Chapter 4 Grave
GRAVE
The ringing of the chimes sang sweetly through the cool night air.
Leaning against the wall of my townhouse, I let out a heavy breath as I stared at the blackened ground.
Audryn had breathed life into the castle’s atrium—fruit and vegetables growing with a simple touch.
I’d never seen Divine magic come so effortlessly; she alone could change Kuroden’s future.
“What’s the deal with you?” Micah swatted the back of his hand into my stomach. “I’m giving you an update, and your head is among the stars.”
“Nothing,” I lied, and shifted my gaze to the star-specked sky. “What about the eastern seeps? How many are slowing?”
“Again, nearly all of them. Only a few have remained unaffected. But don’t think you can sidestep the question—what gives?” he continued. “You’re gone for weeks and then refuse to let me in the house when you’re back?”
I’d known Micah since we were children. In fact, I didn’t have many memories from before he’d come into our lives.
He was mine and Amalee’s brother in every way, but in name.
When his mother fell ill and was spiraling downward, he was moved into the bedroom across the hall from mine.
Our mothers had known one another since childhood, so it only made sense for the closest person to the dying woman to take in her child.
“Col!” he griped, seeing my distraction. “What is going on with you?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” I mocked. “Let’s see. Our key resource continues to dwindle, and I don’t even know where to begin to fix it.” I dragged a hand through my hair.
I might’ve brought Audryn here against her wishes, but I wasn’t going to force her into helping. I wasn’t sure she’d even be able to.
“There’s got to be a solution we just aren’t seeing.” I shook my head and sighed.
“Fuck yeah there’s a solution. You need to contact your father’s family, they can do some weird shit with their magic and—”
“Abso-fucking-lutely not,” I snapped. “Not only would that violate the treaty, but I wouldn’t rely on a single one of them for help.”
Micah kicked his boot against the slats of the covered front porch. Steamy breaths filled the air between us as we both considered the issue. As the Captain of the Guard and the unofficial regent, he felt the weight of the situation closing in just as much as I had.
“Look, I know he was an asshole—I hated him too,” he continued cautiously, “but we’re running out of options. We can’t keep up with the demand for crude, yet you come back and tell me we need to pull an extra fifty barrels from our reserves.”
I nodded. It wasn’t a great plan, but if Audryn saw how desperate Kuroden was, maybe she’d offer to help. Everything we’d tried so far hadn’t worked. Depending on her was a risk, but her Divine ability was greater than anyone who’d tried to make the repairs in the past.
Overhead, a window slid open. Micah stepped to the edge of the porch so he could look up the side of the three-story building. I pulled him back under before he could get a good look. I raised a finger to my mouth, motioning for him to remain quiet. He looked at me curiously, but complied.
A full minute passed before I heard clunking feet slide against the side of the building. A smile crept over my mouth, and my friend threw his arms out, not knowing what I had found to be so amusing. With a raised hand, I motioned him to wait and pointed a finger up.
Boots skidded against the narrow ledge of the second floor and stopped; the silence of the night enveloped us as the escapee waited. There was a loud thud on the roof of the porch followed by footsteps to the edge; our eyes trailed the sound.
“What the fuck?” Micah mouthed at me.
I smiled back and mouthed. “Wait.”
The roof creaked, and I watched as the toes of two boots made their way into view. The shins of the absconder dangled briefly, and then two perfectly curved thighs dropped down. It took everything in me not to rip off a boot and tickle her, but with my luck she’d fall and break a leg.
Audryn shimmied down slowly. Her pale skin glowed in the moonlight as her exposed abdomen moved into view—her shirt had gotten caught during her descent. Micah tracked my sight, and his eyes lit up at the scene.
Carefully, Audryn lowered her body until she hung from her fingers. An eight-foot drop stood between her feet and the ground. Not realizing we were watching, she looked at the railing of the porch and tried to latch a toe, but it was out of range.
Crossing my arms, I cleared my throat, and her gaze shot to me.
Wide-eyed and mouth hanging open, she looked between Micah and me before losing her grip and promptly falling.
It all happened too quickly. And despite my effort to lurch forward and catch her, she fell down and back onto the gravelly land.
I darted to her side, where she lay gasping on her back. Face twisted, she fought to catch her breath. Micah met my side, getting closer to her than I would’ve liked. He placed his palms on her stomach to run his healing magic through her, and I nearly struck him for it.
“Don’t. Touch. Me,” she said, her breaths short, as she clutched her ribs. “Either of you!” she panted as her eyes darted to me.
I put my hands up and drew back.
“I was just trying to help.” Micah started.
“Don’t,” she gasped, wincing through each struggled breath.
“Fine, but with a fall like that, something’s probably messed up.” My friend stood and shook his head. “Aside from whatever’s already fucked with your head.”
“Hey!” I snapped in his direction.
Audryn pushed onto her elbows before rolling onto her knees and attempted to take several breaths while hunched on her hands. She was hurt; it was written all over her face, but there was little anyone could do unless she wanted help. Still gasping, she finally conceded.
“Do what you need to,” she rasped, “but never touch me again without asking first.”
If she could only say the same to her prince. Given her stubborn nature, others might’ve struggled to see why she let Ryder put his hands on her. But I understood it. A woman losing herself to someone with authority wasn’t unusual; I’d witnessed it firsthand.
“Sure, but just so you know, you’re the first to push these hands away.” My friend wiggled his fingers and blew away a brown strand of hair from his eyes. “Some say they’re magic all on their own.”
I groaned.
Micah’s tone turned serious. “I’m going to place my hand against your abdomen when you’re ready, and see what’s going on. Tell me when.”
Audryn nodded while still on all fours.
Her eyes met mine, and I looked away; feeling like I had somehow overstepped during a vulnerable moment. I retreated to the porch and sat on the top step.
I couldn’t be sure how much time had passed as I tried to think of anything other than my friend and Audryn on the ground a couple dozen feet away.
Dealing with the seeps was my main priority, but there was so much more at stake.
I’d need to prioritize the crude first and then work to solve the other issues with the time I had left.
A month probably wouldn’t be enough, but I had to try.
Their laughter drew me from my thoughts as the two of them approached the porch, both wearing the same ridiculous smile as the other. He’d probably told a dumb joke, and she’d likely eaten it up. For reasons I couldn’t even begin to understand, Micah’s sense of humor always landed well with women.
“She’s as good as new, or at least I think so since I wasn’t properly introduced to begin with.” Micah glared in my direction. “Should I be worried you have other women locked away in there?” He flicked his chin toward the townhouse. “Maybe I should stay longer in case there are others escaping?”
I rolled my eyes and then looked at Audryn, her brown hair dancing in the breeze. “You’re not a prisoner here.”
She bit a lip and looked away.
“Anywhere you’d like to go, you’re free to. Either on your own or I can accompany you.” I exhaled. “Just stay out of Amalee’s room—that’s the only exception.”
“Her girlfriend might challenge you to a fight if she finds you in there,” Micah added, “or do something weird with her magic—that shit’s scary.”
“I’d like to see Sky try.” I narrowed my eyes at him as if he was the one who’d threatened my guest. “She’ll quickly find herself hanged in the town square the minute she takes one step toward Audryn.”
“Whoa, whoa, calm down.” He raised his hands. “It was just a joke. Though you might want to let Sky know that you’re the one interested in her instead of Amalee. Sooner the be—”
“I’m betrothed to the Prince of Rivale,” Audryn interjected. “King Grave has no interest in me.”
“If you say so.” Micah kicked at the gravel. “Clearly, I’m the only one with working eyes around here.”
“Let’s talk tomorrow.” I feigned boredom.
“Yup.” He turned and smiled at Audryn. “Let me know if you need a tour. I’d be more than happy to escort you during your stay.
And since your prince is two days away and Col has ‘zero interest’,” he said wrapping two finger quotes around the words, “it would be my pleasure, Princess.” He mocked a bow.
“Micah!” I raised my voice, and he shrugged before meandering to his townhouse next door.
“Col?” Audryn asked. “Why have people been calling you that?”
I ignored her question and stepped down to meet her. “Was there a reason you didn’t use the door? Did I somehow give you the impression you needed to sneak out?”
After dinner, I’d brought her back to the house and showed her straight to her room. I figured she would’ve been too tired to want to see the rest of the place or the area. I assigned Fisher the room across from hers to put her at ease, but that clearly hadn’t helped.
She eyed me carefully before turning away and looking up at the blanket of stars. “Everything is so much clearer here.”
“You should see it from the peak.” I eyed the inky void.
“Show me?” Her hazel eyes fell on me.