Heirs of War, Crown of Flames

by Mara Valderran

  “That's pretty brilliant, actually,” Varrick said.

  “Thank you,” Raemann said before he popped another piece into his mouth. “And for my next trick, I'm going to teach them how to make grilled cheeses.”

  The usually gruff Cyneward snapped his fingers together with an idea. “Or patty melts! Remember the ones from Waffle House?”

  Raemann grinned while his fellow warriors let out wistful moans. “Where's Kenward? Tired of socializing with us already?”

  “Go easy on Kenward.” Liam scolded. “I can imagine that it is no easier for him. He raised Terrena as well, you remember. He's only doing what we were trained to do.”

  “Can’t be easy watching the Duillaine sell her off to the highest bidder.” Varrick's lip curled with disdain. “Terrena is meeting with her betrothed now.”

  Raemann didn't think Terrena's appointment was much of an excuse. “Liam's here and his ward isn't.”

  “My ward also has guards posted outside her door preventing me from seeing her at all. If I could be with Izzy, don't you think I'd prefer her company to yours?” Liam nodded to the popcorn. “Aren't you worried about getting in trouble with that?”

  Raemann waved off his friend's concern. “Cynewards have to eat too.” He threw a kernel in the air and caught it in his mouth, chewing over the smirk he wore. “Besides, the Duillaine have their hands full trying to contain the mess that your ward made. I heard Sylvanna is in quite the uproar that Zelene essentially freed all the little downtrodden house elves, and Solanna and Meridel are simpering after her, of course.”

  Liam tilted his head in confusion. “Zelene freed the Donnfay? They aren't slaves.”

  Varrick glared at Raemann. “He's talking about the Tainted. And the Duillaine don't simper.”

  “Yes, yes, we all know how partial you were to Nandalia and Solanna,” Raemann said dismissively. “I'll concede that Solanna might not simper after Sylvanna, but she certainly doesn't argue with her like Nandalia did.” All three men lapsed into silence, still mourning the now deceased Duillaine Banair. “All we can do now is make sure our girls don't end up like that. How are we doing with operation Find Ariana? Any word?”

  Liam shook his head. “Bianca's told Zelene and Rhaya everything she knows, but Izzy hasn't seen anything more that would help us. How far has Rhaya gotten in her research?”

  “I don't know,” Raemann admitted. “She's asked me to keep my distance so she can work things out, but that isn't helping us. She hasn't been talking to anyone, just sitting in the library sifting through books and maps.”

  “We need someone closer,” Liam said thoughtfully.

  Raemann spotted Tate leaving the ballroom and his face lit up mischievously. “Yes, we do. Tate,” he greeted, shaking the treior's hand. “Fancy a bit more of that espionage you were so good at on Dhara?”

  Tate stared at the men suspiciously. “What are you three up to?”

  “Using the information Rhaya and the girls find through Isauria to find and rescue Ariana without waiting on the Duillaine to waste precious time discussing the right course of action,” Raemann summed up. “Any objections to that plan?”

  Tate shook his head. “None whatsoever. What do you need?”

  ***

  Terrena's bedroom remained empty, though Rhaya had been waiting for her for hours. She knew that Terrena was meeting with the group from Tullia, which included her prospective husband, but she didn't expect her to be gone so long. Rhaya missed lunch and dinner, and her stomach rumbled in response.

  Terrena finally arrived, right when Rhaya decided to run out for some food. Her sister was light-hearted and jovial, which had to be a good sign. Or possibly a really bad one, if she had truly conformed that much to the ways of the Duillaine.

  “Rhaya,” Terrena said, brightening even further. “What a pleasant surprise.”

  Rhaya stood before her sister, wide-eyed and eager to know how it went. “They aren't going to force you to get married? You're free?”

  Terrena sighed like Rhaya was a petulant child. “No, in fact I am going to get married. We've been negotiating the terms of the contract all afternoon.” She plopped down on her bed. “I'm exhausted.”

  Rhaya's heart sank. “But . . . you just met him. How can you agree to marry him when you don't even know each other?”

  Terrena sat up and gave Rhaya a perplexed look. “That's what our year together is for. But he's a pleasant man. He's kind, and there's a gentleness in him despite the horrors he's seen. I think he and I will be great friends.”

  “But you don't know him,” Rhaya pressed. She wished she knew the words to get Terrena to see how absurd this was.

  “Again, I will get to know him. As will you, I hope.” Terrena narrowed her eyes. “And I hope you will show him more understanding than you do the idea of our union. He's going to tour the area for the next week, get to know the lands he will one day help oversee on the Council. When he gets back, I would love for you to have dinner with us.”

  Rhaya shifted, disheartened. “Sure.”

  “Was there something you wanted to discuss?”

  She shook her head. She'd wanted to talk to her sister about everything going on around them, but she wasn't sure Terrena would understand. “I just wanted to see how it went,” she said weakly. “I'll let you get some sleep.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Alec and Ariana kept a steady pace as they continued their journey. They finally reached the foot of the mountain, with nothing but forest spread out before them. Alec wanted to keep them on the move but he worried about pushing Ariana with the state she was in. She barely ate, or spoke, or did much of anything besides follow him and sleep.

  She trailed behind him, the blanket wrapped tight around her shoulders despite the sun peeking through the clouds to warm the air from the mountains. He stopped along their path, allowing her to slowly pass him. He knelt down to pick some lavender morning glories but he doubted she noticed. In the right light, the flowers might look like a light blue with only hints of lavender. But here in the sun, they were a soft lilac that mimicked her eye color almost exactly.

  He quickly caught up with her, holding them behind his back. “I found something for you.”

  Ariana glanced up at him, her eyes heavy and contrasting starkly against her pallid skin. “What's that?”

  Alec pulled the small bouquet from behind his back. “I saw these and thought they matched you perfectly. I thought it might make you smile.”

  The corner of her mouth lifted, but she deflated almost immediately, the effort to smile too great for her to manage. She took them from his hand and murmured her thanks.

  “Here,” he said as he plucked a flower from her hand and tucked it behind her ear. His fingers brushed against the skin of her cheek and his demeanor quickly shifted to that of distress. “Ariana, you're still burning up.”

  “I'm just upset and tired. I spent too much time bawling my eyes out over the past few days.”

  He placed a hand across her forehead, his own wrinkling with concern at her high temperature. “Ariana, I don't think being upset is causing your fever. I think I've pushed you too far.”

  “I'm tougher than I look,” she shot back. “We need to keep moving.”

  At this, he nodded his agreement. “We need to find shelter, somewhere we can stay for a little while until you are better.”

  “No. If we don't keep moving, she's going to find us. And I can't go back there, Alec. Not after I've seen what she's really capable of.” She wrapped the blanket around her tighter and kept walking, stepping around Alec to get back to the path they had been taking.

  Alec placed a hand on her arm, gently turning her around to face him and ducking his head so that they were eye level. “I understand that. I really do, Ariana. But if we're going to have any hope of putting some distance between us and Kellen, you have to be well. If we don't stop now and allow you the time you need to recuperate, we run the risk of you getting worse.”

  She
looked to the clouds, like they would understand her predicament. “Fine. We'll do it your way. As long as you agree that we won't stay more than a day or so.”

  “Three days,” he countered. “You're sick, Ariana. You need time to rest.” He stepped closer, putting his hands on her upper arms and giving them a squeeze of reassurance. “Let me take care of you. Please.”

  She stared back into his gray eyes with determination that quickly wavered at his earnestness. “Three days at the most.”

  He put an arm around her, hugging her as he guided her forward. They were on a well-worn path, though it hardly appeared to be a main road by any stretch of the imagination. He could only hope that they would be able to find some place suitable along the way since it was frequently traveled. He knew a cave wouldn't cut it this time. He needed to make Ariana as comfortable and safe as possible, which were rather conflicting goals.

  Ariana came to a sudden stop. She turned around, looking over her shoulder to the area behind them as if she expected someone to be standing there. “Sorry, I just . . . I felt like someone was watching us.”

  ***

  Isauria's stood in shock, watching Ariana. She could swear her youngest sister had just been staring right at her. She tried calling her by her name to get her attention, but Ariana showed no sort of reaction. Isauria's shoulders slumped heavily with disappointment. It was only a moment, but she'd gotten her hopes up, eager to be able to communicate with Ariana.

  “Is everything all right?” Bianca asked after appearing beside her.

  Isauria shook her head, still wondering about what just occurred. “It's nothing. Ariana is sick.”

  The young blonde automatically shifted into her role as paion, readying herself to launch into a series of questions concerning Ariana's illness. “What are her symptoms?”

  “I don't know; she didn't say. She has a fever and she seems really tired. I've seen her rub her head a lot, like she might have a headache. What would you call an illness like that?”

  Bianca looked puzzled. “We don't name common illnesses. We simply treat them and move on. However, I believe we should be more worried that it isn't a common illness. There are a lot of ailments you girls might not have been exposed to on Dhara, some of which can be life threatening.”

  “How do you keep us from getting sick then?”

  “I protected you upon your arrival,” she said simply.

  Isauria didn't remember getting any shots, but she had been unconscious not long after her arrival to Anscombe. “Immunizations? Like injections that have the virus in them already?”

  “I don't see how injuring you would help to protect you from ailments.” Bianca shook her head. “No, I . . . spoke to your body's defenses and commanded it to defend against the plagues we've suffered. The treiors had a list already prepared.”

  Isauria found this interesting and wanted to ask more, but there was too much that she didn't understand about the magic involved in the world she now lived in. “How's everyone in the outside world?”

  “Your sister continues to plot, and now she has both Rhaya and, I suspect, Terrena on her side. Zelene now works in the leigheas so I might report anything you find to them.”

  “They want to help find Ariana,” Isauria said with understanding. “How often do you report to Sylvanna?”

  “Not often,” Bianca answered, her brow furrowed with her own concerns. “She expects me to report when I find anything of note about Alec, but she has not sought me out for some time.”

  “Did you tell them that he's a Cyneward?”

  “No, I have done as you and the Cynewards have requested and kept that information to myself. They will find out, eventually.”

  “Ariana thinks she can save him from being turned into a Cyneward.” Isauria sighed dreamily. “I think she's in love with him.” She noticed the way Bianca pursed her lips disapprovingly. “What? Is that really so bad?”

  “Yes,” Bianca answered succinctly. “It is very bad. It means heartbreak for her and execution for him. If the Duillaine catch wind of this, all hope will be lost for Alec.”

  “You know, your world sure has some stupid rules,” Isauria said, stomping forward. “Who cares that he is a Cyneward? He should still be allowed to live his life and fall in love and have a chance at being happy. Everyone deserves that chance and it shouldn't be denied to him because of what he is.”

  “You don't understand, Isauria. Their lives have to be about you—the Duillaine. You have to be protected.”

  “My life isn't worth any more than Liam's or any of the other Cynewards.”

  Bianca stopped Isauria's walking with a touch of the arm that slid down to squeeze her fingers. “It is. It's worth more than mine or anyone else's. I know that's hard for you to understand, but it is something you must get used to. Many people would give up their lives to see to it that you are safe. Many will.”

  Isauria cast her eyes to the ground, feeling her face warm with emotion. “I don't want that,” she said softly. “I can't even stand the idea of Liam being miserable because of me. I definitely don't want anyone to die because of me. It isn't right. None of it is. It isn't fair to trade my life for anyone else's or my safety for Liam's happiness. He'll never fall in love, never have children . . . from what you've told me he won't even grow old.”

  “That's true. Most Cynewards die of natural causes shortly after their wards do. It's only in your death that the magic binding them to you and keeping them alive releases them.”

  Isauria started walking again, focusing her attention on her younger sister. “They've been through a lot together. You can't just break that kind of bond.”

  “You seem to speak from experience. I've never thought to ask you if you left someone behind in Dhara that you cared for.”

  “Oh, no. I've never been in love. I've never even been on a third date.” She could tell from Bianca's silence that she was confused at the terminology. “That's how you measure the seriousness of a relationship in Dhara. You go on a first date, then a second, then a third, and then maybe you call it a relationship. I never got past date number two.”

  “You probably didn't find any of the men in Dhara suitable because you didn't belong there.”

  “They didn't really find me suitable was more the problem,” Isauria explained, her freckled cheeks darkening at the subject. “I never really fit in there.”

  “Then the people of Dhara must not be very smart,” Bianca said haughtily. “You are extremely beautiful and kind. They would have been lucky to have you.”

  Isauria’s cheeks reddened. She had always considered herself to be plain at best, with her pale and freckle-ridden skin and gangly limbs. “I bet you say that to all your patients.”

  Bianca lowered her head and then glanced up at her. “Actually, I probably shouldn't say that because you are still my patient.” She laughed with an edge of nervousness at the blush of Isauria's cheeks. “I should probably get back to my other patients.”

  Before Isauria could ask her to stay, Bianca disappeared. She was left with a racing heart, a flushed face that made her grateful neither Alec nor Ariana could see her, and plenty to think about. She blew out a puff of air before jogging to catch up with the duo to listen in on any conversations they might have.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Zelene stood before the raised platform where the four empty thrones of the Duillaine Banair sat, answering the summons she had expected to receive. There was no question in her mind as to how the Duillaine would feel about what she did with the Tainted. She decided to wear the same outfit she’d had on when addressing the gardach, viewing it as a sort of armor that would help to deflect whatever the three women intended to throw at her.

  “You don't have to do this, you know,” Zelene said to Rhaya, who stood next to her.

  Rhaya lifted her shoulder like it wasn't a big deal. “I never got called to the principal’s office when I was in school, but I always wondered what it would be like.”

  Zelene
twisted around to look at her with wonder. Here she was, getting ready to deal with the repercussions of her actions with the Tainted, and Rhaya acted like it was all perfectly normal. “So basically, you're not here so much for support but out of curiosity? Thanks.”

  Rhaya blinked innocently, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. “Can't it be both?”

  Their discussion ceased when the three remaining Duillaine Banair filed into the room. They all took their seats, the empty chair at the end of the row echoing the absence of Zelene's mother loudly though no one spoke of it.

  Sylvanna, seated in the middle of the other two women, cleared her throat. “Ainnir Zelene, you stand before the Duillaine Banair and are called forth to answer for—”

  “Cut the theatrics,” Zelene interrupted. “We all know why I'm here. You're pissed that I told the Tainted that they are under my protection now. You want me to answer for it? Fine. Here's my answer: Get over it.”

  Sylvanna's nostrils flared but her gaze flickered to Rhaya. “Ainnir Rhaya, you may leave. We are aware that you had no part in this.”

  When Rhaya didn't move, her mother leaned forward and said in a hushed whisper, “Rhaya, you can't be here. This is an official proceeding.”

  “No,” Rhaya answered simply.

  “I'm sorry, did you just tell me no?”

  “Yup. I'm not leaving. I might not have been there, but I think Zelene did the right thing. The way you guys treat the Tainted is deplorable. So what if they can't do magic like the rest of us? They're still people. And you condemn them to lives of loneliness and despair because of how they were born. You're denying them basic human rights by forcing them into servitude like this and I think Zelene is right to stand up for them, so I stand by her.”

  Solanna leaned back in her chair and gave them a long look. “I know you aren't long to our world and that things were much different on Dhara, but you cannot simply expect us to change our ways to suit you. You simply do not understand our world yet, but given time—”