Chapter 30
ALEK
The air changed as I pushed open the glass door to the atrium in the middle of the palace.
It got balmier, more humid, while the scent reflected all the life the massive Hacerium tree attracted—perching birds, dancing butterflies, small tree animals, and forest green moss that clung to its huge roots that sprawled from the earth like the tentacles of a sea monster.
I’d nearly forgotten how big it really was, such that I had to crane my neck, shielding my eyes from the sun to peer up toward the top. The spade-shaped, pearly white leaves fluttered in the breeze, contrasting strikingly against the tree’s black trunk and branches.
My heart tugged me closer, until I was forced to step.
The vultae were drawn to the natural world. It’d always been that way. We were attuned with the growth of nature from the moment a seed sprang from its restraints. Just like we were attuned with the pain it felt when it got crushed, disregarded, or undernourished.
I stepped even closer, breathing in the rich air. I hadn’t worshipped at its roots since I was a vultling, but the feeling came rushing back. I’d been so hopeful back then when life was more soft-shelled. So raw and trusting.
I’d ask the tree for impossible things. For my mother to return. For the possession trainings to stop. For my brother to be normal.
Here and now, I could almost be called to prayer, but of course, it wasn’t why I was here. Prayer was far less effective than what I was doing.
My knees hit the ground. I gathered a bit of the dirt in my fingers and touched it to each wrist, then crossed them over my chest and bowed my head as I said, “One spirit. One hunger. One heart.”
The door to the atrium opened behind me, and a sword slid from its sheath.
I kept my head bowed as knees hit the earth beside me, but not too close because she was smarter than that.
She laid her sword at the roots of the tree, gathered dirt, crossed her fists over her chest, and without looking in my direction said, “One spirit, one hunger, one heart. You look like shit, Alek.”
I couldn’t stop the smile from curling my lips as I said to the ground, “Good to see you, too, Amara.”
“It is, isn’t it? I light up the fucking room.”
There was no arguing. It was true. Amara was striking in the upright way of a warrior in their prime—broad shoulders, muscular biceps, and alarming speed.
I was not attracted to her in the least, but there was no denying how arresting she was with her height that rivaled mine, her deep brown skin, smooth and flawless, and mesmerizing eyes the color of smooth gray river stones. She could seduce any human at a glance. And did.
She kept half her head shaved with the other half twisted back in tight braids to stay out of her way, but most things stayed out of her fucking way. If it wasn’t the armor she wore, then it was the sword thrusted inside her belt that reflected the sunlight like a warning.
“I need you to do something for me,” I said without looking at her. “Something important.”
“I know. Lucc came to me in a panic—no surprise there—but he interrupted me while I was feeding.”
I pursed my lips.
“So, now I hate him even more.”
I glanced at the series of arched windows into the palace to make sure none of the guards were watching too closely.
It wasn’t uncommon to encounter other vultae while praying, but she and I had a budding reputation for trouble.
It was all the maps we’d stolen from the clergy.
All the eavesdropping we did on palace politics.
“Surely, you’ve heard about the human in my chambers,” I said.
“Heard of him? He’s all I’ve heard about. The talk of the palace is what he is.”
I blinked vacantly at the roots of the tree. “What are they saying?”
“Well, Lucc says he’s impossibly sexy.”
I snorted. “I’m surprised Lucc was able to get a sense of what he looked like through all the trembling.”
“But everyone else is convinced that he is going to be the one to finally break Prince Alek the Unbreakable.”
My eyes flared wide for a second. That was the problem, wasn’t it? Something had to break.
“How are you managing locked up with him?”
“I don’t know how to answer that,” I said, scratching the back of my head. “On one hand, it’s been fucking torture—he is impossibly sexy. On the other hand, it’s been incredible, Amara. Incredible.”
“In what way?”
“In every way. He knows.”
Her silence was lengthy. “Knows…?”
“About me. About the doctor. About my plans. I told him everything.”
“Fucking what? Prince, why? You barely know him, and not to mention, he’s a human. How do you know he can be trusted?”
“I don’t,” I said, shaking my head at the roots. “But I don’t care. Let him sell me out if he wants. I wanted him to know about me. I wanted to share myself with him. He deserves that much.”
“Does he? Lucc said he stabbed you.”
I chuckled.
“That’s funny?”
I rubbed my nose. No. And yes. “You had to be there.”
“I thought he was a concubine. Concubines aren’t typically violent creatures.”
My blood boiled at the word, such that I had to tamp down the snarl that wanted to lash from me. “He was a concubine. He’s not anymore.”
“Pardon?”
“He’s not anymore,” I repeated a little too loudly. “He will no longer serve as one, because I am not joking when I say I will burn the kingdom to ashes if anyone else touches him.”
She was quiet for a long time.
So long that I snuck a glance to find her squinting at me. “Do not give me that look.”
“You were shaken, I fear,” she said. “Shaken as a babe.”
A smile twitched my mouth. “Probably. You’ve met my father.”
“That’s got to be the only explanation for why you deviate so severely from our kind.”
“A little deviation could only serve our kind. ”
“So, where did your father take this human who you want to burn kingdoms for? Lucc didn’t know.”
I glanced at the window, lowering my voice to say, “That is what I need you to find out.”
“Well, that’s easy. Which is why I know there’s more.”
“There is.” I dropped my voice to a whisper, “I want him freed.”
She didn’t budge or speak, while the birds that’d nested in the Hacerium tree cooed softly.
“I want him taken to Barrion’s cottage with gold in his pocket. Tell the doctor he is to watch after him until I am able to get there. Just as soon as I can. Understood?”
She stayed silent.
“Amara.”
“Shh, I’m fucking thinking. I suppose I could sneak him out on the back of the wine merchant’s cart. He’s delivering tomorrow night. But how the hell am I going to steal a concubine from your father’s possession?”
I scraped my teeth over my lower lip at the thought of Feloré in my father’s possession. “I don’t know.”
“His day of birth is approaching. Perhaps he could be easily distracted? It wouldn’t be the first time. I could ride into one of the villages and choose a human of similar attributes. Present them like an early gift. What does he look like, the human?”
My head filled with vivid images of what he… fucking… looked… like.
There’d been the look when he first arrived, dressed in nothing more than sheer silver.
There’d been the way he looked when he was coming all over his stomach, cheeks flushed and lips parted.
It was the sunlight dancing over his eyelids right before he awoke in the morning and the last glimpses of pearly blue before his eyes drifted shut at night.
I dragged a hand down my face. “You won’t be able to find it. It’s one-of-a-kind.”
She risked a glance at me.
“Look, I know I sound mad. I know he’s a human, but if he gets hurt…” I trailed off. “He can’t get hurt, Amara. He can’t.”
Whatever she saw on my face was enough to try to soften the hard line of her mouth.
“Do whatever you have to do—I will be forever in your debt—but please. Please keep him safe.”
“I will. I’ll find a way. I always do.”
I smoothed my tongue over my teeth.
“You’re not mad, Prince. I follow you, not in spite of your heart, but because of it. And I will follow you until your vision for this kingdom is a reality.”
A little weight lifted from my chest as I nodded.
She gripped her sword and dug one boot into the dirt, bowing at the tree. “Be on alert for a message from me. Once the human is handled, we’re set to ride. I’ll send word to the doctor to be expecting us.”
“Thank you, Amara,” I whispered, meeting her gaze. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Thank me when it’s done,” she said, sheathing her sword. “Now get some fucking sleep. You look like death.”