by Jack Whitney
“No, no,” Aydra argued, brows furrowed as she slowly stepped towards her sister. “Why are you sneaking around through the servants’ tunnels with your hood up?”
Nyssa’s mouth opened and closed, weight shifting under Aydra’s gaze. “I—I was just going to the kitchens for food,” she stammered, fumbling with her fingers. “Bit famished and light-headed after banquet last night. I can still feel the wine going through me—”
Nyssa’s eyes darted anxiously from her hands, to the floor, and to Aydra’s own. Her cheeks were as flushed as her hair, and Aydra slowed her stride as she stepped up to face her. Aydra’s arms hugged around her chest, and she gave her sister a full once over.
“Mmhmm…” Aydra muttered through her closed mouth, eyeing Nyssa’s avoided gaze.
Dorian snorted behind them, and Nyssa cut her eyes at him over Aydra’s shoulder.
It was then Aydra noticed why Nyssa had her hood up.
Aydra reached forward and pushed Nyssa’s hood back, followed by her hair. She felt her lips twisting, and she raised a brow at the raised blood marks on her sister’s throat.
“You’re a terrible liar,” Aydra mocked.
Dorian burst into laughter that echoed around the room. Nyssa’s jaw tightened. “Shut up, Dorian!” she nearly shouted.
At first, Aydra smirked at her blushing sister, obviously flushed that she’d been caught out of sorts and bringing food back to whatever person it was that had adorned her bed the night before. But the way her sister avoided her gaze made Aydra pause.
And then, the realization of who it was that she was sure had joined Nyssa in her bed hit her like an anvil.
Aydra audibly gasped, eyes widened. “No!—what— Nyssa!”
“And we’re leaving,” Draven’s hands grasped Aydra’s shoulders and he tried to pull her away.
Aydra pulled her arms away from him, mouth still agape. “The one person—”
“Drae—”
“—I told you to be careful of—”
“Sister, please—”
“—you took him back to bed?!—”
“Will you—”
“—What happened? Did he lure you with his stupid jokes?”
“Oh, what did you think was going to happen?” Nyssa suddenly spat exaggeratedly at her.
Aydra’s words ceased, and she felt her brows raise on her face at her sister’s scolding rolled eyes.
“You tell me I can’t have something, I’m obviously going to go after it!” Nyssa continued.
The defiance written in Nyssa’s features made Aydra’s chest swell. Aydra shook her head, feeling her lips slowly twist upwards as the words her sister had just said repeated in her head.
“Something tells me she didn’t have do much ‘going after’,” came Dorian’s amused mutter.
“Shut up, Dorian,” they said at the same time.
A laugh sounded under Aydra’s breath when she turned back around, and she met Nyssa’s gaze. “That’s the first time you’ve truly stood up to me,” she mused.
Nyssa inhaled deeply, and Aydra watched as a small, yet nervous, smile lit up her sister’s face. “I’m learning,” she managed in a breath.
Aydra grinned. “Yeah? How did it feel?” she mocked.
Nyssa’s chest began to heave, gaze darting between Aydra and Draven standing behind her. “Terrifying,” she admitted, “but a good terrifying?” Her voice was high-pitched, as though she were fighting anxiety. She started shaking her hands, nerves suddenly possessing her. “If that makes sense. I—”
Aydra laughed as her sister steadied herself. “It does make sense,” she told her. She shook her head as she wrapped her arms around her sister. She hugged her tight and then pulled back a few moments later, holding Nyssa’s face in her hands.
“I’m going to kill him,” Aydra said with a full grin on her face.
“You’re not,” Draven said, sinking his arm around Aydra’s shoulders as she dropped her hands from Nyssa. “If I remember correctly, your sister can decide the right sort of man for herself,” he added with a wink at Nyssa. “Besides, Nadir would somehow charm his way back into your good graces before you got the drop on him.”
An audible sigh left Aydra’s lips, and she reluctantly resigned the notion. “Fine.”
Dorian came up beside them then. The grin on his face was spread into his features. He started to reach for Nyssa’s chin so he could see the marks on her throat, but Nyssa slapped his hands.
“Ass,” Nyssa muttered.
Dorian chuckled under his breath and held out his arm for her to take. “Come on, let’s go get you that food for you to take back to bed.”
The pair started off down the hall, Nyssa shoving his arm off her after a few moments and Dorian laughing at her as they playfully argued down the tunnel.
Aydra was still in shock. Draven laughed and pressed his lips to her temple. “Leave it,” he urged her. “She can take care of herself.”
Aydra hugged her arms over her chest. “That’s what I’m worried about,” she admitted. “They’re growing up too fast.”
“Nineteen. A great war on our horizon. I’d be worried if they weren’t,” Draven told her.
She hated that he was right. “True.” She sighed and took his hand then, taking another look around the room as the servants went back to putting things out for the meeting. “Let’s go get some food. I think they’ve things handled—Hey, Willow—” she called to her lady “—if you need us, we’ll be in the kitchen. Please do not deviate from where I’ve placed everyone. My axe was sharpened yesterday and I’ve been itching to strike it through something.” She paused and looked around the room at the Dreamers who stared at her. “You’ve been warned.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
AYDRA CHOSE THE pantsuit outfit to wear to the meeting.
The black pants hugged her curves, and the thick peplum caped shirt clung to her torso until it flared out and away from her hips. Draven placed the crown on her head as she was dressed, and she nervously turned her ring three times around her finger before they set out of her room.
“Stop fidgeting,” Draven said under his breath as they walked.
“I’m not,” she argued as she stretched her fingers at her sides.
He smirked sideways at her and shook his head. “Liar.”
Her jaw clenched as they reached the Great Hall. “Shut up.”
The Council was already seated around the table, with the Dreamer captains. The Blackhands and Honest were mingled in the corner, the Nitesh standing off to the side speaking with Nyssa. Aydra and Draven greeted them with hugs and smiles. Aydra’s nerves stayed bottled up, only waning just slightly when she spotted Dorian talking to Nadir.
She slipped out of the Blackhands’ conversation to go and hug her brother. Dorian kissed her cheek and then gave her a tight lipped smile.
“Why did you sit me next to him?” he said without moving his mouth.
“Because you can handle it,” she argued, keeping the smile on her own face. She gave him a wink and pressed her palm to his cheek. “Just keep him from engulfing all of us in flames.”
Nadir came up then, smiling widely as he gripped onto Dorian’s shoulders and shook them jovially. “Sun Queen,” he uttered. “What is on our agenda for this meeting? Trading routes and food or are we speaking of our beloved ships?”
Aydra’s arms crossed over her chest, and she raised a brow at his smiling figure. “Nadir, tell me something,” she said, stepping closer to him.
Dorian slipped out of Nadir’s grasp just as Aydra reached him.
“What’s the last thing I said to you yesterday when you arrived?” she asked, voice edging.
Nadir sat his chin in his hand, and he looked up at the ceiling as though he were recounting their words. “You introduced me to your brother.”
Aydra grabbed the napkin off the table. “I told you—” she smacked his arm three times “—don’t—go near—my—sister!”
Nadir winced and blocked her
blows. “What—she came on to me!” he whispered fast. “I was weak!”
Aydra glared at him. “Sure you were,” she mumbled. “And my sister is terrified of everything. There’s no way she would have come on to you.”
Nadir’s brows narrowed slightly. “Maybe you should get to know your sister a little better then—” she smacked him again “—hey! Enough with the hitting!”
“You’re lucky my King asked me not to castrate you,” Aydra warned.
The deliberate clearing of Draven’s throat at her side made her pause. Aydra took a deep breath, feeling herself calm as Draven’s hand landed on the small of her back. “I’m fine,” Aydra made herself say.
Draven stared at his best friend, and Nadir lowered his arms. “What the Infi, Naddi?” he whispered.
“What? You’re mad at me too?” Nadir argued. “It’s not my fault. I was avoiding her, doing as I’d been told. She— She— I was weak—We spent most of the night talking anyway—”
Aydra’s brows raised at him, and Nadir backed away before she could hit him.
“Not that that’s any better!” he said fast. He pushed his hair back off his face and sighed heavily. “I’m not apologizing,” he finally said. “I know what you said… but… it was nice. Talking to her.”
Aydra hugged her arms over her chest and gave him a pursed lips once over. “Break her heart, and I’ll break your neck,” she finally told him.
The door opened then, and the Belwarks announced Rhaif’s entrance.
The three of them looked between each other, and Nadir clapped her shoulder as he moved past her towards his own seat. Draven squeezed Aydra’s hands.
“Ready?” he asked one final time.
Aydra exhaled a breath through her mouth, and Draven reached up to her cup her cheek in his hand. “Ready,” she said, sinking her face into his palm.
The rest of the group took their seats around the table, the last of which being Draven and then finally Aydra.
Rhaif stared at her across the table.
And Aydra couldn’t stop smirking at him.
Rhaif’s hands steepled together atop the table, and he leaned forward to look at the scribe in the corner of the room. “Scribe, please record the date and time of this historic meeting, along with the names of all those in attendance,” he said mechanically. “As a first order, I would like to thank all of you for coming. It has been too long since our races were united as one.”
A Belwark came forward then and placed a piece of parchment down in front of the High Councilwoman, Reid. She nodded and thanked the Belwark before clearing her throat.
“A first matter— trading routes,” she began.
Aydra tapped her fingers absently on the table as they spoke of goods, of trading with new places, of the new stock the Blackhands could offer if Magnice would allow them to trade in their streets as well as the Honest.
Once the trading routes were mulled over, and a declaration had been put forth for the new goods, things turned towards the discussion of the Infi. The Council wanted an update on any Infi in their streets, as well as an update on Draven’s end—whether they’d found more in his Forest.
“We took care of it,” Aydra argued at the Council. Her eyes flickered to the Elder from the Bryn. “But I’m told your town has more Infi in it than you dare to admit.”
Draven squeezed her thigh under the table.
The Bryn Elder’s brow raised at her, and the woman sat up at the table. “We have a few, yes. Can’t seem to get rid of the filth. They hide on the higher peaks, only coming into our town at night or in the winter.”
“I can help with disposal,” Draven interjected. “It will be a long journey for your to be rid of them, though. I can explain what you’ll need to do before you leave.”
The Bryn Elder gave him a nod. “That would be much appreciated.”
“There is easier way,” came the Nitesh’s voice.
Frowns slipped onto Aydra and Draven’s faces as they leaned forward to see her.
“What do you mean?” Draven asked.
Lovi’s laughter echoed around the room, and they all turned to see him shaking his head. “Secrets, Nari,” he mused. “You’ve too many.”
“Can one of you please tell us what we’re missing?” Hagen piped in.
“Disposal of Infi,” the Nitesh began. “Duarb’s roots connected to the caves. Mons welcomes his presence.”
“So… they just have to take the bodies to the caves?” Draven asked. “Not the Hills?”
The Nitesh nodded.
Draven sighed back in his chair and nodded to the Bryn Elder. “That makes things simpler. I’ll tell you how it’s done when we’re finished.”
“Or I could go,” Dorian chimed in.
Chairs moved as people tilted their heads at him. Aydra bit her lips to keep from smiling. He met her gaze, and she gave him a nod.
“I can travel to the Bryn in a week. Help you dispose of the bodies. I have accompanied the Venari King when he disposed of those in our streets,” Dorian said.
“I will go with him,” chimed in the Belwark Corbin.
Rhaif’s hands were tightened together atop the table. “Then it’s settled,” he said. “The prince will ride with his guard to the Bryn next week. We can be rid of this filth before it takes a whole town.”
“Are there any other matters to speak of?” Rhaif asked, his gaze darting around the room.
Draven grasped Aydra’s hand above the table and leaned back in his chair, gazing down his nose at the Promised King before him.
“I think you know,” Draven said in a low voice.
Aydra’s chest swelled, and she leaned forward. “Let’s not dance around it.”
Rhaif’s eyes cut at her. “There is nothing to dance around,” he hissed.
“Were you trying to keep it quiet?” came Nadir’s voice. “Did you think we wouldn’t bring it up?”
Aydra met Nadir’s amused gaze, and she almost laughed.
“Bring what up?” asked Hagen. “What’s going on?”
“It’s no longer a concern,” Rhaif said quickly.
“No longer a concern…” Nadir repeated the words and sank back into his chair. “So sixteen of my men dying. Eight of the Venari… their lives being lost to strangers invading our shores, that is not a concern to you?”
“Invasion?” the Nitesh repeated.
“It was my understanding,” Councilwoman Reid interjected loudly, “that this situation was taken care of.”
“The situation was taken care of,” Draven said. “Only because your own Queen rode out to help defend those not of her own and came up with a battle plan that saved our asses.”
“There will be more,” Nadir chimed in.
“When did they come?” Hagen asked. “Where?”
“They’ve landed west of our reef twice now,” Nadir said. “More and more ships are coming. It is only a matter of time before they start coming in from the west as well to Magnice.”
“Is that a threat?” asked one of the Bedrani.
Nadir stared at him. “How can it be a threat from my people? We are the ones fighting them.”
“These strangers were no more versed in combat than our queen in battle plans,” announced Ash.
Chairs slid and swords drew.
Ash suddenly found himself staring down the length of Draven’s blade with Lex’s knife at his throat. Balandria and Nadir’s hands clenched around their own as they also stood.
“So, what you’re saying is… these men were well skilled with their blades,” came Nyssa’s voice.
A flicker of a smile met Nyssa from Nadir, and he winked just noticeably at her. Aydra didn’t lose her stare with Rhaif’s annoyed face.
“Enough,” Aydra finally announced, her hand on Draven’s side.
Draven slowly placed his sword back in its hold, and Lex took a step back. When Draven sat again, he grasped Aydra’s hand above the table.
“Has anyone spoken with these strangers?” as
ked Hagen. “Found out what they want?”
“Since when should we speak with people coming in not of our own and setting up their own camps without asking?” asked Nadir.
“Since maybe they were run away from their own homes and are simply looking for refuge,” argued Hagan. “And you people have been slaughtering them when perhaps they need help.”
Draven’s hand tightened around Aydra’s. “Then perhaps they shouldn’t travel wearing armor and sporting crossbows on their ships,” he practically growled.
“I spoke briefly with one,” Aydra affirmed.
“And he said?” asked Hagen, arms crossing over his chest.
“He said ‘Long live King Aeron of Mathis, ruler of Man’,” Aydra repeated.
Hagen stared at her expectantly. “What else?”
“There was nothing else,” she replied. “He spat at me and I cut his throat.”
A brow raised on Hagen’s face, and he settled back into his chair. “All right. So you learned nothing—”
“A great deal more from this encounter did she learn than she realizes,” cued in the Nitesh.
Silence enveloped the room, and they all stared at the golden-gazed woman sitting at the end of the table.
“You know them?” Aydra asked.
The Nitesh sat up in her chair, and her eyes darted around them. “Man is a race born across our seas, not made of the land as we but rather of shared blood of each other, a long way from here. If they have discovered our lands, they will not stop.”
Aydra met Draven’s bewildered gaze, and she squeezed his hand as the wash of worry ran through her.
“What do you propose we do about this?” Hagen asked then. “Why should our people be concerned if they are simply on the shores?”
Aydra’s gaze flickered around the table, meeting the eyes of Nadir and Dorian before turning back to Hagen. “We do not ask you to bring your soldiers down here until we know more. We will find out more the next they arrive… what they want, how many they are, why they have come to our land. You have my word. But we thought you should know the situation. If they come onto our shores here at Magnice, and their intention is revealed that they intend to take our land, we only have our Belwarks and a few Dreamers companies to defend our kingdom. If they break past us, they are likely to be in your realms within just a few months,” she continued with an eye on Hagen.
