Chapter Four
Kretia, Aolia, Ravenno, and Hazor sit before me on their stone thrones, each focused on me and what I’m telling them. They must wear the same outfit every time they’re out and about, because they each wear the same extravagant robes and jewels they wore the first time I saw them.
You know, back when I was brought here in chains and shackled to the floor.
Kretia, the oldest member of the council near sixty or so, wears grays, as her empress, Gladus, had. Her hair is long and braided, her body nearly swallowed up by her robes. Dark brown eyes set in dark skin, she commands the most respect out of everyone in the room.
Aolia watches me with acute, vibrant blue eyes. Her robes are rich in greens and blues, the colors of Acadia, of life. In her forties, yet she looks timeless. Her yellow hair is curled in gentle waves, a single blue jewel hanging around her neck.
Hazor, the councilman of the city of Laconia itself, wears white, a lion, the symbol of its people, on his chest. He is the youngest of the four, though with his cynical attitude, you wouldn’t know it. His black hair is slicked back, and his green eyes always seem to be narrowed in my direction. Even now, I can tell he’s not a huge fan of me.
And that leaves us with Ravenno, the man who used to hate me more than anyone else. Now that the truth is out and everyone knows I am Krotas’s daughter, he doesn’t hate me as much. Forbidden to have a family of his own, I am the only family he’ll ever have. When he told me he was related to Krotas, I didn’t want to believe him, but we both have the same reddish-brown hair and the same amber eyes. It’s impossible not to see. The fifty-year-old man wears shades of red in honor of Magnysia and its once-powerful empress.
The five of us aren’t the only ones in the circular chamber. We don’t have an audience sitting in the rows above, but we do have two men standing off to the side, watching and listening. Frederick and his dad. Both men are important to Laconia and its rebuilding efforts, and they’re important to me.
“You have done much for us, High Empress,” Kretia speaks. “If this is what you feel you must do, then you will go with the blessing of the conclave.”
I can tell Hazor wants to argue, that he’d rather me stay here and help the city instead of going off on an adventure, but I’m not going to take no for an answer, and he must sense it, so he stays quiet.
Aolia nods in agreement with Kretia. “We hope you find the answers you seek.”
“When will you leave?” Ravenno asks.
“Tomorrow,” I say. “I don’t know how long it’ll take, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.” I know I’m the only defense the city has, other than the guards—but no amount of guards can do much to defend against a shadowstorm or other magical attacks. Just because it’s been calm doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way.
Still, I can’t shake the feeling. I need to go, see what answers lie within the darkest parts of Laconia.
Where, you might be wondering?
The crypts. Or labyrinths. Whatever you want to call them. The places where the first high empress locked pieces of Invictis away. I’m pretty sure, back when Invictis was Rune, we stayed in the mouth of one during our journeys, but I can’t be sure. Now, I have the memories of the empresses to guide me, so I know exactly where to go.
Kretia bows her head as she says, “Go in power, my lady.” The others, even Hazor, bow their heads in respect and mutter the same well-wishes.
I awkwardly thank them before turning around and leaving, and Frederick and his dad are right on my heels. Frederick hurries to walk beside me as we emerge into the bright light of day, and as we walk down the stone steps, he says, “You never told me you wanted to go to the labyrinths.”
“I just did,” I say, referencing the talk with the council.
But it must not be enough, because Frederick grabs my wrist the moment we reach the bottom step. He holds onto it for only a moment before he drops it like a hot potato, though he doesn’t take a step back to give me space, as he usually does when he realizes he’s invaded my personal space.
Behind me, I hear Fred say, “Uh, I’ll go scrounge up some food you can take with you.” Without another word, the older man leaves.
And that means I’m alone with Frederick. Well, as alone as I can be in the wide-open space before the conclave and its library. It’s the biggest open space in the city, other than the cemetery, all stone everywhere you look. People go about their lives, though they do spare glances in our direction.
“My father told me you went to him and asked if he thought it was possible another Invictis could be out there,” Frederick says, proving my point when I assumed I couldn’t go to his dad with the secret of my missing magic. “Do you really think there’s more?”
I shrug as I meet his eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“What makes you think there’s another out there?” The look Frederick gives me is intense; it reminds me of the look he gave me right before my fight with Invictis, when I was on his lap and… things almost happened.
“I just get a feeling sometimes that… it’s not over. I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.” I bite my bottom lip to stop myself from saying anything more, and his gaze falls to my mouth almost instantly, like he’s drawn by the movement.
I stop biting my lip after that.
Frederick clears his throat as he brings his stare back up to mine. “You don’t have to be alone in this, Rey. You… you’re not alone anymore. You can talk to me about anything, you know that, don’t you? You don’t have to go to my father. You could… you could come to me.” He starts to stumble over his words a bit, awkward, but still kind of cute in a nerdy way.
“I went to your dad because I figured he might know a bit more about Invictis, since… you know.” Since Invictis isn’t in any books and no one here even knew about him before me.
“Oh. Yes, that does make sense. I just—” Frederick looks down, and he takes a small step toward me. Our bodies were less than a foot away before, and now there are mere inches between us. “—I want you to know you can come to me. I will always make time for you.”
“I know,” I whisper, and I mean it. I know he’ll always make time for me, just like I know…
I just know.
Frederick looks like he wants to say more—because of course he does—but now’s not the time. I pull away from him and tell him, “I need to go pick up my clothes from the tailor and get ready for the journey.” I walk away in a rush, mostly so he can’t say something silly like he’ll do all of that with me.
I don’t need Frederick. I don’t need anyone. The only person I need is myself.