Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
“You should try and sleep,” Sebastian whispered into the shimmering night sky.
“How am I supposed to sleep up here?” My body bounced with our horse’s movement, rubbing against him in the process and creating feelings I really did not want to feel about him at the moment.
“We can talk some more about what happened this afternoon if you'd like?” He hadn’t said much on the matter yet, but I knew he was steaming inside over it.
My arms tightened around him, holding on for life as Kade’s horse picked up speed and ours knowingly matched his pace. “I’d rather not, but I’m sure you have more to say about it, so let it out.”
“Gladly.” He expended his breath. “You have been on my ass about hiding shit from you, and then you keep this from me?” Turns out, Kade knew about the hole in the arena and decided that the perfect time to bring it up was after my tree mishap. Asshole.
“Yes.” I didn’t even try to defend myself, because that was exactly what I did. If he was going to withhold the truth from me, then why shouldn’t I do the same? Not the best foundation to build a relationship on, but clearly the foundation we started on wasn't too swell, either.
“Alright then,” Sebastian scoffed, the sound having a lingering confusion to it. “At least you're self-aware.”
“But the difference, Prince Hawthorne, is that what I kept from you, was not about you. And also, this isn’t really a surprise—I mean, did we really think I’d have perfect control over this right away anyway?”
His jaw clicked at the use of his most dreaded title. “No…But the same principle applies.”
“Eh.” I shrugged, my palms rolling up his chest a bit in the process. “Kinda, sorta, not really.”
“You’re just trying to tweak me, aren't you?”
“Is it working?”
He grumbled under his breath.
“Also to be fair, you didn’t ask,” I added with a hint of attitude and a shrug.
“I didn’t think I had to. I figured if you were having a hard time with something that you would’ve shared that information with me—with anyone.”
“I’m sure I would have told Sawyer or Pia eventually—once I was absolutely positive that I had the control level of a natural disaster.” Until the tree, there had been some hope that I could control my new power.
With the lack of his name on that short list, we then welcomed the morning hours in vocal silence.
My brain however, was louder than usual.
How did things between him and me turn to shit so quickly?
I never expected him of all people to be the one keeping secrets from me, and the more I thought about it, the more it made my heart ache.
My normal breathing turned to mostly yawns as I fought the will to fall asleep. Despite the blaring morning sun, I almost lost the battle. That was until Kade and his horse came to a sudden halt, ours following in pursuit and startling my limp body upright.
“We are about to enter the borders of Draemor. The castle grounds are just a few miles from here.” Kade reached around in his saddle bag and pulled out a pair of elbow-length gloves, tossing them to me. “Put these on. The last thing we need is anyone catching a glimpse of your markings.”
He may have been a pompous ass, but Kade was smart.
“Put your Draemornian armor on, too. I know Archer said not to let you in the castle grounds, but I have a feeling you’ll be safer there with us than you would be out here,” he added.
“I was planning on going, anyway,” I replied, rolling the leather gloves onto my fingers.
“Shocking,” Sebastian spat out sardonically. “I tried to tell them, but no one listened…”
In the wake of rejecting Sebastian's offering to help me off of our horse, I put on the armor we’d stolen. The chest plate and helmet were fairly big on me, but they served their purpose, concealing my identity.
With our bodies properly camouflaged, we remounted our steeds and cautiously rode into the Kingdom of Draemor.
A gravel roadway flowed up and out of the forest, leading us to a set of sealed iron gates. We halted in front of them so Sebastian could address the nearest guard.
“Long trip back from the ruins of Caelestis. Lost a horse, too.” He gestured to where I rode behind him. “Care to open these gates?”
The soldier’s narrow gaze raked over us before he bobbed his bald head. Two others stepped forward, using their strength to unbolt and open the gate.
Even with the sweat dripping down my face as we rode past them, I was immensely grateful for the Draemornian helmet that matted my hair.
The road led directly to the front of the castle, surpassing a few small huts and shops along the way. The protective fortress stood taller than Caelestis’ castle had, but it was dark and dreary. Nothing like the fortress I had met Sebastian and my friends in.
We veered a sharp right, a new pathway leading us towards a stone terrace, swarmed with the residents of Draemor.
We dismounted our horses, tying them to an empty fence post off to the side.
“Why are they all standing there?” I whispered to Sebastian, my eyes steady on the ever-growing group of civilians.
“Looks like they’re waiting for something.”
“Duh,” I mocked, to which he rolled his eyes while simultaneously fighting off a snort of amusement.
“Should we see if we can get any information out of one of these people?” Jensen suggested, pointing vaguely to the crowd. “The less we have to venture into the grounds, the better.”
“Yes. All we really need to know right now is if that bastard lives,” Kade responded. “Everyone meet back here in twenty minutes.” His eyes roamed towards me. “And nobody do anything stupid. If you get yourself killed, your body is staying here.”
I grimaced. “Lovely eulogy, Kade.”
Sebastian lifted his headgear enough to grant me a clear glimpse of the concern flickering in his eyes. “Stay close by. Please, Maeve. I’m begging you.”
Going against my original intentions, my growing anxiety forged the agreement with a quick bob of my helmet.
The rest of our group split when we stepped onto the patio, but I remained near Sebastian. We maneuvered to the front of the crowd, stopping a few paces from a stone podium settled upon a raised platform.
Nonchalantly, Sebastian elbowed a stranger beside him. “We just returned from duty at one of the northern outposts. What’s going on here?”
The older woman turned to him, her graying curls blowing in the gentle morning breeze. “We’re waiting for the meeting to start.”
“Meeting? About what?”
She smiled, though still looked mildly taken aback. “King Beaumont is about to make his first public appearance since the battle of Caelestis. You didn't hear before you left?”
My pulse jumped, skipping a few beats. How the fuck did he survive that? I nearly died—probably would have if my father hadn't found me when he did—so how in the gods' names did Beaumont make it out?
“Of course.” Sebastian falsely chuckled. “How could I forget?” He thanked the woman then ushered me to the back of the crowd.
“Well, that was easy,” I whispered, trying to mask the dread in my words.
“I knew it was too good to be true.” He shook his head. “We have some time, let's see if we can get more information from some others.”
We spent a few minutes chatting with the locals. I learned that Cyprian returned to Draemor in one piece, though was severely injured. Their healers had been working diligently to mend him, and today was the first day since the battle that he felt well enough to speak.
We were preparing to return to our horses when the douchebag himself appeared behind the podium.
Cheers combined with ludicrous clapping tunneled through my eardrums, and at the sight of the King of Draemor, I thought I might be sick. The reminders of his cruel words and plans for me mobbed my brain, creating a heavy fog over every firing nerve.
At the sound of my breathing getting heavy, Sebastian’s fingers teased mine.
“You okay?” he asked under his breath, his attention not swaying from the podium.
I didn’t answer, but grabbed onto his fingertips, using his touch to soothe me for the first time since the battle.
When the clapping ceased, Beaumont’s jaw curved into a wicked smile. He looked rundown—his under eyes nearly black and his chin sporting a deep scar—but there wasn’t an active wound on him.
“Good afternoon, citizens of Draemor. It has been far too long since I saw you last, and in that time, so much has happened,” Cyprian called out to the crowd.
“First, I want to thank you all for your well wishes. Thanks to our miraculous healers, I am feeling even better than I was before the battle. Second, I am afraid we must get right down to business, as I have information to disclose that may bring fear upon you all. But I am here to tell you not to fret, as I have a plan to keep you all safe.”
My eyebrow raised. Safe from what? Himself?
Another body joined him on the stage—a soldier dressed head to toe in armor.
“It brings me great displeasure to have to tell you this, but myself and Julian,” Beaumont ushered to the man next to him, “witnessed Maeve Willawood destroy some of our best soldiers with her bare hands. As if she was not gifted enough with her constellastones, it seems as though the goddess, Blythe, has granted her an even greater gift.” His eyes darkened as they scanned the crowd.
“She has been granted the markings of a god.”
Gasps and words of pure shock emitted from the crowd.
“I found it hard to believe at first, too. But the myth of the markings has been brought to life with Maeve. And though we do not know precisely what this means, do not fear. As I said before, I always have a plan.” Beaumont paced behind the podium.
“This woman is clearly too powerful to be allowed to roam freely throughout the land, so I vow to make it my number one priority to see to it that she is detained and held in Draemor. Here, we will be able to control her power, and should we need it, we can utilize it.”