Chapter 2
Two
Shaye
We're late.
By the time we get dressed and rush to the meeting, we don't have time for breakfast and my stomach growls so loudly through the halls I'm afraid every Frost Elf within twenty feet of me will hear.
I haven't been in the council room before and I'm pleased to see it's just as beautiful as I've come to expect of Stelara.
The circular table carved from white pine anchors the center of the room, floor to ceiling windows surround us in a hexagon shape.
There's only one doorway that allows access to the space and the eight high back chairs are tufted in a navy velvet.
Thrane is lounging with one leg tossed haphazardly over the armrest of his chair.
Surrounded by our companions, he sports an unreadable expression, but the second we appear in the doorway, a grin stretches across his face.
Becoming the Frost King hasn't changed his appearance in the slightest. He still wears his hair with little adornment and the gaudy crown Armas Basilius sported is nowhere to be seen.
Thrane opts to keep his simple silver band and somehow, he looks far more regal and powerful than our grandfather did with all his splendor.
"Kind of you two to join us," Thrane coos, a knowing look flashing our way. "We were about to send a search party fearing you had lost your way."
I roll my eyes. King or not, he's still my irritating cousin and for a moment I wonder if this is what it feels like to be teased by a sibling.
I claim an open chair across the table from Thrane and Atlas slips in the chair beside me.
A smirk creeps across Atlas' face, clearly replaying our morning in his mind.
I clear my throat. "Apologies, Cousin. We lost track of time."
Nyx barks a laugh, earning a ferocious side-eye.
"Indeed," Thrane raises a playful eyebrow.
"Now that we're all here" – he roots his elbow to the armrest of his chair and motions with a lazy hand – "let us get straight to it.
Bastian and his Soul Eaters are trying to reforge the portal to the underworld and release Drogon to have his revenge.
We know they need Aurelia's blood to open the portal and without a doubt they will make another attempt at retrieving her.
We need to plan our next move carefully as we interrogate the surviving Soul Eater and try to rally the other leaders to join us.
War is inevitable. We just have to convince the other kingdoms of that fact. "
Nyx reaches for food at the center of the table. "You've summed that up perfectly, your worship. Do you actually have a plan or are we supposed to come up with one for you?"
I furrow my brow. "Nyx," I chastise.
"Just asking questions," Nyx shrugs defensively as he tosses a date into his mouth.
"Our patrols have scoured the territory for the last two weeks, but it appears Bastian and his demons escaped through the mountains of Durne," Sylvane chimes in. Second in command looks good on her. "There's only one place they could be headed."
"Midori." I fill in the blanks easily enough. There's nowhere else they could be headed but home.
"That is our thinking." Sylvane nods.
"Why does everyone look so doom and gloom?" Nyx reclines in his chair. "They're a problem for later."
"They're a problem we need to deal with sooner rather than later," Thrane says matter-of-factly.
"There's no telling what Bastian is telling my pare – " I grimace and quickly correct course – "Garren and Keres.
" Though I know they're not my birth parents, I still carry love for them in my heart.
I remind myself they had no idea who I really was, that they only wanted a child to love.
The sobering thought breaks my heart further.
"He could incite a war," Eris offers, crossing her arms over her chest. She no longer hides her appearance, though I worry word will somehow reach Hydra of her whereabouts.
"War is inevitable," Thrane drawls.
I tap my fingers atop the counter. "Maybe we can stop it."
"How do you propose we do that, Kitarni?" Nyx asks. "We can't exactly visit Midori and – "
"She's a Basilius." Thrane corrects, drawing Nyx's vicious glare. "Aurelia is a Basilius. Not a Kitarni."
The tension between the two is thick and it's damn near suffocating.
"It's a nickname," I break the silence, earning a narrow-eyed stare from my cousin. "Whether you like it or not, Thrane, Kitarni is just as much a part of me as Basilius. There's no changing that."
My goal of shattering the awkwardness falls short of victory. No one speaks, no one moves. Thrane's hardened stare latches onto me and for the first time since I've known him, I wish he would speak.
"I suppose all that really matters is one day, Shaye will be a Harland," Atlas presses his hand to my thigh and squeezes reassuringly. But all his added comment does is further irritate my cousin.
Thrane rolls his eyes and takes up his lazy posture once more, kicking a leg over the armrest of his chair. "Ah yes, the engagement. Is that still a thing? I thought it was merely for show."
Atlas leans forward, rooting his elbows to the table. "Point me in the direction of the priestess and I'll marry her today."
"Perhaps," Sylvane clears her throat, diffusing the stare-off. "Perhaps, we should focus on our strategy for now."
My mother rescues me with a wink and it soothes my nerves.
"How diplomatic of you, Sylvane," Thrane offers a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Of course, you're right. We need a plan."
When no one immediately speaks, Nyx huffs, "If it's up to me, we should go to Tronovia. We can start with convincing our uncle to join the war."
Thrane quirks a brow, swiveling his attention from Nyx to Ronan. "You have been here for nearly a month. Surely you have had correspondence with him about the matter."
"He has been updated," Ronan confirms. "But Tronovians, especially one as shrewd as my father, won't promise troops or resources without a sit-down meeting first."
Thrane taps his fingers against the armrests of his chair. A barely-there grin graces his face for a split second before he lifts his head. A decision has been made.
"We travel to Tronovia in one week's time." Thrane declares and glances from person-to-person seeking agreement. When no one objects he nods. "Good. Then we will make the necessary travel arrangements. We will go over logistics in three days."
The meeting was short and to the point, just as Thrane seems to like. With instructions given, everyone abandons their seats and heads for the door, but as soon as I slip my hand into Atlas' and stand, Thrane clears his throat.
"Aurelia, a moment in private."
Atlas winks at me and squeezes my hand once before leaving. Nyx sits back down and kicks his feet up on the table.
"Did you need something or are you hard of hearing?" Thrane side-eyes him.
Nyx rolls his shoulders back, meeting Thrane's glare with one of his own. "I am her bodyguard. Where she goes, I go."
And how he has kept to that promise ever since Bastian's attack. If I'm not with Atlas, Nyx is nipping at my heels.
"I believe I requested a private audience with Aurelia."
Nyx grabs a hand full of dates and tosses them one by one in his mouth completely unbothered. "Pretend I'm not here. I'll be quiet."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Nyx – "
"Orders are orders," Nyx interrupts me.
It's been hard for him to accept how close I was to being taken and how close his brother was to being executed.
I know Nyx well enough now to understand he puts that entire incident on his shoulders and bares it as his failure to protect me.
It will be virtually impossible to convince him to leave my side, and I'm learning to pick my battles wisely.
I don't have the energy to fight everyone.
"Fine," I allow. "But not a word."
Nyx drags his fingers along his lips and tosses the imaginary key behind him.
I glance at my cousin. "Should I sit?"
"If it suits you. I don't anticipate this being a long conversation."
I reclaim my seat as Thrane cocks his head to the side. For a moment we sit in complete and utter silence. Not sure if he's waiting for me to explain my tardiness this morning or if he has something important to say and is mulling over the right words.
"This morning – "
I roll my eyes and groan. "We were a few minutes late. It won't happen again. And no, I won't be explaining why we were late. I think a grown man can figure that out on his own."
Nyx suppresses a giggle, and even Thrane cracks the faintest smile.
"I appreciate your candor, Cousin. I know exactly what delayed you. The Shadow Wielder seems most impressive."
"You don't like him, do you?"
"I don't know him well enough to like him or dislike him, Aurelia." Thrane sips his water. "But your private life isn't why I asked you to stay."
"But you said this morning – "
"Yes, this morning, I went down to the dungeons and interrogated the surviving Soul Eater."
Blush creeps across my face. I basically offered the fact Atlas and I were late because we were having sex up on a silver platter. I swallow my embarrassment and clear my throat.
"And?" Is all I can manage.
"And," Thrane continues, "He refused to speak to me. Demanded to see you."
"No." Nyx interjects, earning menacing glares from both of us.
"I thought you agreed to be so quiet we wouldn't know you were here." Thrane's sarcasm isn't missed by Nyx, rather ignored.
"You're not parading her downstairs to talk with some Soul Eater. What if he attacks her?"
"There's no point in killing me," I reassure Nyx. "They need my blood."
"Correct," Nyx bobs his head, seriousness overtaking his playful features. "They need your blood. Not your soul."
He has a valid point. One that sends shivers down my spine.
"I will agree with you there," Thrane concedes which is odd for him. "But I assure you, this creature couldn't attack anyone even if he tried."
"And how's that?" Nyx crosses his arms over his chest.
"We have him chained in the Sol room."
"What's the Sol room?" I ask.
"Right," Thrane sighs. "I forget you don't know your family history – or history in general."
"Hey!" I snap. "That's not exactly my fault."
"No one was blaming you, Aurelia. No need for such a vicious tone this early in the morning." Thrane states calmly, rising from his seat. "I'm here to teach you. Now come along. You too, Nyx. You could benefit from a history lesson as well."
Thrane brushes past as Nyx whisper mocks behind me, "You could benefit from a history lesson as well."
"He's not wrong," I bump my hip against his.
"For the love of all good things, Kitarni, don't tell him that." Nyx's eyes widen. "He'll be more unbearable than he is already."
I laugh and slip my arm around his, tugging him forward.