43. Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Three
Ryker
“ L ord Ryker,” Eraeya, one of the messengers of Oryn, came into my study just hours after I returned from the encampment outside Acalen. She rushed in, stopping just before my desk and handed me a rolled up piece of parchment. “I have a message from Bhara about your request to meet with the other Worthy.”
From the look on her face, it wasn’t good.
I grabbed the paper from her hand and unrolled it, reading it aloud, “Lord Ryker, your request to meet with the Worthy has been denied. Lord Jymar of Gaol, Lord Dainos of Torx, and Lord Voron of Ulrik have declined your proposition to gather at the temple in Bhara for a collaboration…” I trailed off.
Shit. I needed them. I needed them to work with me to ambush Daegel.
“Is this all?” I asked Eraeya without looking up, rereading the rejection letter.
“No. The other Lords, I… Well, I was told by one of the representatives… Actually, I think it was a Vaavi who told—”
“Out with it Eraeya,” I snapped, looking back at her.
She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her short, cropped hair. “Two of the Nations have pulled all active members of their forces together. They’re about to mobilize their armies.”
Gods, they know already.
I remained calm and expressionless, not wanting to worry Eraeya just yet. “Which Nations?”
“Gaol and Ulrik,” she stated.
I nodded slowly, my mind reeling.
“Thank you, Eraeya,” I said with a polite smile. “I will look into this. You’re dismissed.”
She left, and I stood, walking to the window and blankly staring at the snow-covered mountains with my hands behind my back. Once I heard the click of the door behind her, I reached out to Arra.
“Where are you?” I asked in her mind.
“Gah!” she startled. “Ryker, I told you I don’t like this mind invasion. Stop it.”
“I need you to tell me why I’m just now hearing Gaol and Ulrik have concentrated their forces, and I had to hear it from a messenger and not the leader of the Vaavi,” I growled, not caring I violated her request.
She was silent for a moment. “I’m on my way. We may have bigger problems than I realized.”
Several minutes later, Arra stormed through the door. She looked frazzled—her usually kempt red hair was fraying out of its braid as if she had run her hand across it over and over. There were dark circles beneath her eyes like she hadn’t slept for days.
“I told you to silence those rumors, Arra. You failed, and now Gaol and Ulrik are about to march across the continent to take over Atara. Why have I not heard about this from you ?”
Arra squared her shoulders and shook her head. “Because I didn’t know—”
“But you should have known. You fucked up,” I snapped .
She flinched but didn’t cower. “The Vaavi that were sent out haven’t returned, and they’ve missed their check-ins. There are only two reasons they would have disappeared.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. “Either they were compromised and captured, or killed.”
“Yes,” she bit out. “I’ve been searching for them, but this is a recent development. I was planning on going out and finding them on my own, but if the other Nations know about Atara, then they’re likely dead.”
“How many?” I asked.
“Five,” she whispered.
Five incredibly talented wielders lost. We couldn’t stand to lose more.
“Pull everyone out of Gaol and Ulrik. Everyone, not just the Vaavi. They’ve denied my request to meet, which means they have no interest in diplomacy. They know.”
Except for Dusan.
I raised my head. Lady Asmen wasn’t mentioned in the letter. If she didn’t deny my request, maybe she didn’t know. Or if she did, perhaps I could sway her to help me before Jymar and Voron had the chance.
“What about Torx and Dusan?” Arra asked.
“Torx denied the meet, but I haven’t heard about their forces. Nor Dusan. Find out what you can, I need to speak with them.”
Asmen was a new Worthy, she hadn’t had much time to make enemies or allies yet. She was the best option and easier to mold. Dainos on the other hand… I’d worry about him next.
I sat down and wrote out a note—an order for Hakoa. Arra watched as my pen scratched the parchment then I folded it and handed it to her.
“Get this to Hakoa. Immediately,” I commanded as I began to leave.
Arra followed. “Where are you going? ”
“Dusan. Now go,” I barked.
She didn’t hesitate and ran around me, bolting down the staircase to the Noavo station.
I felt useless. I wasn’t any closer to finding Kya, and now her Nation was under threat of being lost to the other Worthy.
I took a moment and stepped into a spare room mainly used for storage. Slamming the door behind me, I walked to the center of the room. I needed to release all this pent up rage. And since I couldn’t fuck my mate or kill anyone at this moment, this room would have to do.
With a roar, I threw my hands out, blasting my flames in a ball of fire that exploded around me. It incinerated anything it touched and heated the cold glass windows so quickly they shattered in a singular piercing snap as the shards flew out into the winter air.
But it wasn’t enough.
My shadows erupted from me, mingling with the flames and consuming their brightness until all that was left was scorching heat and darkness.
Damnit! I’m sick of this! I’m tired of taking one step closer to figuring out how to get Kya back only to be pushed three steps backward. Enough of this! I want my mate back, and I want her now !
I pummeled every burning item in the room until it was smashed into nothing but ash.
How am I supposed to get to her? How am I going to find her and bring her back when every Godsdamn thing keeps getting in my way?
My fist slammed into crates and shelves over and over with the thought of every obstacle.
The Rip.
The Worthy coming for Atara.
My duty as Lord.
Daegel.
A knock sounded. “Ryker, are you alright?”
“Leave!” My voice boomed so loudly the walls shook.
The door opening sounded over the crackling of the flames, and my father walked in.
Shit.
Pulling back my shadows and extinguishing the fire, I slumped to the floor and rested my head in my hands, smoke billowing all around me. I hadn’t even realized, in my tantrum, I had shifted my wings and my scales.
Losing Kya was awakening a beast within me, and I didn’t like who I was becoming.
Cadoc carefully walked over to me and bent down, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.
I wanted Kya in my arms. I wanted to hear her voice, her laugh. I wanted her beside me, knowing she was safe.
“I just want Kya back…”
“I know, son. I’m here to help you.”
I raised my head. He looked…different. I was hesitant to think he looked better, but he certainly seemed more put together than he had in the last fifty years. His hair had been trimmed, and his clothes were clean. Standing tall, I had almost forgotten he was the same height as me and Mavris. His eyes seemed brighter, clearer—unlike the lifeless glaze he’d had for so many years following the disappearance of my mother.
I noticed the dark book in his arms. “I told you to keep that away from here.”
“I know you did. But…” He looked down to the book in his hand. “You were right. With this, we can find our mates. Together.”
I blew out a breath, thankful to have more assistance. “There’s something I need to take care of first.”