Chapter 3 #2
I still remember the utter exhaustion on his face when I found him in that empty room in the Golden Palace where he let his composed mask slip.
Still remember the edge in his voice when he told me that it’s fucking exhausting to always have to be the one who is responsible for everything and everyone.
I will not let him feel like that again.
He deserves someone who helps him carry that weight.
“They have shield magic and can put up wards,” I continue, looking from face to face. “So if we can get them on our side, they can use their magic to protect us from all kinds of attacks. Kander’s memory magic included.”
“Yeah, but how do we find the Gold Clan?” Alistair asks while arching a pale eyebrow at me. “We still have no idea where they are. They could—”
Lyra gasps. Throwing the final sheets off her legs, she leaps fully to her feet. Her wavy brown hair flutters around her shoulders as she whips her head from side to side, and her orange eyes are wide as she meets our gazes. “The Icehearts have the Green Clan!”
“Uhm, yeah, Lyra,” Galen replies from the bed opposite her. There’s a frown on his face as he looks at her. “That’s what we were just talking about.”
“No, you don’t understand.” She shakes her head frantically. “The archives. Azaroth’s flame, we thought they wanted the Gold Clan so that they could get the Green Clan. But it’s the other way around. They wanted the Green Clan and their archives so that they can find the Gold Clan!”
“Oh shit,” Alistair says, very eloquently summarizing what we’re all feeling.
Draven massages his brow and mutters, “Fuck.” Then he stands up as well and rolls his shoulders back. And within seconds, the Commander of the Dread Legion is standing there, exuding power and control. “Alright, we need to get to the Gold Clan first.”
“How?” Diana demands. “We still don’t know where they are.”
“So we do what everyone does when they don’t know where they’re going but don’t want to admit that,” I say.
They all turn to look at me in silent question.
I frown at them in confusion, because I thought the answer to that would be obvious, but I explain anyway. “We follow someone who does.”
“Sneaky.” Lyra grins. “I like it.”
Draven lets out a low chuckle. “Alright, let’s do it. Bane and Jessina know where the Gold Clan is, or they will soon at least, so we just follow them there and then steal the Gold Clan first.” He shifts his gaze to Diana. “That plan enough for you?”
She tilts her head to the side as if considering but then finally nods.
“Good.” Draven looks to Orion. “Where’s my armor?”
“In the room I allowed you to stay in last time,” the Unseelie King replies.
Draven dips his chin in acknowledgement and then starts towards the door. But he only makes it two steps before someone else speaks up.
“So,” Isera begins. Still leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, she slides her gaze to Orion. “Does this mean that you’re still with us?”
“Even though you lied and trapped me in a fake bargain?” he finishes for her, his black and silver eyes sharp.
Isera says nothing. Only continues watching him in silence.
Tension crackles like lightning in the otherwise bright and airy room. Everyone else is frozen on the floor, watching the two of them as they stare each other down.
“Perhaps,” Orion finally replies, but he draws out the word, making it sound like the answer depends on what he gets in return.
Isera clenches her jaw for a few seconds. It looks like she has to force her next words out of her mouth. “What do you want?”
A slow smirk curves Orion’s lips as he lets the silence stretch, and his eyes glint dangerously as he keeps them locked on Isera. “I want you to say please. I want you to admit that you cannot do this without me.”
“Please, Orion, we—” I begin, but he immediately cuts me off.
“No. Not you.” His eyes remain fixed on Isera. “Her.”
By the wall, Isera draws in a highly controlled breath. Lightning flickers in her blue and silver eyes as she holds his gaze. He just stares right back at her, daring her to do it.
A low growl comes from her chest. Then she opens her mouth.
“Not from over there,” Orion says before the first word can leave her lips. “I want you to look me in the eye properly.”
Grinding her teeth, she glares at him while a muscle flickers in her jaw. But Orion doesn’t back down. Instead, he raises his hand and curls a commanding finger at her. She lets out a soft snarl.
With jerky movements, she pushes off from the wall and stalks across the floor until she is standing right in front of him. Since he is taller than her, she has to crane her neck to make eye contact with him, which is no doubt what he wanted. She draws in another controlled breath.
“Please, Orion,” she forces out. “We can’t do this without you.”
The smirk on his face turns positively villainous. “Perfect.”
“So you’re with us?”
“Of course I am.” His eyes gleam in the bright sunlight that falls in through the windows. “If the Icehearts are going after the Gold Clan, my court is in danger too. And the best way to protect it is by helping you succeed in your mission to get them first.”
She clenches her jaw before grinding out, “So you were always planning to help?”
“Naturally.” He cups her cheek and draws his thumb over her bottom lip. “I just wanted to hear you say please.”
Alarm flits across her face, and she slaps his hand away. Grabbing him by the collar, she yanks his face down to hers and growls, “You son of a… If you ever pull a stunt like that again, I will strangle you.”
Instead of trying to push her away or remove her hand from his collar, he does the opposite. He leans down even closer and slants his lips over hers. “You’re so cute when you threaten me, little viper.”
She jerks back, immediately releasing his collar and retreating a couple of steps. Orion lets out a smug chuckle. Then seriousness descends on his features again as he straightens and sweeps commanding eyes over the rest of us.
“But make no mistake,” he begins, his voice now hard and full of authority. “I am no longer bound by any bargain. I will help you only because it serves my own goals of protecting my court, and I can walk away at any time.”
For a few seconds, we all just look back at him.
Then Draven tilts his head in a half nod. “Understood.”
“Good. I’ll send for my spy in Frostfell. She might know what the Icehearts are up to.” He shifts his gaze to Galen and Lyra. “My people put your armor in your old rooms as well while Haldia was healing you. I trust you know the way.”
They incline their heads in thanks.
“Alright, we meet back in Orion’s throne room in ten minutes,” Draven says, his voice pulsing with command. “We’re already more than half a day behind. If Bane and Jessina have already left Frostfell, we’re screwed.”
Clothes rustle and feet thud as we all scramble out the door to grab armor and something quick to eat. Draven is right, it will be a race against time to catch up to the Icehearts before they can find the clan that might give us our one chance of winning this war.
My pulse thrums in my ears as I sprint down the corridor.
Please, Mabona, don’t let it be too late.