32. Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Two
Ryker
M y plan to go to the Rip was extinguished by the return of Daegel. If Nikan hadn’t told me he disappeared after Nikan turned him down and ran, I would have gone after him.
I wanted to kill that motherfucker with my bare hands. I wanted to burn him alive. But I knew I couldn’t just yet. If I were able to capture him, I could force him to take me to Kya. I had to catch him first.
And sometimes a hunter needed bait.
Daegel was still looking for his book, which was back at the cave. After Nikan informed me of his encounter, I called for Theron, and he Traveled me back to Oryn.
The bite of the winter air was welcoming when we arrived on the roof of the palace in Voara. I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs with the familiar scent of home. Except it was stale without the presence of a certain green-eyed female. It wasn’t home without her.
My soul burned for her.
Making my way into the palace, I reached out to Mavris.
“Mav, where are you?”
“Such a pleasant greeting…” he grumbled. “Good to know you didn’t have to go through the Raith. I’m in my study.”
I made my way down to his study and let myself in. Mavris was sitting behind his desk with his hands folded on top of a stack of papers, waiting for me.
“Welcome back,” he said as I took a seat across from him. “What was the verdict of the mating trial?”
The panel regarding our mating seemed like ages ago, and it made me realize how long I had gone without speaking to Mavris.
“Our mating was approved since they think she’s dead,” I said flatly.
His eyebrows raised. “You didn’t correct them?”
“No. It’s better they think she’s gone for now. Especially now that Atara is currently being restored.”
Mavris’s jaw fell. “How—”
“Kya’s energy has continued to spread just like with Voara. Atara will be whole again—and soon. Which poses a problem of its own.”
“Like the fact the other Worthy think she’s dead, and now an entire Nation’s worth of land will be up for grabs? Yeah, I’d say that’ll be a problem if it isn’t already. Gods above,” he sighed.
“Exactly. I need you to write letters to our representatives in the other Nations. We’re going to need to know if they get wind of this information so we can prepare.” I nodded toward his desk.
Mavris immediately pulled out a fresh piece of parchment and started drafting the letters.
“Prepare for what?” he asked with his head down.
“I don’t know yet.” I ran my hand through my hair. “Oh, and another thing.”
“Hmm?” Mavris hummed over the scratching of the quill.
“Daegel came back.”
Mavris’s head snapped up. “You saw him?”
I shook my head. “Nikan did. Which is why I’m here. ”
Mavris stiffened. “Is he alright?”
“He’s fine. For now. Daegel wanted to make a deal with him to find the dark book. He denied it and escaped. But I’m going to hide it so Nikan can’t know where it is in the event Daegel has some ability to find out through him.” I didn’t know what Daegel needed the book for, but I wasn’t letting that fucker get anywhere near it.
“You’re helping Nik?” He raised a brow.
I leaned back in the chair. “Yes.”
“But you hate him,” Mavris stated.
“He’s an asshole, but I don’t hate him.”
“Could have fooled me.” He shrugged.
I sighed. “He’s Kya’s brother. I can’t let anything happen to him.”
Mavris nodded, but I could tell his thoughts were elsewhere.
“What about your research on the other realms? Did you learn anything?” he asked after a few moments.
“Nothing useful.”
“So…what are you going to do now?” He tilted his head to the side.
“I’m going to lure Daegel to me.”
Mavris blinked. “Why?”
“Because I need him to take me to Kya,” I said.
“Ryk, you might be one of the smartest people I know, but this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Mavris crossed his arms.
“Excuse me?” I balked.
“Oh, come on.” Mavris shook his head. “You really think you can take the dark wielder on your own? Be practical. Last time there were two Worthy, two highly trained wielders, and two Spirits—one of which he killed. He nearly killed Kya too. What makes you think you can defeat him and convince him to take you to your mate?”
“I know that, Mav,” I snapped, my temper rising at the mere mention of Daegel hurting Kya. “I wasn’t intending to do it alone.” Taking a calming breath, I pulled my chair closer. “I’m going to hide the dark book, and I won’t tell anyone where it is. Not even you. I’m going to send a few of the Vaavi to look for any indications on his whereabouts. Nikan will stay near me so if Daegel tries to interact with him again, I’ll be there, and he’ll lead him to a false location where an ambush will be waiting for him.”
I wasn’t ignorant enough to believe I could defeat Daegel on my own. It was insane, I was fully aware of that. But I needed Kya. I needed her to be here, to be safe. I was willing to do anything.
“And who will be a part of this ambush?” He eyed me curiously.
“The most powerful wielders in the realm. The Worthy.”
Mavris pursed his lips. “I take it back. This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“It’ll work,” I argued.
“ If the other Worthy agree.” He gave me a knowing look.
“Do you have any better ideas?” I challenged.
“No. But that doesn’t mean this is a good one,” he mumbled under his breath then sighed. “How exactly do you plan on convincing the other Worthy to cooperate with you and risk their lives? On your land, might I add.”
I shrugged. “I haven’t gotten that far yet. But thankfully, I have a wise advisor for times like this.” I smirked, and Mavris rolled his eyes.
“I’d rather scrub Theron’s ass with a thorn bush on his crankiest day.”
“As much as I’d love to see that, I can’t have you killed by my Guardian,” I chuckled for the first time since before Kya fell. I stood to leave, patting his shoulder. “Write up those letters to the representatives. I’ll draft up a request to meet with the Worthy.”
I turned to leave with a wave, but Mavris’ voice stopped me just as I was stepping out the door.
“For the record, Ryk.” I glanced over my shoulder to look at him standing with his hands in his pockets and slumped shoulders. “I don’t like the idea of leaving Nikan vulnerable like that, using him. If Daegel does get his hands on him, he could get caught on the wrong side of the fight.”
I eyed him. This wasn’t the first time he had shown his concern for Nikan’s well being.
“I can’t protect everyone at the same time, Mav.” With that, I left.
I went to my own study and spent the rest of the day sorting through papers. Much that required my attention had built up from my prolonged absence. I promised myself I would catch up on everything once Kya was back and everything settled.
After that, I swallowed my pride and drafted up the letter to send to the Council of Sages in Bhara, requesting for them to host an urgent meeting with the Worthy, one that was imperative to the balance of the realm. I hoped it would be convincing enough. Unless invited, Worthy weren’t welcome in each other’s Nations, and they certainly wouldn’t all meet anywhere except a neutral location. The Council of Sages was a mediator between the Lords and Ladies.
The last thing I did was send a message to Arra, summoning her to my study first thing in the morning.
Finally, I went to my bedchamber. As I lay there in bed staring up at the ceiling after eating and bathing, the unoccupied space next to me weighed heavily on my heart.
I tossed and turned all night, bothered by the knowledge that Daegel had returned and constantly wondering what was happening with Kya. He hadn’t brought her with him. I would have felt her.
Did he leave her? Did he have her at all? Was she hurt or scared? Was she trying to get to me just as much as I was trying to get to her?
And Daegel… Why did he need the book so badly that, even after getting Kya, he still had come back for it? What was he planning?
The questions on top of the worries of the other Nations discovering Atara, kept me up almost the entire night. I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing an enemy or replaying Malina’s memories of Kya falling.
Just before dawn, I sat up in bed and scrubbed my hands down my face. There was no point in trying to sleep anymore, so I decided to get up and get dressed to go to the cave. I put on my thicker shirt with slits in the back and pants. After tying my boots, I went out to the balcony.
It was a particularly calm day with little wind, but the sky was blanketed in dark clouds. I felt a harsh winter storm coming, and I knew I needed to fly fast to get to the cave and back, then hopefully have time to get to where I needed to go after the storm. I probably could have had Theron just Travel me there, but I wanted to feel the air beneath me.
Without wasting another moment, I shifted my wings and lifted into the sky.
I hadn’t been back to the cave since I left to chase Kya to the Rip. Landing at the mouth of the cave, I walked down the dark tunnel and flicked my hand, lighting the lanterns lining the length of the tunnel. Remembering Kya had stored the book on the chair in the alcove with the bed, I made my way through the main chamber, the walls embedded with gemstones that reflected the light of the flames.
What was once my place of tranquility had become a tomb for aching memories. The alcove was exactly as I had left it. The sheets were still thrown across the bed from when I rushed out, clothes still strewn across the floor. And something I hadn’t noticed before…
I walked over to the bedside table where a black feather—small enough I knew it belonged to Kya—and a gemstone rested. I picked them up, cradling them in my palm as a wave of fury crashed inside me.
This had been her farewell.
I roared and threw the gem hard enough to crack the wall.
I didn’t have time to sit here and sulk. I needed to use this pain to keep myself fueled. I tucked her feather into my pocket, careful not to bend it.
The dark book was on the chair where Kya had left it. I wanted nothing more than to burn it, if only to spite the dark wielder. But I knew if it was valuable to him, then it held value to me. It was the only bargaining chip I had…
That’s it.
My lips pulled into a malicious smile.
I could use the book as leverage—a trade. The book in exchange for Kya.
Vicria mentioned he had been searching for the book for years, and it was only recently he diverted his attention to Kya instead. And he was still looking for it, even after he had her.
I grabbed the book, wrapping it up and tucking it under my arm, then left the cave with more confidence that I was one step closer to getting my wife back.
Landing on the balcony of the palace, I noted the storm building. I still had enough time to meet with Arra. I also needed to check with Hakoa before I left to see if there were enough water wielders in Voara to stave off the snowfall, and fire wielders to heat the air. People were still displaced, and the last thing they needed was to be buried in snow and freezing. This was going to be a nasty blizzard. I could sense it.
I made it to my study and busied myself with more papers, while also mentally plotting out how I would coordinate the ambush against Daegel as I waited for Arra to arrive.
A few minutes later, she hastily entered the study.
“Ryker, I didn’t know you were back until I got your message,” she said in greeting.
“I only just returned last night, but I’m leaving right after this.” I stood and tucked my hands in my pockets.
“You might have to delay your departure. Since I didn’t know you were coming back, I sent one of the Vaavi to Riyah to give you an urgent message.” Her eyes were like stone, filled with calm concern.
“Well, I’m here now. What’s going on?”
“It’s… You haven’t found Kya have you?” she said, rushed.
I stiffened slightly. “No. Not yet.”
“Shit.” Arra ran her hand through the loose strands of her red hair. “It’s about Atara.”
I stilled. “What about it?” I asked stiffly.
“It’s…coming back.”
For the love of Xar. Only Eamon and I knew, which meant…
“A couple of Vaavi reported they heard whispers that Atara is healing. Just like Voara, after Kya touched it with her magic. And you know we don’t take rumors at face value. They took the initiative to travel to Atara and see for themselves. Sure enough…” She shook her head with a look of astonishment.
“I see,” I said much more calmly than I was feeling. I nodded absently as my plan to keep Atara’s recovery concealed went up in flames. “I appreciate the Vaavi being so thorough. ”
Arra’s brow creased. “Why aren’t you more concerned? I honestly expected more of a…reaction.”
I sighed, “Because I already know.” I dragged a hand down my face.
“So it’s true?”
“Yes. And I’d hoped I could keep it a secret a little longer. That’s actually why I wanted to meet with you. We need to keep this contained. You know as well as I how this could play out with the other Nations.”
Arra nodded once and stood up straighter, every bit the leader of the Vaavi. “What are your orders?”
“To make sure these rumors don’t spread. I’ve already worked things out at Morah. I need you to track down anyone who is spreading the information and make sure they’re no longer a problem. And while you’re at it,” I added, “Hakoa also needs to be informed. Have him put warriors around the border at Atara to keep any citizens or travelers from discovering it.”
“He won’t take official orders from me when it comes to the Noavo, you know that. You’re going to have to do it yourself,” she stated.
“Yeah, I’ll do that.” I paused. “Where were the Vaavi when they heard about Atara?”
“Gaol.”
I stood, tucked the book under my arm, and began walking out. “Get this done, Arra. Before we have a war on our hands.”
A full-on war between the Nations would be devastating. We’d had small battles before, and those were cataclysmic enough. But a war? It would disrupt the balance even further. It would result in the loss of so many lives, displacing and harming even more. It was the last thing our fragile world needed.
She nodded and left ahead of me.
I went out to the balcony, ready to fly to Hakoa, and paced along the railing. We needed to get this under control. Quickly. It was only a matter of time before the rumor spread and Lord Jymal confirmed it himself. Then there wouldn’t be any way to keep it from the other Worthy.