Chapter 22
LEON
“IZADELLA!”
More honeyguards pour into the room, circling around the pool, swords at the ready and bows raised. Lillian has her sword drawn and pointed at me.
“Who the fuck are you?” she demands.
I ignore her questions and continue screaming Izadella’s name over and over again, a burning ache in my chest at hurting the love of my long life like this. Being honest with her was not supposed to end like this. Bitter regret and anger brew inside me into a lethal rage.
I finally turn to face Lillian, her indignation mirroring my own.
“I need to speak to Nueena,” I say in a low voice.
Her laugh is humorless. “You think you can make demands? Do you know what we do to spies here? I warned you what would become of you.”
Narrowing my eyes, I respond, “Yes, yes, wilting minds, dungeons and such. I remember what you said to me on my first day here. There’s been a misunderstanding, one I will be happy to explain to Izadella or Nueena—”
“Get dressed, traitor,’’ Lillian says through clenched teeth. She walks over and kicks my crumpled, bloody clothing from the floor into the pool.
Gods, why didn't Izadella listen to what I had to say? She said she loved me, said she trusted me. My chest twists with the guilt I've been carrying since the day I met her in that damn forest.
I want to argue with Lillian, but clothing is better than standing in this pool, naked, surrounded by swords at my throat. I would hate to be killed naked.
A male needs a little dignity in death.
I dress as quickly as possible, sitting on the chair to put on my socks and boots. The shirt is ripping apart in the sleeves. Everything is too tight now. The pants, the shirt, the damn boots. Before any guards could stop me, I grab her necklace off the floor and pocket it.
A honeyguard waves his hand in front of me and my wrists are bound with a dark blue light. It’s pointless to fight them; it would only make it worse. I go to repeat myself, demand to see Izadella, but unending alarm bells sound around us. The palace shakes. The crystal lights above flash red.
Lillian’s face changes from angry to murderous. “WHO DID YOU brING!”
“I DIDN'T brING ANYONE! NO ONE KNOWS I’M—”
Fuck.
Erenia does, but we had a plan a year in the making. She wouldn't risk it.
Lillian shoves me into the main living space.
Tavien walks in without his signature smile, and shame builds a fire in my gut. I loathed lying to him, to all of them.
He stays a safe distance away and some of the guards come to make a half circle around him. Anger floods me, causing my fist to clench, as if I would attempt to harm him. He is one of the few friends I've made in over a hundred years.
My rib cage feels too large for my body, painfully so, like my soul is trying to escape to chase after her.
“So, it’s true, then? Who are you? And let’s try the truth this time, all right?” He says this so casually, as if he’s mentioning something insignificant.
“My real name is Zilas.”
Tavien’s eyes narrow at me. “There’s an army outside, one that Nyvenah is about to eviscerate after declaring them enemies of the realm.
She has a duty to protect Ellova against any and all threats.
If you do not start talking, that forest will be painted red and you’ll have so much blood on your hands your soul will never know a moment of peace again.
I highly doubt an army shows up for one without much importance, so I'm going to ask one last time. Who. The. Fuck. Are. You?”
We stare at each other but finally I say, “I’m the rightful King of Kalvorn. It’s just taking me longer than I hoped to return.”
He lets out a bitter laugh. “A king, huh?”
Before I can explain, Lillian speaks first, glaring daggers at me, her hand tight on the hilt of her blade.
“Well, the only thing we actually know about him is that he’s a fucking liar, so let’s not bet on that one.” She gives a mocking bow and waves her hand in the direction of the front door. “After you, Your Majesty.”
Honeyguards shove me into the hall, and we make our way out of the royal west wing. The red lights continue to flash.
I wish I could ask how the alarm system works, but in my current position they don’t seem in the mood to share any more of Ellova’s intricacies. A shame, really. Kalvorn still uses bells as alarms. At least they did when I left a hundred twenty years ago.
Lillian stops. Her face pales and one hand flies up to cover her chest. “Something has devastated Viella. Tavien, take him to the command room.” She sprints away towards her Zemra, abandoning my arrest.
It spreads new panic within me.
If Lillian can feel in their bond that Viella needs her, does that mean Izadella needs me, too? Are they together? Before I can ask to follow, honeyguards push me down the hallway.
We arrive in a flurry of movement. Guards and attendants rush out. Camarra and a few other guardians rush in. Their eyes focus on the bonds of light securing my hands. Lazalai gasps and starts rapidly signing to Reyna, both guardians shooting daggers at me with their eyes.
Nyvenah moves to stand in front of me, wearing an expression only mothers wear when they are truly disappointed.
I’m taller than her now but I still shrink under her gaze.
“And here I thought we would be welcoming you into our family. I see I was mistaken.”
“No, that is still going to happen. One day we will be able to laugh about this.” It’s a poor jest as all eyes in the room continue to stare at me, disgusted looks on the faces of those who love Izadella the most. Anguish rolls through me as I think of her beautiful face frozen in ecstasy in the pool and the screams of fear moments after.
I will never be free from the sound of her terror at seeing me.
“Oh, I very much doubt that, as Izadella said she never wants to see you again,” Lillian says in a sardonic tone.
“She’s in shock and I wish she would have waited for me to explain myself before jumping to conclusions about my intent here.
Nothing was done to her with premeditated falsehood.
Everything got out of hand and some things were more important than the truth at the time.
She is owed that now, I know, but there are forces at play much bigger than my feelings for her. ”
It pains me to say it, and I don’t even believe it myself.
Nothing is more important to me now.
“Is it your intent to get a great many mortals killed today?” Nyvenah motions to the balcony and I walk with her.
Below is the forest and indeed a small army, most in filthy clothing, that waits at the base of the mountain.
Many of the women are from Beggars’ Row, strong and healthy, their children clinging to their legs or tied to their backs.
Unlike when I cared for them as they lay dying in bed.
Mimi stands with her two siblings and their mother. This isn’t an army; these are asylum seekers trying to get to Kalvorn.
The elixir truly worked. I never expected so many of them to live. It’s the only bright spot to all of this.
They all stare up the mountain, but I know they can’t see us. The glamour makes it so they only see a false cliffside.
“They have been yelling for King Zilas. Can I assume they mean you?” Nyvenah drawls.
Alachite puts himself between his mate and me, arms crossed protectively.
I nod, looking down.
Queen Erenia, Grayden’s wife, is gazing up. Our eyes meet for a moment, but she stares right through me. My loyal hawk, Lula, sits on her shoulder, its blue wings flapping in distress.
Fast-approaching heels echo in the hallway as Nueena makes her way in the crowded room at a full speed. “Ellova’s fucking grave. Where is Della? What’s happening?”
She charges right at me but stops when she gets a full view of my true fae self in chains. Shock and rage battle on her face at the sight of me, rage winning. “You fucking liar! We trusted you!”
With every word she says, she steps closer to the guards, moving in ’til she is right in front of me.
“She loves you.” She says this without venom. It’s almost a whisper. The heartbreak I feel is suddenly reflected in her eyes. “She loved you.”
The sensation of my ribs breaking open one by one tears into me. “Please let me explain. I—”
Her fist connects with my gut in a blast of pain, the force so unexpected it brings me to my knees.
“Damn it, Nueena,” is all I get out before her knee connects with my nose, breaking it.
Throbbing pain and the tang of blood meets my lips.
She makes a fist again, pulling her arm back like a bowstring.
I brace for the pain I deserve but Tavien moves between us, his hand covering her fist.
“My love, as much as I would love to see you annihilate him for his utter betrayal, he claims to be the king of Kalvorn.”
“Thank you, Tavien.” My words are mumbled as blood runs down my face into my mouth. Spitting it on the golden floor at Nueena’s feet would be disrespectful.
“Do not thank me. I do not wish for my Zemra to hurt her hand, and I want you gone. Before we decide what to do with you, you need to start talking.”
I stand up and spit the blood into a black plant—my love’s doing, no doubt. The reminder I’ve caused Izadella pain is a gut punch greater than any Nueena could harm me with.
No longer needing to hide what I am, I call to my magic. The shattered bones in my nose slowly slide into place. As the pain fades, I know the bruising has, too, but something is wrong in my chest.
That is when I feel it.
The fracture where the ache from hearing Izadella say she wishes to never see me again. Not just heartbreak, no, so much more than that. Icy fear spreads at the realization.
My healing power is leaking out of me.
Enervation.
I frantically send my healing powers to my chest, trying to undo the consequences of my own broken heart, but my magic simply passes though, fading out of me instead of repairing.
Every night I slept with her in my arms, pulling the crown's magic out of her, healing her as it ravaged her mortal side. It has taken so much of my power and what is left is slowly fading, unable to save myself.
My face remains neutral, hiding my dread. My healing magic is buried so deep under the crown’s, it takes longer to obey me. For now, the crown’s magic flows out of me first.
Nyvenah and Nueena watch my nose slide back into place. I can explain my powers later. For now, I must go back to the beginning of all this, the beginning of Kalvorn, and I tell them everything in hopes that they will allow me to see Izadella one last time.