Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
PHOENIX
For the Black Night, Ezkai Castle is turned into the most lavish estate I’ve ever seen. The lush gardens are illuminated with dim lights along the stone paths, and I feel like I’m in a fairy tale as we make our way inside.
Hundreds of people are here tonight, and the castle is crowded. Vera tries to introduce me to as many people as she can. Almost everyone here knows her, because as we make our way towards the main hall, people greet her one after another.
By the time we arrive at the grand hall, I’ve met half of the guests. I don’t remember any of the names, though, and my head is spinning. I’m overwhelmed with the never-ending chatter and the curious eyes.
“You’re doing very well so far,” Vera tells me.
“Everyone’s staring,” I say, trying very hard to keep the pleasant smile on my face.
“They better be. That dress was expensive.” She jerks her chin at a group of nobles wearing different-color tunics embroidered with gold.
“You see that group there? They’re part of the hundred and thirty noble families in Ekios that make up House Dzuni.
I want you to meet this group because they were Kitajo’s most trusted Dzuni.
We want their support. If they choose to get behind you, it’ll be advantageous for us because they can sway the rest of House Dzuni to our side. ”
I nod my head, eyeing the group.
“I’ll go get us something to drink,” Vera says. “Stay here and don’t get into trouble.”
Before I can say anything, Vera disappears into the crowd. Many eyes are on me, which makes my skin prickle. I’m so out of practice with social events like these. It’s hard to believe I used to be a natural when it comes to socializing in the high society.
“You look stunning in that dress,” a familiar voice says from behind me. “I find it hard to keep my eyes off you.”
A shiver runs down my spine. My heart races as I turn to find Daegel standing there. A breath catches in my throat. He’s even more handsome than I remember in a tailored black suit and a crisp white shirt with the top two buttons loose.
“Thank you,” I say.
For a heartbeat, we stare at each other in silence. I have no idea where we stand. He was so angry with me last time we spoke. A hole the size of all three continents stretches between us.
Finally, Daegel leans a little closer. “I miss you, princess.”
The familiar scent of pine forest after rain tickles my nose. His voice alone does things to my body that unnerve me.
Hearing those words, full of warmth and affection, makes my knees weak. My shoulders sag with relief. “I miss you too,” I whisper.
He offers me his hand. I place mine into his and he brings it to his mouth. His lips gently brush the back of my palm. For a brief moment, I can’t remember why we’re on the opposite sides of the fence.
It’s dangerous for us to be next to each other. To touch. It’s as if we’re back in the Ezkai Academy all over again, when I was a cadet and he was my instructor.
“You put us in a very complicated situation, Phoenix,” he says.
His tone has no accusation, but the words that spill out of his mouth ignite anger within me. He’s blaming this on me? I rip my hand away from him.
“You’re back to being a dick about it, I see,” I say.
All I can focus on is him in that moment. The sound of the crowd around us dims.
Daegel sighs and shakes his head. “Phoenix, you don’t need to be here. You don’t even care about Ekios or its future. All you seek is power to get your vengeance. Vengeance I can offer you even now, without being the General.”
“And you care about Ekios’s future?” I challenge. “If that were the true, you wouldn’t be the Caligos-chosen champion. Do you even want to be here, or is the collar around your neck so tight you don’t even know what you want and what your father wants for you?”
Anger flashes in his gaze.
It’s a low blow, I know. But if he’s going to play dirty, so am I.
“Is that what you think of me? That I’m a puppet with no free will?”
We’re standing very close now, our chests almost touching. It’s as if we’re always gravitating towards each other, despite anything.
“I don’t know what to think, Daegel. You told me you want to find a way out of your legacy. That was what, three months ago? And now that the General was mysteriously assassinated, you’re playing along with your father’s game like a good little soldier.”
A muscle ticks in his jaw. The air between us is charged with tension. His next words are a punch to my gut, “Is your need for vengeance worth sacrificing love?”
Someone clears their throat behind me. I glance over my shoulder to find Vera with two glasses of plum blossom wine in a hand.
“Vera D’Argent.” Daegel dips his chin in greeting and takes a step away from me. “My condolences. I know you were deeply involved with the late Ezkai General. What a loss it must be.”
His words are laced with venom. I’m stunned by it.
“Ezkai Daegel. Appreciate your kindness,” Vera says flatly. “If you’ll excuse us now, I have someone I want Phoenix to meet.”
Vera hands me one of the glasses and places a hand on my shoulder. The gentle squeeze she gives me is full of warning. Before Daegel can say anything else, Vera steers me away from him. His gaze lingers on me until we disappear behind a sea of people.
“I thought I was clear about your relationship with Daegel,” Vera whispers into my ear.
“You were,” I say, voice thick. I clear my throat. “We’re not together anymore. It wasn’t a pleasant chat you witnessed.”
Vera surveys me for a second, as if trying to determine if I’m lying to her. Then she says, “The pain of a heart breaking is one of a kind.”
Before I can answer, a familiar face appears in front of us.
“Vera, dear,” Taaslord Noire says, smiling. He turns to me. “Ezkai Phoenix. What a pleasure to see you two here tonight.”
Thin tendrils of shadows creep up his neck. Immediately, my eyes snap to them. It doesn’t go unnoticed. “My shadows scare you, Ezkai Phoenix? They shouldn’t.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, Taaslord,” I say. “It’s just that I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Noire’s eyes sparkle. “I was touched by the spirits of the gods when I had a near-death experience. Instead of claiming me and allowing me to rest in their realm, they decided to send me back with a little gift.”
My eyebrows hike all the way to my hairline. What. The. Fuck.
Noire says, “As I said, my shadows are not something you should be scared of. They’re only a concern for my enemies.”
I look at Vera. A corner of her mouth twitches up in amusement. I have a feeling it’s a gentle warning. They might be on my side, supporting me as their chosen champion. But it doesn’t mean I have their full trust.
“I’m glad we’re on the same team, then,” I say, and lift my glass in salute.
The plum blossom wine is sweet on my tongue but it burns my throat just as bad as whiskey does.
“Me too, Ezkai Phoenix,” Noire says. “Vera, are we on track?” She nods. He dips his chin at us. “Perfect. Now if you excuse me, I have to leave you two. Duty calls.”
Taaslord Noire whirls on his heel and departs.
We all but make it three steps before a pair of Ezkai approach us.
Two very familiar faces, one pleasant—Ezkai Cassandra, my emotional manipulation instructor from the Ezkai Academy, with blue-as-sky eyes and dark skin.
And one not so pleasant—Ezkai Gavriel, the politics and history instructor with a scarred face and haunted eyes.
“Ezkai Phoenix, good to see you,” Ezkai Cassandra says with a smile. She glances at Ezkai Gavriel at her side. “We were surprised to hear that you’ve signed up for the trials. But thrilled nonetheless.”
Ezkai Gavriel’s gaze is sharp and unkind as he looks me up and down. “Nothing but audacity still, I see.”
The familiar brutal honesty makes me chuckle. It forces Ezkai Gavriel to arch one eyebrow at me.
“Thank you, Ezkai Cassandra,” I say to my favorite instructor with a smile. Then, I turn to Ezkai Gavriel and say, “Nothing but bitter insults still, I see.”
Ezkai Gavriel purses his lips, but Ezkai Cassandra chuckles. She loops her hand through his arm, a familiar and intimate gesture.
My gaze snaps to the place where their bodies connect. I blink, my mind reeling.
No. Fucking. Way.
When I look up and meet Ezkai Cassandra’s gaze, there must be a question shining in my eyes because she says, “Opposites attract, they say.”
Dumbfounded, I nod. Vera exchanges a few pleasantries with my instructors and then they walk off.
I don’t get a moment of reprieve before Vera’s hand is on my elbow and she’s leading me through the crowd towards the group of nobles she pointed out before.
“Noblewoman Genji,” Vera says to the fae with salt-and-pepper hair in a lilac silk tunic. She then turns to a fae man next to her in a matching tunic, but his is a deep forest green. “Nobleman Uringi. It’s wonderful to see you both tonight.”
“Vera D’Argent,” Noblewoman Genji says. She places a hand over her heart, and her gaze softens. “My sincerest condolences, my dearest.”
Vera’s throat bobs, the only indication of distress. She nods. “Thank you, noblewoman. Appreciate it.”
Nobleman Uringi stares at me as if my presence alone offends him.
“I wanted to personally introduce Ezkai Lieutenant Phoenix Wildarrow to you,” Vera says. I bow my head in respect to both nobles. “She’s my chosen champion, as you’ve probably heard by now.”
Noblewoman Genji’s face is open, gaze curious when she observes me. “Well, if Vera supports you, Ezkai Phoenix, then you must be special. We trust Vera’s judgment, don’t we Nobleman Uringi?”
The man looks me up and down with pursed lips. He has a rather unpleasant face and dark, unsettling eyes.
“What choice do we have,” he says dismissively.
What a fucking asshole.
“It’s an honor to meet you both,” I say, swallowing the attitude. “A support from noble families like yours that are so respected and powerful during Val’taz Ezkairin would mean a lot. I greatly appreciate your words, Noblewoman Genji.”
“I don’t know about them, but you definitely have support of my unit,” a voice says.
A tall fae woman with mesmerizing blond hair approaches us. She’s stunning, and even through her Ezkai leathers, I can see every sculpted muscle in her strong body.
The towering Ezkai smiles at me and dips her chin in a greeting.
“Ezkai Phoenix, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in flesh.
I’m Ezkai Major Seraphina Kult, the Protector Unit.
Our paths never crossed in the Order, but I’ve heard good things about you from Ezkai Cassandra.
I was bummed when my unit lost you to the Executioner Unit. ”
Her smile is easy, ocean-blue eyes sparkling.
“Nice to finally meet you, Ezkai Seraphina.” I bow my head lightly in return. “And thank you for your support. I’m so grateful to have Ezkai Cassandra train me during my time at the Ezkai Academy. Don’t tell it to Ezkai Gavriel, but she was my favorite instructor.”
The joke lands well—the nobles, Vera, and Ezkai Seraphina laugh.
“Your secret is safe with me,” Ezkai Seraphina says with a wink. Then she eyes Vera. There is a certain longing in Seraphina’s gaze. Another of Vera’s admirers. Can’t say I’m surprised. I bet there’s a whole army somewhere in love with Vera. “Vera. Pleasure to see you. It’s been a while.”
“Yes, Ezkai Seraphina, it has been a while. It’s good to see you, too,” Vera says. “I’m flattered that your unit chooses to support my chosen champion.”
Ezkai Seraphina chuckles. “How could we not? She’s like a breath of fresh air. Other candidates…they’re kind of boring. Same old. It would be a huge step back after having Kitajo Hiromasa for so many years as the Ezkai General.”
Noblewoman Genji dramatically waves her hand full of jewels. “Oh, it’s as if you’re reading my mind, Ezkai Seraphina. There is nothing worse than boring in this life.”
“Let’s just hope we don’t regret out decision,” Nobleman Uringi says, his face sour. “Talbot’s heir is beloved by the crowd.”
His words are like a punch in the gut. It’s a miracle my pleasant smile doesn’t waver.
Have I made a mistake by entering the trials myself?
“Don’t worry, Nobleman Uringi,” Vera says sweetly, without even missing a beat.
“Ezkai Phoenix is going to be the youngest Decarios and the first human to ever win the trials. And then she’ll be the best Ezkai General Ekios has ever seen.
All who doubted her will be devoured by the shame of their choice to support a Talbot heir. ”
The man purses his lips and hums. I’m flattered by Vera’s confidence and her words, if she truly means them. I can only hope I can live up to the expectations she’s setting.
“Forgive me, I’m so curious, Ezkai Phoenix. Does your Decarios training back in Wetra really include all those torturous things, like getting sliced up by your own will?” Noblewoman Genji asks.
I lift my chin. “Yes, noblewoman. Wetra has a very strict way of training their Decarios. We must cut ourselves a thousand times to pass the training.”
“Very strict and very outdated,” Ezkai Seraphina says.
I don’t agree nor disagree. “While we don’t condone such trainings in Ekios anymore, I must say…
it has proven to be advantageous for you so far, from what I’ve heard.
It may give you the advantage against other Val’taz Ezkairin contestants, even those with more experience. ”
I nod. “I’m counting on that.”
All of a sudden, the lights go off in the hall. We’re in a chilling darkness. Someone screams. A few shouts go around the place—soldiers giving orders.
Immediately, I go into a fighting stance, reaching for a blade I strapped to my thigh. My muscles tense, all of my senses sharpening. Just as I open them to scout the room for threats, something cold and wet slithers around my neck and over my mouth.
Similar restraints are around my wrists and legs.
I can’t move.
I want to scream, but my mouth is covered.
I have to shut my senses off because I can’t control the stream of emotions from frightened people around me.
I don’t understand what’s going on. Have the Caligos come to finish what their assassin failed to do?
Suddenly, I’m being pulled backwards, and thrown into icy cold.