Epilogue
It’d been three days ago when Fiolar, Carthain, Ireas, and I had finally reached Amalach.
When we’d arrived, we had found my grandnephew in a dire situation, and if we’d just appeared moments later, my grandnephew might not have survived.
Two Guardians had been attacking his unconscious body, and it’d been a lot of effort to take them down.
The fool had tried to steal a book without even thinking of the consequences. Or it had been his usual cocky behavior driving him to recklessness. If anything rarely challenged you, it was hard to stay grounded.
Three days and Dionadair had not woken up once.
He was healing, but at a much slower pace than he should have, even though he was not even wearing a Glamour.
Fiolar had insisted on bringing him away from Amalach in case the remnant magic of the Mystic Library would replace the Guardians on its own.
If that had been the case, nothing could have stopped them from coming after the stolen book and its thief again.
So yes, we were forced to leave the ruins of the formerly splendid city in a rush.
It was a challenge to bring an unconscious fae into a human inn undetected. Ireas was able to cast some minor illusion magic, but glamouring others was not his strength, and he almost burned himself out in the process.
I sat on a chair next to Dion’s unconscious form, looking thoughtfully down at him as the door opened. “Fiolar. Any news?”
“You first.”
“He still didn’t wake up.”
“You have a theory about that, don’t you?”
“Of course. It is obvious that the Rite of Binding succeeded.” The bracelet of dark magic under my grandnephew’s skin told me as much.
“And?”
“The binding formed, but it could not settle in full.”
“Because Nayana was nowhere to be found.”
I nodded. “My best guess is that the early separation messed up the remnants of the divine magic, resulting in problems with the binding. Even though I never found anything documented about such a case, I would conclude that the union can only settle properly in proximity.” I wished I knew what had happened, although I assumed Nayana had left when she found out the truth about Dionadair.
How much of the truth, though, was still a mystery that only my grandnephew could solve.
“Combining my assumptions with the fact that he shadowwalked both of them over a three-day-distance to Amalach and that he killed one of the Guardians before falling unconscious, it paints a grim picture.”
“He once said that shadowwalking is possibly the most draining facet of his gift.”
I nodded again. I did not regret telling Dion to use this method to travel to Amalach. It had to be done that way. Still, it was an unfortunate chain of events.
“So, if we think Ireas is right in his assumption that Dion is one inch away from being burned out, my next guess would be that he is having a hard time recovering from burnout because of the unsettled binding. It is messing with his power-regaining process.”
“That’s very likely—and unfortunate.”
“It is.”
The door opened again, and Carthain entered with Ireas in tow.
“Any news?”
“No. What about you?”
“I’ve found something.”
I turned to Carthain, who cautiously placed a dark dagger on an armoire, wearing a serious face I had not seen often in the past months. He’d always been my wild card in this group and had never disappointed me. I had faith in him that he would continue to be a real asset.
“That’s Nayana’s dagger.” Fiolar looked grim, and I sighed.
“I found it in the wastelands around Amalach. There were a lot of footprints, so I followed them.”
I didn’t like the expression on Carthain’s face. “And?”
“There were rumors. She was seen with the King of Merchants.”
The pain in my whole body was the first sensation to return, followed by bone-deep fatigue that tempted me back into succumbing to the healing embrace of an unconscious sleep.
My magic was barely present, and I wondered if I was drunk or in contact with hematite, the only material capable of neutralizing both fae and elemental magic.
Slowly, I opened my eyes when I heard hushed voices talking as I registered that I was lying in a soft bed and not on the hard ground somewhere in Amalach—and that I was alive in the first place, which was more than I could have hoped for.
On the one hand, I was overwhelmed by memories, assaulted by questions of how I ended up in this bed—wherever I was—and how I survived the Guardian’s onslaught. On the other hand, I tried to listen to the voices I quickly identified as my fellow soldiers.
I bared my teeth when I heard Thain speak, an instinctive reaction I couldn’t stop even in my state. There was too much bad blood between us.
“As I said, there were rumors. Word on the streets is that the King of Merchants was spotted with some guards—and an unconscious female prisoner.”
In an instant, all the remnants of fog in my brain were expelled, and I sat up in a rapid motion, ignoring the dizziness that came with it. “What?” My voice croaked from disuse for gods-know-how-long, but everyone could have clearly heard the edge of panic in its tone.
“Dion, you’re awake. Gods, don’t—lie down again.”
As if. I was up instantly. I might have been weak, injured, almost magicless, but I didn’t care.
In an attempt to get the entire story out of him, I stumbled rather than hurried over to Thain and tightly gripped the collar of his tunic, shaking him.
He was in luck that I was still pathetically unsteady.
“While you played book thief and appetizer for the Guardians, Perran Feroy took Nayana. She was gone before we even arrived in Amalach.”
I growled and showed him my teeth again. “Then what the fuck are we still doing here?”
“We have been waiting for you to wake up. You were out for three days, Dion. Besides, Thain’s information is new for all of us.
” Antas tried to pry me away from Thain, but I didn’t let him.
The redhead was the perfect target for my rage.
And since he was even more feeble at his best than me at the moment, I still wasn’t worried about him retaliating.
I growled again and snapped at him with my teeth.
“Dionadair. Stop this madness instantly.”
Antas’ sharp tone didn’t touch me at all, and it was Fig who finally pulled me away. That bastard! When I had my strength back, he’d regret this. “Fiolar, let me go!”
“Either lie down and rest or get ready to leave. I don’t care.” Fig sounded almost bored. “Losing your mind won’t help anyone.”
I snarled at my comrades. “I won’t rest if that human bag of filth can harm or kill Naya any second!”
“Then get dressed. We’ll get the horses ready.”
Before I could even so much as glower at them, the males filed out of my room, all except Antas.
“You need to keep it together and not blame your mistakes on others. And you will also have to explain to me what happened in Amalach.”
Count on my great-uncle to face my temper unafraid. I showed him my teeth as well and narrowed my eyes. “He has her.”
“Yes. And the more you alienate your only allies, the harder finding her will be.”
“She has the dagger. I can trace her.”
Antas just pointed to the armoire, and I cursed.
“Thain found it in the wastelands near Amalach, where Feroy most likely captured Nayana. Whether you like it or not, because he was scouting alone, Carthain is the only one who has any kind of trace of her right now.”
I sighed, exhaustion washing over me despite—or because—all the turmoil agitating me.
“I’ll put on some clothes. We have to leave fast. Three days. We lost three days because of a fucking book.”
“Two more things. Can you glamour yourself?”
“It should work. What’s the other thing?”
“This came while you were asleep.”
I frowned at the closed envelope with an unbroken seal that Antas handed me. “Fuck.”
“Read it, get dressed, use your Glamour, and meet us downstairs.”
“Fiantas?”
“Yes, Dionadair?”
“I hate it when you order me around.”
“Then control yourself, and I won’t have to.”
I growled at him one last time as he left the room.
I quickly washed up as I changed my appearance back to my human mask, hating that something like a Glamour, which was as easy as breathing even for young faelings, almost knocked me off my feet.
When my disguise finally sat firmly enough to feel secure, I got dressed, all the while trying not to succumb to bone-deep exhaustion. I had no time to be weak.
Before I left the room, I took the letter and broke the seal, already knowing nothing good would come from reading it. I reached for the piece of parchment, and my eyes flew over the neat handwriting of my grandfather.
Scriosta,
I assume my last letter and my soldiers were unable to find you and were intercepted.
With surprise, I had to hear that you recently undertook the Rite of Binding, and I congratulate you and your Amplifier on said union.
While it will do much to strengthen my kingdom and reign, I have to admit that I am deeply disappointed, as your king but also as your grandfather.
Why you have preferred to conduct the ceremony in Amalach, of all places, instead of at home in Alaiann is a mystery to me.
I don’t have to tell you what an important symbol such an event could have been for my people—the first Rite of Binding in over a century.
But worry not. I spent quite some time thinking about how to salvage your careless oversight: On winter solstice, the crown will host a ball in honor of you and your binding.
You and your Amplifier, as well as all the males in your company, are to arrive three nights beforehand at the latest. Should you not, I will sadly have to assume it is your intention to commit treason, and I will have to enact the royal protocols.
You know precisely what this would entail.
Because of the possibility therefore, I am hosting forty-eight fae in my dungeons as security tokens, mostly, but not exclusively, family and friends of the ones accompanying you.
Stop hiding, return, and remember what it means to be the prince and heir my kingdom needs.
Your loving grandfather and High King Galrach,
High King of Galanta,
Emperor of the Eternal Throne to Alaiann.
I read the letter twice, and slowly, fiery anger morphed into cold fury.
I pocketed the parchment with trembling hands.
This was a problem for when Nayana was safe with me again.
For now, nothing else mattered except getting her back.
I didn’t care if all the worlds burned. Fuck that, I’d be the one to incinerate them if it was necessary because the one thing I’d sworn to keep safe forever—the only one that mattered in the end—was in danger.
And I wouldn’t rest until I got her back.
To be continued…