Chapter 51 Devora
Devora
Here we were in Veridia City, capital of the Veridian Empire and home to a conglomeration of people with all six magic types, the palace itself…and the empress I stabbed in the back four months ago.
The sun had been set for a couple of hours now, but the port was still brightly lit with torches along every path.
From the bow of the ship, I could see colorful buildings dotting the skyline, like a rainbow of brick and stucco.
Way less dreary than the shades of gray and brown in Drakorum.
But the cheery sight did nothing for the nerves curdling in my gut.
Nox said Clarissa specifically invited me, but all I could think about was the betrayal in her eyes the last time I saw her.
My shadows sensed my distress and rose to the surface, twisting along my fingers as I picked at my nails.
They felt urgent. Restless. More aggressive than usual, which made sense, given my constant wariness.
We left early this morning by carriage from the Keep to the west shores of Drakorum, and then traveled a few hours by boat to arrive on the banks of the capital.
I was thankful we chose to make the journey like normal people to keep a low profile.
Riding bareback on a dragon for hours wasn’t exactly my preferred method of travel.
Even if it was Nox’s bare back.
My neck heated, and I turned away before he saw me staring. That was the last thing I needed to be thinking about right now.
When I left for Scarven’s manor ten days ago, Nox said he trusted me, which meant more than any heartfelt declaration or words of passion.
He wanted me to come home to him. He brought back my baby blanket, for Fates’ sake.
Waking up in his arms yesterday was the first time I felt safe in longer than I could remember.
But things were…complicated. He had more important problems to deal with, what with seeing his sister again.
I couldn’t imagine how he must’ve felt when she tried to kill him.
To know his mortal enemy had turned her brain to mush and sired her to his every beck and call.
To know he was so close, yet forced to let her slip through his fingers.
And me…
My shadows crept from my hands and wound along the railing of the quarterdeck.
Last night, I woke up from a nightmare and found them hovering across my chest, like they were trying to protect me in my sleep.
I saw Scarven every time I closed my eyes.
Whenever a hand reached out to touch me, I thought it was him.
The muscles in my arms were still sore from being bent back and strung up on a wall, a constant reminder of where I’d been mere days ago.
I didn’t know if I could trust my own emotions or instincts. But if there was one thing I was certain of, if there was one thing keeping me from falling down that dark pit of fear, it was that I could trust him.
“Ready, Devora?” Nox asked, waiting several feet away with our bags in his grip.
“As I’ll ever be.”
I followed him down the gangway and to a carriage just beyond the docks.
I was used to the fur cloaks, thick sweaters, and occasional training leathers of Tenebra and Drakorum.
But the capital city was far less icy, even in the heart of winter.
As we rolled through small villages to get to the palace, I saw citizens dressed in loose linen pants and long-sleeved blouses, barely a cloak in sight.
My own heavy sweater was starting to make me sweat.
There was a pleasant chill in the air, the kind that turned your nose and cheeks pink without freezing you.
“Tonight’s a smaller gathering, just friends and family before they start greeting guests,” Nox said across from me in the carriage.
I kept my elbow propped up on the window as I listened, watching the tall, broad-leaved trees and shrubbery pass by.
“Tomorrow night is the welcome feast, and the day after is the wedding. I’m hoping we can catch Rose tonight to talk before she gets too busy. ”
I squirmed in my seat, and my foot tapped against the carriage floor. Rose Wolff. The Alchemist who had experience with this blood magic Nox wanted to try. And, incidentally, one of Clarissa’s closest friends.
I met Rose when their group of Veridians was in Mysthelm. Very briefly, but still. I liked the sharp-tongued Alchemist. She and Leo, her partner and Clarissa’s twin brother, all had history with Nox as well.
Yet another reason I was nervous about this visit. Another person whose trust I’d lost.
“Devora.” Nox put his hand on the edge of my knee to stop it from tapping.
My eyes flashed up to his. He’d been so careful not to touch me, besides holding me through my mental breakdown and subsequent sobbing.
“It’ll be fine,” he said. “They’re good people. They know everyone makes mistakes, and they’ll be able to see past that.”
I tried to smile, but it probably looked more like a wince. “I know. I’m fine.”
He snorted. “I thought you were supposed to be a good liar. Do we need one of Arowyn’s ridiculous code words?”
I raised an eyebrow. “For what?”
“For if it gets too overwhelming, and you want to be alone.”
My tight muscles loosened slightly. “What did you have in mind?”
His eyes flitted to my lips before meeting my gaze again. “Pomegranates.”
A chuckle slipped free. “Pomegranates? That’s the best you can do? Arowyn would be disappointed.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? I’ve grown fond of them.”
“Okay,” I said, still smiling. “So if I say ‘pomegranates,’ you’ll…what, shift and fly me out of there? Bust down the doors of the palace?”
His grin faded as his thumb rubbed circles into the side of my knee. “I’ll do whatever you want, Devora, darling.”
The heat of his fingers on my leggings suddenly felt searing. I held his gaze, the air shifting around us like a storm. My lips parted when I took a breath, and his eyes drifted down to them again. His thumb slid higher when the carriage jostled, his fingers digging into the space above my knee.
My heart was a drum inside my chest. The desire to be near him was always right there, like lightning in my veins, uncontrollable and dangerous.
The idea of anyone having power over me ever again was dangerous, and this man…he could ruin me.
The frightening part was that I would let him.
The carriage came to an abrupt halt, breaking the spell between us.
I blinked and pulled away as the driver opened the door.
Before us stood the palace, with rows of gilded spires stretching into the sky and a beautiful garden surrounding the entrance.
Two guards in silver uniforms were stationed beside wide double doors at the top of a staircase, but before they could open them, two figures came bursting out.
Blonde waves fluttered around a freckled, heart-shaped face.
Her loose pants billowed behind her as she skipped down the steps, with a blue sweater that hung off one shoulder and a dazzling diamond ring on her left hand.
Close on the woman’s heels was a huge brown dog with a lolling tongue and the sweetest eyes I’d ever seen.
Mia, Clarissa’s shepherding dog, had gotten close to me when I was her lady’s maid in Mysthelm.
The last time I’d seen the pup, she could still fit in my lap. Not so much anymore.
Mia instantly bounded over to me, wagging her large tail fast enough to leave a bruise. I laughed and scratched the back of her ears as she assaulted me with kisses.
“Hi there, sweet girl,” I cooed. “I missed you too.”
I could feel Clarissa’s pointed stare on me the entire time. But when I risked a glance up, she had thrown her arms around Nox with a wide smile.
“You sure like to be fashionably late, don’t you?” Clarissa asked.
He laughed. “You know I’m only here for the food.” She released him, and he looked up at the palace entrance. “Long time, no see, lover boy,” he boomed.
A new face was coming down the steps with a brown-haired little girl perched atop his shoulders—Clarissa’s fiancé, Lord Thorne Reaux, and his daughter. I knew Thorne from my time working for his mother in Mysthelm. Lady Reaux was a piece of work, but her son had always been kind.
He and Clarissa were a good pairing. Both grounded and fair, neither of them with that air of formality or condescension I saw from so many wealthy nobles. I was happy for them, no matter how strained things were between us.
Thorne grinned and shook his head, his long, dark brown hair brushing past his shoulders. “It’s only been a few weeks.”
The statement caught me off guard, but Nox didn’t see my questioning gaze. He beamed at the little girl on top of Thorne’s shoulders.
“Yes, and look how much you’ve grown since then. You’re practically a lady!” he exclaimed.
“I hope you’re talking to Marigold,” Thorne said.
His daughter giggled and patted her dad’s head. “You’re not a lady, Daddy. I’m a lady.”
Thorne swung her off his shoulders, tickling her sides as she squealed with laughter. Mia’s tail thumped against the ground at the excitement.
Nox took Marigold, and she squeezed his neck tight. “Daddy and Rissa let me stay up so I could say hi!”
“I’m so glad they did, darling.” Nox ruffled her hair with one hand, and I cursed my stomach for bursting into butterflies. It was such a cliché, watching a rugged, handsome man turn into a puddle for a sweet child.
But, Fates, I fell for it.
“Nox is right. It’s bedtime for you. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow,” Thorne said, taking Marigold’s hand. As she said her goodbyes and he led her back inside, I figured it was as good of a time as any to face the music.
I stepped forward until I was at Nox’s side, stomach churning and shadows twisting anxiously between my fingers. His hand came out and brushed briefly against my elbow, enough to anchor me.
I gave Clarissa a small curtsy. “Hello, Your Majesty. It—it’s good to see you.”
Clarissa instantly sombered, the smile she’d had for Nox now guarded and hesitant. Those onyx eyes assessed me in that cunning fox-like way of hers, the one that said she was reading me like a book. I remembered the wrath they held just a few short months ago. The hurt. The instant distrust.
She finally raised an eyebrow and hummed. “Welcome to Veridia City, Devora.”