council to let me go?”
The whites of her eyes shifted to pools of gold. Her irises turned fully black, like a jaguar’s, before they returned to a human shade of brown. “My people need what you have more than you need freedom. You want to survive? Prove yourself useful to someone more powerful than you. It’s the way the world works.”
Locking my knees in place, I forced myself not to step away from her. Instead, I looked pointedly around the room at the ostentatious wealth of food and people surrounding us. “Your people seem to be doing fine. You don’t need me. I just want to go home and live my life.”
“These people revel in excess.” Her lip curled as she swept her gaze around the tent. “They don’t know what it’s like to live hand-to-mouth, serving others.” She looked me right in the eye. “There will be sacrifices for the cause... and you would do well to remember that your life does not matter to anyone but you.” She bared her perfectly human teeth in a smile that was most definitely predatory.
My hindbrain shivered in fear, telling my feet to start running, but I held her stare.
“Is all well?” Stephan’s voice made me jump, and I found him standing behind me.
Lady Octavia frowned sharply at him. “We were just discussing the realities of life.”
“Death is a reality of life,” Ethan says angrily.
“I don’t want to talk about this,” I say.
“You can’t just run away from your responsibilities!”
I spin around to confront him. With dark hair and high cheekbones,
Ethan has boyish good looks that hold the promise of a handsome man, although his face is red and twisted in an angry scowl.
“You’re safe here,” he says more softly.
“None of us are safe, Ethan. She... she’s dead.” My breath hitches in my chest, stuck on the terrible pain balled inside me. “Murdered. I can’t live like this anymore.”
I blinked, coming back to the conversation with Stephan and Lady Octavia. That vision had been different—it wasn’t full of torture and pain but seemed just as real. The heartbreak and pain of some kind of loss still burned, tightening in my chest.
“You’re not scaring our guest, are you, Lady Octavia?” His carefully neutral expression reminded me of Silas, and my emotions veered again.
“I’m fine,” I said absently, not wanting them to realize there was a lot more wrong with me than just wobbly emotions. Marcel’s memories must have started going further back, and they weren’t getting any happier. I grimaced. This was not a good sign for my mental stability.
A gong sounded across the room. I startled again, my hand going over my heart. I would have a stroke soon if I didn’t settle down.
A man in a plain tunic stood in the center of the room. He stepped onto a low altar with two thick carved poles sticking into the air on either side of the stone slab. His voice carried across the room in a rich baritone. Stephan led me closer to the center of the crowd to listen as Lady Octavia headed in the opposite direction. Palpable excitement hung in the air.
“For a thousand anni,” the man began, “the Original Houses have sustained us with their power and wisdom. Let each House bear the burden of their responsibility.”
The gong sounded again, and three people moved forward, surrounding the low altar. I recognized Lady Octavia as she stepped out of the crowd, but the others had their backs to me. I peered around heads and shoulders and recognized the Fae representative, Lord Nuada.
Fate Forged Page 19
