“I follow the Gods.” She clears her throat. “However, my daughter does not, and I cannot allow her to reign over the Realms. The oracles have no prediction on who will win the war that is to come. They still cannot see you, Serene. I don’t understand why.”
“You’d betray Skie like that?” Kaine scuffs, letting a breathy cackle escape his lips. “Yeah right. I don’t believe that shit.”
“Who said anything about Skie?” She cocks her head to the side, grinning ear to ear before elegantly walking out the door. “I shall see you two soon. Prove to the Realms who you are Serene, you must ride the four. You must be unstoppable against what is to come. I know your father, King Deskyiara, would want you to rise.”
“I don’t remember you from before,” I say. “How do I know you are not lying? How did you know my father?”
“Time will show you.” She nods, turning her body away. “Don’t let the games win. Show the Gods why they chose you.”
Kaine whips his gaze towards me as the Queen leaves, his thick brows pulling inward as he casually walks over to me. I tighten my laces, staring right back at him with the same, “what the hell,” expression.
“I don’t believe anything she said.” His voice drops to a whisper. “Something feels off. She has wanted Skie to take over with Florian since she was a young girl.Skieis her only daughter.”
My head shakes as I give my laces one last violent tug. “I’ll just have to keep my guard up, as always. She wouldn’t be the first to try and kill me for who I am.”
“But you heard her, she knows she doesn’t stand a chance against you.”
I steady my breathing. “Which means… she wouldn’t be the one to try and do it.”
He rubs his head behind his neck, shifting to walk back out of the room. “Go train, Ren. Show them who the hell you are when you ride that horse today.”
I shakily laugh, my teeth biting my bottom lip. “Let’s hope the Gods are on my side today.” I push off the bed. “But I need you to do something.”
“Anything.” He nods.
“I need Theon to get the book of Azure, hidden inside the Queen’s chamber. I need to know what is inside it.” I walk beside him, shifting my body to let my back rest against the doorframe. “I need to know if there is anything about my curse, anything about what happened the day I…”
I hold my breath, the painful memories jolting back inside me like lightning whipping in the sky.
“The day of the battle?” His voice heightens. “You think the Gods left a book for us to understand?”
I swallow, clearing my throat before I nod and force a smile.
“Yeah, I do.”
He scratches his chin as he exhales deeply. “I am going to have to owe Theon big time for this.”
“Oh, I am sure he will give you hell for asking.” My lips form a tight smile, imagining Theon going on and on about this. “But tell him it’s for me.”
“And he’ll do it with no questions asked.”
“Like how you killed that man for me?”
“Without even thinking twice.” His shoulder lifts, a cocky grin painting along his lips. “And I’d do it again. In a heartbeat.”
I cross my arms, feeling the indentation of the frame digging into my back as I stare at the damn mess that is in my room. “Now what to do with his body.”
Chapter 34
“The Darklands lava is from the God of Fire, when the land was scorched for the dark magic that began to course through the lands. Now, it's the weakness of a Deskyiara. The Gods never meant for it, the Deskyiaras were never meant to have a weakness, but the Realm Edrelas was more powerful than the Gods intended.” - Book of Azure
EACH STEP DOWN THE STAIRS feels as if the stitches along my ribs will pull apart at any moment.
Kaine jogs ahead of me, bouncing with each step until he finally reaches the bottom and stretches out his arms wide, taking in the warmth of the sun. The wind catches his long, dark hair, revealing his pointed ears and slight grin that forms along his lips.
Now that Isort ofremember, I understand who he is. I recall whispers about him as a young teen, the Prince of the Sky. The last true healer there ever will be, my parents would say. As if they knew something terrible would happen to our lands. Little did the people of the Realm know Florian would gain the ability to heal from his mothers bloodline. Half sky. Half ice. But now with their curse, they can never again. Or eventually die.
As Florian has only one heal left.
