Chapter 14
Jace’s eyes kindle to a midnight fury when the three of us trudge into his study. A roaring fire crackles in the corner. Its flames cower like they sense the rage flooding from the King of Shadow.
“What the fuck happened?” He scans Isra first, then Roe, then me. Those inky eyes stick to the bruise now blossoming above my left cheek, and I swear the world stops spinning. “Who did that to you?”
I touch the purpling skin. It’s swollen and I may have splintered my cheekbone, but the dull throbbing is manageable for now.
“Someone who no longer breathes,” I reply.
Jace sighs and slumps in his seat. “Did you get a name?”
Roe produces the journal from her satchel and places it on the desk. It lands with a thud, and my skin blazes with the feel of Jace’s gaze still focused over me.
“She’s fine,” Roe snips, rustling through the parchment pages. “And so are we, thanks for asking.”
Isra slumps into a wingback chair beside me and I follow his lead, wincing as I sit on the matching black sofa.
My body hasn’t nearly had enough time to recover from the strain of everything that’s happened since arriving in Shadow, and I’m feeling the ache of exhaustion more than I’d prefer to.
My head spins, but I focus on Roe’s index finger as she traces each line of sloppy handwritten ink.
“We’re looking for a Yaris Lightbrood. Pyris mentions the ‘intriguing silver coloring’ of his hair in this section…
” Roe quiets as she reads the entry. “Gods, the slippery fuck stole forty thousand stipen and twenty dragonstones from this guy? I’m surprised a merchant of that status hasn’t come for blood yet. ”
“Probably because he doesn’t want the attention,” Jace says.
Isra retrieves a scroll from the floor-to-ceiling shelves that line the left wall and unfurls it over Jace’s desk.
He and Roe inspect the map—an ornate, inked illustration of the continent.
She presses an index finger on the border dividing Shadow and Storm.
“I’ll bet Pyris crossed here, this section isn’t nearly patrolled heavily enough, but how did he survive the lurker den just north of it?
” She traces her finger through hand drawn trees and lands on a red X.
“They would’ve sensed him as soon as he crossed through. Either Pyris is one lucky bastard or…”
“Or the lurkers are distracted,” Jace finishes. He bites his lip with a furrowed brow, and the air chills around him. My skin pricks.
“I’ll have Tenebris patrol the area for any activity.” He paces from his seat and leans against the desk beside me as Isra and Roe continue planning the mission into Storm.
“You killed the man who gave you that?” he asks, brushing a thumb over the bruise on my cheek. His voice is low and sultry like a forbidden secret shared.
“Yes, but he got closer than I’d have preferred,” I breathe. His touch burns a trail of wildfire down my skin, and I drop my gaze, praying to Astora I’m not as translucent as I feel.
“Not possible. I’ve seen the bruises you’ve given Isra and he’s our best fighter. Better than me if I’m being honest,” Jace says, his words more than a simple remark.
“With my weapons, yes, but the blade was too heavy and I misstepped.” I don’t know why I offer the admission, but I do.
Had I just been strong enough, fast enough, lethal enough, I wouldn’t be wincing with every step or nursing a black eye.
Maybe Roe wouldn’t be adjusting the medical wrap around her shoulder either.
“It was wrong of me to send you unarmed. That won’t happen again.” He watches me through lowered lashes and my entire fucking body clenches.
“No, it won’t,” I say finally, swallowing the traitorous heat rushing to my cheeks.
“Good,” he says, then turns his attention back to the mission.
Gods, I’m fighting a losing battle against the sheer physical reaction he draws from me. Have I forgotten he’s kept me here against my will? Threatened my execution?
Roe’s backed me up in combat, Isra’s offered me honesty, and Jace has worried over a swollen cheek, but these people are still captors.
I can’t allow a gentle tone or seductive smile to persuade me from the truth.
Jace Ashborne may be beautiful and confident and exactly my type, but that doesn’t make him any less of a monster.
The hundreds of corpses laid to waste along his borders is proof of that.
Ruthless—entirely merciless—just as his father was and the other Ashborne nobility before him.
“If Storm is still as I left it, Yaris Lightbrood will be along the western shore, maybe somewhere in one of these ports here. The major trade lanes come right through this isle, and if he’s as wealthy as Pyris claims, he’ll be well integrated with the merchants there,” Isra says.
“So that’s where you’ll go.” Roe nods and shoves off the table. “Leave after sunset to avoid being seen from the ground.”
“I appreciate the enthusiasm, but let’s wait a moment. We can’t just saunter into Storm without an official directive,” Jace says.
“So grant one. You’re the king aren’t you?” Roe cocks her head.
“We need an official directive from Storm’s monarchy, and after what happened last time…well, I won't hold my breath that Queen Raine will jump to sign off.” Jace eyes Isra from across the study.
“What happened last time?” I ask, my gaze rallying between the two men. Isra shrugs and tucks a curl behind his ear.
“Isra’s dragon ate fifteen of Storm’s infantry when they intercepted him during patrol,” Roe says, and her tone sounds almost proud.
“It wasn’t Serelyn’s fault, they swarmed us unannounced. First rule of the continent—never startle a dragon.” Isra’s cherry red cheeks are proof that the endeavor most certainly was Serelyn’s fault, but second rule of the continent—never blame a dragon, only its rider.
My heart pumps with the next question—Isra is a rider, too?
He’s from Storm which means Serelyn must be a Jadetail.
They aren’t as common a breed as Crimsonclaws, but they’re nonviolent…
at least when unprovoked. I shiver at the thought of the immense power flickering through their massive bodies—lightning breath.
The last sacrificial line of defense, but an impenetrable one at that.
During the war, the Jadetails refused to ally with Sovereign’s Astralwings.
The riders argued that unleashing their power would cause not just one breed of dragon toward extinction but all of them.
So, Storm stayed a non-active party in battle, but unlike Shadow, they opened their borders to refugees when Sovereign’s final pillar crumbled.
“Rainey dearest is a family friend. Send me to Storm, she’ll give us her support,” Isra says.
“If I recall correctly, Queen Raine’s last correspondence suggested otherwise.” Jace arches a brow at him.
“Blasphemy,” Isra replies, a wry grin spreading over his lips. Pacing to his desk, Jace clears retrieves a scroll marked with the House of Raine’s sigil—a bolt of lightning forming a dragon tail—and clears his throat.
“Isra Kaari, emissary of King Ashborne III, is hereby declared an enemy of our great faction. He is not, nor ever will be, welcome across our borders until he meets Morvayne,” Jace reads. A hint of amusement laces through his tone, sending his lip twitching at the corners.
Roe snorts and pats Isra on the shoulder. “There we have it, my friend.”
I stifle the curl of my lip before it spreads.
“So, if Isra can’t cross back into Storm, who then? Roe?” I ask.
“Oh gods no, I’m not stepping even a toe over the border,” she says, her warm humorous demeanor replaced by one of stern formality.
“No, Roe will stay here.” Jace doesn’t offer anything else, and the sharp bite of his words suggests it’s not open for discussion.
“So, what? You want me to track him? By myself? In a faction I’ve never been to nor am familiar with at all?” My lips part incredulously as all three of their gazes land on me. “You’ve all gone mad. What’s to say I won’t just disappear once I’ve crossed the border?”
“You won’t,” Jace states, inspecting the ring on his index finger.
I almost laugh in the King of Shadow’s face.
“Our agreement didn’t come with any assurances, oh wise king,” I spit, but my cheeks blaze when Jace’s eyes crease at the corners.
“No, it didn’t.”
“Then you’re a fool,” I reply, crossing my arms over my chest.
“You won’t simply run, Nova Lindwen.” Gods, my name on his tongue is the sweetest of forbidden fruits. “Because I’m going with you.”