A Soul For Chaos (The Soulbearer Trilogy)

by Crista McHugh

  “Yes, it’s almost too perfect, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Are you suggesting there’s something I’m not seeing, Loku?”

  “If you’re not willing to wait until we meet the Empress, then just tilt your head to the sky.”

  Arden lifted her gaze and caught a flash of red wings through the canopy flying high above them. A minute later, she realized it was some sort of winged creature circling above them, following their trail through the city. “Dev, what is that?”

  Dev followed her finger to the creature in the sky. “It seems our arrival has captured the attention of the Ornathians.”

  Kell’s jaw dropped as he noticed the winged sentry above. “The what?”

  “Ornathians. They are a race of people with wings.”

  “And talons,” Loku added, sending a shiver down her spine. Based on the wingspan alone, she didn’t want to come face to face with one.

  “They tend to stay in their home deep within the mountains to the north,” Dev continued, not showing the least bit of worry. Too bad she couldn’t take a bit of his calm demeanor for herself. “They must be very curious about you, Trouble, to come this close.”

  The Ornathian swooped toward them, its sleek body forming a tight spiral. The wings were the deep color of rubies with a blaze of white adorning the tips. Under different circumstances, their beauty might have captivated her, but their power kept her on edge. “You mean I won’t have to meet one?”

  “You sound like you’d prefer they stay away?”

  “They look…” Foreign. Different. “Dangerous.”

  Dev nodded. “They can be very dangerous, if necessary, but most of the time, they prefer to keep their distance. When they get too close to a person not of their race, they get a glimpse into that person’s soul. I’ve been told that the amount of darkness they see in most souls troubles them. Only a few Ornathians have mastered the art of blocking those visions.”

  “Do you think my soul would be full of darkness if they looked into it?” Arden knew her soul bore the weight of many things—grief, sorrow, anger—but she didn’t think they were in danger of consuming her.

  Dev let his head drift to the side, lost in thought. “I can’t say. The trouble with you is that they would see Loku’s soul as well, and his may overshadow yours.”

  “As well it should,” Loku said with a huff. “I am a god, after all. You’re just a mere mortal.”

  “They’ve had issues with prior Soulbearers, though,” Dev continued, “so they may ask for a glimpse into your soul.”

  Arden tightened her cloak around her and pulled her hood up. The idea of another person peering into her soul sounded invasive, unwelcome, and slightly rude. She reinforced her shields. “And what if I refuse?”

  “You wouldn’t want to do that, Trouble.” Dev stared straight ahead, but his tone made it clear she’d better pay attention to what he said. “If an Ornathian wants to peer inside your soul, he or she will do so by any means necessary.”

  “Including bringing you to the brink of death.”

  She toyed with the idea of turning her horse around and catching the next boat back to Ranello. “And if they don’t like what they see?”

  Dev shifted in his saddle. “Let’s hope we don’t have to have that discussion. As long as you don’t let Loku gain control over you, you should be safe.”

  “Why didn’t you warn me about them sooner?” Dev had always kept secrets from her, and the longer she knew him, the more she realized he was hiding from her.

  “Why are you reinforcing your shields?” Dev, always so in control, rarely let his emotions get the better of him, but there was no mistaking the irritation in his voice. “It seems someone has been telling you you’re in danger.”

  “I am in danger, in case you haven’t noticed by the three attempts on my life. Maybe your friend, Fane, has poisoned your mind so you wouldn’t suspect him. Maybe that thing flying above us is responsible for them.”

  “Now you’re being ridiculous. Fane is an honorable knight who is currently helping me find a way to better protect you, and as for the Ornathians…” He paused and watched the one circling above them. “They are mostly peaceful. That being said, if they were out to hurt you, you’d be dead now.”

  “Well, that’s a comforting thought.”

  Dev answered her sarcasm with the glare that told her she’d successfully managed to test his patience once again. What was his tie to the Ornathians that he would defend them so vehemently?

  She ground her teeth together. One day I’ll solve the mystery of Devarius Tel’Brien.

  Until then, she had to settle for any clue he let slip out.

  Kell came alongside her and bumped her elbow. “Don’t worry, Arden. If it decides to attack, I’ll defend you.” His words, an attempt to comfort her, also served as a swipe at Dev.

  “And I’ll end up getting both of you out of trouble, as usual,” her protector replied with an exaggerated sigh.

  Arden glanced up once again. The Ornathian had disappeared above the clouds, and her pulse slowed to a steady pounding that fell in time with her horse’s hooves.

  A new gate appeared at the end of the street. It was every bit as grand as the first one, but now, the panels appeared to be made of pure gold. And unlike the prior gate, they didn’t automatically open for them.

  Dev lifted a knocker the size of her head and let it drop three times. A small window opened in the middle of one of the panels, and Dev produced the large seal he carried designating him as the Soulbearer’s protector. The person on the other side shut the window. A few seconds later, the hinges of the gates groaned, and the doors parted to reveal two rows of soldiers on horseback clad in golden armor.

  “Welcome to the Imperial Palace,” Dev said before he rode forward.

  The soldiers surrounded them as they followed, their metal plates clanking with precise synchronization. They obscured her view of the grounds, but what she managed to see took her breath away.

  Hundreds of fountains squirted into the air, creating a fine mist that cooled her flushed skin. Dozens of different flowers lined the pools that dotted the garden, their perfume more enticing than any she’d smelled before. White marble statues glistened under the sun as they peered down on the party.

  But nothing compared with the palace itself. The massive structure seemed to rise from the rock. The center building was capped with a white dome striped with gold. Scores of smaller towers surrounded it like children gathered around a parent, each adorned with brightly painted tile borders that ran along the connecting walls. It wasn’t until she was almost on top of it that she realized the palace was a series of walls and courtyards, all leading up to the main building at the heart of the complex.

  With each layer she crossed, she came closer to the mysterious Empress and further away from the familiar. She doubled her shields, unwilling to let anyone breech her mind. This may have been different circumstances than when she entered the palace in Trivinus, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was still a prisoner, trapped and completely at the mercy of some monarch she’d never met.

  “But things are different this time. Here, you will not be accused of being a witch and burned alive for your powers. Here, you are the Soulbearer, someone who should be revered and worshipped—a guest of honor, not a prisoner.” Loku’s voice hardened as he added, “And if anyone tries to treat you otherwise, then we shall set them straight.”

  Her confidence rose, and she lifted her chin as the soldiers in front of her split, revealing to her the opening of the main hall.

  “Keep your hood on and your mouth shut,” Dev whispered to her.

  An elf with long blond hair came out to greet them. He looked down his nose at their party. “Sir Devarius, it seems you bring us a new Soulbearer once again. Perhaps one day you’ll actually perform the second half of your duty and become the Soulbearer instead of letting Loku inhabit the body of yet another unsuitable person.”

  Dev’s expre
ssion darkened. “Perhaps Loku’s finally found a suitable Soulbearer, Lord Chamberlain.”

  The elf moved toward her, and a set of invisible hands pried at the contents of her mind. Arden poured another surge of magic into her shield, strong enough to make the man balk. He clasped his hands behind his back and focused his penetrating blue eyes on her. “It seems you’ve already started her training.”

  “I had to teach her something while we were stuck in Ranello.” Dev dismounted and took her horses reins. “I hope to get her to the Conclave as soon as possible so she can continue it.”

  The Lord Chamberlain gave him a thin smile. “Yes, I’m sure the Mage Primus would love to get his hands on her.”

  “Better than you,” Dev muttered under his breath and nudged her leg, indicating that he wanted her off the horse so they could end this conversation as quickly as possible.

  “On behalf of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Marist, I welcome you to Gravaria, Soulbearer.” The Lord Chamberlain bowed his head to her. “Your actions have already caused quite a stir here, and the Empress is eager to meet you this evening.”

  Arden slid from her saddle. Why do I feel anything but welcome?

  The Lord Chamberlain circled past her toward Kell, wrinkling his nose. “And who is this?”

  Arden bit back a laugh. She doubted Kell had ever been addressed in such a dismissive fashion.

  Thankfully, Kell wasn’t the haughty type. He straightened his shoulders, rising to his full height and stared down the Lord Chamberlain. “I’m Kell, Third Prince of Ranello, here on a diplomatic mission for my father, King Heodis.”

  The Lord Chamberlain’s eyes widened, and his face turned a shade paler. “We received no word of your arrival, Your Highness.” His gaze slid toward Dev, his astonishment morphing into thin-lipped displeasure. “I would have hoped Sir Devarius would have been kind enough to send a messenger.”

  “And ruin the surprise?” Dev took her hand and began leading her toward one of the side buildings. “We’ve had a long journey, and I need to make sure the Soulbearer is made presentable before she meets the Empress.”

  “Of course. You know where the Soulbearer’s chambers are located by now.” She felt his gaze on her even as he said to Kell, “Your Highness, please follow me into the Empress’s private quarters. I’m sure we can find suitable accommodations for you.”

  It wasn’t until they were safely out of his sight that Arden lowered her shields. The shadowy interior of the small building was cool and inviting, despite the stark walls. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Am I to be greeted that way by every Gravarian?”

  “Only the ones in power.” Dev lowered her hood. “Thank you for doing what I asked for once.”

  “Trust me, I wanted to get away from that creep as quickly as you did.” She removed her cloak and washed her hands in the small fountain in the entryway. “Who was that?”

  “Caz di Milloria, Lord Chamberlain, head of the Milorian clan, and uncle to the Empress.”

  “You left out major prick.”

  She thought she heard Dev snicker as she washed the back of her neck, but he kept his back to her.

  “What is this place, anyway?”

  “The Soulbearer’s quarters here in the palace.” Dev draped his cloak over a chest, and Cinder lapped the water in the pool of the fountain, both obviously very much at home here. “This is where we’ll be staying tonight.”

  The building was small, consisting of the main room that held the fountain, a fireplace, and table with two chairs. A bench long and wide enough to double as a bed stood beside the lone door in the room. “Where does that go?”

  “To your room.” He opened it to reveal another sparsely furnished room with a bed and a washstand.

  Arden stepped into it, inspecting every inch of it. It was simple, but clean. “You’d think the Empress would provide better accommodations for someone like me, especially considering the obvious wealth she has on display here at the palace.”

  “You haven’t found the mithral jewelry she has here for you. Look at the headboard—there’s a secret panel behind it.”

  She followed Loku’s directions and slid the thin piece of wood to the side, revealing a set of chains and manacles. “Care to explain this, Dev?”

  Two red spots flared on his cheeks as he rushed over and slid the panel back into place. “How did you know about that?” He took a step back, his fingers curling into his palms. “Never mind—I already know the answer.”

  “But you still haven’t answered my question.”

  He rocked back on his heels, increasing the distance between them as he edged closer to the door.

  Arden slammed it shut with a bolt of magic, followed by a ward around the room. He wasn’t leaving until she had answers to all her questions.

  “You know, I liked it better when you didn’t know how to use magic.” He crossed his arms, revealing the outline of the weapons he kept concealed under his shirt.

  “I know what you have up your sleeve, and I’m pissed off enough to use it on you.” She yanked the sheet off the bed and used it to pull out one of the manacles. “Now, tell me about this before I let you try them on.”

  The corner of his mouth rose in a half-smile. “I’d like to see you try and get those on me.”

  “What he really means is that he’d love to wrestle you, to feel your body wiggling against his, getting him all hot and bothered—”

  “Shut up, Loku!” As much as she wanted to ignore it, there was a wicked glint in Dev’s eye that warmed her skin and tempted her thoughts into straying in that direction. Her eyes fell on the bed and then back to him.

  His gaze followed hers, and he cleared his throat before looking away. “Those manacles are because there have been times when the Soulbearer needed to be restrained.”

  “Why?”

  “If you listened to me instead of Loku, you might’ve remembered my warning that he drives all of his Soulbearers insane.” He took a step toward her. “Every single one of them.”

  Even though her skin didn’t touch the mitral, a shock of cold raced up her arm. “So you bound them up in chains and left them here to rot?”

  “No, you’re jumping to the wrong conclusion.” He continued to close the gap between them. “We would restrain them until the Mage Primus could calm them down.”

  “And then?”

  “And then,” he continued, now only an arm’s length away from her, “once we knew they weren’t a threat to themselves or others, we’d let them go.”

  “And then they’d fall on their own sword or jump off a tower or escape to Ranello—you know the rest of the story.”

  Loku ran series of images through her mind, all illustrating the grisly ends of her predecessors. Her chest tightened, and her body refused to move. What would happen to her when her time came?

  Dev wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulling her from the nightmare. “Let it go, Arden. We have no use of those things now.” His voice grew husky as he added, “And I pray we never will.”

  She let the chain fall to the ground and leaned into him. “How can you be sure, though?”

  “I can’t.” He stroked her hair, guiding her forehead into the crook where his neck met his shoulder. “All I can tell you is that I’ll do everything in my power to help prevent that from happening.”

  Standing in his arms, the world faded away until nothing was left but the sound of their two hearts beating and the warm scent of his leather jerkin. It steadied her and eased her fears. Dev was a man bound by his word, and if he promised he’d help her, then she knew she could trust him to do it.

  A low whisper nudged at the edge of her consciousness. “Are you certain you can trust a man who keeps secrets from you?”

  She pulled away from Dev. It didn’t matter if the whisper came from Loku or from her own doubts—it was still enough to set her on edge.

  Dev’s hand still cradled the back of her head. “What did he tell you?”

  “N
othing.” If he could keep secrets, so could she.

  The corners of his mouth tilted down. “Don’t let him have too much sway over you, or you might end up needing these.” He tucked away the chains and manacles, their threat still hanging over her.

  A knock sounded at the door, and Dev went to answer it, leaving her alone. Her stomach tied in knots. She wanted to trust Dev, but how could she? Was there anyone here she could trust?

  An invisible arm wrapped around her. “You can trust me, my little Soulbearer. Have I not warned you of the dangers here time and time again?”

  “Yes, but…” Loku had his own agenda, and she had no idea what part she played in it. He could be just as dangerous as any other enemy she faced.

  Dev returned with a woman carrying a small trunk. “Yesenia will help you become presentable for the Empress.”

  He held her gaze for a second longer than necessary and sent an unspoken warning. Behave yourself.

  Chapter 17

  A sharp rap at the door halted Dev’s pacing. He opened it to reveal a world bathed in twilight and a travel-weary Fane. “Back already?”

  His friend shoved past him and went directly to the fountain. “You have no idea how much trouble you’ve gotten me into. As soon as I came to the gates, I was informed the Empress wished to see me immediately. Seems she was upset I wasn’t with you when you arrived.”

  “And why aren’t you there now, groveling at her feet?”

  Fane splashed water on his face and rubbed his hands along his beard. “I’m not going to appear in front of the Empress like this. Besides, the Mage Primus stressed how important it was for me to give you this as soon as possible”

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin leather cord with a silver charm dangling in the center.

  A rush of magic slammed into Dev the second he touched it, raising all the hairs on the back of his neck. There was a reason the title of Mage Primus was given to the most powerful caster in the empire. “What kind of spell did he cast on this?”