“To Lady Ivy,” Elias says, raising his wine glass in a toast. “May your endeavor here be successful.”
“What are you playing at?” I ask boldly, dropping my spoon. The hot broth splashes onto the table as I push up to stand. “Are you here to sell us out? Is this foreshadowing to your fickle allegiance?”
“Ivy.” Kieran grunts out a warning I refuse to heed.
“You were the most prominent member of the former king’s council. You never once spoke up for me or spoke out against Marks’ tyranny. You supported the crusade against Synal, forgods’ sake. But here you sit, hiding me in your supposed safe house. Toasting my ‘endeavors’and wishing me success.”
“He is on our side,” Kieran growls, his anger evident as he rises from the table to meet my challenge.
“You just believe that because you’re fucking him. Elias Klein has only ever cared about saving his own ass.”
Fury possesses me, magic building in my veins as I round the corner to come face-to-face with the man that I’ve debated more times than I can count. Of all the people in Amale who might be considered a covert ally, Elias Klein isn’t one of them. He’s not even on the list of possibilities.
“Only a fool would choose Marks,” Elias scoffs. “Fouraevusgovernors changes everything about Corinth.”
If Cal notices that I’ve borrowed a thread of his magic, he makes no indication; he only watches intently, never interfering and letting me decide the fate of these men.
I don’t use much, just enough to squeeze the water within Klein’s blood. Not enough to kill him or to satiate the shadows that hover in the corners of the room, but enough to show him what I’m capable of. A small taste of the rage burning in my veins.
“Do you think I will spare you, Elias? That if by some miracle we manage to eliminate the Lord General, that I would what? Allow you to retain your seat on the new monarch’s council instead of taking you out with the rest of the trash?”
Elias squirms uncomfortably as I increase Cal’s power.
“Back. Down.” Kieran spits each word through gritted teeth, his restraint fraying.
The air in the room constricts slightly, a piss poor attempt to use his meager magic. Bright red blood leaks from the councilor’s nose as his panic-filled eyes silently beg for help.
“Do you think your lover can save you from my wrath?” A menacing chuckle escapes my lips. “He can’t even save himself.”
With a flick of my wrist, Kieran’s blood coats his own face, a perfect mirror of Klein’s appearance.
Cal grabs my arm, his fingers lightly digging into my skin. The water magic I’m wielding skitters under his hold, but it doesn’t leave me. The captain leans in close, his mouth brushing my ears as he speaks low against my skin.
“I won’t stop you from killing them if that’s what you want.” He pulls back, his gray eyes finding mine in a knowing stare. “But it would be advantageous for us to let them live.”
In a single exhale, I let go of Cal’s power, releasing the hold on Kieran and Elias. From my peripheral, I can see them rush to each other, but I don’t hang around long enough to be chastised for my behavior.
There’s an old wooden door off to the right that I’m almost certain leads to a bedroom. I rush towards it without hesitation, silently praying it’s not a closet. Sweet relief fills me when I discover the cot-sized bed that nearly takes up the entire room. It’s not a closet, but it’s the size of one.
Flimsy shutters squeak open as I inhale the night air in a desperate attempt to clear away the anger that I let consume me.
Anger has always been my go-to emotion. It’s the first to appear in every scenario, no matter the occasion. And when the irate wave recedes, tears follow in its wake. No matter how hard I will them to stop, my watery weakness shows up without fail.
The salty smell of the coastal air fills my nostrils as pressure builds behind my eyes. Every time I close them, the image of my pregnant mother walking into the ocean floods my vision. There’s only one reason she would show me that. One reason that touching the ebony core of Cal’s magic manifested it.
There’s a hint of leather on the salty breeze and I know at once I’m not smelling the ocean anymore.
“I don’t need a scolding.” I say without turning around, swiping the evidence of my emotions from my cheeks.
“I know.”
“I’m not sorry,” I add with a bite.
“I know that, too.”
The sound of creaking metal followed by two heavy thuds has me spinning around. The captain sits on the edge of the bed unbuttoning his shirt, his boots resting beside his sock-clad feet.
“What are you doing?”
