Chapter 52 – Azaria
AZARIA
Three days after I’d made things official with Quinton, Elaria dragged me to lunch.
“So… you and Quinton Thornvale,” she mused, holding the half-empty cup of tea in her hand.
“I must say, Sis, out of all the men in this building, I did not expect you to go for the biggest bully in Serathen. I half expected you and Elias to end up together, judging from how much time you two spend together.”
The tavern bustled around us. Palace workers, mages, and ordinary citizens sat at nearby tables, enjoying their lunches.
“I wasn’t expecting it either, El, but… it felt right. I don’t know how to explain it,” I replied evenly.
She studied me for a moment, her expression softening. “You look settled. More grounded than I’ve seen you in ages.” She reached out, and I squeezed her hand. “I’m happy for you, Az.”
“Enough about me. Anyone that caught your eye? I saw you with that fire mage the other day,” I teased.
“He came for his final checkup and we ended up… talking… for a bit.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. Yeah, I saw that blush creeping up her skin.
“Riiight. Is that how kids call it these days?”
“It was just a talk!” Elaria huffed. I stifled a laugh.
I leaned in and whispered, “Was he good?” and winked.
Elaria went pure red, and I let out a laugh. She smacked me on the arm. “Azaria!” she rumbled, but there was no anger in it.
“So you interrogate me about my sex life, but yours is a state secret?”
“Your sex life was always more interesting than mine, Sis.” She composed herself a little.
“Well, because I know what I want, El. Don’t worry, you’ll find your confidence too.” I smiled at her. “Come on, I need to go back to the palace.”
“Me too, I have some checkups to complete this afternoon,” Elaria said as she stood up from the table. I paid for the food, left the tip, and we both made our way back towards the palace.
I was just walking Elaria back towards the healer’s wing when I heard rushed footsteps and someone calling my name.
“Captain Sylvenhart.”
We stopped, and I turned to see Lieutenant Tallis Cordan, one of the guards supervising the dungeons and cells. Dark olive skin, black hair, broad shoulders, and the same handsome face that was usually split by a teasing grin whenever he spotted me in the corridor.
“Lieutenant Cordan,” I replied, smiling.
“My apologies, I was hoping you could spare a little of your time to assist, Captain.”
I turned towards Elaria, but she only said, “Go, I’ll catch up with you later.”
I smiled and gave her a tight squeeze, then watched as she walked back to the healer’s wing. I turned back to him. “What is it, Tallis?”
“We have a prisoner. I was hoping you could speak with him,” Tallis said.
“Dravareth?” I asked.
“No, he’s not from Dravareth, as far as we can tell…” he replied. “To be frank, we are not sure where he is from. He told us very little.”
“Oh?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “What do you mean?”
He swiped a hand down his face. “Just come with me, Azaria, and see for yourself. You’ll understand then,” he said with a sigh.
I chuckled. “Well, lead the way then.”
As Tallis took me through the underground cells, he told me what little he knew about the mysterious prisoner.
“He was spotted in Captain Serah’s territory, close to Koulan borders. From what I was told, he didn’t resist. He only said that he means no harm and is looking for someone. The Wind sentries brought him over to the Koulan border, then he was brought here to the palace.”
“Why didn’t Serah deal with him herself? He was intercepted in her district.”
Tallis only shook his head. Of course. Whoever that man was, Serah decided I was the best person to deal with him.
“We’re almost here,” Tallis said quietly. He pointed to the last cell on the left of the corridor. Two sentries guarded it. We approached, and I finally looked at the prisoner.
Now I understood why Tallis and the others were so confused.
He looked like a male. Tall and well built.
I could see markings on his skin, silvery—possibly tattoos?
His clothes were dirty, but the style was unlike anything from Koulan.
Or any other district, for that matter. He raised his head to look at me.
His eyes were almost silver, or possibly blue—difficult to tell the exact hue in the cell light.
His hair was long and not blonde, not gray, but silvery white, gleaming like ripples of moonlight.
His scent hit me next—moss, damp forest, rich soil. Potent enough that for a heartbeat I felt like I was standing deep in the woods, grounded and steady in a way that loosened something in my chest.
And the most obvious hint that he was definitely not from this continent? Delicately pointed ears.
“Leave us,” I ordered the guards, then nodded to Tallis, as if to say, I’ve got this.
“Captain,” Tallis nodded back, and all three of them disappeared. Once they were out of earshot, I turned my attention back to the man.
“I assume you understand our tongue,” I said. He hadn’t stopped assessing me. His gaze was not angry or aggressive, just watching, steady and unhurried.
“Yes,” he replied. I heard the wisp of an accent I couldn’t place.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
He looked at me for a moment before he said, “Kalias.”
I raised a brow. He sighed. “Kalias Fenwynd, of the Silverblood line.”
Fenwynd. Silverblood line. The way he said it—could it be?—
“You’re a shifter,” I said.
The corner of his lips curved upward.
“You are cleverer than most of them,” he replied with a slight grin.
“I took a wild guess. Was I right?”
“Mostly, yes.”
“The nearest shifter continent is two weeks’ journey away by sea. You’re far from home, Kalias.”
“Your ships are slow,” he said easily.
I snorted. Fair enough.
“What are you doing in Kareth?”
“I am looking for someone.”
“Who?”
“I cannot tell.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
He didn’t respond this time.
“You hold a high-ranking position here,” Kalias said suddenly.
“I do. My name is Azaria Sylvenhart. I am one of the five Captains of Kareth.”
He whispered something to himself, too low to catch. His nostrils flared, just slightly, scenting the air. Then: “You do not have magic.”
“I don’t.”
“How did you become a captain, then? Everyone I encountered so far has magic.”
“By being stubborn.”
His eyes flickered, head tilting just slightly—an animal’s gesture of curiosity. At the same time, Tallis returned.
“Kalias, listen. I was asked to come here and ask you some questions. As you’ve no doubt realized, your fate depends on what I decide from here.”
He didn’t respond. I turned my attention to Tallis. “His name is Kalias, and he is a shifter. I don’t think he’s dangerous or lying, but he isn’t telling the whole truth either. I need him to speak with the Truthteller.”
“Truthteller?” Kalias asked.
“Yes. You’ll step into an enchanted veil and answer questions asked of you. If you lie, the Truthteller will know.” I turned back to Tallis. “Arrange for one as soon as you can.”
“Yes, Captain.” He walked away.
I faced Kalias again. His eyes met mine, sharp and steady, holding me there longer than I meant to let him. I was the one who looked away first.
“I will see you shortly,” I said, and left.
A shifter. In Kareth.
I leaned back against the cold wall outside the dungeons, letting my head fall against the stone. Two centuries since the last sighting. They had their own lands, far to the west; or maybe not so far, if Kalias was right about our ships being slow.
I wasn’t sure how long I stood there, waiting. Long enough for Tallis to find me. He approached with a bow of his head. “The chamber is ready, Captain.”
I nodded. “Let’s go, then.”
We returned to Kalias’s cell as the afternoon sun stretched long across the stone. Tallis unlocked the door, and I stepped inside.
“The Truthteller is ready for you,” I told him, holding his gaze.
Kalias sat up, smooth and unhurried, and rose to his feet. Gods above, he was tall. Calm, too: utterly patient, not a hint of defiance in his posture. Even with shackles on, he carried himself with a quiet dignity.
The guards flanked him, but he simply followed, matching our pace through the winding corridors as if he’d walked them before.
We reached the chamber—a bare, echoing room with the enchanted veil flickering above a raised platform.
Tywin waited by the wall, arms crossed, amusement sparking in his eyes.
“Stand under the veil,” the Truthteller instructed.
The magic hummed, casting strange ripples over Kalias’s skin as he stepped beneath it.
I moved to Tywin’s side, keeping my face composed. I could feel his attention on me, weighing my interest.
The Truthteller’s voice was clear and ancient. “What is your name?”
“Kalias Fenwynd, of the Silverblood line.”
The veil vibrated.
“Where do you come from?”
“From the shifter continent, west of Kareth. Beyond the Dawn Sea.”
Again, a gentle ripple.
“What is your purpose here?”
“I came here to find someone.”
“Who are you looking for?”
He hesitated, just for a heartbeat. “I do not know their name. My father told me of someone he lost long ago, who lived on this continent. Somewhere in the east.”
“Do you serve or hold allegiance to any power here?”
“No.”
“Are you allied with Dravareth or Malphyr Draeven?”
“I have never held such allegiance.”
“Do you serve the Abyss, or mean harm?”
He held the Truthteller’s gaze, unmoving. “No. I serve only my purpose.”
The questions went on for another ten minutes. Kalias answered every single one without a blink.
When it ended, the Truthteller inclined their head. “All spoken true. No deception.”
A slow breath escaped me, tension uncoiling from my shoulders. Kalias met my gaze again, patient and steady, with none of the hostility I’d braced for. There was only the quiet calm of someone who had spent his life standing slightly apart from everyone else.
Tywin gestured, and the guards led Kalias away, chains clinking softly. The door shut behind him, leaving only me, Tywin, and the low hum of the old magic.