Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
PHOENIX
I’ll admit, I’m extremely nervous about tonight. I know Nobleman Uringi doesn’t have many warm feelings towards me already. If something disappears from his treasury during the party he threw in my honor…I bet he’ll hate me.
“I would make a great Caetra,” Jax says. He walks between me and Vera, looking at both of us for confirmation. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
I don’t bother to answer him.
Sure, the wide silk shirt he wears with a deep V going all the way down to his belly button looks damn good. His massive eagle tattoo on his chest is out on display, and his oiled-up skin gleams whenever it catches light as we make our way towards Uringi’s estate.
Jax looks hot. I can admit it even if I despise him.
It doesn’t mean he needs to know I think he’s hot.
“You’re not wrong,” Vera says. “I know quite a few noblewomen who enjoy a company of men like you.”
“What exactly do you mean by saying ‘men like me’?”
Vera and I exchange a silent glance and I snort a laugh.
Jax frowns. “Hey! That’s absolutely not fair. I want in on the joke, too.”
Vera pats his shoulder. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’re at the center of the joke.”
The face Jax makes is priceless.
Vera turns serious. “Remember, the heirloom is in the private treasury connected to Uringi’s bedroom.
You’ll have to get in there unnoticed towards the end of the party.
Once you have it, give me a sign so we can wrap the party up.
We need to be swift and on time, because later tonight, I have people breaking into Uringi’s estate to steal some stuff so it looks like the heirloom went missing then, and not during a party. ”
“You’re wicked,” Jax says with a wide smile.
“I’m who I need to be.”
I’m impressed by Vera’s plan, and how quickly and effortlessly she organizes everything for tonight. She’s truly a mastermind, with more connections and resources than I could have hoped.
With her at my side, I can believe the victory can be mine.
Vera comes to a halt in front of the gate leading to Uringi’s estate. She turns to Jax and grabs him by the shirt.
“I trust you will not run off with that heirloom once you have it, right?”
Jax lifts his palms in the air defensively. “Vera, it pains my heart to hear those words leave your mouth.”
“I’m deadly serious,” she says.
“So am I.” Jax manages to curtsy. “We have a deal and I intend to stick with it until the very end.”
“Just so you know, I have a group of lethal Ezkai standing ready if you were to betray us. They’ll hunt you to the end of the world if they have to.” Vera glances at me and then lets go of his shirt. “Come on, then. The party awaits.”
I want to scream only at the thought of it. But I keep my mouth shut and follow Vera through the gates and into Uringi’s estate. By the time we arrive, the party is in full swing.
When we enter the main room, with tall ceilings and floor-to-ceiling paneled windows, a view of the city and Ezkai Castle looming over it atop the hill, all the attention in the room turns to us. I try very hard not to cringe.
“Vera D’Argent, the person responsible for tonight’s fun,” Uringi says, walking over to us with open arms. When he looks at Vera, his eyes sparkle.
Oh, how did I miss it earlier? He clearly has a thing for Vera.
“Ezkai Phoenix. It’s a pleasure to host an honorable participant of Val’taz Ezkairin here in my estate. ”
“Thank you, Nobleman Uringi, for hosting us in your home,” Vera says.
She takes the hand he offers her, and he places it in the nook of his arm.
“Yes, I appreciate your kindness, nobleman.” I vomit a bit into my mouth at the sweetness in my tone. “Your support for me throughout the trials will not be forgotten once I’m the Ezkai General.”
“Ah, she has the right attitude for a Ezkai General,” Noire says as he approaches us.
“I told you, Taaslord,” Vera says with a smirk, “some of them are born this way.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Uringi murmurs. “Tonight, we shall drink and eat and enjoy the company of the most beautiful Caetras. Hopefully that will bring luck for you, Ezkai Phoenix.”
I force a smile. Noire, Uringi, and Vera walk away towards the bar in the corner of the room. I glance over my shoulder to see what Jax is doing, but he’s not there.
When did he disappear?
I make my way towards the bar too, smiling and nodding to people as I pass them. I don’t remember the faces, but I’m pretty sure many of the people I’ve met at the Black Night ball are here.
Hel’s white head pops up in the periphery of my vision. She sits in the lap of a very handsome Ezkai in his maybe mid-forties. His hand is on her thigh, and they look very intimate.
Not far from Hel, Bart lounges in the middle of the sofa with three noblewomen around him. They chatter and giggle while he offers a casual comment here and there or a cheeky smile.
“What’s your drink of choice, Phoenix?” Noire asks me.
“Whiskey. Neat. Thank you.”
Noire orders the drink from the bartender for me, and a heartbeat later hands it to me. The whiskey is crisp and smooth. Real good stuff.
Noire pins me with his curious gaze. His shadows are hidden tonight. “Tell me, Ezkai Phoenix, how do you find the trials so far?”
“We haven’t done anything yet,” I say. The glass feels slippery in my gloved hand. “All I’ve been doing is posturing around in fancy dresses and talking with nobles.”
“Ah, yes. The fae love a good show, and they adore their pompous revels,” Noire says with a smile. “You may be a natures-born soldier, but you do seem to fit in within this environment, too.”
I don’t feel like it. So, hearing Noire say that floods me with warmth. “Really? You think that?”
“Absolutely. I think it’s a good sign you are fit to be a General. Not all Ezkai fare well when it comes to dealing with the nobles, or common folk. Also, despite your human roots, our nobles are warming to the idea of you ruling.”
I glance around the room. “I hope so.” I turn back to Noire. “I’m not sure I’ve said it to you before, but thank you. I appreciate you choosing to support me, even if not directly.”
He awards me with a kind smile. “My pleasure. You made your mark when you saved Kitajo’s life while being a mere cadet.”
I nod, lost in thought. That mission while I attended Ezkai Academy was wild. All of us barely made it out alive. But it helped prepare me for what it means to be an Ezkai. Well, except for what it feels like to lose a fellow Ezkai, a friend…
Noire snaps me out of my brooding. “A question, Ezkai Phoenix. I might know your past, and I might anticipate your future. But what I want to know is the present.”
“You have a peculiar way with words,” I say with a little smile and a frown. “What is it you would like to know?”
He pauses for a brief second, his eyes all-knowing, before he says, “Are you comfortable with sacrificing love to put the future of our country and the well-being of our people above all else?”
A startled laugh escapes me. “Comfortable? No. But…” I pause, searching for the right words.
I must be careful about the way I speak.
The right answer comes to my mind, and I stand a little taller as I say, “I understand honor, Taaslord. I understand duty. Probably better than most, due to my upbringing. So, while it pains me to sacrifice my heart’s desires, I know my honor and duty require it, and so I’m willing to make the sacrifice. ”
There. The perfect fucking answer. One my Dad and Mom would be proud to hear coming from me.
From the way Noire’s eyes glimmer, I know my words hit the mark.
“Another proof Vera and I have chosen right,” he says and lifts his glass in a toast.
I’m not as confident as he is. But still, I lift my glass to his and we cheer.
While I chat with Noire, Vera and Uringi disappear.
I spot them in the corner of the room. Uringi sits on the armchair, and Vera’s perched on the armrest, her hand resting on his shoulder. They’re close, but not too close. I’m curious to hear what they talk about. Oh, to be a fly on the wall right now…
I scan the room for Jax once again. He’s here, after all. He’s leaning against a far wall, almost hidden in the shadow while talking with a noblewoman in a mustard-yellow silk tunic. She’s blushing and smiling, and there is no mistaking the gleam of desire in her gaze when she looks up at him.
That bastard…I refuse to believe his charms do work on other women.
Yet, after a few more minutes, Jax pushes a strand of loose hair away from her face. She throws a careful glance over her shoulder and then loops her arm with Jax’s before they disappear behind the corner.
“Unbelievable,” I murmur into my glass.