Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Nova
My dress had come together even more beautifully than I’d hoped it would—an incredible feat, given that it had only been a day and a half since Aleks and I stopped into the shop for measurements and materials. Somehow, the seamstress had managed to interpret my vision despite the rushed process, and now I stood on a stool before one of the mirrors in my bedroom, admiring the end result of her work.
The a-line dress appeared deep crimson at first glance, but black beading along the bodice and a sheer layer of dark tulle over the body made its true color impossible to pin down; it shimmered between shades depending on the lighting and angles, an ever-changing fusion of blood and shadows—a tribute to the dress I’d worn on the night of the Moonweaver Festival, only longer and sewn together with heavier, higher quality fabrics.
I’d felt strong that night. Decisive. And I had a feeling I was going to need that kind of strength tonight, so I had purposefully tried to recreate the dress with hopes of recreating the feeling it had inspired.
Aeris had left my hair down in large, loose waves, save for a braided piece held away from my face by a delicate clasp that resembled a raven’s wing. Heeled boots completed the ensemble, along with a small knife strapped to the inside of my thigh.
I hoped I would have no need for knives, but…old habits.
Once I was ready, I fell into another old habit, kneeling in front of Phantom and wrapping my arms tightly around him—an embrace for good luck, the way we’d always done before enduring our royal duties back at Rose Point.
“We can do this, right?”
( Do we have a choice? ) he replied, cocking his head.
I sighed, straightening his collar—a regal, jeweled piece he’d insisted I have made for him alongside my dress so that he could look his best for our visitors. Giving him a quick scratch between the ears, I stood and faced the door.
Just another royal obligation , I tried telling myself. Just like old times .
My brother met me as I was making my way downstairs. He was alone, which was surprising, given the number of guests and palace dwellers alike who had been fighting for his attention all day yesterday and today.
“I managed to escape,” he said, reading the surprise in my expression, “and I wanted to come check on you.”
“There was no need; I’m fine.”
“Well, it gave me an excuse to get away for awhile,” he said, grinning.
“Glad I could help, then.”
“You look lovely, by the way.”
“You clean up quite nicely yourself.”
“Yeah?” He gave the collar of his embroidered doublet an exaggerated tug. “It feels a bit like I’m being slowly strangled to death. But Aveline insisted it would give off the proper regal impression, so...” He shrugged.
“No one escapes her iron-fisted rule around here, do they?”
He returned the slight smile I gave him. “Not a single one of us. You know, I’ve even offered to just give her the crown a few times, but she refuses to take it. Says it would clash with her hair.”
My smile widened.
He stopped fidgeting with his clothing and offered me his arm. “We have an hour or two before our guests will be joining us at the dinner table,” he said. “Perhaps you’d like to see the progress our army is making before we get started on the evening’s agenda? Hopefully, it will inspire some confidence for us both.”
The idea filled me with trepidation and uncertainty. But, somehow, I managed to take his arm, walking alongside him without hesitation as he headed toward the wing that overlooked the training grounds, where most of the revived Graykeep soldiers were currently being housed.
Along the way, we stopped to collect Grimnor. It had been returned to its chamber for safekeeping while I recovered from the events at Graykeep, but both my brother and I agreed it should be at my side for the evening’s meetings; Aveline had already provided a means of carrying it that coordinated with my dress, even—a wide, ornate-but-lightweight belt that hung gracefully at my waist, supporting the sword without compromising the garment’s flow.
Before we left, I found myself hesitating, my eyes drawn to Luminor.
My brother stopped as well, his gaze shifting between me and the Sword of Light. I expected him to tell me to focus on my own blade and the power I could control, but he surprised me and said, “Just so you’re aware, I plan to bring up the subject of the Light King to our visiting council. The possibility of him wielding this sword should not be entirely ignored, I’ve decided.”
“…Really?”
“After what he did by your side at Graykeep—and outside of Erebos before that—it seems foolish not to consider that maybe he could be an asset after all. I should warn you, though, that the idea likely won’t be received well by most of our guests. They’ve seen the Above as the enemy for too long; they won’t be quick to trust him, regardless of the bond you two have developed.”
My skin heated with frustration, but I nodded, knowing he was right.
“I’ve already spoken with Aleksander about this as well,” he added.
I was momentarily speechless.
They’d spoken to one another.
And agreed on something, at that.
Maybe there was a glimmer of hope for our future after all.
“I suggested he sit out this first meeting, to avoid adding more tinder to what will be an already-combustible gathering,” Bastian said, “and he agreed to this. But there will be an opportunity to explore his role in things in the days to come, I think.”
The thought of facing this initial trial without him made my chest feel uncomfortably tight, but I would manage, somehow.
I finished securing Grimnor at my waist, while also watching and taking mental notes on how my brother sealed the chamber shut behind us, and then we continued on.
We passed the kitchen, where the night’s dinner was already being prepared; the scent of roasted meats, herbs, and freshly baked bread wafted through the air, making my stomach growl. Predictably, this was where Phantom left us, shifting into a smaller, less frightening form before trotting into the kitchen. He’d made an art out of convincing the palace servants that he was deserving of treats—I saw no less than three bits of food being tossed his way before he was out of my sight. I rolled my eyes but didn’t call him back to my side; at least one of us was going to enjoy the feast tonight.
A steady roar of noise hit us as we approached the area around the training grounds, made up of the hacking and swishing of weapons; the clanging of armor; and the cacophony of chattering voices interspersed with shouted orders and grunts of exertion.
We made our way through the halls above and into the parlor that overlooked the grounds, peering down at the bustling hive of activity.
Things were being pulled from the armory and inventoried. Cleaned. Repaired. Groups of soldiers practiced swordplay and drills, shaking the rust from their muscles with swings and thrusts. Servants moved with purpose, preparing equipment, sharpening blades, and ensuring everything else was in order.
We stood for several minutes, watching. My wide eyes darted back and forth, my mouth going dry as I tried to count and weigh everything I saw—as I attempted to determine how this waking army changed our odds.
“How many?” I asked my brother, quietly.
“Just shy of a hundred strong.”
It had felt like more when I’d been surrounded by them at Graykeep. Such a small number to rest such a heavy task upon—a task we still hadn’t worked out the details of.
Nine days.
Nine days to shape a formidable plan, to prepare our followers to carry it out. And I tried to keep my chin lifted and my spirits undaunted, but I couldn’t help asking, “Will it be enough?”
My brother tilted his head toward me, his expression impossible to read.
My heart pounded and my body tensed, bracing for a grim reply.
No. No, of course it isn’t enough. We’ll be crushed the moment we step through the gate, but we have no choice but to attempt something.
But what he said was, “Do you feel the change in the air since we came back from Graykeep? Have you heard the occasional laughter among their preparations? The excited chatter between the servants tending them? It sounds like hope. Like a chance in the darkness, however tiny it might be.”
I looked back to the crowd below us. Listening closer, now, to see if I could hear what he did.
“We are fighting for our future,” said Bastian. “The ones who would stand in our way are clinging to the past. And they have everything to lose, while we have nothing—which gives us an advantage, I think, with whatever strategy we decide on from here.”
I bit my lip, silently trying to will myself into believing he was right.
“There are several bright minds here to speak with us tonight; I’ve no doubt that together we’ll figure out the best way to make use of the resources we do have .” His gaze lifted toward the sun, gaging the time. Frowning, he said, “Speaking of them, I should probably go see if I’m needed anywhere. I’ll meet you in the banquet hall in an hour, alright?”
I nodded, though I was tempted to admit that maybe I needed him even more than our visitors might have. And I didn’t hate that he’d checked on me, after all. Whatever missteps we’d endured, he had become a familiar, comforting presence. But I couldn’t ask him to stay, knowing all the obligations awaiting him.
He kissed my forehead and then left, and I continued to watch my army for a few minutes before heading back to the main wing by myself.
My spirits lifted slightly when, after a short stroll, I caught sight of another familiar face: Zayn, leaning against the wall directly ahead. As I approached, I noticed the painting across from where he stood—another portrait of Calista, this one done in impressionistic strokes that seemed to dance and shift with the light, giving her an almost dreamlike, ephemeral quality.
“I feel as though we’ve lived this scene before,” I commented as I reached his side, cutting my eyes toward the artwork.
He chuckled. “It’s a bit hard to not meet beneath a painting of the damnable woman, isn’t it? This palace is rather obsessed with her.”
“Very true.” As before, the turquoise bracelet on my wrist reacted as I stared up at the former Vaelora of Noctaris. The beaded bangle tightened to the point that it made me wince, and Zayn gave me a curious look.
I smiled through the discomfort, stepping away from the painting. Recalling my brother’s theory that the bracelet reacted to large concentrations of pure Vaeloran magic, I scanned our surroundings, searching for some other sign of it. Perhaps the protective spells she’d laid over this palace were anchored in all the artworks of her, somehow?
Whatever the reason, I couldn’t settle my powers enough to make any sense of it all. As the pain became nearly unbearable, I turned and continued my stroll down the hallway.
Zayn followed, his hands in his coat pockets and his expression thoughtful.
“Will you join us at dinner tonight?” I asked, still trying to distract myself from my restless magic and the bracelet that channeled it, which remained entirely too tight on my arm.
“Aleks didn’t seem to think either of us should,” he replied, keeping his gaze straight ahead. “He agreed to skip it after speaking with Bastian, as I understand it.”
I could hear unspoken concerns in his tone, so I said, “There will be other meetings for him to attend.”
“Perhaps.”
“…I still believe balance is possible. That’s the strategy I intend to suggest, first and foremost, at this first meeting. Once they’ve warmed up to the idea, we’ll introduce Aleks and Luminor.”
“And if the other leaders of Noctaris refuse to entertain any of these ideas?”
My tone hardened. “Then they don’t get my cooperation, either.”
He regarded me with a long, searching look, as though he was trying to determine how serious I was. Finally, he chuckled quietly and said, “You know, you turned out stronger than I expected, in the end.”
I brushed the compliment aside. “Well, it’s not really the end, yet,” I said, focused on twisting the beads of my bracelet around. They felt oddly warm.
“No,” he agreed, “I suppose it isn’t.”
We walked deeper into the main part of the palace. I caught the scent of the feast being prepared once more, reminding me that I was due in the banquet hall soon. We said our goodbyes, but I found myself hesitating, feeling as if things between us were unfinished.
“We’ll talk later,” I assured him. “And tell Aleks I’ll find him after this is all done, too.”
He didn’t reply right away; his eyes had glazed over and a shadow of something unreadable flickered across his face, as though his mind had drifted far away.
“Zayn?”
“Sorry.” He blinked, his eyes refocusing and his usual, easygoing smile returning in an instant. “It’s just…your dress.”
“My dress?”
“It reminds me of the one you wore on the night of the Moonweaver Festival.”
So my efforts to recreate that piece had not been in vain.
“You were beautiful that night,” he said, “and you’re beautiful now.”
I blushed, mumbling a thank you under my breath. I started to turn away, unsure of what else to say—then a realization struck me, freezing me to the spot.
Slowly, I fixed my gaze back on his.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
I swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump that had formed in my throat. “…How do you know what I looked like that night?”
He didn’t reply, but that easy smile never left his face.
The rest of the room faded around us as I took a step back. “It was two years ago. You…you were trapped in the Below two years ago. You weren’t…you…”
The ground felt as if it was dissolving beneath my feet. My stomach dropped like I was falling, plummeting through a nightmare, everything around me racing by while I desperately tried to grab hold of something to slow me down. I thought I might be able to jerk myself awake if only I could get my hands around something, anything—
But when everything finally went still, the Lord of the North Reaches was still standing before me. Still smiling at me.
Run , urged a voice in the back of my mind. Run!
But I refused to show my panic. “Please excuse me for a moment,” I said. “I’ve forgotten something in my room.”
“By all means.” He gave a slight bow, and I escaped without another word, trying to move as calmly as I could despite the warnings screaming through me.
When I chanced a look over my shoulder, he was nowhere to be seen.
I picked up my skirts and walked faster.
As soon as I turned the corner, I broke into a sprint.
But to where?
I needed help, I needed answers, I needed to find Aleks and tell him—
Unless he already knew.
The possibility stopped me in my tracks so quickly I stumbled, catching myself against the wall. I heaved for breath. Thoughts and explanations tumbled through me, each more painful, more impossible than the last.
And I realized, all at once, where I had to go.
What I had to do.
I shoved away from the wall and ran, ignoring the few people I passed, pausing for nothing and no one until I reached the chamber where Luminor awaited. With trembling hands, I began to unlock the doors. The turquoise bracelet had gone still once I put space between myself and Zayn, but now it was alive again—not painfully squeezing, but gently lifting and pulling my hand this way and that, guiding my fingers over the ruts and glyphs until they began to glow.
Fear choked the breath from my lungs and made my legs feel like they were made of rubber, but I still pushed the heavy doors open and made my way inside. I had to be stronger than the fear. I should have been stronger before now. Should have divined answers from this cursed blade when I’d had the chance.
Whatever truths awaited within it, it was past time for me to see them.
Before I reached the center pedestal, it occurred to me that I had no idea how long it would take me to work the magic I needed to—I needed to secure this room first.
I turned, fresh terror gripping me as I realized Zayn was already there, quietly shutting the doors behind him.