Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Ophelia
“Is that new?” Jezebel asked, eyeing the necklace I clutched.
Head snapping up from the tome I was reading on Damien’s life, I uncurled my fingers from the metal charm.
“It’s the piece that fell off Angelborn.” As I lifted the token, it caught the early summer sun streaming through the palace library windows. Santorina and Erista looked up from their own work, observing the piece.
Jezebel cocked her head. “You didn’t have it fixed?”
Only you can know— Fate will fight back—
“It didn’t need to be there.” I shrugged, letting the chain fall against my chest. How could I tell her that something in the way this piece of metal heated reminded me of the Angel’s presence two nights ago without testing his command?
It was in the familiar warmth and presence that settled within me.
But it was a secret I had to keep because it kept my friends safe. Even as I told myself that, though, something I didn’t want to acknowledge squirmed in my gut.
“Erista,” I said, searching for a way to distract myself. The Soulguider delegate’s catlike eyes flashed to mine. “When you journeyed to Damenal, did your party encounter any aberrant creatures?”
“Aberrant?” She propped her chin in her hand, the gold ink around her forearm glinting in the light.
“Not in the desert, no. The streams have been clear, too.” The Soulguiders’ sand dunes stretched from the western coast of Gallantia to the base of the mountains.
Thin rivulets ran through the dust, used to deliver Spirits home.
Hearing all was well in that sacred land calmed my nerves a bit.
“There was one night, though,” Erista continued, her brows pulling together. “When we stopped in a small mountain town to eat…there was a roar. No one knew what it came from, but it shook the walls of the inn.”
Jezebel stiffened, flipping through the pages of the book she read on the Spirit Volcano’s history.
“Interesting,” I mused. Watching my sister, I shrunk at the memory of that winged beast attacking in the forest. Then, I thought of Santorina beside me, a knife to her throat. “And no other creatures?”
“What should I have seen, Ophelia?” Erista asked.
“Fae?” I breathed. Rina’s hand clenched atop the table.
“Fae,” Erista repeated. “How in the name of Xenique would a faerie be in Gallantia?”
“We encountered one on our way here,” Jezebel explained.
“He tried to kill me,” Santorina ground out. Taking a breath, she finally uncurled her fingers. “But he realized I was under warrior protection.”
“Why was he here?” Erista gaped.
“To put forth a warning,” I explained. “He said that threats to fae magic are looming. He was sent to see how far they spread.”
“Sent by the queen?” The Soulguider looked between my sister and me now.
“I believe so.” I clutched my necklace again, its heat steadying. “Lancaster—the fae—agreed not to harm anyone in our lands and to keep us notified of developments in this looming power.”
“I don’t think we can trust him to hold to that.” Jezebel’s voice was dull. “But it doesn’t sound like we have a choice.”
“The fae queen has a bloodied history,” Erista said. “Composed of secrets, tricks, and bargains normally ending worse for the other party. Rumors say she can read bloodlines.”
We all shivered at that. Prejudices ran deep between warriors and fae, but it was hard to deny the stories we’d been warned against. Legends of their queen were slick with blood. The lives shackled to hers due to naivety. The secrets she wielded
And if Lancaster was here on her order…
“We don’t trust Lancaster, but we can’t discount his information.
Not until we know what’s waiting for us.
” I shivered at the thought of him being out there somewhere, doing Spirits knew what on our continent.
What threatened fae magic would surely threaten our own.
“Besides, fae can’t lie. They may be bred to play with words and calculated tricks, but that earns him a certain degree of trust. Theirs isn’t the queen I’m the most concerned with, anyway… ”
Twisting my necklace around my finger, I contemplated Kakias. We hadn’t heard a word of her since the Rapture. What was she planning?
Jezebel slammed a book shut, pulling me from my thoughts. “Come on, we’ll be late for training.”
As Rina and I followed Erista and my sister down the wide open-air corridors of the palace, the mountain breeze helped me organize my thoughts. I’d been picking apart Damien’s prophecy, but had gotten nowhere, circling back repeatedly to this Angelcurse and what in the Spirits it could mean.
The windows we passed looked over the Sacred Quarter, the Sacra Temple’s golden spires shining in the distance. Perhaps I needed to extend my research outside of the palace walls.
And maybe…just because I couldn’t tell anyone what exactly Damien said, didn’t mean I couldn’t ask for help in other ways.
Gripping Rina’s wrist, I pulled her back a step and lowered my voice. “I need your healing expertise.”
“Are you okay?” Rina’s piercing stare assessed me.
“Yes,” I said quickly, but was I? “I’m wondering about curses.”
Her eyes narrowed on the dark webbing on my wrist. “I thought it was gone.”
“It is, but I’m curious.” I fought to keep my voice level, choosing words vague enough to not draw suspicion or fate’s wrath. “Are there any common curses you’ve learned of?”
Rina lifted her eyes to the sky as we descended wide steps to enter the training arena. “I’ve studied some, but I’d have to think. I left all my books in Palerman.”
“Take your time.” Impatience clawed at my gut, though. I didn’t know how long I had to unite them, but if there was a chance Rina could help decipher what threat the Angelcurse carried, I’d give her time.
“What I can tell you,” Rina said as we began Cypherion’s warm-up routine, “is that there are practically thousands of curses in existence, but most are not deadly as yours was. Not unless they come from a higher power.”
“And how do those afflictions work?” One, two, three, I counted out the lunges, hoping steady movement hid my burning interest. An Angelcurse was certainly born of a higher power.
“From what I recall, those kinds of curses are extreme, Ophelia.” Worry creased Rina’s brow as she stopped working, turning to me. “They’re rare and dangerous, almost always connected to someone’s being at a deeper level.”
“And can they be healed?” I didn’t even know if healing was what I needed, not with Damien’s words being so vague.
“I’ll see what I can find. Perhaps Esmond knows something.”
I nodded. “Don’t say it comes from me.”
She leveled a harsh look at me, but I didn’t have a chance to argue because Cypherion and Malakai both shouted, “No!” at Tolek.
“You barely even know how to use the damned weapon,” Cyph said, taking the bow and arrow Tol was lifting. Where had he even gotten those?
“You wound me, CK. I happen to be very skilled with a bow.”
“I’ve never seen you use one.” Cyph crossed his arms.
“And you’ve never seen me in bed, but I can assure you I’m far from incapable there, too.”
“Oh, Gods,” Santorina commented, both of us snickering.
“I suppose they got tired of waiting for us,” I added as Tol set up their gamble for the day.
“Why don’t you take them on, Ophelia?” Erista said, loud enough to be heard by the boys. Challenge sparked in the Soulguider’s eyes. Jezebel looked between the two of us, a knowing smirk dancing on her lips. “I’d love to see the Revered truly fight.”
I assessed the girl, from her curls to the sturdy boots on her feet. There wasn’t a hint of malice in her posture. No, the feline smile splitting her full lips was a promise. It was faith. She truly wanted to see me take down the boys.
“That sounds like fun.” I grinned, retrieving Angelborn from where she leaned against the wall.
“Excellent.” The devilish flash of Tol’s smile shone across the arena.
“Are you sure?” Malakai asked.
“Unless you’re afraid,” I teased. Malakai’s eyes hardened. Cypherion only shrugged.
“Spears, boys,” I demanded, swirling my own in one hand. “What order do you wish to lose in?”
They exchanged a look, silent communication passing through the trio that had trained together for nearly a decade. “I’ll go first,” Cypherion offered. “Mali, then Tol.”
I instantly latched on to his strategy. Cyph—the largest and strongest fighter—would tire me out, and if he didn’t win, Malakai would be second, in the middle, as he hadn’t completed the Undertaking and was the weakest. Tol, nearly as strong as Cyph, would be last, to take out any reserves I saved.
If only I made it that easy for them.
“Show no mercy, CK,” Tol cheered from the sideline.
“Thanks, Vincienzo,” I retorted.
“I’m only trying to get you riled up before it’s my turn.” He winked, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
Turning to Cyph, I tilted my head. “We’ve never truly fought, have we?” When we were in formal training, our instructors had always paired Cyph with the largest, oldest warriors, underestimating my size. After training was suspended, I’d only worked with Jezebel.
“I suppose not.” Cyph grinned and slid into that lethal side that lived within him. “Time to find out who truly is the best.”
It was an even fight, leaving us both panting halfway through.
Cypherion fought with precision, noting my every weakness, but I fought with cunning.
I favored my left leg when there was no reason to at all, and he fell into my trap.
When he swung his spear at my left, I dodged, sweeping under his arm to bring the tip of Angelborn’s blade beneath his chin.
“You knew I’d mark that,” he observed. “That I would attack based on your faults, so you faked them.”
I shrugged. “Know thy opponent.”
“A great reminder, Revered.”
The fight with Malakai was barely a battle at all. I wasn’t sure if he was holding back or if I had truly grown that much stronger than him. Regardless, we had trained together our entire lives, and I knew his tactics better than anyone else’s.
With only a few swipes, his weapon was on the floor, and Angelborn was poised above his heart, hovering over the Bind.
“That was much easier than usual,” I joked.
He shook his head. “Having an off day.” He avoided my eyes as he bent to grab his spear, leaving me in the middle of the arena with a furrowed brow. But I didn’t have time to ask, because Tolek slid into his position. I was breathing heavily, my cheeks flushed, but I squared my shoulders.
“Let’s see what you’ve got, Alabath.” Tol set his stance.
I struck first, the adrenaline from my last two wins coursing through my veins. He met the attack, forcing me back a step. I growled, lunging again, but he met that strike, too. Like he was predicting everything I would do.
Because he was, I realized with hints of both admiration for his work and frustration for not having noticed.
“You’ve been paying attention?” I quipped. Our spears sparked.
“I wasn’t going to lose to you again.”
I ducked his next attack, sweeping my weapon out, but he dodged it. “No more cheater’s shots?”
He laughed, the sound spurring me on for another strike. And another. Each one was well met.
“There’s no forest creatures here to distract us,” he taunted.
“Don’t need them,” I panted, tiring from the combined force of three consecutive fights, “to beat you.”
I brought my spear around my body as if performing a flamboyant attack.
If Tol had been watching me, he should have known the move wasn’t my style.
I was a direct fighter, not a showy one.
The distraction was quicker than he anticipated.
Tolek had barely moved before my weapon was aimed at his throat.
“Yield?” I whispered, so low it was almost seductive.
He raised his brows and dropped his weapon. “I yield,” he barked, but then his lips split into a grin. “Well done, Alabath. Next time, I’ll get you.”
“Good luck with that, Tolek,” Malakai said, glaring at his friend, and Tol’s expression fell.
Malakai took my chin in his hand, kissing me softly.
“You were spectacular, Phel.” But the words were as stiff as the walls between us. He placed another kiss to my lips, and my heart stuttered in time with my shoulders tensing. Did I sink into it or turn away? These days, I never knew. His fingers flexed against me as if fighting the same battle.
We were so torn, the two of us. Walking through the footsteps of strangers. When Malakai pulled back, my lungs were tight. I shifted my chin from his grasp, sucking in a deep breath.
When I looked back, Tol had been replaced by the delegates, impressed with the skill of the Revered. Erista winked, and I smiled despite the conflict roaring through me.
“I want to learn to do that,” Vale whispered.
“That was impressive,” Esmond said. “I understand how you’ve made it to where you are today.”
I thanked him, warmth spreading through me at the compliment, but my attention was elsewhere. Cutting around the trio, I looked toward the staircase leading to the palace, but Tol was gone.