Chapter 10 Anastasius
I met my father alone in his chambers. He wore a casual tunic, his weapons stowed away. He sat on the end of his grand four-poster bed, looking no less threatening than he had on the plateau, with his chest covered in sweat and blades clutched in his hands. His hair had been unwound, likely by his Chosen—-my mother—but I didn’t sense Amartya’s presence now. I swallowed.
“You fool! You’ve brought the enemy into our home!” Father rebuked me. I let out a low, warning growl. Now that my decision had been made in this matter, nothing could deter me from it. Still, standing up to my father was something I hadn’t done outright since I fought to spare Ercan’s wings. I preferred to act in the shadows. Maybe that made me a coward, but that changed today.
“You won’t change my mind,” I said, my eyes staying on his, which were livid. He clenched his fists at his sides. He huffed, running a hand through his hair.
“You don’t understand what you’ve done!” He broke eye contact and began to pace.
“What’s so wrong with Selecting him, Father? It’s not like I’m refusing to adhere to the Choosing process. What do you have against him?” I wondered if he somehow knew Claeg’s true identity. I had introduced him as Eleos, but what if he’d recognized him as I had? Claeg bore the same eyes as his father. Odon’s already tense body became impossibly rigid at the question. I was poking a tender nerve.
“Besides the fact that he is our enemy? By the gods, Anastasius, do you not see how dangerous he is to you? I don’t know what he has told you, but he will only ever see you as weak—somebody whose Circle needs to be completed. Do you have a death wish?” He paused for a moment to glare at me. I had expected my father not to trust Claeg. He had no reason to, whereas I wanted to. Damn it all. The Ruptor didn’t scare me. He had taken care of Enid. With tenderness.
I folded my arms, unwilling to budge on my decision.
He shook his head with a huff. “And when he betrays you?”
“I’ll take care of it,” I vowed, knowing that what he would think I meant was different than what I intended. Not that I believed we would get to that point. Maybe that made me a fool.
“He won’t pass the Choosing. I will see to it that he fails. And once he does, you will Save him and your pet for this insubordination,” Father growled. I stiffened at those words. Ercan. He meant Ercan, the only Circulus whose wings remained intact while living among the clan. I bowed my head, not voicing my thoughts that I would never partake in the tradition of Saving a draconis, but I didn’t want to antagonize him further. “Get out of my sight.” He waved a hand at me, and I quickly obliged. We hadn’t even discussed the draconis he had Selected for me, but it didn’t matter.
I headed straight for Claeg’s room, grateful that my father didn’t seem to have fully realized who he was. I just had to make sure it stayed that way. Hopefully, Claeg was wise enough to keep his mouth shut. And when Ercan saw him . . . No—for both of their safety, they mustn’t see each other.
I knew Ercan’s story well. His mate had been taken from him by Claeg—his own son—for being weak. Enid and I had found him nearly suicidal after his banishment. Ercan had found a friend in Enid and me, but he never talked about his son anymore. I didn’t know if he still held a grudge against Claeg and would he hate me for Selecting his son. By the gods, if Ercan told my father who Claeg was . . . nothing would stop my father from Saving him.
The farther I went into the castle, the less I saw of the sun until the only light was the flames within the sconces. Still, the fire highlighted the walls, which flowed like a smooth wine. My heart panged with guilt. If I was locked away from the stars, I would wither away like a plant starved for the water that sustained its essence. I sucked on my lip, vowing to find Claeg better accommodations as soon as possible.
“Good evening, Prince De Vita.” Oriana bowed to me as I passed her. She was identifiable as the perfect blend of her brothers, with Rohit’s fiery hair and Mateo’s ruthlessness.. Her face was innocent enough, but within she was one the most brutal draconis in our clan. She had found many Circulus in the hunt to find Hen and brought them home to interrogate before Saving them, most of which Ercan and I had freed one way or another. Some fled to the land Hen came from—Eikonia. Others preferred death for their weakness. But there were still a few who fell through the cracks, like the unfortunate soul who followed Oriana with her head bowed. An assortment of bruises on her face were in various stages of healing. Her eye had been slightly swollen a few days ago, but today it was pinched closed by swelling that disfigured her face. She kept her eyes down.
“Anastasius?” Oriana pressed, jerking me out of my trance.
“Hmm?” I tore my eyes away from the draconis, whose name we still didn’t know, to Oriana.
“I said my slave requires healing. Shall I bring her to your infirmary to await your attention?”
I pressed my lips together and nodded curtly. My heart ached for the woman. “Great, thank you, my Prince.” Her accompanying wink made me recoil internally. Oriana grasped my arm, pulling me away from Claeg’s room. Her grip was possessive and should have bothered me, but my only thought was for Claeg. He will be okay until dawn, I consoled myself, biting my lip for comfort.
In the infirmary, I found Thyia in a heated discussion with Calian, my father’s Second and favorite to fuck, next to his Chosen. “What is it?” I asked, forcefully extracting myself from Oriana’s vice-like hold. I knew full well what the fuss was about, but they didn’t know that.
“Enid disappeared,” Thyia answered.
I grunted, making my eyes widen as if in shock. “Nobody has seen her?”
Thyia shook her head, pain twisting her face. It made me feel guilty for keeping the truth from her. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. “Does my father know?” She winced, and my guilt flared. She deserved to know that I planned to Challenge our De Vita. Soon. I made a note to tell her.
“Of course. I told him immediately upon learning,” Calian snapped.
“Good. He will handle it. Don't worry, Thyia. I'm sure she will turn up somewhere. Maybe Ercan knows?” I suggested lightly, making her flinch again. Her eyes drifted to the corner, and mine followed. I bit my lip to prevent it from quivering. My friend lay moaning along the wall amongst the other sick draconis. My heart fell.
“I have already questioned him, and you won’t believe what I found out,” Calian reported flippantly, making my gut churn. I knew how he questioned draconis. I rushed to Ercan’s side. My knees collapsed, and I took his hand in mine. His ring finger ended in a bloody stump, taken by Calian. His violet eyes fluttered open with a groan. Marks that had obviously been made with a whip covered him. Ragged, raised skin marred his sun-darkened flesh. His back was flayed beyond recognition. The only part untouched was the dreadful brands which destroyed that crescent upon his neck and palms. There was so much of Claeg in him it made me shudder. A memory of how I had found Ercan struck me—defeated and on the bridge of giving up. He was the first Circulus I had ever met and at the time I hadn’t appreciated their clan’s mercy. I pleaded with him to give life another chance after he had lost it all. I gave him my protection. The cost of that promise… had been high. It stripped me of my innocence every time a Circulus was captured… it was my fault their wings were taken. And so many wings were taken since the hunt for Hen began, despite Ercan begging me to have them spared. But if I fought for any other, my father reminded me Ercan would pay the price.
“Prince Anastasius,” he murmured. I nodded, tears threatening to spill as I took in the shredded flesh. “Thank you,” he breathed, tears clouding eyes so similar to Claeg’s. I had never seen ones so remarkable.
“I'm sorry,” I replied. I had failed to protect him. He shouldn’t be thanking me. His chest was covered with freshly tended wounds, but he didn't seem to notice. His face was relaxed, his expression calm and collected as he closed his eyes again and let out a long breath. We stayed like that for a few moments before his breathing became easy and even, indicating he had fallen asleep. I didn't move from his side, remaining vigilant, grieving with him, guarding him.
Calian wouldn't get another chance to sink his claws into my friend.