Chapter 30 #2
I nodded and moved to exit the airy and open space.
“Hold on, Aella,” Onyx said before cutting in between Talitha and me.
“Look, you don’t have to be secretive with us.
I know Chrome. I’ve been his second-in-command with the Elementals for years now.
Gray is a close friend of mine. I know I just arrived,” he aimed at Talitha, “and I, as well as the others, am grateful for the hospitality and for offering us your home as a refuge. But we’re on the same mission here.
Gray had us headed toward Arcadia…the Celestial Castle, specifically…
to find a guy named Valik. Slate told us he’s someone who could help us find answers.
So please, if there’s a way for me to help save my queen, let me in. ”
I chewed on my lip, contemplating his plea, unsure of what to make of the case he made for himself.
Talitha let her arms fall to her sides, focusing her attention on Onyx as she seemed to analyze the star flecks in his pitch-black hair.
“Okay then. Come with me.” Just before she exited the room, she said over her shoulder to Aella, “I’ll be back.
Please be comfortable and rest. You’re safe here and will be informed of everything as soon as possible. ”
Aella grinned. It was warm, softening the tension in the room with a pure and gentle energy that she exuded. “Thank you. I’ll be fine. Just need to replenish my element. This room is already doing wonders.”
I wanted to hate the woman. She was beautiful. It was obvious she carried a natural grace and elegance about her that was kind. I could see why Onyx liked her. All the reasons I admired her were the same reasons I envied her.
I walked out of the room first, followed by Talitha, then Onyx.
Talitha closed the door, giving Aella privacy. She released a breath before saying, “Follow me to my office. I’ll explain on the way.”
During the trek, Talitha asked Onyx about what had led them here.
After explaining how Chrome had gone Infernal and Slate had appeared back at the Hollow with Gray and then armed them with bits of information regarding Arcadia and Celanea, he then detailed what sounded like one shitshow after another.
What caught me off guard—but shouldn’t have—was the fact that Elementals and Kinetics were in another all-out war.
Blatant blitz attacks, especially now that the Royal Domain had fallen, leaving the rest of the Kinetics to disperse to different domains and band together in an effort to eradicate the Elemental race finally, with no leader.
Onyx then explained how, in the middle of the night, Chrome popped up out of nowhere.
My jaw nearly dropped when he mentioned that he’d brought Onyx’s pain-in-the-ass ex-girlfriend, Royal, and left her behind.
That answered the question of why she’d been with them as a prisoner.
One minor consolation was that he seemed quite disturbed by her sudden appearance. Still, I had so many questions.
We reached Talitha’s office. After ushering us inside, she gestured for Onyx and me to take a seat.
She waved a hand, and a leather-bound book drifted from one of the shelves on the wall into her palms. While flipping casually through the thick, yellowed pages, Talitha paced behind her desk until she found what she was looking for and then carefully sat in her seat.
“Okay. Here.” She flipped the book around so it wasn’t upside down for us.
Onyx and I leaned forward in unison, our forearms pressed against the top of the desk. A hand-drawn map, sprawling across both pages, stared back at us.
“We are here.” The High Priestess pointed to the top right-hand corner of the page.
“The Wind Kingdom is down here,” she continued, pointing to a spot on the left page near the center.
“It’s quite the journey, and the layout is different now due to the veil’s collapse, but if you follow the perimeters of Terraguard’s land, then you can just go around them, and you’ll still be on track when you get back on Arcadia land. ”
I glanced beside me. Onyx’s brows were furrowed in deep concentration as he listened and studied the map. “What are the other threats we need to be aware of? And what can we do to protect ourselves?”
“The threats are endless.” Talitha sighed. “But I think we can provide you with some help.”
“Such as?” Onyx prompted, leaning back in his seat.
“Well, as Mystics, we can provide you with some protections that will help ward off creatures consumed by dark magic.” She tapped her nails on the desk.
“There is also another avenue. I don’t know if it’ll work or not, but it’s worth a try.
” With a sigh, she continued. “There’s a majestic creature called the ceraber.
She is a being beholden to the Celestial realm, who serves only the king and queen, so she is not ours to command.
But since the turmoil in Arcadia, she has roamed helplessly, searching for her queen and king.
It wasn’t until recently that she appeared in our territory, and we have given her a safe haven until we can bring Gray back. ”
I raised an eyebrow, wondering what we were expected to do with this creature. “And how will she help us exactly?”
“You’ll ride her. Not only will it cut down your travel time significantly, but she can sense the dark magic and stay clear of it.
Her role before the Celestials were cast out was to protect the king and queen.
She was an official member of their court, having a soul connection with the true queen.
The ceraber is one of the very few creatures remaining in Arcadia who has avoided falling to the Tempests’ Syphon Bond as they continue to bleed the realm dry of natural magic from the aether.
I trust she’ll be able to get you both to her queen safely. ”
“And what if she doesn’t allow us to hitch a ride with her? Then what?” Onyx asked. I was glad he did because I wondered the same thing.
Talitha shrugged. “Then you’re on your own.”
“Forgive me, but is there a reason why you didn’t offer Scarlett, Valik, and me this mode of transportation the first few times we visited? Could’ve prevented the entire Endarkened unicorn fiasco…” I asked, feeling snubbed by the fact that the option had been available the whole time.
“The ceraber doesn’t belong to us, nor does she answer to us. She answers to her queen. That’s where her loyalty lies. Because you’re on a mission to help the queen, the likelihood of gaining her assistance is much higher.”
“Oh, how I’ve yearned to glimpse your face again since you nearly killed me a few months back, just so I can slit your throat,” Onyx said to Royal on the other side of the bars.
Talitha had allowed us to borrow the book with the map. And before we arrived to pay a visit to our newest prisoner, she and a few of the other elder Mystics had weaved and chanted spells over mixed herbs that we were instructed to take for our protection against the vile Tempest magic.
My eyes tightened. When had Royal tried to kill Onyx?
Royal, her rich aqua hair now trimmed short into a bob, giggled. “Oh, we always have so much fun, don’t we, love bottom?”
“Loads,” Onyx replied dryly. “You have exactly five minutes to start talking, or I get to live out my own little fantasy of staining your throat red. I think it’ll go great with your hair.”
Gods, these two were even more twisted now than when they’d been together before. I never thought they could become more toxic, but here we were.
“There’s nothing to tell, baby. I just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.” She gave her classic doe eyes, puckering out her bottom lip in an exaggerated gesture.
“Your five minutes start now,” Onyx said, pulling out his dagger. “Don’t tempt me with a good time, Royal…”
Royal teasingly bit her lip, slinking closer to the rails. “I’ll always tempt you.”
“The only thing you’re tempting me with right about now is an Endarkened’s kiss.”
Royal rolled her eyes and slumped against the rail. “You’ve become boring with age.”
“And you’ve grown more repulsive, which is quite impressive, really.”
I remained by Onyx as he dealt with Royal. This was definitely more his territory than mine, but we didn’t have time to waste. “Hurry up. We need to leave.”
Onyx pretended not to hear me, as he maintained a hard stare with his nemesis. “First, I need to know how your Kinetic blade nearly killed me back at the Perry Hollow.”
“It was a blade the king gave me. Told me to test it out.” Royal shrugged. “Is there a reward for me being a good girl and answering your questions by chance?”
“Sure thing, baby girl.” Onyx smiled, a crooked one that insinuated dirty things. My stomach soured at the thought.
Royal perked up. “Oh, really?”
“Mhmm.” Onyx stepped closer to the bars, trailing a finger slowly down one of the metallic poles.
“You’ll see,” he promised, his voice dropping into the husky tone that had me hardening.
I ground my teeth, fighting against the instinct my body had always had with him, even if it wasn’t directed at me. “Why were you with Chrome?”
“The king had me go with him as a backup to help bring back that whore daughter of his.” Royal shrugged again.
Onyx continued to caress the bar with his forefinger, but with her reply, he added his middle finger. “What exactly does he want with her, baby?”
“Probably to torture her, I guess.” Royal’s eyes sparkled as she bit her lip, entranced by Onyx’s fingers.
I, however, wanted to vomit. But if Onyx’s tactics were working, I wouldn’t outwardly complain.
“You know what I’m most excited about?” she asked, her voice sounding like she was speaking to a baby.
Onyx groaned. “Please tell me.”
“I can’t wait for the king to get everything done with her that he needs to, so he can finally announce that I’m his true daughter, the rightful heir to the Kinetic throne.” She giggled and then made a dreamy sigh.
Onyx’s finger motions froze, as did I. “What do you mean by that?”
“Ah, I’ve been literally dying holding onto this secret for so long. It’s great to finally be able to tell someone. Much less you, my love. Isn’t it great? You can be my prince!” Royal’s excitement was unsettling.
Clearly, someone was lying somewhere. “How–how is that possible?” Onyx asked.
“I was my daddy’s best-kept little secret all these years.
After you and Chrome fled like the cowards you were, I worked diligently to earn my place by the king’s side.
After busting my ass to become a Warrior in the Guilds, I proved my undying loyalty to him.
But he’d always been partial to me over the others.
I’d always thought it was because I stood out with my cunning talent and skill.
But the truth was something far better than I ever expected.
I was actually his birth daughter. And one he was actually proud of, unlike the brat that tramped all over our home for so many years, wearing the fucking crown.
He’d made me promise to stay quiet about being his daughter because I was considered illegitimate, and he didn’t want the people to hate me the way they rightfully hated Gray. ”
Royal suddenly dropped her facade of being aloof and horny as her mask slipped from her face.
“When Father appeared at the Charleston Domain with Chrome in tow, I knew it was my time to shine. I just needed a leader to replace me there first before I left.” For the first time since Onyx and I arrived, she turned to face me.
“Looks like your dad has earned himself a pay raise, Sjodin. What a disappointment you turned out to be. A traitorous Inquisitor. I wonder how bad it’ll hurt your daddy to watch you die for your crimes, just like he did with your mother. ”