Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Thea
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I woke feeling ready for the day. There was a sparkling sensation of hope in my veins. Hope and purpose.
I had a plan—a big, beautiful, meticulously thought-out plan.
And step one involved doing away with guards that answered to Caldrius.
Two of them remained stationed at the end of Hyrax Hall, barring any visitors from coming to me and stopping me from leaving without an attendant.
As I pushed open the heavy door to my suite, their eyes snapped to me, tracking my movements as I marched towards them.
With every step, my heels clicked in a steady rhythm against the marble floor.
“Your Grace?” The one on the left asked, resting a hand against the sword on his hip. Their armor was dark, gleaming onyx, so unlike the uniform that they’d previously worn under the banner of Athenia. “Do you wish to take another walk?”
I almost laughed at the grimace he couldn’t hide on his features. A glance out the nearby window showed snow falling in sheets from the sky.
“I have a request, actually.”
He frowned. “Perhaps you should discuss this request with your husband first.”
I let my glare harden, let all the anger and rage I felt show plainly across my features as I rolled my shoulders and stood tall. “Is my husband the heir to the Mortal Realm, or am I?”
He sputtered, turning to his companion, who only ran a hand across his jaw. “Well-”
“Shall I be clearer?” My voice had a harshness that I’d rarely ever used before. Actually, I sounded quite a bit like Camilla. “I am the heir to the Mortal Realm. I am the daughter of Hyrax. I am the Goddess of the Veil. And who are you?”
Another shared glance between them. “We are—”
Again, I interrupted them. “No one. You are no one and nothing to me.”
Gods, the words felt hollow. I’d borrowed them directly from Hyrax, and though I’d layered them with the same conviction he’d had when he first said them, they felt inherently wrong coming from my mouth.
The guard averted his gaze. “Of course, Your Grace.”
Carefully, I let my attention fall over the both of them, scanning as I folded my hands behind my back, fingertips brushing against the blood-red scarlet skirt that flowed around me and puddled on the floor at my feet.
“There seems to be some confusion.” I sighed impatiently, shaking my head. “Allow me to clarify how someone like you should treat a Goddess. You see, you’ve irritated me, and so the proper course of action would be to ask for my forgiveness and pray that I am a benevolent Goddess.”
“Forgive us, your—”
“On your knees.”
Awful words. An awful demand.
My mouth filled with a terribly sour metallic taste as the words tore out of me.
When I’d considered my path forward after sending away Veric, though, I realized I needed these guards to respect my command as easily as they respected Caldrius’. I needed them to see me not as Hyrax’s pawn but as their superior.
And in this castle, a castle that monsters like Hyrax and the Dragon had run, you earned your respect through fear. You gained power through dominance.
We stood in a silent standoff, the guards and I, matching expressions of confusion on their faces. They hadn’t expected this from me.
But sure enough, they lowered to their knees.
“We apologize, Your Holiness.”
My grin was positively wicked, the feeling of victory a powerful drug.
“Good.” I couldn’t see myself in that moment, but I was sure I’d never looked more like the heir to Hyrax. “Dimitri, is he still in the castle?”
The guard on the right coughed, keeping his eyes lowered. “He was among those who were initially unwilling to pledge themselves to his new divine leaders and so he was… disciplined. When he finally did bow before his Holiness, he was stationed to guard the stables.”
Dimitri had been my keeper once, just like they were now. The Dragon had tasked him with keeping me locked away within that room at the end of the hall. Unlike these men, though, he’d become a friend. He’d protected me.
I could trust him.
I needed people I could trust.
“Have him reassigned to me. Immediately.”
Without waiting for a response or giving them clearance to rise, I turned.
“Your Holiness, who will take his place?”
A glance over my shoulder told me the question had come from the one who had told me I should consult my husband before making requests.
“You will.”
There was a sharp click as Nessira threw closed the door behind her and held out her prize victoriously, the whites of her teeth showing as she beamed at me.
“I got it!”
A grin split my face as I lurched myself to my feet, holding out my hands to inspect the tiny vial of bright cerulean liquid. Nessira passed it to me happily.
“Was it any trouble?”
Avoiding my gaze, she gave me a sympathetic smile and stepped past me to sink onto the parlor couch. “Not at all. The healers weren’t very surprised when they heard you were having trouble sleeping. The request was hardly out of my mouth before they began mixing up the tonic.”
I snorted. It was unfortunately very believable that I would need tonics and potions to get a good night’s rest. I lifted the vial, staring at the way the light in the room seemed to reflect off the potion.
“I still don’t think this will work.” Suspicion coated her words as she eyed the tonic.
With nothing more than a mischievous grin, I passed it back to her, returning to face the looking glass of my vanity and finish rimming my eyes in kohl.
Yet again, I had donned another atrocious gown.
All black, with a collar that stretched to the very line of my jaw.
Floral appliques stretched down the bodice of the gown, but their appearance was harsh, making the gown look more like armor than anything else.
Velvet sleeves met thick leather gloves that matched the leather pants worn under the large overskirt.
An outfit made for today’s excursion.
Hyrax had sent a letter this morning requesting that we go riding together today.
The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
“I’ve been watching that guard watch you for what feels like an eternity,” I told Nessira over my shoulder as I began folding my hair into a plait down my back.
She rushed forward to help me, but I brushed her away, wanting to feel in control of something.
Even if it was only my hair. “If you offer that man a refreshing drink and a smile, he will take it. Trust me.”
She blinked a few times, lips pressing together nervously.
“Go now,” I told her, meeting her eyes in the mirror's reflection. “We don’t have much time.”
Nessira huffed somewhat uncomfortably, but left without another word of protest, pouring the tonic into a glass of whiskey and leaving me to heave the onyx crown onto my head. I folded the metal combs down into my hair, feeling the weight settle onto my neck.
My muscles would be aching by the time this day was over, but it would be worth it. I was sure of it.
So far, everything was going according to plan.
Dimitri had returned to my service last night with a gentle hug and a word of thanks. He’d agreed wholeheartedly when I told him what I intended to do. Nessira had listened anxiously as I explained it, chewing on her nails as she did, but eventually she nodded along too.
I glanced at the door, a fluttering urgency settling into my gut.
This was going to work.
Nessira would convince my second guard to drink the sleeping tonic, and then Dimitri would lock him away in my closet where no one would find him.
Then, while I was out with Hyrax, distracting him for as long as I could, Dimitri and Nessira would take advantage of the God’s absence to search for the Book of the Gods.
Then, we would steal it.
An entire host of soldiers greeted me at the stables when I went to join Hyrax, each in that obnoxiously dark armor.
My father had also donned clothes suitable for riding—thick trousers and a cloak—and also wore an elaborate jet-black crown atop his head.
The steed he had claimed was impossibly large and thickly muscled, a beast that seemed oddly appropriate for him.
Netta, the horse I had taken a liking to when Clay had first taken me riding, was already saddled and waiting for me. She welcomed my touch as I approached.
Hyrax greeted me with a kiss pressed to each cheek. I stiffened against him, scratching at my nose and pretending that my discomfort was from the smell of the stables.
“My dear, you look divine.”
He always complimented my appearance when I dressed like this, either not noticing how different the styles were from my preferred gowns or taking extreme joy in the difference.
“I thought it would be just you and me?” I jerked my head pointedly toward the group of soldiers who pretended to busy themselves with preparing for the ride.
Hyrax gave me a sideways smile that was almost… playful. “That would have been nice, wouldn’t it? But alas, we will have to mix business and pleasure today.”
I frowned as he slid an arm over my shoulder, pulling me into an awkward sideways hug.
“What does that mean?” I asked, but his attention had already shifted to the man approaching us from the east.
“We’re ready to depart, my liege.”
Caldrius’ voice sent an uncomfortable chill racing down my spine.
He wore fine armor, recently shined and bearing Hyrax’s crest. For a moment, I was struck speechless by the sight of him.
My gaze trailed down him, taking in every detail.
I was accustomed to seeing him dressed comfortably in simple dark trousers and a tunic.
I’d never actually seen him fully adorned in the armor of a general.
Although this armor, with its careful design and gold trim, looked more like that of a king.
“Why are you here?” I blurted.
Caldrius winked, pulling on Netta’s reins to bring her towards me. Hyrax released me, moving to his own horse while Caldrius checked on the strappings of Netta’s saddle. His fingers worked quickly.
“Hyrax requires my presence,” he answered, peering at me through the tendrils of dark waves that had fallen over his brow before his gaze dipped and he scanned over me with the same unabashed intensity I had just done to him.
Lifting his chin to meet my gaze, he lifted a brow as he smirked, pointing at my outfit with a knowing glint in his eye.
I smacked aside his hand with narrowed eyes.
“Why?” I took his outstretched hand, allowing him to support my weight and hold a hand against the small of my back as he helped me onto Netta.
“Comfortable?” he asked, his hand still lingering on my hip as he stood as close as Netta would allow.
I watched Hyrax throw a leg into his stirrup and launch himself onto his own steed. He sat straight-backed as he stared out into the cloudless sky that stretched before us. A gust of wind smacked against my skin, blisteringly cold.
“Where are we going?” I asked softly, looking down at Caldrius.
Hyrax took a deep breath, seeming to savor the fresh air. “To Hyrax Manor, of course.”
I couldn’t stop my eyes from widening. I couldn’t stop the way my breath caught.
“There’s something I need to retrieve,” Hyrax announced, pressing his heel into the belly of his horse to urge the creature forward.
No.
No.
I knew the rebels would have left Hyrax Manor the second they were able, so I didn’t have to worry about Hyrax finding any of my friends there.
But there was only one thing at Hyrax Manor that Hyrax himself would want to be present when retrieving.
The Bident. Hyrax was going to retrieve his Godly weapon—the weapon that would strengthen his powers to their fullest might.
I didn’t know how I could have forgotten about it.
And Gods help us all if he had that weapon when this war erupted.
Caldrius patted my thigh, squeezing it once before moving aside to mount his own horse.
Our party moved slowly at first until the hooves of our horses beating down against the pavement became a steady drumbeat warning all those in our path.
Even the animals fled—squirrels, rabbits, that damn stray cat that'd been following me all scurried as the God of Death led us towards the ancestral home of his Descendants.
I had to remind myself to breathe throughout the entire journey.