Chapter 34 Eveera
Eveera
CRASH!
The noise jolts me awake, my body springing upright, and my hand flying to where Rorin should be but is very obviously — not.
THUD!
"What the hell?" I mutter, swinging myself out of bed, scrambling for something to put on after he ruined what I'd been wearing last night.
I struggle to pull my tunic over my head and my leathers up my legs, as the concerning noises grow louder, making their way to our room. Sweeping my hair up into a knot, I stab a pin through it and grab my dagger, prepared for whatever is outside those doors.
Whipping the door open, the young guards scurry quickly out of my way. The noises are coming from the end of the hall, my Wield buzzing in my palms as I anticipate the worst.
"Dammit, Bennett!" Rorin. Thank fuck. I tell myself, my magic calming down.
The doors to Bennett and Mousy's room are wide open, stuff flying out into the hall as Rorin goes on a rampage. Bennett catches sight of me first and shakes his hand in front of his throat, silently pleading with me not to engage.
Rorin is furiously pacing in the center of the sitting area, his heart beating loudly through the open seal. He’s spiraling… but over what? I wonder.
Ignoring Bennett’s warning, I clear my throat. "What is going on?" Rorin’s head snaps towards me, his eyes softening only a little when he realizes I’m the one interrupting his tirade.
His man sighs, irritated that I didn't listen, responding with, "Will left."
"Fucking abandoned us is what he did." Rorin hisses.
Will? I think to myself, unsure of who exactly we're talking about. "Ror, he told you—"
"I know what he bloody said, Bennett."
His man raises his arms in defense, backing off and away.
"I'm sorry, but — who is Will?"
Rorin pinches his brow and sucks in a sharp breath. "Will is who you so 'affectionately' call, Mousy." He snarks, not bothering to soften his tone.
Ah… I think to myself. "His name is Will?"
"Oh bloody hell…" Bennett scoffs, dropping his head back.
"What is all the noise?" Millie's voice pipes up, all three of us turning to see her standing in the doorway, staring wide at the mess Rorin's made. "I suppose you are all the noise." She mutters, walking around me to stand beside Bennett.
He drapes an arm over her shoulders, leaning into her ear to tell her that Mous—Will is gone. Her mouth drops, and he clamps a broad hand over it, silencing her as he backs the two of them up against the wall.
"Ror—"
"I can't believe he would do this." He barks, kicking the leg of the chair next to him, and sending it skidding across the floor.
"Rorin, he warned you…"
He cracks his neck, flexing his hands in and out of his palms, mist slipping through the slits of his fingers as he tries to gain some control back.
"How many times are you going to repeat yourself with that hmm? Because from the moment I came in here, that’s all that seems to come out of your fucking mouth.
" Bennett's face flashes with hurt, and I see the regret enter Rorin's almost immediately. "Ben—"
"I think you've said enough for right now, Rorin," Millie interjects, guiding their friend out of the room.
"And you wonder why he left us," Bennett grumbles under his breath.
Rorin's hands slide down his face as he stalks over to the hearth, snatching a bottle of liquor off the side table on his way. He grimaces while taking a long swig of it, fighting the cough from the burn.
I watch as he takes a few more drinks before I decide it's safe to interrupt him.
When he lifts it to finish the bottle off, I grab hold of the neck and pull it from his grip, earning myself a glare.
"You will thank me later," I whisper, pouring the rest of the alcohol into my mouth. "I'm sorry… that he left."
He scoffs, "don't lie, Eveera."
My lips flatten into a thin line, and I step chest to chest with him, grabbing hold of his chin.
"Look at me." He fights the hold, and I jerk his face again, "look.
at. me." The hazel orbs flash with defiance, and the muscle in his jaw ticks beneath my fingers.
"You're right, I'm not sorry that he left.
I am, however, sorry that he has you feeling this much betrayal.
But there is a person who is much more deserving of your ire than my furniture. "
He rests an arm against the stone and sighs through his gritted teeth.
I rise onto my toes, sliding my hand down the edge of his jaw until my palm presses lightly around his throat. "This is the part where you say that I'm right," I whisper, my lips brushing his.
Rorin growls in response and cups the back of my head roughly, planting a firm kiss to my forehead. He grabs onto my hand and drags me from the room. Millie and Bennett are waiting outside the doors for us, and he clasps Bennett’s shoulder, “I’m sorry.”
The remainder of our group met out in the woods lining the castle grounds, Armond waiting anxiously to Void each of us to the borders.
My Wield brims uncomfortably beneath my skin as the reality of being face-to-face with Eiser grows closer.
Rorin looks even worse than I feel; his stare is hollow and trained on the ground while he paces back and forth.
The last to join us are Pruella and Millie.
The princess's face is lined with worry, her nail beds are worn down and chewed, and I can see her fighting back the urge to chew the entire nail off.
"Is this everyone, your Majesty?"
I do a cursory glance of the group, naming them off in my head before nodding at my man. Armond raises his arm and motions for Max to grab on, the two of them giving me one last look before Voiding out.
It takes time for him to Wield back and forth — but he works fast, moving from Max to Bennett, and then to Millicent and me, leaving Rorin and the princess to go last.
We’d decided on our way out here that they'll be Voided a few feet farther from the meeting point, leaving the princess concealed until I'm ready to have her brought forward.
I feel Rorin's shoulder brush against mine, dropping his mouth down to my ear. "Don't stab me for asking, but… you're sure this is going to work?" My eyes flick up to him, his expression pensive as he stares over at Pruella, fidgeting next to Millie.
"I'm not accepting the option where it doesn't, remember?
" I set my palm against his throat, rubbing my thumb against his pulse.
“It will work, princeling." His eyes roll at the nickname, and briefly, he rests his forehead against mine.
"Armond will bring you two last, and then when it's time, I'll send for you. "
He nods grimly and tips my chin up to him, pressing his lips firmly against mine. My fingers flex around the nape of his neck, bringing him closer to deepen the kiss.
"If this goes wrong… if they even try—"
"It won't."
"A-hem." Armond clears his throat, motioning for me to hurry.
The two of us break apart, and I move over to my guard, taking hold of his forearm. I give Rorin a long look before I’m magicked away. "I'll be fine. Wait for my signal."
Millicent mirrors my stance on the left side of Armond, his magic deftly wrapping around the three of us. For a dizzying second, I feel weightless, and then the Void spits us out harshly on the other side.
Max and Bennett rush over to stabilize us while Armond Wields back to Rorin and the princess.
"You alright?" Bennett asks, brow tight with concern.
"Mmhm." I hum.
"Good. Because you have about two seconds before—" The sound of sticks cracking hits our ears, and the four of us lift our heads to face the noise.
Through the evening fog, we watch as the two kings emerge, Baelor's face already painted with a slimy grin. "Show time." I breathe down the seal, hoping it reaches Rorin. From the corner of my eye, I see Max and Bennett straightening, their hands wrapping around the hilts of their swords.
"Well, I suppose congratulations are in order." Baelor sneers, and I grit my teeth together, "on your recent nuptials, of course. Though I'm sure you didn't request to meet with the two of us just to hear our congratulations in person."
My eyes narrow at them, and I take a step forward. "No, we came for something of actual merit."
"We? I only see one of you."
I ignore the jab, narrowing my eyes at the two of them. "I don’t want to waste my time, so I’ll get straight to the point. King Baelor, your pursuit of Allora must stop."
The king's smile tightens, "your Majesty, if that is the thing of merit you came for— you'll be sorely disappointed. I have big plans for Allora." He grabs onto the top of Eiser's shoulder, "we have big plans."
"I'm sure you do, but I’m afraid I won't be disappointed. Because you're going to agree to what I'm offering."
"Go ahead then, prove me wrong."
I push back against the urge to answer the challenge in his voice.
"You cease your pursuit of Allora and abandon your occupation in Evendell—" the want to interrupt is plain in his beady eyes, but I keep going, "otherwise I'll be gaining another bauble in my collection.
" The king's head tilts, confused, and I reach for Rorin.
His presence floods down the seal, and I can't help the feral grin that spreads across my face. "Now."
I watch eagerly as Baelor's face goes from overconfident to guarded and hesitant, his diplomacy slipping when Rorin drags Pruella forward.
"It looks like you happened to have misplaced your princess, and as the saying goes…
finder's keeper's." I taunt, loosing a tendril and winding it around the girl's throat.
"You have some nerve—"
Pruella sucks in a sharp breath at his voice, keeping her stare on the ground as the fear floods from her pores.
"You will stop your advances on the southern half of Allora and abandon your occupation in Evendell,” I repeat, “or else…
I get to keep her pretty little head." I quip, tugging on the thread binding her, dragging her to my feet.
His breath hitches at seeing his daughter being manipulated on a string like a marionette, and he sucks on his teeth. "Tempting offer…"
"You can't be serious." Eiser scoffs, finally breaking his eerie silence.
Baelor throws out his hand, stopping any further arguments from the Vellaran king while he steps forward, "but it's not an even trade, I'm afraid. One girl, even if she is my heir, is a meager choice compared to ruling over all of Allora–"
"Let's not pretend,” I interject, “that the war you'll bring on your heads — if you dare try to come on my lands — will be one you survive."
I release another tendril, allowing it to slither along the ground like a snake until it reaches their feet. I fasten it around their ankles and root them in place.
Eiser doesn’t hesitate to fight against my Wield, sputtering incoherently, while Baelor only steams in his spot.
"Now, you can take the deal and your daughter, return to Hadar quietly with your conquests over Mellant and Peverell as your consolation prize.
Or I can see how well Pruella's head functions separated from her body; something tells me it won't work too well. "
"Even if I agree, you've nothing to offer my friend here." He jeers, his slimy grin returning to his face, flicking his hollow eyes over to Rorin, "or will you be returning two king's heirs this night?"
"Mmm. Tempting offer,” I mock, “but no. Besides," I croon, walking across the clearing until we are nearly toe-to-toe, "I don't think I need to offer him anything anyway, do I?" I whisper.
Baelor's brows lift in intrigue, "is he a part of the deal as well? You get two things out of this?"
“It’s not like you need two kings to rule your territories, do you?” Black edges into my vision as I lock eyes with the king, "take the deal."