Chapter 35
“It could’ve been someone in the inn at Tadous,” Emil said as we rode on, watchful for more attacks.
He and Naill were now in front of us, which I found…
strangely amusing. They rode in a manner to protect me—Casteel and I—and I thought that perhaps I should be riding in front of them .
“Or it could’ve been someone who saw Arden on his way to Evaemon and assumed he was bringing word to the capital of our arrival. ”
I hoped that Arden had made it to the palace safely.
“Hey,” Casteel said quietly. I looked over to where he rode beside me, noticing then that Kieran and Delano had spread out a bit, giving us space. “What you did back there? You did the right thing.”
“I know.” And I did. “We could’ve kept fighting them, but someone would’ve gotten hurt, and I wasn’t going to allow that.”
“You’re amazing,” he replied, and I laughed softly. “I mean that, Poppy. Actually, you may be a deity, but you looked like a goddess.”
“Well, thank you.” I smiled at him. “I’m just glad that I did and could control it.”
“Same.” One side of his lip curved up. “That kind of ability will come in handy down the road.”
I thought of the Blood Queen.
Yes, it would.
A moment passed. “Those Unseen? They don’t represent Atlantia. What they think or want is not who the kingdom is.”
Our gazes met. “I know.” And that was…well, I wasn’t sure if that was true or not.
I’d met many Atlantians who’d been welcoming, friendly even.
I’d met some who’d been wary and reserved.
But there had been at least two dozen Unseen among the Gyrms. How many were out there?
How many people could they have infected with their beliefs that I would destroy Atlantia?
I didn’t know. But like before, I tucked those concerns away because, like I’d said back in the woods, they weren’t going to stop me.
They wouldn’t stop Casteel.
We rode on, and somewhere around midday, I knew that we were nearing the capital when we crested a hill, and large, broad trees appeared, each full of crimson leaves.
Blood trees dotted the landscape and lined the wide, paved road leading into Evaemon—trees I now knew represented the blood of the gods and not evil or something to be afraid of.
The blood trees spread out on either side of the road. I sat straighter as Evaemon came into view.
My lips parted as my eyes widened.
Towering, ivory-hued structures with whirling, sharp spires stretched into the sky, flanking stone bridges that rose on tall pillars above a wide, crescent-shaped canal of water as blue as the sky.
I could see three bridges, one to the east and one to the west, which led to islands that were nearly the size of Saion’s Cove, full of soaring buildings that scraped the sky.
Each bridge connected to dome-shaped structures that bore suns carved from stone, which rose above the belfries, and the bridge we rode across led to the heart of Evaemon.
Square, squat buildings with colonnades as wide as a city block gave way to gray and ivory buildings built far closer together than they had been at the Cove, but they rose higher into the sky, forming elegant towers and spires.
Like Saion’s Cove, there were patches of green wherever you looked, strips surrounding the graceful, sweeping structures, or covering the roofs of smaller, shorter buildings.
Throughout the city, Temples shimmered, reflecting the afternoon sun.
My throat dried as my gaze settled on the west end of the city, where a massive structure made of shiny black stone sat upon a raised hill, the wings of the building ending in circular porticos.
Numerous domed-glass ceilings and spires shone brightly in the sun as the center wing flowed into a Temple constructed of the same midnight stone as the ones in Solis.
Kneeling along the Temple’s steeple were stone soldiers, their sable heads bowed as they held shields to their chests and swords stretched out, the stone blades streaks of black against the sky.
Stunned, I dragged my gaze from what I could only imagine was the palace and looked out over Evaemon. My nostrils burned, along with my eyes, as I soaked in what I had once believed had fallen.
Where Saion’s Cove was nearly the size of Solis’s capital, Evaemon was triple the size, stretching on as far as I could see to the west and to the east, where specks of white grazed in open pastures.
Past the heavily wooded area that followed the Mountains of Nyktos, and in the face of that mountain, were eleven statues taller than the Atheneum in Masadonia.
Each figure held a lit torch in his or her outstretched arm, the flames burning as bright as the setting sun.
When I asked who the eleventh statue was, I learned that it was Nyktos’s Constort.
They were the gods—all of them—watching over the city or standing guard.
I couldn’t even begin to imagine how those statues had been built to that size and raised onto the mountain. Or even how those torches were lit—how they remained burning.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Casteel didn’t need to ask. It was the most beautiful city I’d ever seen. “Nearly all of the buildings you see before you were built by the deities.”
Gods, that had to mean they were thousands of years old. How anything lasted that long was beyond me. How a city could be so stunning and intimidating was also beyond my realm of understanding.
White-winged birds flew overhead as we crossed the bridge, soaring over the wolven who prowled in front of us.
I glanced at the large wheels in the water, wondering if that was how they fed electricity to the city.
Carsodonia used a similar technique, but not on such a grand scale.
Ahead, I could see sails of small ships in the canal.
“I have so many questions,” I whispered.
“Not a single person is surprised to hear that,” Kieran remarked, and Delano chuckled.
“But I can’t even formulate words at the moment,” I admitted, clearing my throat.
Casteel drew Setti closer as he looked over at me. “Are you…crying?”
“No,” I lied, blinking the tears from my eyes. “Maybe? I don’t even know why. It’s just…I’ve never seen anything like this.”
A bell tolled, startling me and sending birds flying from the belfry as it rang in a quick succession of three—which was different than the bells that tolled in Saion’s Cove to tell the time.
“They’re just alerting the city to our arrival,” Casteel reassured me, and I nodded.
Emil looked back at us, his gaze finding Casteel over my shoulder. He nodded, guiding his horse to the front. Nudging his mount on, he galloped ahead, passing through the structure at the end of the bridge.
“Where is he going?” I asked.
“Ahead to the palace to let them know we’ve arrived,” Casteel informed me. “We’re going to take a far more discreet path. There will be people, but nothing like the route Emil is taking.”
Needless to say, I was grateful for that. My senses were already overwhelmed, and I really didn’t want to greet the citizens of Evaemon as a blubbering mess.
The wolven remained with us, along with Naill. Soldiers among the Guardians waited in the shadows of the entry building, bowing at their waists as we passed. My heart thumped heavily as we turned to the east, entering an empty road outside the long colonnades I’d spotted at the mouth of the bridge.
“What are these buildings used for?” I asked.
“They house the machinery that converts the water into electricity,” Casteel explained, keeping Setti close. “You’ll see several of these throughout the city.”
“That’s amazing,” I murmured as, across the street, where doors slowly opened from sandstone buildings, curious faces appeared.
“And boringly complicated,” Naill stated from behind us.
“But you could recite each piece of equipment and what the purpose of it is,” Kieran replied.
“True.” Naill smiled when I glanced over my shoulder at him. “My father is one of many who oversees the mills.”
“Oversees?” Casteel snorted. “More like he’s the heart of the mills. His father is mostly responsible for keeping these ancient wheels working so that everyone has access to everything electricity can provide.”
“Your father must be very smart,” I said, my gaze flicking over the faces that appeared in the windows. There were no hostile looks or feelings. Most seemed more focused on the mass of wolven converging on the street.
“That he is,” Naill answered, his pride as warm as the sun.
About a half-dozen wolven, along with Delano, had fallen back. I reached out to him in concern, finding the springy freshness of his imprint.
All is well , he assured me after a moment, his response tentative as if he were still getting used to communicating this way. We’re just making sure you and the Prince are protected from all fronts.
Were they worried about the Unseen or something else? I focused on the road we traveled. Eventually, we passed under the bridge that led to the east, a district of Evaemon that Casteel had said was called the Vineyards.
“Wine,” he explained as we rode near the bank of the main canal. Ships with white and gold sails were docked at the numerous piers. People hustled on and off vessels, carrying crates. “The district gets its name from the vineyards.”
The other district was called The Splendor for its cache of museums, art, and some of the oldest buildings in all of Atlantia. I couldn’t wait to explore the enclave, but that would have to wait.
We traveled along the thicket of glossy blood trees, climbing the rolling pasture hills. My breathing became short as the trees thinned out, and smooth, jet-colored stone became visible through them.
“Why is the palace so different from the rest of the buildings in Atlantia?” I asked, forcing my grip to remain loose on Storm’s reins.