Chapter 7 #2
What in Solric’s name was Rykr playing at? He had to know this wouldn’t help.
“So, you entered Viori territory for sport?”
“How is this Viori territory? You have no lawful claim to these lands. The Dreadwood belongs to Lirien and is forbidden to all.”
I gritted my teeth, wishing I could stop Rykr from saying anything else that might turn the council against him.
Seth smirked, delighted by the resistance. The more Rykr showed loyalty to Lirien, the easier Seth’s job would be. “The treaty of King Anders granted these lands to our people.”
Shockingly, Rykr laughed in his face. “The treaty makes no such provision. It prohibits Lirien citizens from occupying the Dreadwood. King Anders wanted to protect Liriens from deadly creatures like skinwraiths and wyverns and, after forcing the monsters into the Dreadwood, he warded the border to keep them out. That’s all. ”
Shit. I tensed.
Seth glowered at Rykr. “You dare call me a liar?”
Don’t play into his hands. Stop.
Rykr’s eyes swept the council with calculated detachment, and he shrugged. “Just ignorant. You clearly haven’t read the treaty.” A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “I have.”
Seth lunged. As his hand grasped Rykr’s throat, my blade pressed into the vulnerable spot at Seth’s waist.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
“Get away, Seth,” I snapped.
“I’m merely reminding this Lirien of his place. Which, to begin with, isn’t as a member of our tribe.”
Rykr didn’t flinch. Didn’t back away. He looked Seth coolly in the eye. “I think my wife would say otherwise.”
Shivers went down my spine.
The casualness with which Rykr said it—so firm, so certain—sent startling heat through me.
Seth’s eyes bored into mine. Maybe I didn’t understand Rykr’s motivations, but I still felt some small triumph at knowing he’d allied himself with me.
“Your wife.” A cruel smile came to Seth’s lips, and he lowered his hand. “Then may you have a long and happy marriage. Considering that her appetite led her to our enemies, that might not be possible. She always was hard to keep satisfied.”
My fist slammed into Seth’s face before I could stop myself. The impact snapped his head back, blood gushing from his nose. Humiliation seared through me. Fucking asshole.
And even though my friendship with Darya had completely withered, I still felt bad that he’d said that in her presence, too.
A firm set of hands gripped the waistband of my pants, dragging me back.
Rykr’s breath was warm on my neck. “I don’t like being tied to anyone, least of all someone who dragged me into a fight I didn’t ask for,” he said in a low voice.
“But if I’m stuck here, I’m not going down so easily—and neither are you.
One of us needs to prove he’s abusing his power, and this won’t help. ”
My left hand throbbed—I’d punched Seth with it thanks to the dagger in my right—and I scowled as I shook it out. Was that what all this arrogance was? Strategy?
“If you had a plan, maybe you should have discussed it with me earlier,” I hissed.
Seth wiped the blood from his nose, a satisfied gleam in his eyes.
Darya wore deep displeasure on her beautiful face.
“Insult her again,” Rykr said to Seth, his voice low and dangerous, “and you’ll regret it. Bound or not, I protect what’s mine.”
Seth addressed the council. “Do you see how Seren mocks everything we stand for? Now her Pendaran lover threatens me, too. He may be her spouse, but he’s still a loyal Lirien.
“We’ve seen this same subversion for years with the Ragnalls,” Seth went on.
“Their love for their Lirien realms is known to all … so much so that now Seren has bound her very soul to one, rather than choosing a husband from among us. She should be ejected from our territory and the Ragnalls watched.”
What in Nyxva?
I scanned the crowd for my mother, finding her standing at the back, her expression as horrified as I felt.
I’d made the choice to bind myself to Rykr, and I couldn’t undo it now, but my family wasn’t going to suffer for my decisions—not if I could help it.
“If you must punish me, I accept it. But my family has done nothing wrong. I take full responsibility for the oath and my husband, Seth. Leave them out of this.”
“Seth, if I may.” Macklyn Bryce stood from his seat at the council table.
Ciaran’s father was one of my father’s closest friends, a man I trusted. Ciaran and I had grown up together like siblings. Macklyn’s support meant something.
Soroush nodded toward him.
“The Ragnalls have proved their loyalty for over two decades. To question their honor when half of them aren’t here to defend themselves is disgraceful.” Macklyn sat with a finality that made it clear he wouldn’t allow Seth’s attack to continue.
Murmurs of agreement came from others, including council members. But not everyone would agree. And if Madoc or my father had been here, Seth wouldn’t have dared to be so bold. Gods, please let them come home soon with Esme.
The weight of Rykr’s fingers eased from me and I straightened, trying to ignore the heat of his presence.
“I, too, will speak for Seren.”
My gaze snapped to Darya as she rose.
“She’s in my squadron. As her officer, I’ve observed both her courage and integrity firsthand.”
Shock coursed through me but she didn’t look my way.
For Darya to go against Seth … was huge.
Seth dabbed at his bloody nose with a handkerchief. Maybe my provocation hadn’t been entirely wasted. He’d miscalculated. Pushed too hard, too soon. He sniffed, then nodded stiffly at his wife. “Does anyone here truly understand what it means to be Sealed?”
The air was tense, thick with suspicion and curiosity.
When no one ventured a response, Seth gestured toward Olivia. “What about you, Olivia?”
Her gaze fixed on Rykr. “It means he’s been Bloodbound to the king. Plucked from one of the Bound realms. His powers intensified.”
Seth sniffed. “Yes, and no. Explain it, Soroush. You’re the scribe. The people need to understand why this Lirien is such a danger.”
Soroush rose, gripping his walking stick. Seth handed him a speaking horn, amplifying his frail voice over the assembly.
“When King Ragnor Ederyn founded Lirien,” Soroush began, “he faced a troubling reality. The gods, in their wisdom—or folly—bestowed humanity with divine gifts, but unchecked power threatened the balance of the realm.”
The crowd leaned in, enraptured. I tightened my grip on my cloak, every breath shallow as Soroush’s gaze swept across us.
“And so,” he continued, “the Bloodbinding was created. The people were divided—Ederyn, Doba, Pendara, Ambra, Zhi, Ibarra, and Volker—each given a craft. A purpose. A duty.” His voice grew heavier.
“Thus, only the people of Zhi were permitted powers over the physical body. Only Pendarans were given warcrafts, and so on. But how to enforce it?”
Soroush let the question hang in the air. He was clearly talented at this—which was also why he was so respected in our tribe. I already knew the answer.
“Magic itself. A child is Bound days after its birth, its divine gift stripped away, limiting them to the craft permitted by their realm. For example, if a Volker babe is born with the gift of master stone-carving, it may keep it. But that same Volker babe born with the Zhi gift of healing? They are left with nothing. Weak. Powerless. Bound to a fate outside of the gods’ will. ”
Unease stirred in those gathered. Even among the Viori, we rarely spoke of the Bloodbinding so plainly.
Soroush turned his attention to me. “Do you know which realm escaped this Bloodbinding rite, Seren?”
I forced myself to meet his stare. “Ederyn.” My voice wasn’t nearly as strong as I wanted it to be.
“Yes. Ederyn. The king’s own realm. The only one where a child could be born with the gifts the gods intended.” Soroush’s face tilted back toward the council. “Why, Darya? Why free one realm but not the others?”
Darya’s lips curved prettily. “The king claimed it was to keep balance. That he didn’t want Ederyn to be dependent on the other realms.”
Soroush took slow shuffling steps toward Rykr and me. “That’s right. Balance. But Ragnor of Ederyn was no fool. He knew the controversy the Bloodbinding would create.”
A heavy silence fell over the clearing as Soroush extended a hand toward Rykr.
“So, he gave the people the Sealed. Three children, chosen from each realm, every twelve years—the most gifted in each realm. His Seal granted unparalleled mastery to the recipients. The Sealed Masters would teach only their people—ensuring their abilities remained within their realm alone. A Sealed Ibarran would teach spellcraft only to Ibarra’s children.
A Sealed Pendaran would train Pendarans—but never an Ederyn boy born with warcraft.
This allowed the realms to be placated by the king’s tyranny. ”
Seth squeezed Soroush’s shoulder in silent thanks, then turned to Rykr with a sharp smile. “And this Lirien is a Sealed Pendaran. His craft is war. He’s trained to kill and he’s good at it. Lirien, remove your shirt. Show our tribe your Seal.”
All eyes were on Rykr, whose jaw was clenched, his head held high. Proudly.
When Rykr didn’t move, Olivia stood, her eyes glinting with barely-contained hostility. “Will you defy our chief, Lirien?”
Rykr’s gaze locked with mine for a tense beat.
A ripple of unease passed through me. His defiance could determine our punishment.
His lips pressed into a grim line, but there was no hesitation as he untucked his shirt. Even in this moment of humiliation, he stood tall.
With a tense breath, Rykr reached back with his bound hands and grabbed a fistful of his shirt.
He pulled his shirt over his head, the cold clink of his irons echoing unnervingly through the space.
The muscles of his back flexed, taut with tension, as the scarlet and black mark of the Seal gleamed faintly against the dappled light—an intricate brand carved by blood and magic. A mark of power.