Chapter Twenty #2
I pressed a hand over my aching heart. So I’d been right. Miller was the one. I wondered if a smaller pritis explained why I’d sometimes sensed his connection and sometimes hadn’t.
“And the girl?” the emperor prompted, as unconcerned as his executioner. “Winslet.”
“She accepted Astan’s deal.”
Curiosity grabbed and shook me. What deal?
“Excellent. She’ll accompany us tomorrow. Astan wishes the royals to behold the Rock’s progress,” Emperor Dolion said. “We’ll leave the trainees here. Call it a day of mourning or a time of refreshing. Whatever you feel is best.”
Mr. Vyle blinked with surprise. “You’ll be forced to use your key.”
“Yes.” The emperor cast a pining glance toward the dining room. “But I won’t deny our great god his request.”
Well, well. No need to try to steal Giselle’s key this evening, risking everything. I’d just accompany the royals in spirit and witness the key in action. Learn how to use it. Then I could steal it.
“Soalians still fight to bypass the shield,” Mr. Vyle pointed out.
“Good. Let them. Before the trip, we’ll set up an array of pritis poles near the base. Glowers can never resist saving the lights that belong to their precious fallen.”
“I’ll see to it personally.” Mr. Vyle took a step backward, intending to leave, only to pause. “Shall I cancel tonight’s gathering?”
What gathering?
I didn’t hear the emperor’s response. My bond to Domino buzzed, as if coming back online, snatching my concentration.
Between one blink and the next, I found myself sitting in a chair, peering at Ember, who lay in a soft, comfy bed, propped up by a mound of lace-covered pillows, with a quilt draped over her legs.
The bright glow of a bedside lamp chased shadows to floral wallpaper and heavy velvet curtains.
Her hair was tangled, her cheeks newly hollow, and her skin ashen, but she was awake.
A book rested on her lap, its pages slightly curled, as if it had been held too tightly for too long.
How in the world had I gotten here?
“—judging time correctly,” she was saying, “he’ll become Astan’s host within the next three days.”
“Word is spreading among the rogues.”
Domino’s voice hit my ears. I was inhabiting his body, as before? But how? He didn’t currently inhabit mine.
“They’ve learned odds are high that Cyrus is the chosen one,” he continued, unaware of my arrival, “and they’re considering executing him before it happens.”
Both denial and protective instincts bristled within me. Cyrus was in danger. I must return to him. Must warn him. Now! But though I tried, I couldn’t exit the librarian.
“We can’t let that happen,” Ember said, and I settled down enough to listen to Domino’s response.
“I know. I’ll guard him with my life, you have my word.”
Always willing to die for the cause. A trait as admirable as it was disconcerting.
“Hold on. I sense . . .” He rubbed the spot between his pectorals. “Arden?”
“Surprise!” I must have spoken inside his head, because the words didn’t come out of his mouth.
“I honestly didn’t mean to intrude. I was in spirit form, spying on the emperor, and boom, the next thing I knew, I was here.
And before you command me to leave, don’t bother,” I hurried to add.
“I’ve tried. Also, you should know the emperor plans to open the force field tomorrow.
He’s going to use the only key while distracting glowers with pritis poles. ”
A growl vibrated in my ears. “She’s here with us,” he told Ember before conveying my message.
So he could hear me. “Please tell her I appreciate all she’s done on my behalf, and I deeply regret the pain she’s endured. At the first opportunity, I intend to make it up to her.”
“She’s apologetic and thankful,” he said, offering no more.
Men were so frustrating sometimes.
He stood, saying, “I’ll instruct our army to back off the shield and others to hide near the base and wait.”
“Before you go,” Ember replied. “Several of my soldiers believe they spotted Victors in Theirland. As for Mykal, she remains with the exiles, but I think she’s close to accepting her invitation into the Tome Society.”
Excellent news.
Domino strode from the room and entered a heavily guarded hallway, the soldiers bowing their heads in deference. “You did well today, Arden,” he said under his breath.
Did I, though? “Miller is dead. Winslet is fighting for her life.” Speaking of . . . “The emperor told Mr. Vyle she accepted a deal with Astan.”
“She’s as good as dead, then.”
Domino’s flat statement hit like a concrete slab and must have knocked me out of his body. Suddenly I was seated at the table, panting, unable to ask the librarian about the temporary dulling of our connection. Cyrus was in the middle of a speech describing our current course.
“—pan-seared scallops with a harmony of sweet and savory. The golden-brown crust is the perfect complement to the tender, buttery interior. As you’ll notice, the lemon beurre blanc is rich and velvety, adding a creaminess that elevates the flavor profile, while the tangy citrus tinge provides a pleasant contrast. The asparagus is both light and indulgent. Elegant, some might say.”
Honestly, it was the most I’d ever heard him talk in one setting, and I wanted to laugh and hug him. I tucked Domino’s prediction away. Now wasn’t the time to consider Winslet’s fate.
The emperor had returned, and both he and Giselle peered at the high prince with glazed eyes.
“You’ve motivated me to try it,” I interjected, digging in.
Relief flashed over Cyrus’s features, but so did irritation and a promise for retribution. He knew I’d been with Domino; that much was clear. There was nothing I could say to console him while we were in the presence of others.
“I don’t think I’ve heard anyone describe a plate of food so eloquently,” Giselle offered with a genuine smile, revealing a kindness I hadn’t expected from someone so close to the man responsible for today’s massacre.
The meal dragged on with only small talk.
Nonsense chatter that meant nothing and revealed less.
By the time we were served beef tenderloin with truffle mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables—my favorite dish of the evening—followed by an assortment of soft cheeses with honey, nuts, and fruit jams, which was then followed by chocolate fondant with vanilla bean ice cream and raspberry coulis, I didn’t want to speak ever again, only groan.
So full! At any moment, my stomach might burst.
“I have a surprise for you, Arden.” The emperor folded his napkin and placed it on his empty dessert bowl. “A surprise for all trainees. Tonight, we celebrate your accomplishments with a party.”
Guess it hadn’t been canceled. “How exciting.”
“It is, yes. A true honor.” He motioned to servants, who swooped over to pull out our chairs. “The festivities kick off in an hour, and there are things I must do beforehand.”
A clear dismissal. Good. I hadn’t done what I’d come here to do, but I’d accomplished far more than expected. Now, I wished to have a word in private with Cyrus.
He stood and helped me to my feet. I curtsied to Emperor Dolion and smiled at Giselle and Felix. She smiled in return. To my surprise, he did as well, but with bite. Cyrus and his grandfather hugged again, this one a bit longer than before, with the emperor whispering in Cyrus’s ear.
They parted but peered at each other for several heartbeats before Cyrus nodded and stalked to me, clearly fuming. “Felix,” he acknowledged in lieu of a goodbye.
“Cy-rus,” his brother replied, overarticulating the syllables of his name.
We linked fingers as a masked servant led us to our room. Still no guards or dogs present. Once we were sealed inside the chamber, Cyrus stalked to the couch, sat, and bowed his head with his elbows resting on his knees, a picture of frustration, concern, and dwindling hope.
He didn’t ask me what happened with Domino, as I expected, but said, “My grandfather offered me his blessing for our relationship. And the title of king.”
My heart soared. It was everything we’d hoped for, served on a silver platter. “Then why are you—”
“I must first accept Astan. If I refuse, he vows to award the title—and you—to Felix.”
Whoa, whoa, whoa. “He can’t just award me to another man,” I sputtered.
“I assure you, he can do anything he desires.”
“Not to this Soalian. And honestly, sugar, that isn’t even the most pressing issue.” I replayed the conversation between Ember and Domino. The rogue Soalians plotting the execution of the man I loved.
Blink. I did. I loved him. I’d loved him from the beginning, but fear had cloaked the vibrancy of my feelings. Now, the knowledge sang within every cell.
“Whatever you learned from Domino,” he intoned, “just tell me.”
I strolled over and lifted his chin with two fingers, bringing his gaze to mine. The resolve in his heartbreaking eyes nearly broke me.
“I learned Mykal is well, and Victors might be in Theirland. Rogue Soalians suspect you are Astan’s chosen, and they hope to kill you, but Domino guards you with his life.” I opted not to mention the field trip. Not right now. It could wait as the other info sank in. My next confession couldn’t.
He flinched ever so slightly.
“Most importantly, I realized I love you. I love you, Cyrus,” I confessed, my voice a low, husky promise.
Our entire relationship had been a whirlwind of training, battles, interrealm trips, tragedies, and triumphs.
But this eclipsed everything. I traced the handprint brand, my favorite privilege.
“Every part of me loves every part of you.”
He bolted to his feet, a mere whisper away, towering over me. At first, neither of us did more than study the other. In the heels, I was taller than usual. Still not at eye level, but my lips were closer to his. Each of his heated breaths acted as a caress, igniting new flutters in my belly.
When I’d first met him, I’d grown nervous any time he’d neared. Now, he inspired so much more. Warmth and aches and desires and need. So much need.
“You said it,” he croaked.
“And I meant it.”
His eyelids sank low, and his mouth softened. He settled his hands on my hips and spread his fingers to cover more ground. “Marry me. With or without the emperor’s approval, with or without the title of king, I’ll have you and no other.”
I smiled and ran my palms up his powerful body. “You choose me over Astan?”
He fortified his grip, holding me tight. “I will always choose you.”
A slow, burning warmth spread through my veins as I melted against him. “What about the prophecies in our books?”
“Either we’re misunderstanding what we’ve read, haven’t read far enough to see our happy ending, or we’ll find a way to overcome.”
His confidence fueled mine, and I nodded. “Yes, Cyrus Dolion. I’ll marry you.”