Chapter 2
Two
RAELLE
Heights, I hate heights. Yet here I am, perched on the thick branches of the tallest trees I’ve ever seen.
Granted, I’m not literally sitting on a limb with my legs dangling over the side, but it doesn’t make it any less terrifying.
I have four walls around me and two sizable windows to look out of, but a structure—no matter how sturdy—has no business looming in the treetops.
Leave it to past Allaji rulers to defy reasoning, make their own rules, and build their capital above the ground.
I rest my head against the cool glass of my tower room window and curl my legs beneath me on the built-in seat.
The book in my hand beckons me to get lost in its pages, but I can’t help but take in the breathtaking panoramic view.
Various shades of green leaves kiss the clouds stretched across the blue sky.
Under the trees’ canopies sits a bustling town.
Wood and rope bridges connect one building to the next.
They’re rickety atrocities that sway in the slightest breeze and set my nerves on edge.
Homes and stores are constructed of a hodgepodge of old ships, carriages, and other wooden structures that blend in with their surroundings.
Children run, skip, and jump along planked walkways spiraling the thick tree trunks.
They race toward the outside diners and playgrounds built on broad balconies.
Life in Allaji isn’t that different from Lucent, yet it is.
The sound of groaning wood penetrates through the glass, intensifying the anxiety brewing within me.
The shifters pay no attention to it, carrying on with fuzzy, pointed ears perked, beaks agape in what can only be smiles, and tails swishing behind them.
Deep down, they know their living arrangement is precarious.
That’s why they remain in their human forms with hints of their animal counterparts on display.
It’s unnatural for anything but birds and squirrels to reside in the trees, but here I am, trapped amongst the constant rattle of three-pointed leaves and guarded by shifters.
I might enjoy the uniqueness of it all if it weren’t for the location.
My captor doesn’t need to confine me to a jail cell or a dank dungeon.
Allowing me to roam free through his sky-high city is torture enough.
Not that I would step foot outside of Zek’s palace and risk plunging to my death.
Besides, I have no reason to leave the comforts of these walls.
It’s not like I can scale down the trees and run.
The only way out of here is on the back or gripped in the talons of a shifter.
And if I did make it to the ground, I wouldn’t make it far.
The seaside village is swarming with seedy characters.
Allaji mingle with Outlanders who are loyal to no kingdom and claim the sea as their home.
The minute Zek realized I was gone, a bounty would be placed on my head.
I wouldn’t make it to the shoreline before every being on the ground set out to hunt me.
A knock fills my quiet room, followed by the soft melodic voice of the servant Zek has assigned to care for my every need. “It is time, Your Majesty.”
I roll my eyes at the title and set my book aside.
My quarters are fit for royalty with their oversized dark wood furnishings adorned with hand carved vines and flowers.
I sleep on the finest satin and my body is draped in expensive silk.
My captor parades me around his court with sparkling jewels of red, blue, and green around my neck, but I’m not a queen.
The Allaji use my formal title to humiliate me and remind me of what I’ve lost.
Zek coveted a crown and title. He lied, stole, and killed to earn his place as the Allaji king.
Nothing is sacred to him, and he assumes that, like him, I cherish those things too.
But I don’t. Family supplied me with adoration, friends showed me loyalty, the people of my kingdom made me strong, and my parah offered an unbreakable love.
I never found my worth in precious metals and power.
The things I treasure the most are far from his grasp and protected by the treaty he made with Esmeray.
They’re the reason I obey Zek’s demands and endure his constant taunting.
I arrange the emerald silk wrapped around my upper torso, making sure that my breasts are secure inside.
A big jeweled brooch in the back holds the delicate fabric in place, leaving the excess silk flowing down my spine.
From the same material, I fashioned a long skirt that leaves the entirety of one leg exposed.
My attire feels so minimal, yet it’s more than what most wear in the Allaji court.
With my head held high, I open the door to my quarters and find the Allaji assigned to fetch me.
Holly looks me up and down with golden eyes, pausing on the tiara perched upon my head.
Her eyebrow cocks and lips curl as she takes in the emeralds and dangling diamonds—my newest unwanted gift from the Allaji king.
Her expression says it all. She wishes Zek showered her with presents. So do I.
She flips her hair over her pale shoulder, and her fluffy, russet fox tail sways behind her. “You look nice compared to what you wore yesterday.”
I pull my mouth into a bright, fake smile and say, “Thank you. Your back-handed complaint almost has me believing you’re not a bitch.”
“One day, the king will grow tired of you, and when that day comes, I’m going to rip you to shreds,” she says as if she’s unfazed by my comeback.
“It won’t change the fact that he doesn’t want you.”
She narrows her eyes and growls as I push past her.
The last thing I should do is provoke her into a fight.
I won’t win. She can transform into a massive fox, and I have no power.
Not that I believe the Eporri will work for me anymore.
I’m no longer the queen or the heir to the crown.
And even if I was, I could only call upon the gifts of my people. The stone in my leg is dead weight.
The manor hallways are mostly quiet as I stride toward the throne room with Holly on my heels.
Tapestries woven into landscapes line the walls and pedestals showcase marble statues of predatory animals.
The staff have pulled the golden drapes back from the windows, allowing the late morning sun to light the way.
Unlike the lavish décor of the palaces in Pliris, which were made by my people or traded with neighboring kingdoms, these items are stolen.
It turns out that the Allaji not only find no problem with stealing people, but they also encourage ransacking merchant ships.
Every step my bare feet take on the wooden floor sounds like the rhythmic beat of a battle drum.
It only makes sense that my mind believes I’m marching to war.
Dealing with the new Allaji king every day feels like a battle.
I fight to keep him from getting inside my head.
Although, some days he gets the upper hand and wears me down until I’m on the verge of tears.
I’ve considered surrendering to him, falling to my knees and declaring him my king, but then the image of my true king flashes in my mind.
Even from the other side of the continent, Kyron offers me strength.
The bond I share with my parah has diminished in the past weeks.
I don’t feel the excruciating ache I once did when we chose to go our separate ways.
This time is different. The all-consuming pull that tethered us together is weak.
I’m scared that it will snap at any second, but then I remember it’s nothing compared to the love I have for him.
Parah or not, he is the one who holds my heart, and no force in the universe can change that.
Two burly guards stand watch outside the throne room doors.
They don’t so much as spare me a glance as Holly and I move closer.
I tilt my chin up and stare past them to the likenesses of vicious shifters carved into the door.
The Allaji people take special pride in their history, etching it into their buildings, tattooing it on their skin, and teaching it to their children.
The acts of this kingdom make them morally bankrupt, but they have no shortage of pride.
As if they are synced, the guards grip the golden handles and pull the doors open, revealing the room beyond.
It’s packed with shifters waiting to bring their grievances to the king.
Holly and I move through the crowd, my exposed skin brushing those around me.
Most wear loose-fitting pants or scraps of sheer material.
The Allaji may all look different, but they share one trait in common—each of them shows a sign of their animal counterpart.
It’s impossible to forget that I don’t belong here.
Holly and I reach the steps of the natural wood dais.
Sunlight shines through one massive window, the rays showcasing the throne in the center.
The chair’s arms and legs are carved into intricate vines, and the detailed image of a hawk’s head adorns the top.
It is rustic, yet beautiful. A perfect representation of this kingdom.