Chapter 23 #2
Or that was what they had always been told. In Düren, even the rain felt like it came from somewhere beyond the line.
But in Cyprian’s drawing—
There was nothing.
Ryneth frowned. He traced the black smears and looked up at Cyprian. “Wait… that’s not right. There should be something there. What’s on the other side?”
Cyprian shook his head. “The other side wasn’t exposed to me.”
“That’s not right. There should be danger. There should be—”
Concordant fighters. Evil lurking in the shadow. Anything.
Ryneth glanced back and froze as letters appeared on the white paper.
Nereth solan.
“Do you see that?” Ryneth nearly dropped the drawing. “Those words?”
Cyprian shook his head. “No?”
“It’s right there. It’s—”
The letters shimmered faintly before fading.
“He means the spot above the wall.” Archer pointed at the sky. “But I can’t see letters.”
Ryneth followed the lines of the wall up to the horizon. Yes, the ancient stone wall had been that high. It had divided Düren into two separate parts. One side was the dusty, crowded place where they had all lived. And the other side—
He still couldn’t believe it.
The emptiness.
He grimaced. As if there had never been any monsters lurking in the darkness.
Still, he had seen them. Perhaps not at the Ward, but in that shuttle. By the tunnel, when he had been reunited with Lysa, who might still be out there somewhere.
A hostage.
Like he was, in some twisted way.
His palm itched as if Daven was physically present and goading him.
“I don’t know what’s happening to me,” he confessed. Letting out a heavy sigh, he eyed the sky Archer had pointed at. The lines in the air. That was the outer ring, the storm break meant to prevent Düren’s dust storms but clearly didn’t do its job.
Nothing in his life made sense anymore.
“Concordant wasn’t supposed to be real. Until it was. Then this… auction. My so-called owner. The Imperial family telling me I’m Dariux. That this—” He lifted his hand and let out a flicker of static that fried Archer’s toaster.
Tucking his hand back in his lap, he murmured an apology, then stared at the drawing again.
“It’s wrong. Or I am. Is this a dream?” He looked up at Cyprian and, just for a second, got lost in those bright yellow eyes.
“Did I fall through the mines? Or did I really get bonded with an Imperial prince who drives me crazy, and I’m somehow inseparable from him?
I can’t—and then those letters. Nereth solan.
Did you know we went to see the royal consort in the hospital?
” He snorted at his own words, at how insane he sounded.
“Apparently she used those words when she was young, and Daven thought maybe she was somehow reaching out. But I mean… she’s asleep.
None of this makes sense. None of it does. ”
He absentmindedly accepted an outstretched tigano and took a big bite, shoulders sagging as he hummed.
“All right,” Cyprian said. “Maybe we can shed some light.”
“Attica first? Then Concordant?” Ryneth asked around a mouthful.
Cyprian laughed. “Yes, we’ll start with them. Just eat. I’ll do the talking, and when you have a question, raise a hand.”
“Like at s-school.” Mirel giggled.
“Exactly.” Cyprian shot his brother a wink.
Then he turned back to Ryneth, his smile fading into something graver.
“First of all, none of us are the good guys. Attica, Concordant, even the Imperial family. Attica is a Helion-based rebel group led by Bekn Zaid, Theo’s older brother.
They hate the Imperial family for the violence the Aureates cause.
The Aureates killed their loved ones even while they were prisoners, so they set up an organization that produces drugs and kills innocent off-planet inhabitants to destroy Helion’s reputation. ”
“Okay…” Ryneth swallowed his bite. “What do they have to do with Concordant?”
Cyprian shrugged. “Other than working together to gain a solid foothold in Helion’s underworld, I don’t think much.”
“But that’s enough to cause serious damage.” Ryneth thought of the night they’d wanted him to come out and negotiate. The night they’d sent Lysa to talk to him. “Yure believes they’re working on something bigger behind the scenes. And yesterday we saw a shuttle land behind the hospital.”
Cyprian just nodded. Light, the guy should be surprised or shocked. Hell, the guy should be terrified. Ryneth knew he was. “They convinced Milanov they have real intelligence on Attica. Enough that he allowed them to land on Helion. Moargan fought him hard over the decision.”
Ryneth swallowed. Letting Concordant onto Helion felt like opening the door to a fire. “They can’t be trusted.”
“K-Kylix hasn’t slept much,” Mirel added softly. “H-he’s making sure Concordant is watched all the time while they negotiate.”
Cyprian nodded. “And Norma, Milanov’s wife, senses something moving behind the scenes. She’s reached out to me before through my visions.” He pointed at the drawing. “Unfortunately my gift only goes as far as this. I get visions that I draw. Why they come or what they mean, I don’t know.”
Ryneth gave the charcoal another once-over. “We’ll find the answers.”
“Yeah, we will.” Cyprian’s hand landed on Ryneth’s shoulder and he squeezed gently. “As for the rest of it, you are not dreaming. Milanov already told you what the bond means. How does it feel?”
Ryneth snorted. “Well, most of the time I want to hit the asshole straight in the face. He’s so arrogant, so fucking sure of himself. He swaggers through life like he’s—Good Light, some sort of God.”
The other three burst out laughing.
“That sounds like K-Kylix,” Mirel managed. But when Ryneth looked at the blond man, he saw that one of those yellow eyes had turned ice blue.
“Unfortunately, all Imperial princes share that same blood.” Cyprian chuckled. “But they’re also fiercely loyal and proud.”
“But what if Daven’s—”
Wrong?
He couldn’t get to finishing that phrase. What if Daven found out he’d made a mistake? That it wasn’t Ryneth he wanted after all?
Cyprian shook his head. “I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not possible.
The mating is not a physical choice. We were programmed like this.
Designed to be the perfect match. Like you were, when they injected you with artificial Dariux and sent you off-planet, only to return home when the time was right. ”
Ryneth remembered the gold-and-white contract that had kept appearing on his multi-slate. He nodded shakily. “Yeah, I’m getting that. So, what do we do now?”
Archer chuckled. “Now you go to the Academy for class.” Gathering plates, he dropped them into the sink. “And promise you’ll come back for another breakfast soon.”
Cyprian’s hand on his shoulder squeezed a little tighter. “Archer’s right. We’d love for you to be our friend here. As for the rest, we can only follow the signs we’re given and piece things together. Something is happening soon. But where or when we don’t know yet.”
“And that doesn’t terrify you?”
Cyprian just smiled.
“Let’s go?” Mirel said, opening the door, flushing when he suddenly found himself face to face with Kylix.
The moody prince reached out and pulled Mirel against his chest.
“You felt restless. Let me take you to the Academy.”
“C’mon, let’s walk. The weather’s beautiful.”
Ryneth paused at the door. “You’re not coming?”
Archer flushed and shook his head. “No. I’ve got… another one coming for breakfast.”
Cyprian snorted behind him.
“Oh,” Ryneth said slowly.
Cyprian laughed outright.
Ryneth shook his head. “Yeah… I’m not asking.”
He stepped into the hallway after Cyprian. The apartment door closed behind him as Archer returned to the stove.
“What do you love most about Helion?” Cyprian asked.
They crossed Umbral Park with the morning crowd, gravel crunching under their shoes, the sun already warming the stone paths. Students clustered on the grass with cups balanced on their knees, voices low, bags open and books spilling out.
“The buildings. The sun reflecting on all the glass. It’s so pretty. The stories were true. Back home, everything’s gray. But here—” Ryneth breathed in the fresh air. “You?”
“The nature, definitely. I’m inspired all the time. The people. They’re unhurried and friendly. Not like those guys.”
Ryneth snorted when he saw the three princes standing by the fountain. With slides on and coffee cups in hand, they were already watching him and Cyprian approach.
Ryneth’s palm warmed. The tight flutter returned to his chest as soon as his eyes landed on Daven.
“Good morning. Did you have a good breakfast?” Helianth pressed two coffee cups into their hands.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Good. Then it’s my turn to feed someone.” Flashing him a wink, the blond prince headed across the park.
“Light, I need to warn Archer that Helianth’s on his way.” Cyprian started typing, but Moargan caught his wrist and pulled him into an embrace.
Ryneth glanced after Helianth and winced for Archer.
“Leave them to work their own thing out, lover,” Moargan said. “Come on.”
Cyprian giggled at whatever Moargan whispered in his ear and let himself be dragged away. Looking back over his shoulder, he called, “Had a great time, Ryneth. We should do it again soon.”
Then they disappeared into the crowd, leaving Ryneth and Daven alone.
“I got you a surprise.”
Ryneth turned back to his bonded and the familiar heat spread through his palm. Daven stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Ryneth’s shoulders, breathing him in as he pressed their hands together.
“Light, you smell so good. Did you miss me, aethera?”
“You wish,” Ryneth shot back, but he closed his eyes and brushed his lips against Daven’s warm throat.
Daven chuckled and pulled back, studying him. “You look happy. Did you have a good time with the guys?”
“Yeah. They’re nice.”
“What did you talk about?”
Ryneth let himself be guided back across campus while talking about the cat, the food, and how welcome he’d felt.