Chapter 56 Anastasius
The man had dark eyes, pale skin, and a sneer spread across his face. Sivert. The way he looked at Claeg made me wonder about their history—clearly, it was personal. The look of betrayal was too acute. Claeg’s hand tensed in mine, and I gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Your Circles are still broken, Ruptor. Watch yourself,” he said, his eyes glaring at my Chosen harshly. Claeg stiffened, every muscle going taut, but he didn’t rise to the bait. My lip lifted, baring my teeth. The action drew his eyes to me, and his eyes darkened. “You and your De Vita whore,” he spat.
The moment the words left his lips, Claeg snapped. He ripped himself from my grip and launched himself at Sivert. He was on him before I could even voice the lie that it was fine. It wasn’t. If there was to be peace, we needed to be respectful. Fists flew in the narrow hallway of the Circulus. Claeg’s pale skin flushed as he attacked the man.
The two men fought brilliantly, like they had a million times before. Perhaps they had. It wasn’t long before the sounds of the tussle drew a crowd. The onlookers kept their distance, giving the men room, although not much. The area was already suffocating with its walls closed in. Snarls flew through the air along with whispers from the onlookers, but blood did not despite the series of punches thrown both ways.
In the end, it was a short fight, Claeg getting the upper hand when Sivert went for his dagger. Too slow. Claeg grabbed his wrist and thrust it back above his head, slamming it into the wall hard enough to shatter bone, yet it didn’t. Sivert released the hilt, and Claeg caught it in the air by the blade. It didn’t even slice his skin. My Chosen brought the weapon to the man’s pulse point at his neck and bared his teeth. Their chests were so close they touched, the position intimate.
“Insult what is mine again and I will complete your Circle. Your life blood will decorate my skin with its final story before you can beg for mercy,” Claeg growled, applying pressure to the dagger. Sivert’s eyes flashed, and when he swallowed, the edge scraped along his skin. Sivert glowered at Claeg but hissed with a sharp nod. The weapon clattered to the floor, and Sivert’s head smacked into the wall after Claeg gave him a final shove.
“Ercan,” he grunted. My friend materialized as if he had been waiting for the order. He looked well, and I breathed a little easier upon seeing Rohit with him. He was dressed in the simple robes of the Circulus. Both of them looked a little on edge—Rohit palming his side for a weapon that wasn’t there and Ercan with a strained smile. “Prepare Anastasius for our Entwining tomorrow. The rest of you,” he all but growled to the onlooking Circulus, “find a task worthy of your Circles.” Immediately, the crowd scattered at his tone, which sent a thrill down my spine. Here, Claeg was different. Different but the same. He didn’t restrain his strength or dominating presence. My blood pumped boundlessly with desire. When Claeg turned towards me, my heart rate skyrocketed. “You will be safe here. Even a thought to harm you will be met with a Circle completed,” he vowed. It should have scared me, but it didn’t. His eyes fell upon Ercan and then Rohit, to whom he nodded. Within moments, he was out of sight and I was left surrounded by Circulus.
“Come, my Prince De Vita.” Ercan gestured for me to follow him. My heart leapt into my throat at the way he addressed me. It wasn’t unusual for him, but the fact that he did it here, in front of his former clan . . . that unnerved me. Not out of fear for myself but for him. What if we ran into another draconis that disapproved like Sivert obviously did? It wasn’t that I didn’t believe Claeg’s words to protect me, but even he wasn’t a mind reader. And yet, his Ruptor could sense things. Could he read intent as well as weakness? He had never mentioned that ability, but there were a lot of things I didn’t know about my Chosen. I knew his favorite food was burnt bacon, that nightmares kept him from sleep more often than not, the color red incensed him, that the sky was his refuge, and that he liked to be in control but secretly craved being dominated in the bedroom.
He brought me to a small room with no hearth, just an open window and a small bed in the corner. “It is tradition to spend the night before the Entwining apart from your mate,” Ercan explained. I cocked an eyebrow at him.
“But one of us will always be by your side,” Rohit jumped in. He opened and closed his fists restlessly.
“Are you going to tell me what it means to be Entwined?” I asked, plopping down on the bed. The blankets weren’t soft like they were in the De Vita, but they were thick and would keep me warm in the cooler air.
He shrugged. “It is not unlike the Choosing. Vows are shared. Oaths proclaimed.” His eyes sparkled. “It is beautiful, De Vita. You will not be disappointed.”
I scoffed. As if being joined to Claeg could ever be disappointing.
“I will see you in the morning, Anastasius,” Ercan murmured, nodding to Rohit before slipping out of the room like a shadow.
Then I was alone with Rohit. His watchful gaze scrutinized my back as I looked out the window. The view was so utterly different from De Vita’s endless sand dunes and sparse vegetation around the oasis. Here, the trees were lush, a dark green bursting with leaves and flowers. The air was thick with humidity and the scent of salt, woods, and citrus—everything that was Claeg. Waves crashed upon a small shore far below the jagged cliffs. A deep blue ocean rolled endlessly, the falling sun reflecting an array of purples and pinks into the sky. Artists in the De Vita had tried to capture such beautiful colors and scenes, but in comparison they were underwhelming. Nothing could compare to the beauty of the Circulus.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Stas?” Rohit asked quietly. I sighed, tearing my gaze from the spectacular sight. My eyes fell upon my friend, wincing at the swelling in his face. To his credit, he didn’t show any pain. When I returned, nothing would keep me from exacting revenge on Oriana for what she had done to her brother.
I didn’t answer right away, not wanting to dismiss my friend's concerns. I allowed myself to truly think about his question. Did I want this? It would possibly mean a lifetime of struggling to keep the peace between the clans. There would be squabbles. Disagreements. Mistakes. But when I thought of the alternative—living a life in fear of death and enforcing suffering, continuing on the way we were, my stomach rolled. I thought of what things could be—the freedom to go wherever we wanted, to embrace death when we were ready, to Choose whomever we wanted. It was everything I had ever wanted. And that wasn’t taking Claeg into consideration. He was the ultimate prize, but I had to remember that my choices affected more than just me. I was De Vita. I let my eyes find Rohit’s. They were crinkled with concern, but I knew whatever I decided he would support me. My head dipped slowly.
“Okay,” he answered, and it was as simple as that.
“Do you think they are okay?” I asked, biting my lip. I found myself ruminating on everyone back at the De Vita stronghold. What was happening there? Was my mother handling things? Had Calian overseen the remainder of the trial? What would I return to? Did the people hate me or were they desperate for my return? My thoughts wandered to Thyia and everyone in the infirmary. Guilt pulled at my gut. There were so many souls there suffering, but I had fled. I left everything in chaos, abandoning my clan without direction. Sure, I had killed my father, but the likelihood that they would hurt me was low. I was the new De Vita.
“I think they are confused, maybe hurt. But I also know many of them love you. It won’t be easy, but if you’re willing to be patient, I think most of them will come around.” He chose his words carefully, but I could see what he wasn’t saying. There would be resistance. Perhaps from Calian, Hariasa, Oriana. Others. Would my mother support me? I couldn’t count on it, but I knew I could rely on Rohit, Ercan, and Claeg. And that was enough.