32. Rorin
Rorin
She’s been avoiding me. Today was the first day it truly felt like it was just for sure. For both of us. And the feeling I had because of it left me sick. We both left the tournament as soon as we were able. Surprisingly enough no sign of Baelor or Pruella there, at least not before we left.
I went directly to my room and she took off with Axel. His hand placed tightly around her waist as they disappeared around the corner of the hallway. When Millie came into my room this morning she retrieved the clothing Eveera would be wearing. I wanted to ask but I didn’t need to. She’s been in Axel’s room since last night. Millie’s look towards me was apologetic as she shut the door.
Jealousy burns in my chest knowing Eveera probably slept in his bed. Maybe even in his clothes. I feel childish, like a prepubescent boy just learning about girls. Logically I know this isn’t the first time they have been alone together. They’re practically family. But still, the need I have for her to be with me is overwhelming.
Armond and Felix have been checking in since our discussion last night. He still hasn’t met with Eveera - Millie keeping him away from her, saying that now wasn’t a good time. He tried arguing with her, but Armond talked him down, convincing him to just get through the second day of the celebration before riling her up.
So he’s stayed in my quarters completely without her knowledge. There have been a few odd moves around the city that have kept Felix and Armond busy, but so far nothing really of note.
Finally as the night starts to come to a close I sent Millie off to get Eveera. With the closing ceremonies of today’s events we will need to make an appearance and at that point we need to make a plan.
Tick. Tick. She should have been back by now. Surely she isn’t choosing to refuse my request to see her? I wonder. Maybe I overestimate her fascination with me.
I reach for the doorknob of my room when— BOOM!
Felix and I rush out onto the balcony where we see people fleeing into the streets, screams erupting from everywhere, while more explosions are going off near the slums - near Murph - and at the horizon there a banner flies.
No, not just a banner…her banner. I tilt my head to look at Felix. “What. The. Fuck.” I breathe out, anger boiling over as my Wield leaks from my palms. Felix’s eyes are wide as he sputters for an explanation.
I grip him by the back of his next and drag him into the Glass Hall where I find Bennett, Armond, and Will all staring out at the city. “Latimer.” I growl, his focus breaking to see the hold I have on her head councilman.
He draws his sword on me, and Felix tries to raise his hands to stop him. Bennett and Will jump back from him, drawing their own swords out.
“Where is Eveera?” I snarl.
“Let go of Felix, Rorin.” He warns, cracking his neck .
I cup my Wield in my hand and slap it over Felix’s nostrils. “I think that I have the upper hand here, wouldn’t you say? Where is Eveera.” I ask again, I pull the Wield back in but keep my hand in place.
“I don’t know.” Armond says again.
I drop Felix’s almost limp body and point outside, where her banner is being held above city walls. “Explain that.” The three of their heads turn and I watch as Armond’s face morphs. Horror creeping into it. Commotion sounds from the hall and I see Orem, Max, and Axel walking up to us. “Oh good! Almost the whole group of Obsidian scum is here.” I snarl. “Anybody have an explanation for why in the bleeding damn Helys your troops are laying siege on my city?!” I roar. Their faces all go slack as they look at the iridescent windows. No one offering an explanation.
I look over to Will. “Find her.” I command and at first he doesn’t move, “find her dammit!” I shout. He sheathes his sword quickly and shoves through her men, running down the steps.
Orem looks around the hall, “where are Millie and Ezra?” He asks quietly.
Armond is crouched next to Felix helping him sit up while he regains his breath. “I haven’t seen him since…” His voice trails off.
Much to my dismay the jealousy in my stomach flares up again. Has she been truly playing me this whole time, have they been planning something the two of them? “Since what?”
“Ah, since the queen and him spoke yesterday before the start of the Celebration.” I nod, biting my lip, and pacing back and forth.
I look down at Felix and Armond, their eyes guarded against me, Armond’s hand still on his hilt. “Answer me this,” my hands are shaking as I try to curb the anger mixing with my magic. “Would she does this?”
Her men are quiet for a moment, but Felix’s strained and gravelly voice answers me. “She wanted people to suffer,” not helping your case , I think to myself. “but she doesn’t kill innocents. She would’ve found the people and targeted them individually. So no. I don’t think she would do this.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.” I snarl storming past them and marching my way outside.
By the time we make it outside, there is a flurry of people. Guards are ushering the nobility and guests back inside away from the horrors that are transpiring outside of our walls.
Through the tunnels arrives Will, Millicent, and of course Eveera. Her face is twisted in anger and she’s covered in blood. She doesn’t look at me walking straight up to Axel who’s now holding a bag - when did he have time to grab a bag? Slipping her arms out of the thin straps on her dress, he hands her a pair of leathers. She pulls the tunic over her head smearing the blood on her face. The process repeats as she slips the rest of the dress off. My men on instinct turn quickly away, her eyes look up connecting with mine for a brief moment. No emotion gives way on her face as she slides her leather pants up. The rest of her process for putting on her armor is rather simple; weapons belt, thigh holster, gloves, and boots. Millie quickly helps throw her hair into a braid so it no longer sticks to her face.
“Are you just about done?” I snap, their heads whipping in my direction. I stomp over to her, my hand coming up around her throat. Her men draw their swords but she stays her hand. Silently commanding them to hold, while she meets my eyes. Her fierce gold eyes flaring at me.
“Do you want to have it out here? Or do you want to go find out what the hell is going on in your city?” She bites and I yank her by the throat into me, squeezing it tighter. Her pulse beats rapidly underneath me .
I lean in, my nose touching hers as I lower my voice. “If you did this. I’ll kill you myself.” Her eyes glint at the challenge.
“And if I didn’t—” she chokes out the words against my hold, “you’ll owe me one hell of an apology.” With a forceful push I shove her back into Millie. She’s laughing, wiping at her cheek as I take the lead out towards the gates. Before we even get out onto the streets the smoke from the blasts burns our throats and eyes.
Citizens are running and coughing through it, as they try to reach safety. I notice Eveera’s eyes are trained on the skies and just before I can give any command the familiar heavy beat of wings comes from above us. Vada’s enormous body lands on one of the stone buildings, crumbling it’s structure, and causes us all to jump back.
“Holy shit.” Bennett breathes as he eyes the dragon who crawls down the rubble her head down and maw open putting her teeth on full display. Eveera gives me a long blink before taking off running, her legs carrying quickly as Vada lowers her forearm and shoulder for her queen to climb.
“Where is she going?!” Millie shrieks.
Orem nods to his queen before telling Millicent, “she’ll be the aerial view.”
I shake my head staring up at the sky where they disappear. “Don’t try anything, Eveera.” I snap.
Her laugh echoes in my mind, “wouldn’t dream of it, princeling.”
“Bennett,” His head turns to me, “take Millie and a horse and go see what damages they caused in the area.” He nods grabbing the reigns of one of the animals we grabbed before slipping past the court’s walls. The rest of us climb on our own steeds and I give commands out to teams of individuals .
Armond, Felix, and I stick closely together. A few wails echo loudly, but as we walk the streets carefully it looks to be mostly minor damage until we come up on the same street as “Goldfinch”. The tavern has been turned into nothing but rubble with a hole blasted completely through it, leaving nothing but a large wake of debris before us.
“What could have cause this?” Armond murmurs, leaving me with mixed feelings. I want to scream at him, want to ask that exact question to him. But the way they all are acting…but her banners. They were her banners flying what else would explain that? I ask myself. We continue following the path of destruction, my city nothing but a smoking carcass.
Leathery wings beat above me but with the smoke and the added cloud coverage I can’t see the large beast anywhere. The sound of hooves joins in and we all spin around to see Axel and the brothers headed for us. “Any. Word. From the—” his voice trailing off as he waves his arms around haphazardly at the sky. “Aerial view?” We shake our heads. My anxiety is growing by the second now with each moment longer Eveera takes up there.
“What the hell do you think she’s doing?” I snap at her men. We moved over to the outer walls and we can hear the sound of movement through the stone.
“She’s got the view; she’s like to do something…” Max mutters.
“She’s likely to do something self sacrificing and stupid.” Axel corrects him, his arms folded across his chest.
I trot my horse over to Armond’s. “Can you Void me to her?” I ask.
He looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind, his speech stolen from him temporarily. “You want me to V oid you to her? While she is flying on Vada? ”
I understand how insane of an idea it sounds, but she’s likely to tune me out if I just get inside of her head. “She has explaining to do. I want to know what my leverage is doing up there.” The irritation is boiling up and out of me. “She can’t avoid or ignore me for very long if I just show up on the back of the beast.”
“Yes she can. She can just throw you off her dragon.” Will argues. Fair point. I ignore it and look expectantly at Armond, we don’t have much time if the sounds outside of this wall are any indication of what’s about to happen. He sighs before grabbing my hand and fastening my hold around his forearm.
“You have to think of where you want to be. Similar to portaling. Then lean into my magic.”
Will’s hand tugs on my shoulder, “you’re not serious.” The disbelief plain in his voice.
I keep my eyes trained on Armond. “Simple enough.” My mouth quirks up when I focus my thoughts to her while his magic creeps up my arm. It’s cold. Nothing like a portal, but something else entirely. It quickly envelopes me and…
THUD!
“ Fuck that hurt. ” I groan. I landed awkwardly across the base of Vada’s spine. The dragon didn’t seem too bothered by my intrusion, it’s rider however…
“WHAT IN THE GODS?!” Eveera’s head whips back to see me rather ungracefully crawl my way across Vada’s back and sink down into a the ridges behind Eveera.
My arm pulls tight around her waist, nestling her up against me. Despite the thick layer of copper scented blood covering her skin and hair, the smell of her perfume still carries over. My mouth grazes against the back of her head and I have half a mind to kill her, while the other wants to slam my mouth down on hers and breathe a sigh of relief that she’s okay so far.
“ARE YOU INSANE?” She shouts, her voice getting lost on the wind. Her hands push at my arms trying to loosen them.
“I’D RATHER LIKE TO NOT FALL OFF THE BLOODY THING!” I shout back at her. She’s rolling her eyes. I know it, I don’t need to see it to know she has. “Explain yourself .” I bark, as we bank hard on a draft of wind . “What other secrets have you kept from me. One was killing my parents, two was killing my city, is there a third snake in the grass I need to be prepared for?!”
“ Is there are reason you are shouting in my mind? You’re going to give me a headache, and I didn’t order this attack! It’s as much a surprise to me as it is you, believe me when I find out who went against orders I’ll— ” Her words are cut short when we tilt down, looking at the soldiers outside the wall. They carry her banner but a handful of them are placing their hands on the wall, something webbing out from underneath them and up the stone.
“ Are those vines?” I ask.
“So I was right.” Her words are breathy in my mind.
“ What do you me—”
“Evendell. He has recruited - drafted rather - the Wielders of Evendell.” The thought sinks into my stomach, heavy like lead. “Those aren’t my men. Those are Baelor’s posing as my men which means…”
“He has magic.” I finish for her. Fuck.