Chapter 4 #2
“Fine,” I replied, frustrated as fuck. “Forget I mentioned it. Xavier and I have to get back to training.”
“Good idea.” Rummy snickered.
Goddess above, she tested me more and more every day.
Wolf stepped up to Huntyr, the two of them bowing their heads and whispering.
I didn’t bother to try to make out their words. Instead, I headed out the door and stomped down the stairs, ready to get as far away as possible from all of them.
“Things are more tense than I thought,” Xavier said, catching up to me. “So, what now? We just move along like we know nothing about the conflicts in the east?”
Move along? How in all hells was I supposed to move along when there was a good chance innocents were suffering and I was sitting on an entire army of men who could help?
The guilt already kept me up at night. I couldn’t keep living this way.
But Wolf was the king. It was his choice. Me? I was nothing but his damn errand boy.
“Give me ten minutes,” I said, “then meet me near the southern tree line. Be discreet.”
Eyes narrowed, he assessed me. “You sure you’re okay?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll always be fucking fine.”
Just about the only thing I missed about The Golden City were its showers. And it was hard not to fantasize about them now. It had been ages since I’d taken a hot, luxurious shower in the privacy of my own damn home.
But that was a small price to pay to escape the prison of that place. I hadn’t been back to The Golden City since the war two years ago. Since everything I knew to be true had been ripped away from me.
I’d grown up in The Golden City. It wasn’t until I left, until I truly experienced life outside of those enchanted walls, that I realized how flawed it was.
In theory, it was a haven for angels and gifted fae—an elite society safe from vampyres.
As if vampyres were so damn filthy they needed to be kept out like stray coyotes.
In reality, it was all a fucking lie.
My chest tightened just thinking about it. My father and I, and thousands of others, isolated ourselves within the walls of the city, ignorant and led to believe that the vampyres were diseased. We believed the entire race was cursed to rot and perish unless feasting on the blood of living souls.
It was all a lie, and now that the curse was broken, the hungry ones, those who were cursed, were no longer a threat, and vampyres no longer caved to their blood lusts.
White wings spread, I soared higher and faster than any fae could, my feathered wings gliding effortlessly through the air.
Circling back, I ensured Xavier was still close enough to follow me before I scaled higher and higher into the sky.
He was a powerful vampyre, and his magic was strong enough that a flight like this was nearly as easy to him as it was for me.
It was a rare gift for vampyres to summon wings—even more rare to keep them summoned for the duration of this journey.
We’d been up here for more than an hour without even the slightest fatigue. I could have flown all damn day. The peacefulness of the sky was almost potent enough to crack through the thick blanket of anger tightening around my heart.
Almost.
I had been fighting the urge to visit The Golden City for months now.
Wolf left a trusted advisor to look over the place when we left.
Since then, the city really became a safe haven, a place for those with magic to stay and live freely, out in the open.
But in my mind, it was nothing but a reminder of the past.
As I got closer, my father’s deceptions pummeled me, stealing the ounce of calm I’d found in the sky. Memories of every terrible thing I’d done for him within those walls surfaced, bringing with them visions of all the people I’d betrayed while I tried so desperately to please him…
No, I would never be that man again. I would never again allow myself to remain ignorant regarding the politics of other kingdoms.
I needed this trip. To remind myself of what was at stake.
“Where are you taking us?” Xavier asked, finally catching up to me.
“You know exactly where we’re going. There’s someone here who might be able to help us.”
As the massive, stone walls of The Golden City came into view, a riot of emotions consumed me. For decades, they were enchanted with the goddess’s magic. Nobody could enter the city without the permission of the goddess herself.
But those days were gone, along with any shield used to keep people out.
I pumped my wings again, Xavier silent behind me as we flew over the wall. The first thing I noticed was how damn bright it all was. During my time here, the sky had been dark, the streets dirty and crumbling and damn near cursed.
Now? This was no abandoned kingdom. This was no dark, nightmarish prison, either.
This was a home. Fae from all over the kingdom moved their families here for refuge. They no longer lived in magicless, dead lands. Magic thrived here. Fae thrived here.
I never thought The Golden City could feel so alive.
I lowered myself onto the ground just inside the wall. Anyone paying attention to the morning sky would have seen me fly over those damn walls. I didn’t bother to hide it. My presence here was no secret.
“So, this is it? The infamous Golden City?” Xavier straightened his leather jacket over his shoulders beside me. “I was expecting a guarded gate. Spikes on the walls. Piles of bones and ash.”
Yeah. So was I. “I guess things have changed since the war.”
“You really think it’s a good idea coming here?”
I shrugged. “I don’t see why not. The Golden City is technically under Scarlata’s rule now. The vampyres are content in Scarlata, but that doesn’t mean we can’t come back to this place. It isn’t forbidden.”
“Right,” Xavier said. “That’s why we left in secret and didn’t tell anyone where we were heading.”
I sighed. It wasn’t forbidden. That much was the truth.
There was… an energy here that lingered, even two years after the war. All this time after we had left the confines of The Golden City.
The hair on the back of my neck rose. Everything about this place was different, yet somehow, a small seed of fear still sprouted in my chest.
“As commander of Scarlata’s army, it’s my duty to ensure we have allies should any conflicts arise. This is merely part of the job.”
Xavier was smart enough to keep his mouth shut.
With long strides, I made my way through the city I used to despise. Where rugged streets and dank alleys used to stand now stood fresh, lively homes and structures with attention to detail. There were no rats running under my feet, no bones piling up in the corners.
Like the people here really cared.
This was… this was damn remarkable.
Memories flashed in my mind as we slipped through the streets. Memories of my father. Memories of the hungry ones. Memories of fear, of darkness, of submission. Memories of Wolf suffering, of standing by while evil persisted.
Of meeting Huntyr. Of conspiring to tear down the entire institution.
My past here wasn’t a good one. It was filled with cowardice and regret.
This time, I would not cower. I would fight for what I believed in. Even if it terrified me.
“Do you know where we’re headed?” Xavier asked, piercing my thoughts.
I turned a corner, my feet carrying me through the maze of stone buildings like I never left. “We’re going to see an old friend.”
“Iwas wondering when I might see you again.” Nathan’s voice carried through the air, his tone as smooth as honey. “Come to revisit your roots?”
He stood in front of a large building, his dark fae wings looming on either side, dressed in a black jacket and matching tactical pants, with a massive sword strapped low on his waist.
He’d cut his hair since the last time I saw him two years ago. The long, rugged locks had been shaved, making him look younger.
He looked good. Happy.
“Two years, and you managed to do all this?” I held out my arms, motioning to the streets around me.
“You’d be surprised by how motivated the people were to repair what was lost.”
I nodded, then closed the distance between us and pulled him into a tight hug.
“It’s good to see you,” I said.
He patted my back in response. “You as well. To what do I owe this visit?”
I pulled away and blew out a long breath. “Is there somewhere we can talk? Somewhere private?”
His eyes sharpened, then scrolled over to survey Xavier.
But after a second, he nodded. “Follow me.”
An hour later, Xavier and I had explained everything. All that happened since he’d come here to help oversee The Golden City. Everything we knew about the eastern kingdom. My men. Our soldiers. My disagreement with Wolf.
Nathan listened intently to every piece, nodding along as I rambled on.
He leaned back in his chair, tapping his foot on the ground, silent for a long moment.
“I’m going to assume you two didn’t fly all the way here simply to fill me in on Scarlata’s politics,” he said. “Although I must say, this is the most entertainment I’ve had in years.”
Smart man. I’d always liked Nathan. “No. There’s more.”
He eyed me carefully. “And with all due respect, Jessiah, I really hope you didn’t come here to try and convince me to take a stand against your brother.”
Though my hackles rose at the very suggestion, I forced myself to relax. “Quite the opposite, actually. The army you’ve been building here… I’m asking that you send them with my soldiers when we go to aid the kingdom of Pericius.”
Xavier sucked in a breath, but crossed his arms over his chest and remained silent.
Nathan sat forward, the front two legs of his chair slamming to the ground, and burst into laughter. “You can’t possibly think I’d agree to that after you told me Huntyr and Wolf—the King and Queen of Scarlata—specifically told you no, can you?”
Yeah. I knew this was a waste of my time.
He was still laughing like an idiot when I stood up to leave.
“Come on, Xavier. We need to get back before they notice we’re gone.”
Just as I reached the door, he called out, “Wait!”
I spun slowly to face him.
“How many soldiers are we talking?”