Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Rules
MAGNOLIA
Itripped over the hem of my gown as I quickly changed out of it. The amount of jewels sewn into the fabric would have instantly given me away.
Shrugging on a simple tan dress, I slipped back into the halls. Even though night was fast approaching, you couldn’t tell from inside the castle. Sconces illuminated the hallways, making blending in near impossible.
My first guess was that the initiate dinner would be in the dining hall—where I’d eaten every meal with King Elion since I adjusted to the altitude—but it was empty.
I went to the throne room next. Also empty.
I searched two more places before I realized I needed a new tactic. I hid behind a thick curtain, waiting for a servant to walk by. Three passed before I found one carrying a tray of meat skewers.
I followed him down the winding hallway, then up a flight of stairs, smiling as loud chatter sounded when he rounded a corner.
The servant entered through a large archway that led outside, and I had to put my hand over my mouth to stop from gasping.
I’d seen this terrace before—I saw it after my first breakfast with the king.
After Bran brought me up to my room, I could just barely glimpse it when I leaned out my window.
Even from afar, I could tell it was massive.
It was the first place I went to in the castle.
Stone sprawled out over luscious gardens a few levels below and it gave a clear view of the Drakin Mountains.
Some of the tallest peaks were directly in front of it, and the proximity made me feel so small, like a reminder that the world existed outside Dahes’ castle, that nature existed, beauty existed.
I’d been staring at it for an un-Sunly amount of time before I forced myself to explore more.
But now, it completely took my breath away. It was astounding.
The two suns were almost fully set as they hung low across the range, casting the entire place in a soft orange and pink hue.
I leaned forward, trying to get a better view without fully walking in front of the archway.
Sconces were hung outside the castle walls, adding to the warmth and glow that wasn’t there the first time I saw it.
Soft music played from a live octet and the sound alone had my heart stopping.
I’d never heard anything like it. Moriann didn’t own musical instruments and no one risked drawing attention by singing.
In the Dead Kingdom, you wanted to blend in. But here, it was like a show of eccentricity to see who could stand out the most.
I was so transfixed—watching the riders sweep across the dance floor, hearing the notes and soft melodies glide through the air, the giddy chatter, the drinking, the laughing, the carelessness of it all—that I forgot what I came here to do.
There were nearly a hundred people standing on the portion of terrace I could see, and I still couldn’t take everything in fast enough.
“This is for riders only.” A deep voice had my heart in my throat. I whirled, my foot catching on the curtain I was hiding behind as I came face to face with pale brown eyes.
Arrik’s expression was set, just as hard and menacing as he had been all day. It made it impossible to read his emotions other than the slight agitation radiating from him. It was obvious being my escort was a nuisance to him, but I didn’t care. I found him equally as annoying.
“I wasn’t planning on going outside,” I intoned.
“I told you not to leave your room.”
I straightened, my own eyes narrowing to match his. “I wasn’t aware I took orders from you.”
“Is this what got you into trouble in Moriann that had you risking your life to flee the Dead King?” He crossed his arms over his chest, the movement drawing my attention to his biceps before I flicked my gaze back up. “Being in places you shouldn’t be?”
“It’s none of your business.”
He assessed me for a moment. “I’ll walk you back to your room.”
“No, you won’t.” I honestly had no idea what was coming over me. I couldn’t compose myself around him.
A glint of annoyance flashed across his face. “If anyone catches you right now, you’ll be worse off than you were in Moriann.”
I glanced back toward the terrace, seeing the debauchery in a new light. The riders honestly looked more intoxicated than the crowd who had watched them from the stands all day. Everyone was sloppy, careless, acting as if this was their last night alive… which according to Cash, it would be.
“Trust me,” he added when I still didn’t move, but there wasn’t any taunting to his voice now.
“Why?”
“Because there’s always one Wielder who doesn’t listen to the rules.”
I arched my brow. “Rules?”
“You’re not a drakin and you’re currently standing outside a rider-only threshold.”
“So why are you here instead of out there?” I gestured past the curtain, toward the dancing.
“I’m looking for the feast’s entertainment, and I’ve seen enough of you today that I don’t particularly care to watch you become it.”
My gaze snapped to his and my stomach plummeted. I honestly couldn’t tell if I wanted to ask him what that meant.
Either way, I wasn’t going to press my luck by standing here any longer. The rider with the blood on his pants flashed in my mind—they did that to their own and I watched all day as the other riders seemed to mock him—I didn’t want to find out what would happen to me if I broke their stupid rules.
Well, if I got caught breaking their rules, because in order to do what I needed to for Dahes, I was going to be breaking numerous rules. I didn’t have a choice.
I stormed past him, making my way toward the hallway I came from. I heard footsteps behind me and knew he was following without turning to look.
I didn’t need or want his help—I knew my way around the castle enough to find my way back to my room. He didn’t have to show me, which made his heavy footsteps alarming. I kept thinking he was going to change his mind and I’d find out what ‘being the entertainment’ meant.
It had me walking faster.
I was a second away from grabbing the handle of my door when his voice startled me again. “Nollie.”
My body locked up the moment my name left his lips. It shouldn’t have bothered me. It was just a name—a name I hadn’t heard someone call me in the past seven years until I came here…
“You should leave.”
I whirled, then pointed toward the door. “What do you think I’m doing—”
“I don’t just mean tonight,” he cut me off. “You need to leave Elion’s castle.”
“What?” It was the last thing I expected him to say.
“You aren’t safe here.” His voice lowered, but he didn’t add anything else.
“Because I was at the party?”
“It doesn’t help when you do stupid things, but no.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. I only saw because I realized I’d been staring at his mouth. “King Elion isn’t who you think he is.”
That snapped my gaze up to his. “And who do I think he is?”
“Your escape from Dahes, your savior. I don’t care how you want to look at him, but Elion isn’t it. I’m assuming right now that your life is drastically better than it was in Moriann, but you can’t stay here.”
“You’re a dick.” I turned to open the door, but his hand caught my wrist. I stared at our skin, realizing mine still had color. My Token wasn’t reacting.
He bent forward, his breath hovering close to my ear. “He’s keeping you for collateral. Eventually there will be something Elion wants, and if Dahes is after you, you’ll be the first thing he trades.”
I turned around slowly, my back pressing against the door, as my breathing hitched. He let go of my wrist, but he didn’t move out of my space.
I knew there was another reason Elion was keeping me, and being kept for collateral made sense, but I couldn’t shake the feeling there was something more.
But it didn’t matter his reasons. For now, staying here worked in my favor. I was going back to Dahes one way or another, and I couldn’t leave here until my hunt was done.
“What?” I asked, not realizing he said something else.
His gaze hardened as he took me in, and I felt like he could see right through me. “I said, you should be scared.”
I went to open my mouth, then closed it, then opened it again. “Why do you even care? You completely ignored me all day and now you want to pretend you’re helping me?”
He didn’t answer right away. His gaze lingering on mine for a heartbeat before he spoke next. “Leave tonight. Head to Inyaerille. You can blend in as a commoner there.”
I swore I saw the slightest hint of emotion flash across his face, but then it was gone, and he was already turning around to leave. I watched him walk away, my hands shaking with my back still pressed against the door.
It only took me a minute to recover before I went into my room fuming.
First, because of the audacity of Arrik.
And second, because I was pissed he thought I’d blend in as a commoner of the Fourth.
From what I knew about Inyaerille, it wasn’t much better than the streets of Moriann.
Most of the exiles came from there and it made up ninety percent of Viven’s crimes.
Why did he even care if I stayed?
Why did I care?
What was his point in telling me to leave? What did he mean by entertainment and if he was supposed to find it, why did he let me go?
Suns, I couldn’t sort out any of my thoughts. I wasn’t even used to thinking this much. Most of the time, my mind was blank, and besides blocking out whatever horrendous thing Dahes made me do, I usually had nothing to think about.
My life was predictable. Horrible. Dreadful. Suns-awful. But predictable.
I started pacing my room, contemplating sneaking back out, but fear had me momentarily staying.
I needed to leave. I needed to find out any information I could on Hael and the fact that I had none right now was stressing me out.
I couldn’t go back to Dahes empty handed…
What if he wouldn’t honor our deal?