26
Kora
Bodies spilled from the throne room, groups of people hurrying into large chambers leading to endless, sunshine-filled rooms and warm hearths.
Kora followed the largest crowd to the grand foyer, connected to the ballroom, main stairwell, and front gate.
Intoxicating relief flooded her system, weeks and months of tension unwrapping from her soul as she paused in the foyer, soaking in the faint sunlight.
She had bought time.
Time for her and Erick. Time to end Barron and stop this war. Time to achieve long-lasting peace. For once, she had a chance to relax. For just a moment.
Aryn was hot on her heels, with Raiden grunting behind him. She rolled her eyes. She didn’t need Raiden invading her mind, reading her emotions. And she especially didn’t need him speaking for her.
“You don’t need to follow me.” She jabbed a finger at the male’s broad—extremely muscled, good gods—chest. He peered down at it.
“Someone needs to keep you alive. You entered a private audience with my father. He would’ve killed you just for stepping into that room!”
“Would he have killed Kordelia for the same?” Kora remarked and Raiden’s mouth snapped shut.
Pirates spilled into the warm, pearly space behind Raiden, glares targeting Kora’s back as they circled around them to the open front doors. Fresh air circled in, brushing over Kora’s flushed skin, and Raiden inched closer as Hector approached.
“Don’t think I don’t know what ye are up to,” he sneered. “Once a traitor, always a traitor.”
“Your opinions aren’t welcome here,” Raiden growled.
“Neither is she,” Hector snapped. “Ye’ll see. She’ll ruin us all.”
“Your rumours aren’t helping,” Aryn quipped, folding his arms across his bowstring. “The city fears her because they see her through your eyes.”
Hector paused, his weathered skin paler than usual, the lines deeper. He flapped his striped longcoat behind him, his thick falchion sword glinting in the sun. Grog wafted from his scraggly beard as he leaned forward, dark eyes narrowing.
“Whatever they’ve heard, is what they should know. Ye are blind. If I had my way, ye’d be in the Locker with the rest of the souls ye tormented.”
“Spreading lies across the city is punishable,” Raiden replied dryly.
“Punishment?” Hector laughed and revealed a brown bandana from his pocket, securing it around his long hair with thin fingers. “This life is punishment enough. I can’t stand to be near ye anymore. This is a mockery of the old world. Ye father will soon see the right path.”
Hector swaggered out of the castle without a second glance, passing where Leto stood, holding his arm out to Mara as she flew down to perch.
As Hector’s unfavourable clothing disappeared down the hill, Kora’s attention shifted to the mute and deaf pirate lord.
His slicked-back hair attracted the shadows of the castle entrance, his eyes near glowing as he stroked Mara’s chest with a single finger.
“He’s an Avarian,” Raiden spoke quietly. “He’s always had a special affinity with birds.”
Mara ruffled, her curved black beak pointing upwards as Leto smiled, his finger circling her neck.
“I’ve never heard of an Avarian,” Kora murmured. “It’s not in the Devanian mage factions.”
Raiden’s surprise was momentary before his face smoothed out, waving at Leto as he noticed them with a wry smile.
“We have ancient scriptures in Skybell Castle. Centuries of history. Magic wasn’t always contained to five factions.”
Kora hitched a breath, spinning to face him. “You . . . have a history library? An archive?”
Raiden paused, his left brow raising a fraction, as his crystalised stare softened. “Yes . . . are you into reading?”
“Could we vis—”
Cassidy’s boots echoed on the floor as she glided past them, her watery stare snapping to Kora briefly.
Kora tracked her movements, her presence causing her to feel on edge.
The coldness in Cassidy’s blue eyes was an echo of Bree, but the sorrow that lingered beneath reminded Kora that she’d taken Cannon away from Cassidy.
She crossed the foyer, passing multiple hallways until she met Skylar beside a set of reinforced doors on the opposite side, a familiar healer huddled between them.
Mara squawked, grabbing Kora’s attention back to the equally mysterious and dark pirate lord. Leto waved enthusiastically, a grin plastered on his face, and Raiden waved back with a light chuckle before the entrance doors slammed shut, a cool breeze rushing in from outside.
“Where are they going?”
“My father has ordered Hector and Leto to scout the seas for more information on Barron’s army.
Now he knows Barron no longer resides in the Citadel, his movements are even more interesting.
Leto’s power can only extend to two fleets before it drains him, so Cassidy will remain here.
Mostly because Hector can’t bear anyone else to steal the glory from him. ”
“Will he share this information?” Kora tapped her foot.
“Unlikely. He will try to disadvantage you where he can.” Raiden winced, pity consuming his stare. “But a deal with Zephyr never normally leads to death, this is unwarranted.”
“Good thing I’m friends with him,” Kora muttered under her breath, but Raiden peered at her curiously. Shit, had he heard that?
“Hector has convinced my father that keeping out of the war is in our best interests. He’s only allowing you to do this to see how far you can get; whether retaliation is worth it .
. . especially after last time.” Raiden’s stare didn’t waver.
Diamonds pinned Kora in place as a murky memory of watery shadows rose up from the depths .
. . and a glimpse of a tattooed male with gleaming white hair.
“So I’m a guinea pig for war, got it.”
“If anyone can, it’s you.” Aryn nudged Kora with a gentle smile.
His usual features had returned, appearing as the youthful archer he’d always been.
Kora returned his smile nervously, but Aryn’s smile dissipated.
Despite the hidden nature, that familiar stone in her chest warmed around him, pulling her to his presence.
She had to trust him.
“It won’t stop me, that’s for sure.” Aerion sauntered up beside Aryn, his cream tunic unbuttoned at his neck. “I’ve been planning our comeback for a decade. I can’t let my organisational chart go to waste.”
“Plans on paper are nothing when faced with an army that repels magic,” Raiden groaned, rubbing his face.
Kora stiffened. She’d forgotten how Raiden’s magic bounced off their armour at Mossfell Castle, how mindless those guards had been, impervious to pain and their surroundings.
“They’re like shades,” she whispered. “Barron has done something to them.” She tapped her scar and Raiden grimly nodded, understanding.
“Until then, you need to train to give yourself the best chance,” Raiden replied. “You need to get stronger here,” he gestured to her body, “but also here.” He pointed to her head. “I’m not letting you charge after Barron until you’re back to your full strength, and your power restored.”
“Not letting me?” Kora’s voice rose.
Aryn cursed under his breath, edging away.
“You heard me.” Raiden stepped closer. “You have six weeks until the full moon after Hallow’s Day.
Six weeks to train, eat, and recover. Barron is stronger than all of us combined.
His power unpredictable, and not of the gods’.
We don’t know what it can do, how far it can reach, or how dangerous it is. ”
“I’m sick of males telling me what to do,” Kora snapped, their bodies inches apart so her neck craned to glare up at him.
“Maybe stop getting yourself into situations where we have to.” Raiden was so close she was hit with dizzying waves of fresh, unrelenting air pulsing from him.
His scent so close, she could’ve sworn it tasted like pure, unyielding freedom.
Of what it would feel like to soar, to be filled with such strength she could wield ten swords.
“I didn’t spend ten years confined to this dark prison, guiding you through horrors, to watch you put yourself in danger right in front of me.”
“I never asked you to do that,” Kora whispered.
“Huntress, you never need to ask.”
His dark lashes cast shadows on his cheeks, and Kora’s toes curled at how his eyes sparkled, absorbing the orange tones of the castle and reflecting it back at her.
Raiden’s hair shone, the colour of weapons, of forged steel and mighty cannons, and her fingers twitched, curious to know whether it was as coarse as it looked, or like fine silk.
“Erm . . . should we go?” Aerion coughed and Aryn’s cheeks heated. Kora jumped, suddenly aware of how her chest brushed Raiden’s and she stepped back, her face matching Aryn’s.
“Rai!” A voice burst their bubble, and the healer bounced over from Skylar and Cassidy, who remained by the far side of the foyer, their heads close as they giggled, sneaking glances at Kora. Her cheeks heated from an ember to a flame, wondering what was so funny.
The groan from Raiden was so audible that Kora, Aerion, and Aryn all raised their brows.
“Rai Rai,” she repeated, sidling up to Raiden’s side. Aerion cringed as Kora swatted the female’s wild hair from her face.
The heat coiling in Kora evaporated with a cold splash as this female—a healer from the daily check-ups—beamed at Raiden. Her dark eyes sparkled, her grin stretched wide as she flicked her blonde locks over her shoulder, the ends flicking Kora in the fucking face again.
“I heard your father has returned.” Her voice was like honeyed syrup, sickeningly sweet—too sweet for Kora’s tastes. “I had hoped for you to introduce me to him finally.”
“Zephyr is a busy male, being king and all.” Raiden’s tone frosted.
The healer laughed, and Kora’s familiar haze crept in, whispering to her, telling her to silence the annoying female. She was tall, blessed with gracious curves that her beige uniform clung to—skirts, with a waistcoat and white shirt.
“Your humour always amazes me,” she purred. Aryn’s finger slid down his bowstring as he eyed the female. Gods, Kora hoped he also wasn’t bewitched by her beauty. Or maybe he also wanted to impale her with an arrow. Laughter echoed from Skylar and Cassidy as they covered their mouths.
“What do you want, Sirona.” Raiden’s bluntness rivalled Blake’s cold detachment, and a pang broke through Kora’s chest at the thought. Blake danced through her mind, dragging memories to the surface and she wobbled slightly. Raiden’s stare slid to her, concern etched on his face.
“Are you alright?”
Kora shook her head, screaming internally for him to get out of her mind.
She clung to her mask as Sirona also glanced at her, disturbed by Kora’s sudden reaction.
Blake’s whispers, his light touches across her body, his broken promises, swarmed her until her hearing faded, despair, pain, and horror consuming her mind.
Something rumbled beneath her feet, and a faint cry rang in the far distance.
Sirona was speaking, but Kora couldn’t hear her.
She couldn’t hear anything but the sound of her own heart breaking, caught in a loop.
Black tendrils that hissed like snakes slithered across the ground, wrapping around Sirona’s feet, threatening to bite her.
Kora balked, blinking rapidly at the illusion.
“. . . report you read on Kora, we need to discuss it.”
“What?” Hearing her own name, Kora plummeted to reality, using her familiar captain’s mask to suppress the terror within.
The snakes vanished, a shining pearlescent floor glittering at her instead.
Cold numbness spread throughout, anchoring her enough to comprehend the conversation.
Just one tone from Raiden and her world had spiralled.
The urge to flee to her chamber, to hide beneath the fluffy blankets and duvets was so palpable.
But Kora had struck a deal with the King of Galen, the foremost heir to Haizea. She could hide no longer.
“This is for the prince only,” Sirona remarked as she produced a folio with pristine, polished, painted fingernails.
“If it’s about me, I need to hear it,” Kora said. Sirona’s smile tensed as Aerion nodded.
“Of course.” Aerion gestured for them to follow him. “Let’s go somewhere more private.”
Skylar joined the group, a permanent scowl gracing her slender face, with Cassidy slipping into the mystery room behind the reinforced doors.
Aerion led them to a cumbersome study hidden behind the staircase through a secret door in the wall. A warm, cosy room, with sweeping rear doors leading to the castle gardens, and wooden furniture with intricate carvings and plush, autumnal-toned furnishings.
“You might want to sit down,” Aerion advised Kora, as he took the folio from Sirona and opened it on the desk in front of him.