Born To Rule

Chapter Nine

My head lulled to the side, jolting me awake. I’d fallen asleep reading again. Calming my startled heart, I rested against my chair’s tall cushioned back and peered through the circular floor-to-ceiling window to my left, wondering how long until the sun crested the falls. I pushed out a pulse of energy to sense if anyone was home, but it returned as flat as pond water.

Eurok and Mira hadn’t come back yet.

I shifted my gaze downward to the massive book I had dozed off on—a newly distributed compendium detailing the diverse forms of mana harnessed worldwide, still open to the page I studied. When I plucked it off my shelf earlier, I hoped to find information from various kingdoms and cultures that might’ve helped, but…

A disappointed flick of my hand flipped it shut. The cover’s heavy dull thud punctuated my frustration.

I spent a whole day searching through my extensive personal library and found nothing. Not a single clue as to how I could hasten Mira’s blooming. I had two years. The time felt like a relief days ago. Now? It was a low-hanging cloud, torturing me with its threatening presence. The workload was daunting, especially with so many questions left unanswered.

I made my way to the kitchen to refill my teacup, creating a mental timeline of my progress, estimating how much longer I needed to scour the remaining sections of my library. That was when I caught sight of Agatha’s tattered grimoire, like a dingy beacon of leather-bound hope, sitting on the dining room table. When did you get here?

The remaining dregs of my fatigue melted away, and I threw the cover open. Enclosed within was knowledge from a time when gods walked among us instead of offering guidance from afar. If there were a spell to draw out Mira’s power, it would be in this book.

I leaned over the crisp, browning pages, tracking the contents with care. One contained an incantation to carve through mountains, a single testament of the power druids once held. This tome comprised hundreds just like it. A reminder that we druids helped the gods shape the balance of nature.

Erezos’ continued silence was a stark contrast to the god’s involvement in the old world. Sour resentment bled into my thoughts. What was the point of blessing me with this gift if he wouldn’t use it when we needed him most?

As I raised my head, the stillness of the space stole my attention, leaving me to ponder the reason behind Eurok and Mira’s prolonged absence.

He hadn’t mentioned what his plans were for their first training session. Whatever it was, I hoped Mira enjoyed herself. Things would run much smoother if she opened up and learned to trust a little. She, no doubt, had a difficult life, and the path ahead promised to be more treacherous. At least she didn’t have to be alone in the world anymore.

Here I go again, assuming I know what she wants.

After glancing at my teacup, I made a mental note to get a refill of my calming brew, then continued flipping through the grimoire. A sketch in the top corner of a stained page caught my eye. A keyhole shape, outlined by a series of small patterns. No.

Runes.

Beside the sketch, scrawled in intricate handwriting, was a name I recognized.

Vitalis.

As in Vitany Vitalis, the new High Witch of the Black Sand Calms coven. I flicked my eyes down the page to the text. It was a half-completed lunar-communing spell of some kind. I eyed the sketch again. This could be helpful.

I pressed the cover shut, then scooped Agatha’s grimoire into my arms. Completely forgetting about my tea, I returned to the den.

The front door creaked open, then closed with a jarring slam. Mira and Eurok shuffled inside, their hushed voices filling the room. I changed course to meet them. By the time I rounded the corner to the foyer, she was halfway up the stairs.

“Is everything okay? How did it go?” I called after her.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m tired.”

She didn’t pause, didn’t glance back. Her bedroom door pressed shut with a finalizing click. Seconds later, the sound of running water carried down from the bathing chamber.

Eurok plopped into the chair beside the fireplace. His clothes were filthy, and the rich aura of the forest mingled with his familiar scent. As he dropped his head against the cushions, exhaustion seeped over his handsome features.

I frowned. “What happened?”

His expression shifted as I approached, and he gave a light chuckle through a wince of fatigue. “She wore me the hell out, that’s what happened.”

“You look like you got your ass kicked.”

“Well, what can I say? This girl’s putting us both through the wringer.”

With a wink and jerk of his chin, he gestured for me to come closer. Tentatively, I took his outstretched hand, allowing him to pull me to stand between his sprawled legs. The golden hue of his soft, expectant gaze stared up at me. Everything in me wanted to lean down and kiss him, to welcome him home, and let him fold me in those waiting arms.

But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was already asking so much of him. There was no way to give him what he wanted without drawing a spotlight. At such a tenuous time for our people, a relationship between the captain and the high witch who works for the king would open us up to scrutiny—open him up to scrutiny. We couldn’t afford the council to question either of us.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to speak. “What really happened?”

His face fell, the movement so slight it was hardly noticeable, but my gut wretched at having disappointed him once again. My mana searched for his energy, but as always, he kept it close, wound tight like a fortress wall.

“She has some issues with authority.”

A small laugh escaped. “You’re surprised by this?”

“Not a bit.”

When he straightened to rest his elbows on his knees, I retreated to the neighboring chair.

“She will need to trust us if she means to learn anything,” he said.

“I agree. Unfortunately, we don’t have time to coddle her.” I hoped that didn’t sound as cold as it felt.

“I can’t push her to the limits of her strength if she doesn’t believe me when I say she’ll be okay on the other side.” He frowned, flicking his eyes between the floor and his hands. “There was a moment in the forest today—she stormed off. I had to knock her down to stop her from getting herself hurt.”

He paused, scratching his jaw as if searching for how to phrase his next words. When he met my gaze, a strange blend of distress and concern marred his expression.

“I could see it in her eyes,” he said. “She thought I was going to kill her.”

With a sigh, I wrapped my sweater tightly around myself. “We knew this would be difficult. I sense so much of Annorah in her, so much good, but there’s a coldness there too.” My voice trailed off to a whisper, remembering her hardness in that dungeon, that hollow chill that echoed from within her.

His mouth formed a tight frown as he nodded. “That cold reflects what the world has done to her. It’s going to take a force of nature to shake this mistrust from her.”

He stood and approached me with slow confidence. My heart quickened to a deafening roar I was sure he could hear. His soft fingers traced my cheek before he tucked that troublesome strand of hair behind my ear.

“Just do me a favor, okay?” he said, low and subdued, holding my chin in his tender grasp. “Remember, some of that good in her is her—not Annorah.”

I gave a gentle nod. He let go and stepped around me to the bar cart.

I spun, tracking his retreat. “Wait, what do you mean by a force of nature?”

The ice in his glass tinked as he took a long sip, punctuating the silence as I waited for his elaboration.

“There is only one force strong enough to bring down walls as thick as hers.”

He fell into step, finding a seat on the rough-cut wooden stool near the bar table. He patted the round, carved seat next to him for me to join. It was then that I noticed the cup of tea beside his bourbon. Steam billowed into the air like a stoked fire. Piping hot, just how I liked it. While my heart leapt at the sweet gesture, my worry remained.

“What are you proposing?” I asked, settling in.

He grinned, and I pursed my lips at his mirthful indifference to my concern.

“Eurok?”

He sipped his bourbon in silent challenge, that maddeningly handsome smirk on his face. I flicked a bolt of static, zapping his lips against the glass. He jumped, the amber liquid splashing onto his shirt. The unamused look he gave me had me giggling into my tea, then he returned to the bar to refill his drink.

I turned around on the stool and spoke to his back. “We need to be on the same page here, Eurok. We have to keep her safe.”

He filled his glass and used the crystal decanter lid to point upstairs. “I’m not sure ‘safe’ is gonna get us anywhere with that one.”

The lid returned to its place with a clang, then he examined the wet stain left on his shirt. I was powerless to look away as he pulled off his baldric of daggers and hung it on the bar cart. Then he gripped the hem of his tunic and drew it over his head.

Those perfect mounds of hard muscle flexed down his back, across his broad shoulders as he moved. When he faced me, drink in hand, he used the fabric to wipe the wetness from his chest. I never craved bourbon so much in my life.

As he flipped the shirt over his shoulder, he returned, leaning against the bar. “We need to find a way for Mira to let her guard down. She needs to want to open up. That being said, I can’t be here to train with her every day.”

“I understand.” I sipped my tea, noting that it tasted as perfect as if I made it myself.

“Good. Then let’s hope you’re understanding of my solution, as well.” A wry grin graced those tempting, mischievous lips.