Chapter 15 Audryn
AUDRYN
Hours crept by as I scoured the bathing room and bedroom for my mother’s necklace.
While I was out, castle staff cleaned the room and must have misplaced it.
I searched everywhere—opened every drawer, emptied the wardrobe, even tore the thick blanket from the bed.
Without this last connection to my mother, my grief was a dark abyss, and I was slipping in.
Guard Roark had come to my room and advised of dinner service, but I feigned illness to continue the search. I’d rather remain hungry than go a minute longer without the chain hugging my neck.
I needed to clear my head, but risked running into Ryder or the other women if I roamed the corridors. Carefully, I hooked one thigh on the windowsill and slid out into the cool night air. It was a small mercy to be housed on the ground floor of the building, granting me an easy route outside.
The sound of boots in the gravel alerted me to the oncoming guards, so I threw myself against the wall to hide among the shadows.
I wasn’t told I couldn’t leave, but I also hadn’t been told I could.
And I didn’t want to give Leanna any more ammunition in the well of hate she already held for me.
Without her favor, I’d be sent home before I could access the royal library or her father.
“Did you hear about Jones?” a male voice spoke. “The stone fell out of nowhere. Nearly fell down from the damned sky itself.”
“Indeed,” a female responded. “If the prince doesn’t fix this place, we’ll all return to the land sooner than we’d like.”
Moments passed as the guards walked down the path side by side, moving away from my hiding spot. If they knew I was there, they hadn’t let on. Their shadows faded, dark uniforms blending in with the night sky.
A salty, coastal breeze brushed past my nose, and I took a deep breath, letting my senses sing with the gust. Crashing waves echoed in my ears and I smiled.
My home wasn’t close enough to the beach to hear the rumbling waves.
The coast bordered nearly the entire kingdom, but I had found little free time to enjoy the privilege of it.
Only a few times a year had I trekked to the beach and let my toes dig into the white sandy shores while the water lapped onto my ankles.
I pushed off the wall and looked both ways, ensuring the path was vacant. Still wearing my pants and top from earlier in the day, I would easily blend in with castle staff. From a distance, I’d appear as only a guard out on patrol in the evening hours.
Following the path to the rear of the castle, I found myself next to the pond surrounded by the oddly blue roses.
I dropped to the ground and sank my fingers into the soil, letting the granules flow through the webbing of my hands.
The texture was more akin to gritty sand, and the hum of life I was so familiar with felt too distant to reach.
Even under the pale moon, the color wasn’t as rich as it should have been.
Moisture and nutrients were ripped from the land itself.
I dug my fingers in deep, pouring a small trickle of magic into the earth, barely enough for it to send a buzz through the air.
The sour scent of the bush pushed out toward me, but the land refused to give in to my magic.
Carefully, I took in my surroundings before removing my boots and pressing my feet into the earth, letting the tainted dirt spill over the top of each foot.
Connecting my body to the land was necessary to wield my magic thoroughly.
Moisture returned, and life vibrated through the brown grains of dirt.
I closed my eyes and sprouted a single pink peony under the bush to encourage the winged pollinators to return to the vacant area.
With time, hopefully earthworms, beetles, and ladybugs would take up residence and mend the ground.
It wasn’t much, but perhaps I could spend the rest of my nights at the castle bringing new growth to the lands.
A throat cleared behind me, and I froze, quietly wishing I could disappear if I stayed still long enough. I drew in a deep breath before I stood, bracing for the wrath of either Ryder or King Sutton. But when I turned, I met an unfamiliar face.
A male stood tall, dressed in all black with shimmering silver thread adorning his trousers and shirt.
His almond eyes narrowed not at me, but at the single pink flower that stood out in the sea of blue.
My breath lodged deep in my throat. It was foolish to practice magic anywhere, but to do so on castle grounds guaranteed my execution.
At least I’d get to see my mother and Kamden.
“Are you responsible for this?” the man asked, his gaze traveling from the flower, up my body and resting on my face. His demeanor remained unreadable.
I crossed my arms around myself, suddenly wishing I’d worn something nicer to meet a stranger.
Side-stepping to the left, I partially covered the glaring proof of my mistake.
“I’m not sure I understand your question.
” Grabbing my boots, I slipped my feet inside and quickly stood.
“I don’t know what you think you saw. I was only out for a walk. ”
“Barefoot?” He raised an eyebrow.
I studied his face, but his expression remained blank. “Unless you purchase my footwear, I don’t see why it's of any interest to you what I do with my feet.”
The male moved to the side, stepping directly in front of me. “There’s no need to play coy when you clearly just conjured that flower from nothing but damaged dirt.”
“I did no such thing! Magic isn’t even allowed here, how dare you falsely accuse someone of such a crime.” I looked at him defiantly.
Taking a deep breath, he surveyed the area, looking at the empty night around us.
Nothing but crashing waves and small, scurrying creatures filled the still air.
He took a step forward, our bodies nearly touching.
His towering stature was a looming threat and, despite my best effort, I flinched from the closeness.
“Your king’s ridiculous rules are none of my concern.” He looked down at me. “Do you have magic that affords you the ability to produce something from nothing? From less than nothing?”
I stood in silence, too scared to lie, but unable to admit the truth that he’d seen with his own eyes.
“What else can you grow?” His brown eyes were full of questions, but I knew better than to answer. He took one more step forward, our bodies going flush before he threw a leg between mine, parting me like the sea. He stomped down into the peony, covering it entirely with his large boot.
“Hey!” I shouted, but he offered only a smirk in return, staying silent.
“Good evening, Audryn,” a female voice cooed from behind the man. “Are we interrupting something? Perhaps you’d like some privacy for whatever this is.”
I stepped to the side and pushed forward onto the gravel path, coming face to face with Maris and Leanna, each splendidly dressed.
Leanna’s hair was braided in multiple plaits against her head and pinned into a complicated floral design, with a single arched braid from one temple to the other, suspended in mid-air.
“I see you’ve met King Grave.” Leanna tilted her head and forced a smile. “Maris, this is the King of Kuroden.”
Maris dipped into a low bow, and I immediately followed suit, realizing I hadn’t properly greeted the king. My face heated, but fear quickly chased away the embarrassment. If he told anyone about what he had seen, I’d be dead.
I rose and nervously looked between Leanna and King Grave.
“It appears you’re feeling better,” Maris drawled, her eyes assessing me, “and don’t you look lovely.”
My eyes shot to the woman, ready to retort but it wasn’t the large purple dress that captured my attention.
“Thief!” I gasped in Maris’s direction. “You stole my mother’s necklace!”
She drew back, placing her hand against her chest to cover the dangling pendant. “What? I did no such thing!”
If I weren’t already in on her antics, I would’ve believed the act she was putting on for all to see. “Give it to me.” I stepped toward her with my hand out. “You have five seconds before I no longer afford you the opportunity to walk away from here.”
“This doesn’t belong to you,” she gasped. "It was a gift!"
“It sure the fuck does. It’s my mother’s and if you don’t give it to me right now, you’ll soon meet her in the afterlife where she’ll tell you herself!” Rage ran through my body and I didn’t care who was there to see it.
“Wait a minute.” Leanna attempted to squelch the argument. “I’m sure we can figure this out. Let’s talk this through, there must be a mistake.”
“The only mistake is that she’s still standing.” I lunged forward, pushing Maris toward the prickly rose bushes.
Her violet skirts snagged beneath her boots, forcing her sideways into the murky, shallow pond.
The billowing skirts floated up as her arms frantically flailed, attempting to steady herself.
Taking a little swim was the very least she deserved.
The only problem was my mother’s necklace had gone in with her.
The corner of King Grave’s mouth ticked up while Leanna hurried to the side of the pond shouting for help as she moved.
Several guards rushed over and assisted Maris to the edge of the waist-deep pool of green water.
She crawled out slowly, with my mother’s dangling necklace clanking against the ground.
If she broke it, I’d kill her. “Take it off,” I demanded before allowing her to stand
“Prince Sutton gave it to me, not you!” Maris shouted while pushing her waterlogged strands of straw from her face.
“What’s going on out here?” Ryder’s voice boomed. His eyes darted around, looking for anyone willing to offer an explanation. King Grave looked at him with a sly smirk; at least I’d entertained the prince’s guest.