Chapter 44 Illusion
ILLUSION
RAE
My ears crackled and popped, drowning out the robed man’s words, but his stare made it clear he was addressing me. The scowl twisting his face when I didn’t answer confirmed it.
I shrank back, not resisting when Ash eased me behind his larger body.
“—hear you,” Cyn said, wiggling his finger in his ear as my hearing returned. “I can barely hear anything, either.”
“Prince Brakeal, you need not make excuses for a criminal.”
I squeaked, “Criminal?”
The trio’s attention turned to me.
“It appears the human hears after all,” the woman on the left said. “Come forward.”
Ash growled, a low rumble I felt in his secure hold. “What’s this about, Rinlora?”
“If she refuses to speak now, then we will have no choice but to pass judgment for her crimes without a trial.”
Zeke moved closer to us. “Trial? What crime?”
The woman on the right canted her head, speaking in a soft tone, like one used on a child. “Prince Alakai, your parents are fraught with worry. Cornaith hasn’t sensed your life force for far too long. The council has long exhausted their magic searching for each of you.”
“That doesn’t answer my question, Roandra.”
“I suppose not.” She folded her hands and nodded. “It is a lot. This is not the time, nor the place. You shouldn’t concern yourself with trivial matters. You’re safe now.”
Didn’t the princes protect both Elyrdin and Earth from danger? Wouldn’t what led to their absence be their business?
I didn’t like the way the woman spoke to Zeke, as if he were a small child who understood nothing of the adult world. It bothered me that she wanted to exclude him from the conversation.
“How did Father find us? Ranthus, tell me what happened.”
For once, I felt gratitude for Ezra’s stern, no-nonsense approach.
The short man—Ranthus—stepped forward. “Young Master, your father learned that a human”—he thrust his hand in my direction—“used forbidden magic and manipulated the shimmering veil between our worlds, drawing you from Elyrdin to weaken the royal line and disable Kalthea.”
I stepped around Ash, dumbfounded. Had I heard right? “I did what now?”
Zeke’s hand curled around my arm and pulled me back. “Don’t get close to them,” he whispered in my ear.
Elyrdin couldn’t exist without souls entering Kalthea; its sustaining magic would vanish.
What would happen if the slipstream stopped working?
What happened to other infernals like the princes without souls powering their home?
Ash said the surrounding area held dangerous, lesser infernals.
Would the Shyrlivi be in danger without Elyrdin?
I’d never endanger another species like that.
“Prince Alakai, please step away from the human before she causes you further harm,” Roandra said in that same mild, patronizing voice. I wanted to punch her in the mouth for looking down on Zeke.
“I’d never hurt him,” I said, irritation leaking through. I crossed my arms. “I’ve done nothing wrong and have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Roandra and Rinlora shared a look and stepped forward alongside Ranthus. Despite different speaking styles, their synchronized movements were eerie. Their identical appearance only highlighted the uncanny effect.
Ash stepped around me again and flanked Zeke, blocking the trio’s view of me. “Do not come near her. The council may have sent you, but we outrank you, and you will not touch her without our say.”
Roandra squinted, annoyed by the reminder of her position. How was she allowed to serve royalty acting this way? “Young Masters, why do you hide the human?”
“Put this on,” Ezra said, making me jump. I hadn’t noticed him move.
I took the pajama pants without arguing. Something in his tone made it clear I shouldn’t question him. I pulled the pants on over my shorts and tied the bow at the waist, then caught Cyn staring at me from near the refrigerator.
“I think there’s been a mistake,” Ash said. “You seem to be under the impression that she’s harmed us, but as you can see, we’re fine. Your suspicions are unfounded.”
“Prince Cyriac,” Ranthus said, voice firm. “You may not be aware, but this human has manipulated your minds. You only protect her because she wills it.”
Cyn leaned against the refrigerator, crossing his arms. “Now, how is that? No human holds that kind of power.”
“We believe she’s connected to a faction in the Jinphni District that seeks to open a permanent gateway to Earth.”
Ezra moved around Ash and addressed Ranthus. “Where did you receive such intel? And how would she achieve that? We don’t even know if a human could survive in Elyrdin.”
Roandra looked at Ezra. “Young Master, we all know our kind survives on Earth. We’re here now. Whoever she’s working with from Elyrdin comes to her.” Her tone wavered when she spoke to Ezra. She feared him, and I liked it. She couldn’t speak to Ezra like a child.
“Where did Father get this information? How did they find us?”
“Please step away from the human,” Ranthus said, voice firm. “Your father will explain everything after we apprehend her.”
Rinlora bowed her head. “Please step aside, Young Masters.”
“She wouldn’t hurt us,” Zeke insisted. “She’s our Nyrith.”
Roandra made a tutting sound. “Young Master, she is manipulating you. This is part of her illusion, to keep herself in your good graces.”
“I’m not—”
“To think she would make a mockery of our most cherished traditions,” Rinlora said, cutting me off as she shook her head, genuine distress tightening her perfect features.
They honestly believed I wanted to hurt the princes, which made this even worse. They weren’t trying to trick them. I doubted they’d believe a word I said.
Cyn glanced over at me and then back at the trio. “Illusion?”
“We are here on orders from the council to capture Raelynn Henson for the crime of kidnapping the royal heirs by use of a forbidden ritual,” Ranthus said, dismissing Cyn’s question, clearly done with the back-and-forth.
Ezra’s stony stare assessed Ranthus. “You know the ritual she used?”
“Any ritual that brought you from Elyrdin against your will is deemed forbidden,” Ranthus said, not flinching under the weight of Ezra’s gaze. “Your father doesn’t need to know more than that.”
“I do,” Ezra said.
“I serve your father, Young Master. While I also serve you, his orders were explicit. I cannot go against his command. Please surrender the human to us. She is to be taken to Cholian until her trial.”
I opened my mouth again, but Ezra shot me the same look from when he gave me the pants. A warning. Why couldn’t I defend myself now without a stupid trial? Did he not trust them or their concern?
Ash squared his shoulders, voice dropping to a low growl. “Cholian? Can she even survive there? What if she dies before trial?”
“Then the problem solves itself,” Ranthus said, his voice lacking emotion.
“Ash, no!” Zeke grabbed one arm and Ezra caught the other as Ash lunged at Ranthus.
Ezra said, “Calm yourself, Ash.”
Ash strained against their hold. “They’ll kill her if they take her there!”
“Prince Cyriac, this isn’t like you.” Roandra looked at the others, eyes wide. “Does this seem like the warrior you know? Making emotional outbursts over a woman? A human?”
I really wanted to punch her in the mouth.
Zeke looked from Ezra to Cyn, and my stomach soured. Her words had landed. Ash had said he hadn’t wanted a woman in a long time, and he’d never acted irrationally.
“You know us. We’ve taken care of you for years. We would not make light of something so heinous,” Ranthus said, latching onto the uncertainty on the guys’ faces. “She’s found a way to take control of you in ways we aren’t even aware of yet.”
Cyn pushed off the refrigerator and stepped toward me, forcing Zeke to move out of the way. “Oh, I think I know how she’s doing it.”
“Cyn, don’t,” Ash said, but didn’t move.
Power thrummed in the air; Ezra must have been holding Ash in place with more than his hand.
Cyn stopped in front of me. “She hasn’t said a word because she knows she’s guilty,” he said, making it clear he didn’t understand me at all.
Had that been why he kept looking at me? Was he waiting for me to defend myself?
I wanted to protest, but Ezra’s earlier looks warned me not to. The guys’ protective actions told me defending myself wasn’t smart. I wasn’t one to stand idle while others spoke ill of me, but these weren’t normal people.
I’d grown too comfortable with the guys and underestimated the threat the trio posed.
After hearing their indifference to my death in a foreign environment, I knew they had no qualms about killing me.
I needed to remain silent.
Cyn’s lip curled. “I knew you weren’t truthful.
I knew you weren’t mine.” His hand closed around my throat, his eyes flashing black for a split second before he said in the softest voice, “I would never feel this way toward my mate. You’re not real.
” His other hand caught the cord at my neck and yanked hard enough to snap it.
My breath caught, and I tried to reach for the hand he held away from me. Mom’s necklace dangled in the air for all to see.
Rinlora gasped. “Is that a Zhyfri crystal?”
“It is,” Cyn said, disdain in his tone. “She claims her mother gave it to her. I knew it was bullshit.”
“Cyn, please,” I begged, unable to hide what his actions did to me.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as my breath came in short, quick bursts.
“Please give it back.” I gripped the front of his shirt, staring up into his burning eyes, willing him to see something more than a human he hated. “I need it. I can’t—please.”
He glanced away, tightening his hand on my throat and pushing the necklace out of my reach when I went for it a second time.
“P-please… Cyn,” I pleaded, coughing against his grip.
His expression faltered when his eyes met mine again.
“Give me that,” Roandra snapped, stepping forward to take the necklace and break Cyn’s focus on me.