Teryn studied Larylis for a moment. “Are you sure your time wouldn’t be better spent returning to Vera and leading your people through their preparations?”
Larylis glanced at the table where his councilmen chatted with the others. “I’ll give my council everything they need to proceed without me.”
“But you’re their king—”
“She’s there, Teryn.” Emotion choked his voice. “Right behind that tear. If I can’t protect her myself, then I want to be as close as possible.”
Teryn frowned, then gently grasped Larylis by the shoulder. “Of course. Make whatever preparations you need to make. You’ll lead the Black Force to the veil as soon as possible.”
“I will,” Larylis said, then turned to his men.
Teryn faced me, running a hand along my cheek. “I’m glad you’re home.”
I smiled. “So am I.” I linked my arm through his, and we made our way to the other side of the room and out the door.
I felt Teryn’s eyes on my face as we entered the dark, lantern-lit hallway. “You won’t be here for long, though, will you?”
“No,” I said with a sigh. “Now that I know Darius is on his way, I must report back to Ailan. Weeks could pass before he and his army arrive, but for El’Ara, it will be merely days. They need as much notice as possible so they can be ready to help us defend Lela and the tear.”
“Here’s what I don’t understand,” Teryn said. “If Darius can worldwalk, why hasn’t he brought the entire army here already?”
I shrugged. “While I’m sure he can worldwalk with others like I can, I doubt he can worldwalk an entire army at once. He’d have to bring them in a little at a time. And since he isn’t running against any time restraints, he doesn’t need to hurry to get here. Besides, if he’s anything like me, he needs to be familiar with a place before he can worldwalk there. We know the veil has kept him away from Lela so far.”
“So far.”
We paused in the hallway, and I faced him. “I know, Teryn. I’m worried too.”
“When do you leave?”
I had to struggle to form the words. “In the morning.”
Teryn’s face fell, eyes unfocused. “Too soon. I just got you back.”
“It’s only been days for me. But for you…”
“Weeks.” He let out a heavy sigh and met my eyes. “The last time I saw you, I was saying goodbye. I can’t believe we have to do it again.”
“I know. But we handled it well last time. Don’t you remember?” My lips pulled into a sly smile as I stepped closer to him. It felt good to smile, to see Teryn’s eyes widen with realization as I pressed my hand to his chest and lifted my chin. My mind screamed at me that I had too much to worry about to let myself get distracted with things like flirting. But I needed a distraction.
Teryn leaned in and lighted a kiss on my lips, and in a glorious rush, my worries melted away. I tried to pull him closer, but he pulled away, instead reaching for my hand. Now it was his turn to smile mischievously. I suppressed a squeal of surprise as he pulled me down the hallway and through the nearest doorway into the throne room. The room was dark, aside from the dying fire glowing in the hearth. We were alone.
Teryn closed the door quietly behind us and pulled me toward the wall. My lips found his in the dark, my breath quickening as our kisses grew more and more eager. I wrapped my arms around his back, pressing his chest against mine as his lips moved down my neck. My hands slid to the hem of his tunic, and I pulled it over his torso. His fingers fumbled with my Elvan robe, searching for the intricate ties at the front that would allow it to unravel. The lowest tie came loose, exposing my leg above the knee. My back pressed against the wall behind me, and I gasped as Teryn pulled my leg around his hip as he began to work on the text tie at my upper thigh.
“Am I interrupting?”
The unfamiliar voice came from the opposite end of the room. Teryn whirled around, and I quickly covered my exposed leg, heat rising to my cheeks. My eyes searched the dark room, barely able to make out a shadowed figure on the other side.
The fire in the hearth came to a sudden roar, filling the room with an orange glow. A man sat on Teryn’s throne. His skin was pale, his hair slick and black, falling to the nape of his neck. His face was long and angular with high cheekbones and a pointed chin. I’d never seen him before, yet somewhere in his features came subtle hints of two familiar faces—Morkai and Ailan.
“Darius,” I said. The firelight flickering over his face brought to mind another image—my nightmare. This was the man whose face I hadn’t been able to make out in my dream. This was the man who’d thrown Mareleau into a pillar of flame. No. That wasn’t real.
Teryn took a protective stance in front of me. “What do you want?”
Darius rose to his feet and took slow steps down the dais. He paused at the base. “I’ve been waiting for this one for days now.” He inclined his head toward me.
“Why were you waiting for me?” I asked, glaring. More importantly, how long had he been there? Had he listened in on the council meeting? Sweat beaded at my forehead as the questions pounded my mind, yet I forced myself to remain calm.
“I wanted to see the woman who had turned my son into an idiot.” He shook his head with a false laugh. “Well, perhaps he was an idiot before he went looking for you, but,” he clicked his tongue, “look at the mess he made of himself.”
Teryn opened and closed his fists, as if willing a weapon to appear in his hands.
Darius took a few steps forward. “I never paid his reports much heed back then, when he came to tell me of the prophecy he’d learned that would supposedly return my powers. Now that my mind is clear, they make much more sense. It wasn’t hard to find the black mountain over a field of violets. The woman with the beauty of Satsara.”
My eyes darted toward the door, just a few strides away from us. We must get away. But first, I needed answers. If he’d listened in on the council, all our plans were destroyed. If he somehow saw the map…
“You said you were waiting for me. Have you been sitting there all day? All week? How have you not been caught?”
“Oh, I was caught,” Darius said. “I first came here weeks ago to investigate my newfound realizations and learn what had become of my son. It wasn’t hard to sneak into the palace, under the guise of a merchant. I couldn’t very well come as myself. It appeared some were looking for me.” His eyes locked on Teryn for a moment before returning to me. “Unfortunately, the one I sought was no longer home.”
“So you’ve been waiting here ever since?”
Darius laughed. “Goodness, no. I managed to sneak into this room and weave a trigger on your throne before I was found by a servant. Come to tend the hearth only to have the wits scared out of her! Had to take care of that one.”
“The missing hearth maid,” Teryn said under his breath as his stance faltered. “What did you do to her?”
Darius’ mouth fell open in mock surprise. “My good man, I didn’t kill her, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m not like my idiot son, you know. Good help is hard to come by.”
“Then where is she?” Teryn said through his teeth.
“Doing her job like always. But in Syrus.”
I furrowed my brow as I took in the new information. The missing hearth maid was news to me, but the fact that he took her to Syrus meant…
I needed confirmation that my suspicions were correct. “You wove a trigger on my throne…and worldwalked away with the girl?”
“You do know of my power then. Yes, you are correct. The trigger alerted me of your presence just now. Had no idea I was about to walk in on such a priceless scene, though.”
That meant he hadn’t been listening in on the meeting. That is, if he was telling the truth. I wasn’t likely to get any more confirmation than that. Time to run. I stepped closer to Teryn, ducking slightly behind his arm to obscure my face as if I were frightened. I didn’t have to act. I was frightened. “What do you want with me?”
Darius made his reply, but I ignored him, instead placing my hand on Teryn’s lower back and whispering, “Door on three.”
Teryn stiffened, showing he’d heard me.
Darius, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have noticed as he continued his speech. “—now I think you might be able to help me.”
“What makes you think that?” I said. This time, when Darius spoke, I pressed lightly into Teryn’s back. Once. Twice. Three times.
Teryn and I darted for the door. Just as Teryn’s fingers touched the handle, he was thrown to the side. Darius was before me as if out of nowhere, a smile on his face. Two can play at this game, I thought as I focused on the space at the other end of the room. I didn’t have a weapon, but I could…I could…
Why was my vision suddenly swimming? Pain seared my shoulder. I looked to the side, finding the black hilt of a knife protruding from me.
My knees buckled as Teryn rose to his feet with a shout. He ran toward us, hand reaching for me. Darius snickered. Then Teryn was gone.
* * *
Teryn
My feet shuffled across the stone floor of the hallway, my eyes filled with visions of Cora’s blood running down her arm. I should have screamed. I should have called for help. I should have fought him instead of running for the door. I should have saved her. I should have seen his blade.
“Your Majesty?”
I looked up, surprised to find myself in the great hall. Did I really walk here? Was this where I was trying to go?
Half of my councilmen were still at the table, as well as my brother and his council. Lex had already retired. The room went silent as all eyes fell on me. It was then I realized I wasn’t wearing a shirt.
Larylis sprang from his seat and came to me. He grabbed me by the shoulders, eyes burning into mine. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s gone.” The voice didn’t sound like my own.
“Who? Cora?” Larylis shook my shoulders when I didn’t respond. “Teryn, snap out of it, what happened? Where is Cora?”
It felt as if a dam suddenly broke inside me and all the rage and terror and pain came tumbling out. I fell to my knees with a shout that was more feral than human. It sent a chill down my spine, helping to clear the remaining fog from my head. My cheeks grew red as I took in the stunned faces of the council and Larylis’ wide eyes.
I stood, taking a deep, trembling breath, and made my way to my seat. “Darius was here. He found us in the throne room.”
Larylis fell into the seat next to me. “What happened to Cora?”
“He stabbed her and worldwalked away with her.”
Lord Jonston ran a hand over his bloodless face. “How badly do you think she was injured?”
“I don’t know,” I said. She could be dying. She could be…
The rage continued to boil within me, igniting a fire of blood and fury. It burned the fog from my mind, showing me the only clear course of action. “All I know is we can forget what we’ve planned tonight.” I met Lord Jonston’s eyes, and those of every other man at the table. “We will send our Black Force to guard the tear, but we aren’t going to prepare our defenses and wait for Darius to invade us. If he wants war, we will give him war. In fact, we will bring it to him.”
24
DARIUS
Cora
I woke, finding nothing but darkness all around. I tried to move, but pain surged through my shoulder. My heart raced faster and faster as I tried to calm my breathing, but the darkness was too unnerving.
Where am I? Where am I? I asked myself over and over, but no answer came, save for the pounding of my heart, the pressure rising and crashing like waves against my skull. Words and thoughts that weren’t my own began to creep upon my awareness, let in by my growing anxiety.
Wait, I can use this, I reminded myself. Thoughts and words meant there were people nearby, at least somewhere in my general vicinity. The realization allowed my breathing to slow, and my heart ceased racing. Breathe in. Breathe out.
Once I regained my composure, I closed my eyes and turned my focus to the sensations surrounding my body. Aside from the agonizing pain in my arm, I felt something solid beneath my back and bottom. I’m in a chair. I moved my hands only slightly, enough to notice resistance at my wrists. I did the same with my legs, finding my ankles bound to the legs of the chair. My mouth seemed to be covered with a tight cloth.
I let out a heavy sigh, the cloth forcing my breath to return and warm my cheeks. Relief settled over me. I may be in darkness, but at least I know something of my surroundings.
I extended my hearing, searching for the thoughts and voices of those I’d sensed during my moment of panic. In the distance, I heard numerous pairs of muffled steps, thoughts of mundane tasks, and the whistling of some unfamiliar tune. Servants. Did that mean he’d taken me to his castle? Or was I somewhere else?
Without a second thought, I filled my mind with images of Ridine castle. I thought of the forest surrounding it, the field beneath the cliff. I thought of Teryn’s face. Salinda. Valorre. Nothing. No image remained long enough for me to worldwalk to it. What was wrong? Dread filled me, and I did the only other thing I could think to do. I screamed.
Footsteps sounded from the other side of what must have been a wall. Then the creaking of a door. “She wakes.”
My heart sank as I recognized the voice. I blinked into the blinding light of the lantern Darius carried. As he approached, my eyes began to adjust to the light, and I took in my surroundings. No windows. One door.
I was surrounded neither by dungeon walls nor the deceptive beauty of the Elvan holding quarters. I was in a closet.
Darius stared down at me, tendrils of slick, black hair falling over his eyes. He lifted a hand toward me, making me jump, which in turn sent another shock of pain through my shoulder.
I followed his fingers with my eyes, watching as they lightly grazed my arm. It was then I realized the black hilt of the knife was still protruding from my flesh. The sleeve of my robe appeared to have been torn off and tied into crude bandages around the blade. I tried to keep myself from flinching again as Darius lifted one of the strips of cloth and peaked underneath.
“You’ll live,” he said, bringing his hands clasped before him.
I tried to speak, but my words were mumbled behind the cloth. With a roll of his eyes, Darius slid the cloth under my jaw, leaving a trail of moisture on my chin. “Why is there a blade in my shoulder?” My words came out raspy and slow, my mouth feeling like sandpaper.
“Because I stabbed you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why is it still in my shoulder? I take it from the bandages that you aren’t trying to kill me. Yet.”
He ignored my question and tapped a finger under his chin. “Mother of Prophecy. Blood of Ailan,” he said under his breath as he scrutinized me with narrowed eyes.
I was taken aback for a moment. Then he doesn’t know about Mareleau. Good. The truth is safe.
“I believe my son lost his mind trying to find you,” Darius said. “All to fulfill his reckless infatuations. First, there was his dead mother. I let that infatuation serve me well. Until he found that young woman, another infatuation. I knew I’d lost him to her the last time he came to visit. It was only a matter of time before he then realized he could take my mission on as his own. But you already know this story, don’t you?”
I glared but didn’t reply. Tired. I’m so tired.
“Yes, because you became the next part in the story. I know some of what happened. My son continued to send me updates here and there, to keep up appearances that he was still following my will. Last I’d heard from him, he’d sent me a message claiming he’d found the Blood of Ailan and had taken care of it. What does that mean?”
My mind felt slow to register all he was saying. When I realized what he was referring to, I clenched my teeth. “Your son made me barren. That way I could provide no heir and fulfill no prophecy.”
Darius laughed, but it wasn’t the wild laugh
of his son. It was more restrained, calculated. “I’m sure he convinced himself he was terrible indeed. Yet, if he’d been even remotely capable, he’d have killed you.”
I wanted to shrug, but reminded myself to keep still, lest I aggravate my wound again.
“When my mind returned and my body grew young, do you know what my first thought was? He’s done it! My son has succeeded! I figured all I needed to do was find him and wrest his ill-earned power away from him. Didn’t take long to figure out where he had gone, and all it took was a night at a tavern in Kero to hear the stories about the fearsome Morkai and the beloved princess who had destroyed him. How did you do it, anyway?”
“He destroyed himself.” It was basically true. I thought about how Morkai had been eaten by his Roizan, the very creature he’d expected to aid him in his conquest. “He thought he’d found a way to get around the prophecy. As clever as he tried to be, he still sought to harness the magic, and that killed him.”
Darius frowned as he studied me, black brows furrowed over piercing, gray eyes—the same gray as Ailan’s. His angled features held a similar ageless beauty to Ailan’s, but where Ailan’s beauty was elegant, Darius’ was terrifying. That’s where his similarities to Morkai began.
I sneered under his gaze. “What do you want with me?”
He smiled. “You’re going to help me get what is rightfully mine.”
So predictable, just like his son. “I’m really not.”
“Why is that? You’ve barely heard me out yet.”
“I don’t need to hear a word from you to know I won’t help you. I know who you are, I know what you’ve done, and I know what you want. There’s nothing you could say to make me do anything but stand against you.”
“How will you stand against me when all you can do is sit?” he said with an innocent tilt of his head.
I deepened my glare.
He laughed again, turning away from me. “Ah, I imagine you must have already found my sister. You’ve heard her speak of what a monster I am, correct? How I need to be stopped. How I want what isn’t mine.” He whirled back around, bending over me as his hands clamped around the arms of the chair, wrapping around my wrists in turn. “But it is mine.”
Shades of Prophecy Page 18
