CHAPTER XIV #8
“Let’s move farther out,” I tilt my head past where Cal and I were training. I don’t want my friends hearing what we had to say, nor for anything I did during my training to hurt them as before.
I will not let it come to that.
Get out, Hiro! I yell, closing my eyes as I lead the men into the woods.
Never, Queen.
“I’ll get it eventually,” I grumble. “I can already block Heysan and Sianoa.”
“Impressive,” Hiro replies mockingly, “but you’ll have to try a lot harder with me.”
Oh, I will.
I catch Hiro’s grin from the corner of my eyes and move through the trees until a small meadow comes into view.
I take a deep breath to still my nerves, letting the cool air of the forest wash over me before turning back to the men.
My eyes find Keane’s first, the King giving me a small nod before I glance to Hirovale.
“I will fight, Hiro,” my voice is hard, “I can promise that. If the worst comes and I am taken away, know that I will fight for as long as I can. But I will not let Keane sacrifice who he is for me. That is my choice to make and my right. I ask only that you do not send me back.”
Hirovale narrows his eyes on mine. “The choice will never have to be made, Alexis. Neither of us will allow that to happen. I will come to you if he cannot. There is no hiding my Human Reborn from me, whether you have Stormfall at your side or not. I will always know where you are.”
Dear fucking Ancients, these two. No privacy between either of them.
“None,” Hirovale replies.
“It’s settled then,” I roll my eyes. What was the whole point of his anger with me last night?
“Not nearly, Queen,” he shakes his head, features turning cool again.
“My anger comes from the knowledge that you’d even entertain the idea in the first place.
You will be met with dire situations,” he turns to Keane hard, “both of you. I need your promise that you won’t act rashly, that you won’t let that thought grace your mind again when events turn heavy. ”
My eyes narrow on the Ancient, voice becoming deathly quiet in my whisper.
“What do you know?”
Or better yet, what have you seen?
Hiro’s golden gaze is back to piercing mine. “Swear to me, Alex.”
I quickly avert his gaze and find Keane’s, needing his reassuring eyes on me.
“You have my word that I will never let anything reach a point where you have to consider the thought, Alexis.”
“And mine,” Hirovale nods.
I take a deep breath and look at both men standing side by side, seeing the strength between the two of them and the severity behind their words. They’re going to protect me, of that I am certain with every part of my full being.
I also know, in this moment, that there will be no situation in which I will have to resort to that last measure, and I genuinely can’t stop the small tremble that takes over my body, nodding my head in agreement as I try to hold back tears.
“We need to hear you say the words, Alexis,” Keane’s voice is soft.
I sniff and move my hand quickly over my eyes, shoulders pressing back strong.
“I promise.”
Hirovale nods, eyes still piercing mine as he takes a step forward.
“Thank you. Now tell me about your summoning in Etter. What you felt when you used it and how it felt to use it.”
My brows furrow. He knows of Etter?
“Everyone in Disce knows of Etter, Alex. Now explain it to me, in the moment.”
My eyes find Keane’s again, his brown gaze meeting mine with affection as he urges me forward.
“We rode into the residence with a swarm of argents surrounding Lord Crisjan and Lord Walker from above,” I turn back to Hiro.
“The Lords were defending themselves with their swords but there were too many to fight off. Keane summoned a barrier around them but the argents were quick to move to the sides…”
“So you used the summoning then?”
“Yes,” I nod quietly. “I wanted the argents to stop attacking the Lords. The moment I made the request the birds stilled and dropped to the ground.”
“That could have easily been directed at the men as well,” Hiro grimaces. “What did you do to ensure the summoning didn’t affect them?”
My heart drops heavy in my stomach. “I don’t know,” I shake my head, “my request-”
“-Your will,” Hirovale corrects.
“My will was only angled for the birds. I saw them as the enemy and didn’t think much of the Lords at all.”
“And did it come easy?” the Ancient eyes me thoughtfully.
I drop my eyes to the ground. “Too easy.”
“Hmm,” he turns his gaze to Keane, the two men considering my words.
“She didn’t kill the second group,” Keane tells him.
Hirovale looks back at me. “What did you do with them?”
“Those were the argents that were heading straight for us from the stables,” I meet his gaze.
“There were hundreds that blocked our view of Esme as she tried to ride out. I remember purposely moving them out of our way and not wanting to harm them. The summoning forced them above us and threw them to the ground. It knocked them out.”
“Your thoughts and actions are heated in the moment, Alex,” the Ancient takes a strong step forward. “We need you to navigate the summoning without any emotion.”
“But of course there’s going to be emotion,” I shake my head in confusion, “why else would I be using the summoning in the first place?”
Hirovale narrows his eyes on me as if I’m a small child. “Not everything needs to be handled with emotion, Alex. You are at your weakest when you make decisions based purely on your whims in the moment.”
The Ancient takes a hard step at my side and turns around so that the two of us face Keane. Hiro’s shoulder brushes against mine just slightly as he tilts his chin forward.
“Sway the leaves above the King’s head.”
My eyes dart to the brown limbs hanging over Keane, to the sharp green leaves that rest perfectly against them. I shift on my feet and lift my hand, envisioning the air moving the branches around him.
Nothing happens.
I frown and press forward again, willing the leaves to budge without success.
Why is it so hard now?
“Because you have no incentive,” Hirovale replies calmly at my side, “because your use is still rooted in emotion. If I was to attack the King right now, rendering him unable to breathe, you would send the limbs hurling at me within a blink…”
I frown again and turn towards the Ancient, staring back into his vibrant eyes.
“We can’t have that, Alex,” he says softly. “You need to master the power without emotion. Only then can you safeguard those around you.”
I nod in understanding. “Show me what to do.”
My body is exhausted come midday when we finally stop.
I knew I didn’t have the energy to visit Sianoa and could now barely sit on top of Millie without falling asleep.
The full use of the summoning tired me beyond anything I have ever experienced, and what’s worse is I only managed to make a single limb sway by the noon apex, prompting Hiro to finally end his teaching.
I felt bad for Keane having to stand through it all.
He offered advice every now and then on how he channeled his summoning, but overall he just watched my failure.
I understood Hiro’s inclusion of him, adhering to our night in the Palisades, but he was the King of Disce…
surely he had more important things to do with his day?
I look at him now, sitting atop Ash as he, Canon, Holis and I make our way down the hill to the closest temple city to Sianoa’s, the Ancient Damen’s. He seems unbothered by his waste of a morning, suggesting that we head into town to grab a late lunch.
The Ancient’s city is alive when we ride in.
The white marble homes and shops are all sparkling under the sun as hundreds of patrons move down the roads, each of them continuing with their days and studies.
There are a handful more men in this quarter, both Discerni and humans, men that found their way to study and live under the powerful Ancient who was second in power to his brother, Hirovale.
All of them are well-honed and muscular, as was the Ancient of Power and Vigor, and nod their heads to the King and our group as they analyze our men themselves.
Keane slows our horses next to a beautiful stable that’s situated behind one of the human pubs.
An older woman comes out to greet us, taking a coin from the King with a small bow as we all pass our reins to her before walking inside.
As always when Keane enters a room, the place goes silent around us, with each head turning to look at our predominantly Discerni group.
“Humans only, sir,” a young girl not even reaching her teens frowns up at the King. She’s holding a grey cloth in her hand, her shoulders squared as if she’s had to say the comment a few times in her past.
“Cora,” a woman whispers heatedly. “I’m so sorry, Your Grace, forgive my daughter…”
She shakes her head at Keane and places a firm grip around the girl’s shoulder, “wherever you’d like.”
“Thank you,” Keane replies calmly before his hand reaches for my back.
I turn my head to the young girl being shuffled away, watching as her mother continues her heated whispers.
“Even the young,” I hide my scowl. “What are we teaching them?”
Keane pulls out a chair for me, silently pressing into my back as I sigh and look more closely at the pub around us.
Everything is still so proper and pristine, per the Woodlands standard.
The white walls are all fixated with numerous lanterns and candles, their glow making the entirety of the room sparkle.
The mahogany tables are all intricately designed with wooden argents carved around the tabletop, the people here a bit livelier than the room that surrounds them.
The pub resumes its quiet yet happy banter, everyone enjoying their afternoon drink and lunch with smiles and a few of the standing pipes.
How are they okay with this?