Aarow watched his father break into a smile. “The Empress and the Colonel. I like the sound of that. Equal rulers.”
The Emperor stood up as if unable to contain his excitement while seated in a chair. “If we join the alliance with Forte Cadence and Wintergreen, together we can work toward strengthening our kingdom and bringing true peace to our people.”
“Spoken like a true leader,” said Aarow, smiling at the change in this man since he’d first laid eyes on him. “But do you mind if I talk to Rani about the wedding? I’d like to be the one to raise it with her. And perhaps we could keep the details of our meeting here today private?”
“Private from Rani?” the Emperor asked. “I think enough secrets have been kept from her already.”
Aarow nodded. “Just about our marriage. I’ll tell her in time, but I’d hate for her to think the only reason I’m interested in her is because of her title, and not because of who she is. She’s had a lot of surprises recently and I think speaking to her so candidly could be detrimental to her health. I need to make certain she trusts me first.”
“Very well,” the Emperor said.
His father nodded in agreement. “It looks like we have a plan.”
RANI
THE EVERNOW
Rani watched Sharma—her mother—sleep. She wondered if she’d ever get used to thinking of her as her mother. It was strange to think that the beating of Sharma’s heart was the first sound she’d ever heard.
She couldn’t be upset with her for keeping the secret. She’d done it to protect her, not to hurt her. If Rani had known who Sharma really was, then she’d have had to carry the burden of secrecy, too.
She looked down at Horrie, sleeping peacefully on the bed next to her. Her baby brother, who’d already wormed his way into her heart but now that she knew their blood connection, he occupied an even more generous space in there. She’d lie to him too if it meant protecting him. Especially if the lie was more leaving information out, rather than inventing stories.
So, if she wasn’t upset with Sharma, then why did she still have a feeling of unease bubbling inside her? Was it her father? What he’d told her had both warmed her to him and repelled her. He loved her. That was clear. And he loved Sharma. But how could he have gone willingly to the Conception Center and performed those acts despite knowing exactly how distressing it was to the women?
Was it because of the way he’d been raised to think that was normal? Perhaps that was part of it. Or was it revenge, punishing Sharma for not loving him in the way he craved to be loved by her? Once again, perhaps this was part of it. She had to accept that sometimes there were no clear reasons about why someone did something. Decisions were often made up of many complicated parts.
Her father certainly seemed to have come to the realization that what he’d done was wrong. There was no doubt he was sorry.
Rani drew in a breath and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Let him prove just how sorry he was with his next actions moving forward. He was being reborn as well, only in the Capital, not in the Colony. Let him help the Colonel build a kingdom that was a safe place to live. A place where happiness could thrive.
Happiness. Was she happy? She wasn’t sure. She certainly had hopes of being happy. And that was thanks to Aarow.
She remembered the look on his face as she’d left the Boardroom earlier. He’d wanted to follow her, but his father had put his hand on his arm and urged him to leave her alone. The Colonel had been right.
She crawled off the bed, careful not to wake Horrie or Sharma, and left the room to go in search of Aarow. It was getting dark now and she didn’t want him to spend a restless night worrying about her. Not if she could set his mind at ease.
Closing the door quietly behind her, she went down the stairs to the Boardroom.
Seeing the Orbs of Time looming from the window, she went outside intending to sit on the grass for a while, but soon saw there was barely a blade visible underneath the sleeping bodies. Many of the Colonists had gone home now, some taking new friends with them. And the occupants of the tents in the villages were being swapped around as people chose who’d they’d like to share with, rather than who they’d been assigned. Those with no place to go, must be coming here to the Round.
Rani had heard her father talking about turning the Conception Center into temporary accommodation. It wasn’t right to have so many people sleeping under the stars.
She made her way to the archway, her face bare to the night air. She saw no need to disguise herself anymore. People smiled at her as they passed, nodding their heads in recognition. Nobody stopped to talk, either assuming she was busy, or they were too busy themselves.
She walked through the archway and took a few paces toward the desert, scanning her eyes across the dunes in the fading light. All her life she’d thought the life of her kingdom was contained within the Round, when there was so much more of it happening across the dunes. Were there other colonies out there? It was possible, albeit unlikely.
A familiar shape stood on the horizon and she smiled to realize why she’d felt drawn to this spot. It was like her connection to Aarow had led her here with an invisible thread.
As she walked toward him, he turned, as if sensing her presence, and he took hurried steps to close the gap between them.
“Rani,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. “How did you know I was out here?”
“I didn’t.” She slid her arms around his waist, marveling at how quickly this had begun to feel normal.
“Are you okay?” he asked. “You were so upset earlier. I wanted to follow you, but—”
“Your father advised against it,” she finished.
“That’s right. He said you needed space.”
“I did.” She let her arms slide from his waist, wanting to see his face. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Then Sharma returned, and we had a talk. Why didn’t you tell me you suspected she was my mother?”
He shrugged. “I wasn’t really sure. You had enough going on and I didn’t want to stir up anything that wasn’t necessary.”
“Do you really think I look like her?” she asked, not seeing the resemblance so much herself.
“You do. Around the eyes. But it was also the way she looks at you.”
“Like a mother?”
He nodded. “Come with me. I was looking across the desert just now. It’s so pretty at this time of night. And the winds have died down.”
He took her hand and led her up to the top of the dune, where they sat side by side surveying the harsh landscape.
“Was I wrong to send the Chairman out there?” she asked, wondering about his death and whether forgiveness would’ve been a better option.
“Technically I sent him,” said Aarow. “So, if you think you’re guilty, then I am, too.”
She shook her head. “You did it for me. You knew that’s what I wanted.”
“He caused a lot of pain,” said Aarow, placing an arm around her shoulders. “It was his time. Father said he wasn’t the least bit repentant, not even when he knew his death was certain. You offered forgiveness to the other Board members when you didn’t have to.”
She nodded. This was true. All remaining Board members had been allowed to walk free. They’d seemed as relieved as Rani that the Chairman was no longer around to torment them. The Chairman was the only one sentenced to death in the revolution. Unless Taavi was counted in that.
“I should’ve tried harder to hold onto Taavi,” she said. “But he was so heavy, and it happened so fast.”
“You did your best,” Aarow said. “I did too. It was an accident. Nothing more.”
“He was Sharma’s child, too. And Horrie is my father’s child.”
Aarow nodded. “Your father told me that. Do you think there are more full siblings?
“I know there are. Many of them. Assuming they survived, of course. I promised Sharma I’d find them for her. I’ll start looking at sun-up.”
; “Rani, I need to talk to you about something.” He dropped his arm from her shoulder and she shuddered, making her wonder if this was good news or bad.
“Go on,” she urged.
“There’s a wedding,” he said. “You know what a wedding is, right?”
“Of course I do. Whose is it?”
“The King of Wintergreen’s son is getting married. Prince Ari. He’s invited representatives from all the kingdoms as a peace offering. Our fathers agreed it’d be wise for us to attend.”
“Why?” Of all the things Aarow may have said, Rani hadn’t expected that.
“Wintergreen has made an alliance with Forte Cadence. Together they’re far more powerful than either of them were alone. Our fathers think this is a perfect opportunity to strengthen The Sands of Naar. And perhaps get some advice from them as to how to best rule this kingdom.”
“Advice from our enemies?” She’d been raised to believe the other kingdoms were evil, ruled by power-hungry monsters. Had this been a lie too?
“They aren’t our enemies,” said Aarow. “Unless we insist on keeping them that way, of course. It’s in our hands.”
“And why wouldn’t the Colonel go? Or my father? Surely that’s more appropriate. Why us?”
Aarow fidgeted with his scarf, not seeming to know how to answer this question. “There’s too much for them to do here. It wouldn’t send the right message to our people.”
“But my father’s no longer Emperor. What work does he really have to do?”
“He’s still the Emperor. My father insists they rule together. Just like Forte Cadence and Wintergreen are working as an alliance, so are our fathers. It’s time to put the needs of the people before the needs of any one ruler.”
Rani smiled in the darkness. Not that Aarow could see it, but the smile wasn’t for him. It was for the future of her kingdom. There was so much hope.
“Our fathers see both of us playing an important part in the future here. We’re the heirs. They want to see us go to the wedding in their place.”
“Then we shall go,” she said, wondering how a kingdom could have two heirs. Surely Aarow was the true heir and her role would be one in name only, just as it’d always been.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “The journey won’t be easy. We’ll be traveling on foot.”
She gave him one short nod. “When do we leave?”
“At sunrise.”
Her jaw fell. “That early?”
“I’m afraid so.” He bit down on his bottom lip as he tried to gauge her reaction. “It’s the only way we’ll make it in time.”
“But I promised Sharma I’d help her find her children.” She couldn’t abandon her now, not when they’d only just found each other.
“She doesn’t need you for that.” Aarow’s voice was gentle and reassuring. “She’s proven she’s more than capable all on her own. If you explain it to her, then she’ll understand. Your father can have a word to the Registrar. I’m certain he’ll be happy to help her.”
“Yes, I’m certain of that too.” She wondered how much Aarow knew of her father’s dealings with the Registrar, or his feelings for Sharma, but she held her tongue for now.
“It seems a long way to walk,” she said.
“It is. But we’ll be well equipped. I won’t let anything happen to you. We’ll make our way to the river, then it’s only a few days from there. If we leave tomorrow, then we can take our time.”
“But, last time…”
“Last time you didn’t have me with you,” he said, allaying her fears.
“Will we travel alone?” She wasn’t sure her father would be comfortable with them traveling without a chaperone.
“We’ll take Toran and Jinn with us. For safety. And to help carry the equipment.”
It seemed he’d thought of everything.
“What about Spector?” she asked.
“That eagle prefers to fly alone. We’ll be all right without him. Besides, I think he’s enjoying his new role of leading groups between the Colony and the Capital. He came up with a brilliant idea of digging a tunnel between the two settlements. It’d be so much faster to travel underground without the sun and the wind to deal with. Nobody would get lost either.”
“Is that even possible?” She had to admit the idea made a lot of sense. Linking the two settlements would be a huge step toward uniting them.
“Anything’s possible.” He replaced his arm around her shoulders and she shuffled closer to him.
“You’ve saved my life more times than I can ever thank you for,” she said.
“Pretty sure it was only the once.” He laughed, squeezing his grip on her.
“No, not once. You may have carried me from the desert, but every day since then, it’s been you who’s made me decide it’s worth keeping on.”
She left it at that, not wanting to explain how close she’d once come to taking her own life. He may not understand. Although he’d had his share of problems, his life had been far simpler than hers.
“Happy to help,” he said, brushing her cheek with a kiss.
“I’ve never seen a wedding,” she said, wondering what rituals it entailed. Would she and Aarow get married one day? She couldn’t imagine being without him, but it was hard to picture herself in a formal union when she’d had such limited exposure to exactly what that involved.
“I hope you like it,” he said. And she realized why he’d found his words so difficult to find. He had hopes of a wedding one day. She was glad he hadn’t said so, though. It was difficult enough trying to get her head around what it would be like attending a wedding, let along being the bride in one.
“I need to get back to Sharma,” she said. “It’s late.”
“May I kiss you goodnight?” he asked.
Now that was something she was very willing to agree to right here and now. No need to get her head around that.
She tilted her face up and parted her lips in expectation.
And Aarow, being Aarow, certainly didn’t disappoint.
AZRAEL
THE EVERNOW
“You’re an angel,” said Spector, studying Azrael closely.
“I’m not.” Azrael laughed, still getting used to this man’s odd manner.
“No, you are,” he said, without a hint of amusement on his face. “I’ve never met one before. I thought maybe the Colonel’s wife was one, but she’s not. It’s you.”
“Maybe you’re the angel,” said Azrael, wondering where he was getting his information. Did he dream in the same way she did?
He shook his head. “I’m an eagle.”
“Then we can fly in the sky together.” She took off across the sand with her arms flapping like wings and Spector chased behind her.
The game didn’t last long, and the sun beat down on them, sapping Azrael’s energy. Spector seemed as if he could run for hours.
“I didn’t notice it at first,” said Spector, sitting beside her and fidgeting with the fabric of his shirt. “I was too tracted.”
“Tracted?”
“You know. Busy noticing other things. Tracted.”
“Oh! Distracted.” She smiled, not wanting him to think she was making fun of him. He was a man who liked to be taken seriously.
“You saved everyone,” he said.
“I really didn’t do anything.” She stood up, not knowing how to end the conversation otherwise. Nothing Spector was saying made any sense, yet he was so adamant about it all.
“You saved the Princess and Sharma. Then because of you, the Colonel went and saved everyone else. You’re the angel of death.”
She frowned, not sure if he was still paying her a compliment. Being the angel of death didn’t sound too desirable.
Spector stood and waved his hands about. “It’s a good thing, Azrael! You’re the angel who protects people from death.”
“Fly away, eagle,” she said, smiling. “This death angel needs to go back inside.”
Spector did his eagle cry, lifted
his arms and ran away.
Azrael drew in a breath, not wanting to dismiss Spector’s ideas but also not certain what to do with them.
“I hope he wasn’t bothering you?”
Azrael spun around to find Freya standing behind her.
“Mother,” she said, still training herself to call her this. “No, he wasn’t bothering me. He thinks I’m an angel.”
“Well, you’re my angel,” Freya said. “Don’t ever underestimate Spector. He sees the world a little differently to us.”
Azrael nodded. “He told me that Rani and Aarow are going to Wintergreen. To see the Prince get married. Is it true?”
Freya nodded.
So much for friends never leaving each other behind.
“It’s important they attend,” Freya said.
“Does that mean Rani and Aarow will get married one day?” she asked.
Freya reached out and put an arm around her shoulder. “I hope so. They make each other very happy.”
“Do you think I’ll make someone very happy one day?” Azrael asked.
“You’ve already made me happy. Happier than I’ve ever been in all my life.”
Azrael bit down on her bottom lip, wondering if the love of her mother would be enough, and deciding that it was. For now.
“She didn’t ask me to go with her.”
“It’s a long way,” said Freya. “She was protecting you. Besides, I think you’re better off here. It’s time for you to live your own life, not watch her live hers.”
Azrael felt the gush of a sigh fly through her lips.
“I’d like to be a healer,” said Azrael, having thought about this ever since being nursed back to health on her arrival at the Colony. “I think I’d be good at it.”
“I think so, too,” said Freya.
“I’ve been noticing how much longer people live in the Colony, compared to the Capital. Do you think that’s because of your healings?”
“Partly,” said Freya. “It certainly has made a difference. But it’s also because we don’t send our people out in the desert. There are lots of reasons we live longer in the Colony.”
The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set Page 64
