Dark Humanity

by Gwynn White

  Raina shook her head. “You’re insufferable. I don’t know what to believe with you.”

  He took her hand. His touch was gentle. “Can I take your glove off?”

  Raina nodded.

  “Just the one,” she said. She couldn’t risk him seeing the tattoos on her left hand, so she allowed him to take off the glove on her right.

  He took off her glove and gave the back of her hand a soft kiss.

  “Will you believe me if I told you that I had a dream about you?”

  Raina shook her head. “No,” she said with an amused smile. “I wouldn’t. You’re just a charming prince that thinks he can make innocent girls swoon with your seductive smile and outlandish compliments.”

  Aric didn’t return the smile. He held onto her hand and looked into her eyes. Something about his look made Raina hold her breath. His eyes were as blue as the sky on a clear day.

  Her smile faded as he remained serious, almost stung by her disbelief of his candid proclamation about his dream about her.

  “I’m serious, Raina,” Aric said. “I dreamed about you.”

  Raina took her hand back and looked away. She put her hand back in the glove. “And what was this dream?”

  Aric pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arm around his knees.

  “It was strange. We were together under a red sun.”

  Raina gasped as she shot a look at Aric.

  He glanced at her, curiosity filling his eyes. “Did I say something wrong?”

  Raina swallowed. You aren’t supposed to know about the red sun.

  “No,” she said. “Tell me more about your dream.”

  “There wasn’t much to it. I just remember being there with you, and it felt right. Even though the world around us was odd to me, it didn’t matter because you were there, in my arms.”

  Every heartbeat was loud in Raina’s ears. How could he know about Aden and its red sun? What did his dream mean? Could it mean that they were destined to be together?

  “Your dream,” Raina said. “It sounds nice. I’m sorry for doubting you.”

  Aric pulled an unruly strand of her hair behind her ear. He nodded. “It was a nice dream. I almost didn’t want to wake up from it, and then I remembered that I would see you again when I woke up.”

  The smile that came to Raina’s face was unstoppable. She beamed at him. “At least, you slept,” she said. “I was up all night.”

  He grinned. “Really? Doing what?”

  “Thinking.”

  “About what?”

  “You.”

  Aric looked out to the sea. The silence between them was filled by the gentle crashing of the waves along the rocks at the bottom of the shore.

  “Promise me something,” Aric said.

  “I’ll try,” Raina whispered. The thought of being with Aric in Aden still clung to the forefront of her mind.

  “In three years, you and I can get to know each other better. I don’t want to lose whatever this is, whatever it could be.”

  Raina watched him, her mind racing with fears, doubts, and desire.

  “I’ve been with other girls before. I won’t lie to you, but I’ve never felt such a need to be near someone before you. Seer or not, I swear I think you were made for me.”

  Me too.

  In three years she and Allan would need to leave this world.

  How could she keep such a promise? Could his dream be real?

  She spoke before she could think the situation through.

  It didn’t really matter.

  Raina was infatuated with him the instant their eyes locked the night before and was solidified by their kiss.

  She clutched her necklace as she looked into his eyes. “I’ll be here.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Three years later…

  The ship sailed closer to the kingdom Prince Aric called home.

  A wave of bittersweet excitement filled Aric as he walked to the rails of the ship. He looked forward to this long journey home, to those gray eyes that looked up at him with adoration the day he left.

  Raina.

  She was a perplexing individual, a mixture of feisty confidence and sweet innocence. Not a day went by that he didn’t imagine undressing her and curling in an embrace under his blankets.

  He wished he could have simply taken her with him. But three years weren’t filled with the kind of adventure he’d anticipated.

  No. In every kingdom and city, he had been hunted.

  Sighing, Aric’s gaze remained on his kingdom. The port grew closer and closer, leaving the blue-green sea and all of its mysteries behind. He wanted nothing more than to leap from that ship and swim to shore.

  To find her.

  To hold her.

  But a sharp memory warned him that it could never be. Not anymore.

  “Why the stern look, Prince Aric?”

  Aric turned to Seth, his older cousin, the Duke of Brigsbury. Seth was a big man, tall, with short blond hair and dark cobalt eyes.

  “I never expected to miss home so much. Now that I’m back I don’t know what awaits me,” he said, a sheepish smirk on his face as he pushed fallen strands of his hair out of his eyes.

  “You should cut that hair of yours,” Seth said.

  Aric chuckled. “Never.”

  “I should have sent you to Miles. He would have chopped it all off if you sat beneath his shears.”

  “Then I am glad I steered clear of the lad.”

  Seth stood beside Aric, nearly a foot taller, like a descendant of the giants.

  “Times have changed, Prince. Not even Rhene is what it used to be. Not with the Goddess of Law scouring the entire world for whatever she seeks.”

  Aric had already seen what that goddess could do. He just wished that she would find what she sought and leave them all alone. He’d hoped to see beautiful cities, ancient temples, and rich kingdoms. Instead, he followed Goddess of Law’s path of destruction, helping aid the lost citizens of kingdoms that had once been allies.

  “Do you think we will really go to war because of this? Will they blame us for this curse?”

  Seth rubbed his chin, his gaze darkening. “Rhene still stands, doesn’t it?”

  Aric nodded, looking at the beautiful port that grew closer with each passing moment. The sky was still blue here. The sea was still clear.

  His stomach churned. He couldn’t stand to think of Rhene being soaked in blood, and left in ruins.

  “With almost all of the kingdoms being destroyed, that makes Rhene a target.” Seth shrugged. His eyes glanced at Aric. “If no one gives up the prisoners she seeks, then it will only be a matter of time before the displaced masses make alliances and invade.”

  Aric’s jaw tensed. “And they all think I’m one of the escaped. Ignorant bastards.”

  He knew all too well that what Seth said was true.

  As one of the few humans with god-like powers in their world, there was a target on Aric’s head.

  And more than one had already tried their hand at assassinating him.

  Chapter Twenty

  Raina woke up in her comfortable bed and stared at her necklace as she dangled it above her head.

  “Desi,” she whispered with hope. Her eyes pressed closed as she waited to hear from her old friend.

  Silence.

  Raina sighed and let the necklace drop from her hand. She missed Desi’s voice and pretty little face.

  “Please speak to me, Desi.”

  Desi had been quiet for some time now. Raina wondered if it was because they hadn’t needed her in so long.

  Three years of the same routine should have bored her immensely, but she’d grown to enjoy it. It was, after all, the way she’d lived her life back in Latari.

  Morning runs around the manor grounds were followed by cold baths in the bathhouse. Then there was their morning meal, followed by sparring and weapon’s training.

  Raina had always enjoyed training while her brother only did so because it
was expected of them to be warriors like their father. Allan wanted nothing more than to be left alone with his sun scroll, watching histories of foreign worlds play out on the air-screen before him.

  That routine was much different than what Allan and Raina had come to expect in Rhene.

  A knock to Raina’s door made her sit up. The smell of Arela’s honeysuckle hair cleanser revealed who was on the other side of the door.

  “Come in, Arela,” Raina said.

  “How do you do that?” Arela’s voice came from the other side of the door.

  Raina clasped her necklace around her neck and stood to dress as Arela opened the door and stepped inside.

  “Who else comes to my room besides you? Why are you here anyway? You’re supposed to be in the main study for today’s lesson on Ellowen and the four realms,” Raina said, tucking her hair into the hood of her cloak.

  “We can talk about Ellowen another time, Raina. This is way more important.”

  Raina’s brows furrowed. What could be so important? Her brows relaxed when she remembered that the next day was Arela’s fourteenth birthday, and the entire kingdom seemed to be bending to her every will.

  Raina wondered if she’d been as spoiled as Princess Arela when she was home.

  She doubted it. Raina and Allan weren’t treated like royalty, they were treated as soldiers.

  When she opened the door, Arela grabbed her hand and pulled her along the narrow hallway.

  “Come now, Raina,” Arela said, holding her blue skirts up with one hand so that she wouldn’t trip, and leading Raina with the other. “Prince Aric’s ship is about to dock. No one will come with me to the docks. They still treat me like a child.”

  Raina’s face flushed.

  Aric.

  He was home.

  She wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Three years was a long time to pine over someone. What if he no longer felt that connection to her? What if he brought along his future queen?

  Raina wasn’t sure she’d be able to hide her emotions if she saw him step off the ship with a beautiful young woman at his side.

  She couldn’t only hope that all would be as they left it that fateful night.

  “What about your mother and father?”

  Arela paused. She let go of Raina’s hand and started wringing her own. Raina pursed her lips at the expression on Arela’s face. The girl’s eyes couldn’t meet hers.

  “What is it?”

  Arela closed her eyes, sighing. “Mother isn’t feeling well.”

  Raina narrowed her eyes, her ears turning hot. She knew what that meant, but neither she nor Arela would voice it.

  King Lavi had lost his temper again.

  Raina nodded. “Right. Let’s go see if we can catch Prince Aric as he makes it to land.”

  Arela seemed relieved that Raina left the matter of her parents at that.

  “Yes. Thank you, Raina.”

  Raina forced a smile. The thought that the queen suffered in silence sickened her to her stomach. Three years were more than enough time to learn that the king had two faces, one for his people, and one for those inside the palace.

  Raina didn’t like either, for one was false, and the other was pure evil.

  No wonder Rhene was under such scrutiny. Raina had wondered why there weren’t as many guests at the palace this year.

  From what Olia had discovered from her correspondence with Errison, many of the other kingdoms were being destroyed by The Goddess of Law.

  So much for hiding.

  Out of all the worlds she could have gone to, Litha finally found which one they were on. It was only a matter of time before she made her way to Rhene.

  Only a few more months until Enlightenment.

  Raina could only hope she and Allan had that long.

  Arela reached for her hand, and Raina accepted. Arela had become less of a pupil and more of a sister over the years. She gave her small hand a squeeze.

  “Anything for you, Princess.”

  “Going somewhere,” Prince Eryon called from the staircase.

  Raina and Arela looked up at him as he stepped down, eating an apple.

  “Aric is home,” Arela said.

  Eryon’s face lit up. “Really? No one tells me anything. The life of a middle child is a tough one.”

  Raina nodded, covering her giggle with her hand. “It sounds like such a hard life,” she said.

  She beamed at him. Prince Eryon always seemed to brighten her day. While Arela had come to be more of a sister, Eryon was much like a second brother, one that knew how to have fun.

  “We are off to welcome him home,” Raina said, motioning for him to follow. “You should join us.”

  When he reached the bottom of the stairs in his sage-green shirt and leather pants, he smiled at Raina.

  “Of course, I’ll go with you,” he said, his eyes lingering on Raina’s eyes before looking away. “Let’s go then. We will be his welcome party.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The docks were bustling on that chilly spring day. While drastically decreased compared to the years prior, royal dignitaries, and ambassadors still filed into the kingdom for the final days of the festival, and Princess Arela’s birthday celebration.

  It seemed that while half of the world suffered, the other half continued on with their lives as if nothing was amiss.

  Raina felt worry flood her belly whenever she thought of it. The hot end of the electric pole was a painful memory she wished she could forget.

  Shoulder to shoulder, Raina and Eryon stood back while Arela waited in front of the gathering crowd for Prince Aric to step off his ship.

  “I wonder what he’s seen on his journey,” Eryon said.

  Raina glanced at him, seeing his shoulder-length brown hair catch on the breeze. “Won’t you take the same journey next year?”

  “If father allows it. I’d give anything to see more of the world, even if it has gone to rubbish. The most a prince that isn’t in direct line for the throne can expect is a quick betrothal,” Eryon said.

  “I’m sure that the girl that marries you will be very lucky indeed,” Raina said.

  Eryon glanced at her. With a shrug, he sighed. “Perhaps,” he said and looked toward the incoming ships. “Maybe I’ll just marry you and be done with it,” he said with a crooked grin.

  Raina pushed his forearm. “Don’t be a tease, Eryon. Seers don’t marry, and you’re worth more than a girl like me.”

  The look he gave Raina made her pause. Something hid behind his beautiful eyes.

  “I think you’re worth more than you could imagine,” he said, his voice lowered to a whisper despite the loud clamor around them.

  Don’t look at me like that, she wanted to say.

  Raina heard him clearly and chose to pretend she didn’t. She knew that look, and only wanted to see it come from another.

  Aric.

  Home at last.

  Clearing her throat, she turned her attention away. She watched expectantly as the crew members lined up on either side of the bridge that connected the ship to the dock.

  The crowd was loud, and smelled of sweat and spice, but all Raina could focus on was that ship.

  Please, she thought. Don’t let him have a woman.

  What would she do if he did have a woman? In only a few months, Raina and Allan would return home; Raina with a broken heart.

  It could be worse.

  She shook her head. “Silly girl,” she chided under her breath.

  “What was that?” Arela asked, glancing back at her.

  “Nothing, Princess.”

  The sun was bright on that day, and when Prince Aric did emerge, it seemed to shine directly on him. His blond hair glowed underneath its golden rays.

  Raina held her breath as she watched him. Despite the chill in the air, she felt hot all over.

  He waved at his people, his sword at his side, hair free flowing, and a charming smile on his perfectly sculpted face.

  He was a
lone.

  Raina let out a slow breath and beamed.

  Thank you.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Raina and Aric’s eyes locked the moment he saw her. The moment didn’t last as long as she’d imagined.

  Something wasn’t right. She could feel it in the air, the tension, the distance between them.

  Raina stood back when Prince Aric approached them. He barely acknowledged Raina’s presence as he wrapped his strong arms around Arela.

  Raina watched as Aric lifted Arela into the air.

  “My, Arela. Look how you’ve grown,” he said, twirling her around.

  Arela giggled, her face the happiest she’d seen it in a while. She and Arela had fun during their lessons, and on outings around the kingdom, but it was clear that the girl loved her brother.

  When Aric put Arela back on the ground, he glanced at her.

  Raina smiled, holding her breath.

  To her dismay, he gave her a quick nod and looked away.

  What was that?

  Was that all he was going to give her? After three years of waiting, she expected more.

  A measly nod?

  Raina’s face was a clear indicator that she was hurt and that made her panic inside. When did she become so weak? The moment he walked into her life, she should have known that she was doomed.

  With a tight smile, she faked indifference as she watched Aric hold an arm out to Arela so that she could loop hers around it.

  “Brother,” Aric said with a beaming smile as he opened his arms to include Eryon in the embrace.

  “Welcome home,” Eryon said, hugging Aric and giving him a clap on the back. “You’ve put on some weight.”

  Aric chuckled. “I trained in Ritthe for a while. You think I put on some weight? The men there are all built like giants.”

  His arms had become more muscular, as did his chest. Raina admitted to herself that it did suit him.

  Still, why did he ignore her so blatantly? She felt awkward standing there while he reconnected with his siblings. Perhaps she was wrong to have any expecting anything from Prince Aric.

  “Let’s say we get you a cold cup of ale for your birthday,” he said to Arela and Eryon.