Chapter 8 Erik
ERIK
My three brothers sat in a circle, waiting.
I wondered how long they had been stuck in a room together.
Judging by the lack of destruction, it couldn’t have been too long.
Spirit knows they could only be together for a short stretch before someone pushed another with their words, and chaos quickly followed.
They lounged in three separate chairs, all facing a circular table.
One chair remained open for me to take. Old family texts spanning floor to ceiling filled the far wall.
Worn leather bound most of the volumes, some of which had cracked because of lack of proper handling.
Years of unuse caused the leather to dry.
The smell of old paper bound in leather wafted through our family meeting room.
It was a scent I didn’t think I could ever grow tired of.
“It is about time!” Iver growled when I walked in.
He was the youngest and always the most impatient.
By this point in life, he should have acquired a fraction of restraint, yet he still hadn’t.
He continued to run around with a rough temperament and childlike deviance.
It was aggravating, more so because I longed for a time when the Lysians did not depend on me to lead.
For a time when I was like Iver, free of the burden which came with a crown.
Jorn took a deep breath. “I see we were not the first of your stops since you came home.” He always had a gift for scenting and tracking, even surpassing my own. Though I did not touch Ariana, in a day’s time, her room took on her scent. It now lingered around me.
The other two sniffed in my direction. “Who is she, Erik? And why is she staying in your room?” Jorn asked.
“She is staying next to my room,” I clarified.
“Why?” Iver inquired. His gray gaze settled on mine, demanding an answer.
Edmond was the only one to not first ask of the new stranger. Instead, he viewed me from head to toe. “It’s good to have you back and alive,” he said with a small smile.
At least one of my brothers cared for my return.
Granted, it was the one who would become King if I were to ever perish.
Edmond enjoyed having power, but he shied away from the burden of it, preferring to remain the brother to the King.
Iver was no different, preferring the freedom to create chaos. Jorn was the one most hungry for power.
Jorn laughed. “Of course he is alive. The Bavadrins have nothing on us.”
“They have the lands between us and the Sidhe.” Iver rolled his eyes, pointing out the thing that they did indeed have. It was the reason for everything I did to this point.
“Not anymore,” Jorn snapped at the air in irritation. The two of them often rubbed each other the wrong way.
“But you didn’t leave uninjured,” Edmond wished to clarify, catching the attention of the others.
The lashings on my back stopped bleeding, and no longer bothered me.
I could largely forget about them until they were pointed out.
Ariana was correct when she warned her father about raising a hand against me.
Lysians were often scarred, for we are not a cautious group.
The royals were no better, but we were superior in our skill.
As leaders for our people, we were taught from childhood how to hone our senses, how to fight, and how to protect ourselves.
Our lack of scars was a show of power, not a lack of danger in our lives.
My brothers all remained flawlessly scarless, while I now harbored too many to even count.
“It was necessary to break the treaty,” I said, hoping that we would not need to dwell on it.
“Indeed. It must have been difficult for you not to just incinerate them all.” Edmond arched a golden brow.
“You have no idea,” I grumbled. That was perhaps the most torturous act of all—allowing them to inflict pain when I posed them no harm, at least none that they knew of. Their actions set in motion everything that occurred after. They had no one to blame but themselves.
“Any trouble here?” I asked.
“The mountain has remained quiet,” Edmond said. “You could have remained in the Bavadrin lands a bit longer.”
I shook my head. “A lot of our seasoned warriors are now in the Bavadrin land’s.”
Iver grinned as he said, “You think we need seasoned warriors to keep the unwanted from coming down that mountain?” His smile only grew as we all ignored his comment.
It was not just the exiled Lysians but a conjuror we had to deal with amongst that mountain.
And even my brothers, as elite in combat training as they were, were not equipped for that. Fire had to fight fire.
“So, the treaty is broken. Why is the Bavadrin girl here?” Edmond finally joined in the questioning about the new visitor.
“She is the daughter of the current leader. I am hoping that if she takes over after him, that she can help us. If she agrees to work with us, then the Bavadrins will be that much easier to control. They will fight harder for their leader than they would if we simply commanded them to.”
“And why do you think one of her kind would ever do something like that?” Jorn asked, tilting his head in question. “They are not known for their kindness or trustworthiness.” He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his seat.
“Because, when the Bavadrins finished whipping me, she entered my cell and cared for my wounds. She did not need to do that and asked for nothing in return before tending to my back,” I said, silencing them for only a single glorious moment.
Iver whistled lowly. “So, she’s lost a few marbles?” A smile splayed on his face while Edmond frowned.
“At first, yes, I thought she was stupid for her lack of fear, for coming near me. But she is not stupid, far from it. If her father listened to her, then the treaty may have never been broken. She is something else entirely. I think she can be helpful to us.”
“So, this is either the Spirit bringing you two together to help us free our Lysians. Or it’s her Bavadrin blood and whispers which are already casting spells on you.” Jorn was clearly concerned about the latter. By the look on Edmond’s face, he was inclined to agree.
“And you think killing her father in front of her will sway her to help you?” Iver asked me as if he thought I was an idiot, earning him a warning growl.
He was my little brother, but he would be put in his place if needed.
Never was I known for my patience, and the way I was currently wound up, there was even less room for it.
“Of course, I know it will not likely be beneficial. But I need to be there when he is put out of his miserable existence, and I need her to be there to see if there is any hint at her taking his place as the next Bavadrin leader. Also, I doubt that she harbors much love for her father. She is the reason we captured him so quickly.” I no sooner finished speaking before the next question was being asked.
“She tended to your wounds. You, someone who is little more than an animal in their eyes, and you think she won’t bat an eye when her own family blood is spilled?” Iver grinned at how it sounded. Either I was foolish, or she was a lunatic.
“I guess we will find out,” I snapped in annoyance. How would I know how Ariana would react? All I had to go on were the brief glimpses I had of her life.
“Okay. We will find out.” Edmond nodded.
“We will try to show her that we are more than the terrible bedtime stories used to scare Bavadrin children. If she has a heart, as you seem to believe, then we will give her a chance to learn. But if she is not to be trusted, if she is the Bavadrin we were warned of, the kind who is not reliable, then I will kill her.” His words were not questioning. He was telling me his position.
“Very well,” I answered, knowing that he was right.
Despite Lysians having more physical strength and agility, we were not completely safe from the Bavadrins.
There were reasons they continued to hold power before the forming of the treaty.
They were told to have abilities capable of burrowing into one’s soul and destroying it from within.
They were also told to have certain fighting advantages, though I did not see anything of the sort when we attacked their capitol.
Still, my brother was not wrong to worry.
I stood. “There are a few things I must tend to before the execution.”
“Will you be the one doing it?” Iver asked.
“Of course not,” Edmond answered, looking at Iver as if he could not believe that we were all related.
“You all are to stay away from the Bavadrin for the time being. For now, I want her interactions with Lysians to be limited,” I instructed.
“Sure.” Edmond and Jorn both agreed in unison.
“You are no fun,” Iver whined, earning my full attention to slice to him. He then sighed. “Fine, whatever you wish, my King.” He dramatically bowed his head.
“You are really asking for a spanking, Iver,” Jorn warned.
“Ooh, may I choose who will give out the order?” He sat up a little straighter in his chair, as if thoroughly interested.
My fist slammed on the table, unable to keep the frustration from bubbling over. They all fell silent. “I am in no mood for your childishness. You will see her at the execution. After that, you are to stay away from her until told otherwise.”
Iver folded his arms over his chest, eyes narrowing slightly. Thankfully, he only nodded in response and kept his mouth shut.