Waiting all of five seconds. I stand and begin following after her. Seeing her turn the corner, heading in the opposite direction. Wrapping around the building, I come face to face with my little creature. I don’t have a lot of time before I have to meet my contact in Lesa, but I’ll make time for this. She’s grumbling to herself as she walks toward the edge of town. Heading toward the cliffs, when I get within arms reach and we are about to pass one another, I whip my arm out, sling it around her waist and pull her into me and into the alcove between two small shops.
“What the—you!”
I drop my hood, and her mouth opens and closes like she is finally at a loss for words. I don’t need words, though.
I want a taste of her venom.
I close the distance between our lips, stealing what I want. With no hesitation, she is ripping her hands through my hair and biting down on my bottom lip. Her body arches into mine, but she freezes when my hand trails down the scars on her face. I don’t linger, removing my mouth from hers, I trail my lips down herneck. A wanton moan slips from her lips, and she pushes me. I take a step back, smiling wildly. Her mouth hangs open as confusion and anger wash over her face, before her hand snaps forward and strikes me across the cheek.
Warmth spreads through the skin there, and I lick my lips, taking in her lingering taste of sweet whiskey and spicy venom. I let my wings burst free of my back, her eyes widening at the shift. Spreading the black feathers wide, I lean in close, my lips brushing the shell of her ear. “I can’t wait until next time, little creature. But I promise you, your punishment will be much more satisfying.” I wink, then launch into the night sky.
Chapter eleven
“We’ve already wasted enoughtime; we need to start heading to the wastelands,” Dax says as he stands from the table in Maki’s much smaller, personal dining room. It’s smaller than the huge dining room from my first night here, but even with all of the bodies in this room, it’s not actually small by any means. Despite having space, the room is shrinking as I think about what heading to the wastelands means. At least Dax has found his head a little and is calm enough. Since Ella’s death, there has been a darkness looming over him. I’m not sure what will expel that.
“It’s not wasting time to discuss other options, or at the very least devise a plan...” I argue, tracking Dax’s movements as he strides over to the bar in the corner of the room. He reaches for the decanter and begins pouring two whiskeys. His eyes bore into me as he places a glass in front of me before sitting again.
“You’re right, my queen. It is not a waste of time to devise a plan. However, it is inconsequential. Because there is no other option, I will accept.” I take a deep, calming breath before I speak again. The stagnant air of the room does nothing to help me ignore the superior tone Dax just used when speaking to me in front of our friends and family.
“Trent found something I think you should all know about.” My gaze leaves Dax and moves around the table, expressions of many varieties trained on me. Anger, determination, sadness, pity––all of which I feel reflected in my soul. Pulling the envelope from my training vest, I slide the parchment across the table to Dax and hold my breath as he opens it. His eyes scan the entirety of the letter before returning to mine. His jaw ticks as he places the letter back on the table and begins reading it to the room.
“Seek out what is hidden but open to see. Temperature and time may lead you to the edge of the sea, but only the part of the bird that's not in the sky, can swim in the ocean and still remain dry—may step inside. That which binds two souls yet touches only one will open the gates and restore what was; when the moon has ascended and the Unkindness is full, only then will true power unfold.”
As Dax reads the words aloud to the group, my power sizzles in my veins, and a shift in the air has me quickly finding Ambriel’s gaze. She stares across the table from me, her eyes seemingly distant. A look I’ve come to realize she has when she’s having a vision.
“This changes nothing of the battle,” Dax says stubbornly, pulling my attentionfrom Ambriel.
“This could change everything,” I argue. My brows pinch as he pins me with a glare. I’ve never been on the receiving end of this look from him, but hell if I’m going to allow it. My eyes narrow to slits as I bite down on my lip, staring at him. I would rather have this conversation without so many eyes on us. Maki clears his throat.
“Sorry Raelle, but I’m going to have to agree with Dax on this.” His brows raise when I look at him with the same narrowed eyes, but as he lifts his hands in surrender. A warmness of apologetic energy stirs around me, causing me to soften, and my shoulders drop. “This is a riddle.” His hand sweeps to the letter in front of Dax. “We don’t have the slightest idea of what this even means or who might have left it.” Collectively, heads begin to bob around the table, agreeing with Maki. I see what he is saying, but that also means the discussion is over about stopping the duel between Dax and Cano. It means that we are going to allow Dax to fight the battle alone, and it just doesn’t sit well with me. Swallowing my pride, I look around the room into the pity-filled eyes of those closest to me.
“Ok, so what? We send Dax in to risk his life battling against Cano?” The sympathy on Maki’s face reminds me of Claire—when I chose to say goodbye to her and seek answers about my family. I’m sick of people feeling sorry for me. I’m sick of feeling it for myself. This riddle reads like a prophecy, and it can’t be a coincidence that Trent found it in his father’s desk. I can, however, admit it’s going to take time to decipher. We still haven't even figured out what the first prophecy truly means. No one answers outright, but I can read the room all the same.
“Fine,” The chair protests loudly on the wood floor as I stand and cross my arms over my chest. My gaze landing back on Dax. “Excuse me. I’ll go pack. We leave in the morning. Be ready,” My gaze sweeps the table. “I’ll leave you to plan the traveling arrangements.” My eyes meet Ambriel’s as she blinks out of the vision and then locks her eyes to mine. Shock washes over me as I hear her thoughts in my head.
“I need to speak with you in private.”
“Ambriel, if you would come with me, I would appreciate it. Leave themento do what they do, and plan out the fate of aKing.” I emphasize the last word, pinning Dax with it. He slowly blinks, but inclines his head, knowing what I mean. He needs to think like a King. He needs to think of what’s best for the entire kingdom, which we plan to rule. The whole of Aldramani. He cannot be selfish in his endeavors any longer. I know he wants revenge, but he has to realize all that is at risk here.
I bend down, leaving a slow kiss on Dax’s lips, and whisper into the soft skin for only him to hear. “Make the right decision,Love.” I say, mocking his nickname for me. Crossing the room, I follow Ambriel out of the dining room. Maki's bellowing laugh follows, bringing a smile to my face. I guess my whisper wasn’t as quiet as I thought.
Ambriel kicks her boots off and plops down over the edge of the chair in Dax and my room. The fire blasted to life only the moment after we walked into the space, and my thoughts instantly thanked Dax for being thoughtful of our warmth. I take the chair deeper inside the room on the other side of her.
“You had a vision back there.” It’s not a question. Her closed eyes snap open and meet mine. The dark, golden depths almost swirl as she recalls the vision.
“I did.”
“You spoke in my mind…”
“I did.”
“Care to share details on all of that?” I point at her with a stare while I wait. She takes a moment to collect herself, closes her eyes, and her chest rises on a deep breath before she blows it out. Staring into the hearth as the fire roars, she appears lost in thought.
“My power is that of the mind. I can read thoughts, but I try not to, and if I allow it, I can push my own thoughts into the minds of others around me. My visions are subjective. Things could change about what I see.” She begins to fiddle with a loose string on her tunic. “Sometimes they play out as I see them; sometimes the perspective I see them through changes, and other times—they change entirely. Fate is cruel that way, I suppose; giving me this magic is as much a curse as it is a gift.” Her gold eyes flare as she tilts her head to face me. “The journey we will set on will not be without danger, but the outcome of the mission will set forth a new era for Aldramani—for the entire Realm of Orendara.”
“Then we need to be sure that the duel between Dax and Cano stops.” I purse my lips. Thinking over the words she’s not saying.
“Raelle, the battle happens.” Concern brackets her eyes as she returns to watching the flames lick the blackened stone walls ofthe hearth. “There is nothing that will stop Dax from entering that Colosseum—that I can assure you.” I stand, huffing out my annoyance. I know she’s right. Once a duel has been announced, it has not been taken back in our history that I know of. Clasping my hands behind my head, I begin to pace the space between the chairs and the hearth. Each pass I make warms my already scorching skin.
