Savage Reign

by Melody Locklear

  “Was it kind when she slept with your first love behind your back?” he fires back, his face empty, as he is.

  I flinch at his words and he sees it. I can’t help it. I was always too evolved to be angry with her for too long. In fact, I was much angrier about the fact that she hid it from me than the actual act itself, but it still stings a little. It stings because it is a weakness he can exploit. It stings because the Keenan I grew up with would never speak about his sister in that manner. He loved her. This version of him isn’t capable of it.

  “I love her. I forgave her. That’s how a friendship works.” I say and he doesn’t miss the double meaning. He couldn’t. “Kara is the best person that I know and you can’t dehumanize her to make yourself feel better about shattering her to pieces. I know you love her.” I sneer.

  “You’re a child.” He rolls his eyes. It makes me want to strangle him. I eye the knife in my hand and imagine stabbing him with it, watch the scarlet blood ooze at his neck, on his lips. Then I imagine a young, black-haired, blue-eyed boy, laughing and teaching me how to swim, how to plant flowers, how to fight off bullies, and I can’t.

  “No more than you.”

  “Her children live, no thanks to my best friend.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Only the intent. She’ll never forgive you.”

  “She’ll never find out.”

  “You must know that is something you can’t control.”

  “You won’t tell her.” It isn’t a question. “You know as well as I do what it would do to her and you’re too soft to hurt her that way. It’s why you never told her what happened on the beach that night.” I’m surprised he braves the subject. Usually he avoids it at all costs, hating thinking about what he’d almost done to me. It’s a dark thought, but I miss that boy. The boy who was terrified by the thought that he’d almost hurt me. I long for that boy to return.

  He never will. It’s what I have to tell myself so that I can do what has to be done in order for me to get Haven, Finn, Missy, and myself out of here.

  Too soft. I plan to show him just how hard I can be.

  “I didn’t see a point. You hurt me and then you left. I saw no point in breaking her heart when she missed you so much.” Not that I hadn’t thought about it a million times since his betrayal. Before I’d kept the secret because I didn’t want to hurt him as much as I didn’t want to hurt her. But now I’ve thought about telling her over and over again, just to spite him. But I’m not sure that it would even hurt him; only her. And she’s been hurt enough.

  “See? Soft.”

  I glance at his plate and then at mine. Mostly empty. “Are we done here?” I’m supposed to meet Haven in the library and I have reached my Keenan limit for the day.

  “You’re free to go.” I start to pull away, but he caches my hand n the table before I can remove it. His hands are cold, like his soul, and I flinch under it. “You know why? Because in a few short months we’ll be married and you’ll be mine and you’ll never be free of me, not ever again.”

  I fight hard not to let his words get to me, but just like some of the old Keenan slips every once in a while, some of the old me slips too and my lip trembles. I bite it hard. “I may not know what Theon’s plans are, Keenan, but I do know that that man will not stop until he gets his hands on me and right now, I’d rather be his pawn for eternity than be your wife for one day.” With that I rip from his grasp and storm from the room.

  Selfishly, I miss Roman. I suppose girls have no affinity for the good boys until the bad ones have ripped them wide open. I miss his kindness, the way he simply understood me without having to utter a single word. We were friends as children. I’d seen it in Theron’s memory orb. I think of it often, the memory, and I can see why we were friends. We were the same in many ways, which is why I know that Roman, like Aaric, won’t stop until he finds a way to rescue me, if not for me, for the girl he loved as a boy.

  Once out of Keenan’s sight, I crumble to a bench in the hallway. Fighting with Keenan has always hurt. Even as children it was like a ball of nausea in my stomach whenever we fought, which wasn’t often. But now it takes everything out of me just being in his presence, having to put up walls, hate him, when truthfully all I want to do is shake him until he tells me why he’s done this. Shake him until the boy I loved comes back.

  The library is on the other side of the palace. I cross my fingers and hope I do not run into the king on my way. Luckily I get there without incident. Haven hasn’t arrived yet so I wander through the shelves, hoping to find something that might tell me how I can initiate an encounter with a ghost. If Tristan is still around I need to find out how I can see him, but I’ve only ever seen one ghost. That was Clea just hours after she’d died. Needless to say I haven’t the slightest idea how to use my ability to see ghosts.

  I don’t find anything useful so while I wait I try the only thing I can.

  Call to him.

  Like an idiot.

  “Tristan,” I whisper because, for the first time in forever, I am alone. “Tristan, are you there? If—if you are, give me a sign. You said you needed help. Tell me why.”

  “Amara,”

  I spin around at Haven’s voice.

  “Tell me you haven’t officially lost your mind.” She sighs as if it were a huge inconvenience for her. “Because nobody would blame you if you have, but it makes for a very difficult escape from this place if you have.”

  I roll my eyes and grab her arm, pulling her to a desk in the back of the library. “Tristan contacted me.” I say to her, speaking in a hushed tone so no one overhears us.

  “Did you say Tristan contacted you?”

  “Yes. A necklace he gave me while he was alive fell out of my jewelry box, twice, and he wrote something on my vanity in my chambers.”

  “What?”

  “Help me. I think he’s trying to contact me, but I…I’m not sure how to access my ability to see ghosts so I can’t be sure.”

  “Well, typically it’s on the ghost to reveal themselves to you. If Tristan is messing around with parlor tricks like moving items and leaving messages for you it means he’s not strong enough to reveal himself to you yet. The more he practices with the small things the stronger he’ll get. Then he’ll be able to let you see him.”

  “So, there’s nothing for me to do, but wait?”

  “Essentially yes. I’m sorry Amara.”

  “I have to help him, Hav.” I tell her.

  She smiles, maybe at the nickname, and reaches across the table to cover my hand with hers. “And when he finds a way to make contact, we will, I promise. Now, what have you found?”

  “The royal residence is where there are the most guards, obviously. The throne room, the dining room. The servants’ quarters have less, again, for obvious reasons, but we’re not allowed down there. Believe me, I tried, and Keenan watches my every move. I swear he has spies informing him of everywhere I go and everything that I do.”

  “Of that I have no doubt. Bastian has the same for me. But before Grayson left he instructed us to find the weakest parts of the palace and so that’s what we need to do.”

  “There is less security in the west wing. The courtyard, but it’s so open that will prove much more difficult.” My eyes scan the library around us, my eyes always watching, always waiting. I’ve learned quickly how to question everything, even my own shadow for the sake of survival in this new world I’m living in, this new country full of enemies. In the back of my mind I wish for Limacore and the comfort I didn’t appreciate when I was there.

  “Agreed. We’ll keep looking, observing. See what we can find before Grayson visits again.”

  “I need something to tell Bastian.” I say, glancing at her sidelong.

  “You’re afraid he’s going to start in on the interrogations soon.” Haven misses nothing, nor does she miss my hands moving up and down my arms repeatedly, fighting a constant shiver I feel in this place.

  “Yes.” I nod. “Is it me or is it alway
s cold here?”

  Haven stares at me questionably. “I think it might be you. What has Kara told you?”

  “She doesn’t know much, honestly. Theon intends for me to marry Kol and put me on the throne, and he’s actively trying to find me, but other than that we don’t know anything else. But I can’t tell him that, Haven.”

  She only nods. She understands completely. Being forced to marry a man she hates. It is a burden we both share, a burden we both may have to endure if Grayson or Theon don’t get to us first. The look on her face though, it mirrors mine. Confused, terrified eyes, ones that have seen horror and plight, faded now with circumstance. It’s because of that haunted look in her eye I feel I can be honest with her.

  I squeeze her hand that still covers mine. “I can’t marry him, Haven.” My voice is so low I’m surprised she even hears me.

  She meets my eyes and matches my tone. “Neither can I.”

  I have not seen the king in some time, days, so when I emerge from my chambers one night to find him waiting I stumble back into Daxon who is waiting to escort me to dinner.

  “Your Majesty,” I fumble over my words, unable to meet those pale blue eyes. It burns too much to do it, to look into the eyes of someone so handsome when underneath lies something insidious and wicked.

  “Good morning, beautiful. We haven’t had a chance to talk since your last interrogation and I thought it’s time we have a little chat. Come. I could use a drink.” He holds his hand out to me.

  I swallow hard. For the first time I beg for Keenan to grace me with his dark presence, save me from being alone with this man. It’s one thing I’ve managed to avoid and I want it to stay that way.

  But Keenan does not come and I have no choice, but to slip my hand in Bastian’s and let him drag me away. Mine feels so small in his. As he leads me to his destination I peer up at him slightly.

  Bastian is not as old as he seems. Maybe twenty-six, twenty-seven. Upon meeting him I sensed his age, not in tears, but in experience. Life as the firstborn is not easy I suspect given Roman has the same air about him. Maturity, resignation. But Bastian is no different than Roman and there is a boy beneath the king. I see it as I watch him and I wish for a talent that would allow me into his mind, to see what it is he truly desires here.

  Instead he leads me into a parlor room where he finally releases my hand. I press both of mine together, intertwining my fingers, recovering from his chill. Everything about this place gives me chills, both physically and figuratively.

  He doesn’t ask me if I want something to drink. He simply pours something for us both and hands me one of the glasses. I disentangle my fingers and take it, but I don’t drink. Much as I could use whatever this amber-colored drink has to offer I need my head to be clear so there is no confusion, on his part of mine.

  “Your Majesty, what are we doing here?”

  “I think that maybe we got off on the wrong foot and I mean to simply clear the air. Please, sit.” He grabs up a pile of books spread out on the couch and moves for the bookshelf with them.

  Run, Tristan’s voice makes me jolt, sending alcohol over the edge of my glass. I let out a terrified gasp, but Bastian is busy returning the books to the shelf that he doesn’t notice.

  My eyes dart around me, my heart pounding in my chest, but I don’t see him. Run Amara, his voice whispers again, but he can’t be seen. Only heard.

  Bastian turns then, eying me questionably. I swallow the lump in my throat and sit on the couch. I said run! Tristan’s voice is louder, more demanding and my hands shake around the glass as I sink down onto the couch.

  Bastian sits on the other end, completely oblivious to what I’ve just heard or think I heard. “Amara, I need you to understand that I don’t want to hurt you. That isn’t something I enjoy. But I’m not sure you understand just how dangerous Theon Beleros is.”

  Anger pools in my chest. “He murdered the first boy I ever loved. I understand exactly how dangerous Theon Beleros is.”

  “Then I don’t understand why you’re protecting him.”

  “I’m not.” I snap. “I’m protecting myself. I’m protecting Kara. If he found out that she told me anything and that I told you, he could hurt her. He could kill her. I’d rather spend days under Missy’s ice than a lifetime knowing I got my best friend killed.” To this Bastian smirks knowingly and I can’t help, but ask, “What?”

  “Oh, nothing, nothing. I just…something tells me hurting that girl is the very last thing on his mind.” Another smirk. He knows something I don’t.

  I scoff at the insinuation all the same. “You’re saying he cares for her?” I can’t stop the roll of my eyes. “Please. That man cares for no one, but himself. Not even his own sister is off limits.”

  “Well, he has some incentive. But that isn’t the point of this meeting. Do you remember when we were leaving Limacore and the transit we were in damn near tipped over?”

  “I remember.”

  “Well, that was your friend Braylie using earth magic to try and stop us from getting away with you.” Bastian pauses and I know that pause. It’s the I’m getting ready to give you some terrible news pause and my heart damn near stops. “She might have succeeded, but Theon Beleros killed her before she had the chance.”

  “What?” I choke out. “Braylie, Braylie is dead?”

  “She is. I’m sorry.”

  I press a hand to my throat, finding it difficult to swallow. I’d never gotten along with Braylie. It’s no secret, but I never wanted any harm to come to her. “Theon killed her.” I breathe.

  “He did. Don’t you see, Amara? He’ll kill anyone he can get his hands on to get what he wants. Now, I know you see what Keenan did as a betrayal, but he saved you. If he hadn’t you’d be with Theon right now. The man who used his sister to murder your first love and kill your friend. The things that I’ve done, it’s all been to keep Theon Beleros from hurting anyone else.”

  It’s a lie. A pretty one, but a lie nonetheless. Bastian wants the old ways back. He wants to go back to a time when House Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Serpentarius ruled over Endecore. House Serpentarius rising back to power in Llìria is just a necessary evil for him. He hates Zodiacs with powers outside of the four basic elements. Hell, he hates anyone that isn’t an air user. By marrying me to Keenan and putting me on the throne he’ll be able to control House Serpentarius so that we don’t get out of hand. He’ll lock up anyone else that present abilities beyond the natural ones, like Missy and Finn, and he’ll thrive in a world built on persecution and elemental bias. He gave Theon a chance to choose him and Theon refused. I am his backup plan.

  But it’s time to be smart.

  And unfortunately, in a world full of cocky, power-hungry, egotistical men, a pretty girl beholden to a man is exactly what they like to see.

  So that’s what I give him, if for no other reason than to survive.

  “He could still hurt Kara.” I say innocently.

  “What if I were to tell you that Theon will not touch a hair on her head for as long as she’s pregnant with those babies?” I get where he’s going before he even gets there himself. “He’s trying to build House Serpentarius backup, with both ether and nether users.”

  “She’s carrying one of both. If she has those babies, that means I’m not the last nether user.”

  “Oh sweetheart, you are far from the last.” Bastian laughs, brushing a hand down my arm in what I’m pretty sure is affection. “If Theon told you that he’s either lying or he’s an idiot.”

  “There’s more of us?” I ask in surprise.

  “Plenty. None that can do what you can, but they’re around. They’re in hiding, but they’re around. Still, Theon wants as many nether users as he can get his hands on. He won’t hurt Kara until she, at the very least, gives birth.”

  I don’t trust this man as far as I can throw him so I don’t believe what he’s saying on principle, but I do believe it because it makes sense. Even if Theon wasn’t lying and he
truly believes I am the last nether user, he’d want Kara’s babies to be born, to start repopulating our kind.

  But Bastian hasn’t brought me here to talk about Theon. Not really. In truth he’s brought me here because, for some reason, he’s decided to take a different approach from torture to get me to talk. But I know that if I don’t give him something to go on tonight those interrogations will resume tomorrow.

  So I tell him the only thing I know that won’t immediately hurt me.

  “I did learn something last week.” I confess. “If I tell you, will you consider taking me out of the palace sometime?” He doesn’t see my angle. He doesn’t know that I know how close King Theron actually is to me now. He doesn’t know that if I could just get loose, without one of those bracelets suffocating my magic, I could get to them.

  “Out of the palace?” he questions skeptically.

  “We’ve been cooped up for months.”

  “We?”

  “Yeah, me and Haven.”

  Bastian takes a while to consider this. Then, surprising me as he has a way of doing, he concedes. “Alright then. What information do you have for me?”

  I take a deep breath and reveal the only card I have to play lest I find myself married to Keenan Volterra by week’s end. “He’s looking for something called the Nexus.”

  —CHAPTER FOURTEEN—

  KARA

  PATERNITY

  I can feel the essence of nether inside of me.

  I don’t know how I know it, but it’s him. Taya said I’m having one of each and I know it’s the boy who will have nether magic.

  It’s a dark and deadly feeling. I wonder if Lavina felt the same when she was pregnant with Aaric and Amara. I can feel the darkness, the death magic he possesses. It gives me a nauseating feeling that this baby is more than just a nether user. It has power, more deadly than Amara’s.

  Which is why I need to get answers today. It’s Llìria’s annual garden party and the place will be full of Serpentarians. There ought to be at least one guest who’s had Serpentarian twins that I can talk to.

  “The sole purpose of this party today is for you to make damn sure Dariella doesn’t try and kill you before the night’s over so…change.” Clea says, scrutinizing the dress I chose for today.