A Soul For Atonement (The Soulbearer Series Book 4)

by Crista McHugh

  All except the last door.

  Caz di Miloria, the Lord Chamberlain and her father’s overly ambitious brother, blocked her from entering the empress’s private receiving room. His wrinkled nose matched the sneer twisting his lips. “What are you doing here?”

  “One would think he considered you to be nothing more than a guttersnipe rather than his niece,” Loku mused. “Shall we teach him the meaning of respect?”

  It was tempting, but she wanted to try civility first. She was more likely to get support from the empress if she didn’t obliterate their uncle. “I’m here to see Marist.”

  “And you dare ask for an audience with the empress dressed like that?” He pointed to her stained and rain-soaked traveling clothes that contrasted with his immaculate silk courtly attire.

  “It’s an urgent matter that takes precedence over a bath.” She tried to wedge past him, running into a wall of magic instead.

  “Go back to your quarters and wait for the empress to summon you.”

  She probed his shields for a weak point, but his magic was as solid as her father’s. “Please, Uncle Caz, it’s about Dev.”

  His face hardened when she addressed him as her uncle. “I don’t care. There is a certain protocol that will be followed in the palace, and you are not above it, Soulbearer. If anything, you should be grateful the empress hasn’t ordered you to be locked away for the rest of your miserable existence after you destroyed half the palace last year.”

  The thin façade of manners she’d tried to hold up shattered. Anger burned along her veins, mingling with both her magic and Loku’s, and gathered in her fingertips. “Let me by, or there will be consequences.”

  “Indeed, there will be.”

  “Do it, Arden.” Loku’s words took on a sinister tone. “Show him how powerful we are together.”

  Visions of reducing her uncle to a smoldering pile of dust filled her mind. The violence of the images initially made her sick to her stomach, but the longer she looked at Caz’s sneering face, the more she toyed with the idea of putting him in his place.

  The visions vanished the moment she saw the door opening behind him.

  “That is quite enough from both of you,” Marist said from her receiving room. Elegantly dressed as always, she filled the room with her commanding presence when she stepped toward them. Her simple silk dress matched her icy blue eyes as she swept her gaze between them. “Lord Chamberlain, I wish to speak with the Soulbearer.”

  “But Your Majesty—” Caz began.

  The empress silenced him with just a look. “I’ll not have you baiting the Soulbearer into destroying any more of my palace.”

  “A thousand apologies, Your Majesty.” He placed one hand on his chest and bowed to her before moving toward her parlor.

  “I will speak to the Soulbearer alone.”

  “But Your Majesty, the Soulbearer is obviously as unbalanced as her predecessors.”

  Arden gnashed her teeth to keep from showing him how sane she really was.

  “If she should threaten you—” Caz continued, halting when the empress held up her hand to stop him.

  Marist’s eyes flashed silver, and a cunning smile played on her lips. “I’m quite capable of handling her on my own. Now leave us.”

  She turned and strolled back into the receiving room, the morning sun sparkling off her gown.

  “Don’t keep the empress waiting,” Caz said through clenched teeth.

  “I don’t intend to.” Arden pushed back her magic and fixed a shield around her mind so her cousin couldn’t pry into her thoughts before entering the room.

  The moment the doors closed behind her, she said, “The Ornathians have taken Dev, and—”

  Her voice shriveled up on her when she spotted Sazi standing in the corner. “What is she doing here, Marist?”

  “You will address me by my proper title, Soulbearer.” Marist swept her skirts behind her and sat on the velvet-covered gold chair that served as a small throne. “And I’m already aware of why you’re here.”

  “So you know.” Arden closed the gap between them. Protocol be damned. “You know they’ve kidnapped Dev and are threatening to kill him for something he didn’t do.”

  “Yes.” The reply was cold and matter-of-fact, void of any emotion.

  “Then please help me. Can’t you reason with their king and negotiate with him for Dev’s release?”

  Marist’s eyes slid to Sazi, and her fingers curled around the armrests of the throne. “I can’t.”

  “What do you mean, you can’t?” Arden got within a foot of her cousin before the unfamiliar magic tingling along her skin warned her to stop. “You’re the empress, and he attacked the Conclave to take Dev. Isn’t that some sort of violation of a treaty? Can’t you punish him for it?”

  “Despite what some people believe, the Ornathians do not fall under my realm. They are their own separate kingdom and subject to their own laws.”

  “But the Conclave is within your realm.”

  “Yes, but it was a Gravarian who invaded their realm and stole their sacred relic.” Marist released her grip on the armrests of her throne and smoothed her skirts. “Adeyemi could have declared war on us for that, but for almost a century, he’s maintained peace in the hopes we could recover the relic. Now, he’s desperate to save his people, and this is the only way he thinks he can.”

  “He’s going to kill Dev. He’s my fiancé, my Protector.”

  “If I remember correctly, he asked to be relieved of his duty as your Protector.”

  “Damn it, Marist!” Arden threw her hands up in disgust. It had been a gamble, reaching out to her heartless cousin, but she had still somehow hoped for some political maneuvering from the empress over the attack on the Conclave. “I should’ve known you were too much of a coward to intervene.”

  Marist sat up straighter, and her expression grew more frigid. “Watch your tone, Soulbearer, and remember with whom you are speaking.”

  “I’m done speaking with you. It looks like I’m on my own.”

  “No, my little Soulbearer, you have me.” An invisible hand wrapped around hers and gave it a little squeeze. “Together, we can show Adeyemi. We can wipe his entire race off the face of the earth if we wanted to.”

  “Do not let him influence you too much, Soulbearer,” Sazi said from the corner. “His words are poison that will destroy your soul.”

  “This coming from the woman who convinced the empress not to help you.” Loku snorted. “Some friend she turned out to be. All too ready to see Dev’s blood splattered across an altar.”

  The image of Adeyemi crushing Dev’s head with a stone club filled her mind, and Arden’s stomach retched. She covered her mouth and choked back a sob. No, she wouldn’t let Dev die like that. She’d even go so far as to kill every single Ornathian to prevent it.

  Marist rose from her throne. “He’s gaining too much control over you, Soulbearer.”

  “He’s the only ally I have.” She sent a scathing glance at Sazi, who lowered her eyes and turned away in guilt. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m cold, heart-broken, and weary, not to mention starving. I wish to go to my quarters for a meal, a hot bath, and a short nap before continuing on my quest to find this relic and save the man I love.”

  Arden spun on her heel and made it four steps before a jolt of magic collided with her back and locked her legs. Cinder nudged her with his nose and whimpered, but it was as though the lower half of her body had been frozen in a block of ice.

  Marist came around to face her, her expression unreadable. “I did not give you permission to leave.”

  Arden strained against the spell that held her prisoner, anger pounding through her veins. “No, but you’ve just proven that I should never turn my back on you.”

  “Relax.” Loku’s magic trickled along her legs, melting away the magical binds. “See? You can always count on me to protect you.”

  Marist’s eyes narrowed. “Sazi is right about Loku, Soulbearer. He neve
r offers assistance unless it suits his own agenda.”

  “Says the woman whose own agenda takes precedence over helping a family member.”

  Arden closed her eyes and focused on staying calm before Marist cast a nastier spell. “I no longer wish to impose upon you, Your Imperial Majesty. If you please, I wish to be on my way.”

  Marist stepped aside to let her pass, her lips pressed in a thin line of warning. “I’ll see that you receive your meal and a hot bath.”

  “Don’t bother,” Arden snapped just before she summoned a blast of wind to slam the doors behind her and Cinder.

  Chapter 5

  Arden wanted nothing more than a stretch of untroubled sleep.

  Instead, she found herself lured into a world of dreams.

  The gray void of her unconsciousness faded to reveal damp stone walls laced with veins of sparking pink crystals. The only sounds were the soft shuffle of her footsteps and the whoosh of her breath as it swirled out in icy spirals. Her feet propelled her deeper into the dark shadows of the cave, contrary to her desire to stop. Magic throbbed around her and grew stronger with each step. She tried to discern the nature of the magic, to determine if it was friendly or hostile, but it eluded her.

  Symbols appeared on the walls. She paused to examine the black etchings. They looked like the Elvish letters inscribed on her pendant, but she couldn’t be certain. But when her tongue started moving, the foreign words that came from her mouth sounded like the language Dev spoke when he was half-asleep.

  She had no idea what she’d said, but the letters started glowing. The bright green light chased away the shadows and forced her to shield her eyes as she took a step back. Her vision was bleached white, and several moments passed before colors bled back into her world.

  When they did, the wall in front of her wavered like the surface of a green lake.

  “Loku?” she silently asked.

  No answer came. Her legs moved forward as if under someone else’s control. She braced for impact with the wall, but a film of magic draped over her skin instead of the solid crush of stone. The air grew heavy and smothering. Her head swam even though her gait remained steady, and her stomach lurched.

  Her nausea passed within seconds, but fear still hammered in her heart. She’d crossed over to another world. The landscape twisted and rolled, constantly changing at the whim of its creator, only to be obscured again by a thick fog. Green lightning snaked through the sky, and gusts of wind whipped her hair into her face. And yet, as strange and terrifying as this world was, she’d been here before in her dreams.

  The Realm of Chaos.

  “Loku!” she shouted.

  “You called, my little Soulbearer?” the familiar voice said behind her.

  She turned around, no longer seeing the entrance to the cave. A man as tall as Dev grinned back at her. His long black hair seemed immune to the winds that swirled around her, and black lines curled like growing vines over his pale face and bare chest. His glowing yellow-green eyes never wavered from her, as amused as the smile that curled his lips.

  Loku had shown her his godly form once before, yet it still mesmerized her with its dangerous beauty. She closed the space between them, drawn to him like a lover. “Why did you bring me here?”

  “Because I can,” he replied with a flash of his teeth. “Do I need to remind you that I’m still a god?”

  “No, your conceited arrogance reminds me every day.” She crossed her arms to keep from reaching out to touch the random black lines that stretched and disappeared over his skin. The last time she’d done that, the corpse-cold temperature had sent shivers down her spine. “You must have a reason for manipulating my dreams like this.”

  “I always have a reason for my actions.” A black winged horse with a small open carriage in tow appeared beside him. “Shall we go for a little ride?”

  It was not an invitation. Her feet moved against her will, and before she knew what was happening, she was beside Loku, flying through the sky toward a fixed star. Her stomach churned even more violently from the ever-changing horizon and the rocking of the carriage. She glanced down below and wished she hadn’t. Icy terror stopped her breath short and clamped her fingers around the metal rim. She snapped her eyes closed and crouched down closer to the floor.

  Loku laughed. “Is something wrong, Arden?”

  “Yes.” Bile surged into the back of her throat, but by some small miracle, she managed to force it back down before she vomited. “I feel like we’re back on that horrid ship from Boznac.”

  The laughter continued, followed by a solid thud beneath her feet. The rocking of the carriage eased, as did her nausea.

  “Is that better, my dear?”

  Arden opened her eyes and peeked over the rim. They were rolling along the ground through a cream-colored canyon at speeds twice what a normal horse could run, but the now-golden horse appeared to be going no faster than a brisk trot. Some of the tension eased from her muscles, and she managed to straighten her shaky legs. “If you brought me here to torment me, then you’ve made your point.”

  “Aw, always so suspicious. They’ve taught you not to trust me.”

  “Bullshit.” A small cushion appeared on the seat next to Loku, and she plopped down on it. “I’ve fallen for your tricks enough to learn that on my own.”

  “And I merely wanted to help you save Dev’s life.” Loku made a chiding sound with his tongue. “But if you don’t wish to have my assistance, I can always release you from this dream.”

  The chariot halted, and a thick fog closed in around her, so dense that she lost sight of Loku. Desperation quickened her pulse. “No, wait!”

  The fog paused, then parted to reveal the grinning chaos god. “Yes, my dear little Soulbearer?”

  He had her trapped, and the bastard knew it.

  She gulped and gathered her wits before engaging him. “You said you wanted to help save Dev’s life.”

  “Of course. I know how fond you are of him, and as I’ve told you before, if I have to share you with anyone, I’d rather it be him.” He ran his finger over her cheek, the iciness of his touch making her teeth chatter. “Remember, this is only a dream, but I’m still in control, and I won’t let anything harm you here.”

  To emphasize his point, a creature ambled past the now blood-red horse. It was an odd mixture of various animals with a goat’s head, bear’s body, and four unmatched limbs belonging to different predators, all capped with a snake for a tail. It turned to them and raised one clawed paw with an angry bleat.

  “Shush!” Loku ordered like an irritated mother chiding a whining child. “Can’t you see I have company?”

  The creature lowered its paw and continued on its way, disappearing back into the fog.

  “See?” he asked with a raise of his eyebrows. “I have complete dominion over my realm and everything in it, unlike your pathetic cousin. What do you think of my purple horse?”

  Arden shifted her attention to discover the winged horse had changed colors once again. “Point made. Now, back to saving Dev.”

  “All in good time, Arden. First, let’s enjoy a nice little ride through Chaos. If I remember correctly, you were quite fond of the stars.”

  The green lightning vanished, and the clouds above cleared to expose the heavens in motion. Streaks of white flared across the sky while pulsating violet and pink galaxies swirled beyond her reach. Awe bloomed in her chest and flowed through her muscles, easing the tension in them. Yes, she was fond of the stars when he presented them this way. He’d told her before that there was great beauty in chaos, and this was his proof.

  The steep canyon walls at last gave way to a grassy plain where the hills rolled like waves on the ocean, but the road underneath them stayed straight and flat. Every now and then, the hills would part to reveal a crumbling castle or stone statue with a face eroded beyond recognition. The green lightning sparked through the tall red grass like giant webs, all to the same rhythm as the exploding stars above.

&n
bsp; Arden pointed to them. “Even in chaos, there’s some sense of order.”

  “Hold your tongue, you impertinent little barmaid.” With a sweep of his hand, he disrupted the harmonious song between the heavens and the earth and left discord in its wake. A blissful sigh fell from his lips. “Much better.”

  Arden focused on the skies above and willed them to move in time with the hills below. A few minutes later, they fell into sync. “You may control this realm, but it’s still my dream.”

  He squinted one eye at her. “I liked you much better when you were just a simple barmaid.”

  “But thanks to you, I no longer am.”

  “No, indeed,” he said with a rueful laugh. “I knew from the moment I saw you that you were meant for greatness. Think about it, Arden. If I hadn’t chosen you, you’d still be cowering in Wallus, wondering when you’d be burned at the stake for being a witch. Or worse, stuck in a Thallian work camp addicted to kokalla.”

  She rubbed her arms to stave off the shiver that threatened to wrack her body. The Thallians had destroyed so much of her homeland, but with her former lover, Kell, back on the throne, she believed Ranello would one day be restored to its former glory.

  The carriage slowed as the road ended in a grove of trees. Loku set the reins aside and helped her down. “Shall we get down to business?”

  “Please.” She crept closer to the trees. Ruby red apples hung from the branches, so ripe and tempting that she was reaching for one before she knew it.

  That is, until the leaves formed a snarling mouth that snapped at her fingers.

  Arden jerked her hand back and covered it, her heart pounding as she assured herself that she wasn’t missing any digits. They were all unharmed, but Loku’s boisterous laughter turned her fear into anger.

  “Be careful,” he said, his chest still shaking, “they bite.”

  “That warning would’ve been appreciated five seconds ago.”