Aemon walked me to my Seat. Not truly a Seat. But after a lifetime of referring to it as such, of living in an Empire without kings and queens to rule the twelve countries, the word “throne” still felt foreign to me. Only the Emperor had one. Yet, that was what stood before me. A throne. A throne for a king. For a queen.
I sat down, the shard gleaming in the torchlight. It seemed brighter, its unique aura pulsing with more energy than it had before.
That was from Aemon. Just his proximity triggered its true power, its full essence. And if that was all it took, what hope did I have in controlling it? In standing up to him?
This is only true without the power of the Orange Ray. My shard. The Orange Shard of the Valalumir. You could control both.
I swallowed. That was an Ereshya thought. Not one of mine.
Or was it?
The lines were becoming more blurred.
Aemon’s eyes focused on the nightmare of a court he’d assembled.
“Rise,” Aemon said at last, his arm lifted.
The akadim rose to their feet, their bodies stilling, muscled arms at their sides as they chanted, “Maarak. Maaraka.”
I released the onyx wall in my mind, finally dropping my guard. I had the strangest feeling of being suddenly naked.
Aemon noticed at once, his head jerking in my direction before he returned to facing his monsters.
Why are they different?I asked.
His lip curled as he tilted his head to the side.Oh, you’re letting me in now?
I shrugged.I gave into your request. Now I want you to answer one of mine. Why are some of the akadim here smaller and more mortal in their appearance?
They are not mortal, he thought.They are anything but. They possess all the power of the akadim you’ve known your whole life. The same powers and inclinations as the ones who brought you here. They feast on souls. Their claws will tear a man to pieces without a thought. They are just as prone to violence, to giving into … their needs … as any other.
I swallowed, my heart thumping at the description. I’d almost tricked myself into forgetting how awful they were in the last couple of days.Forgetting why I’d pulled Lissa into my quarters.So what? Those are just miniature-sized monsters?
Aemon laughed.They are still far larger than you. And me.
But smaller than all the other akadim. It’s not just that. Their eyes are different, too. They seem …
Intelligent?he offered.
Yes.
His lip curled.I’ve been working on that for a long time. Cultivating a shift in their transformation. I cannot be everywhere at once, when I lead my army. I need generals, I need intelligence. The legions must be organized. That’s what these akadim are. Extensions of me. They can think. They can plan.
I’d barely survived the simple-minded akadim who’d taken me. The beasts were barely able to think past their most basic needs. They were incredibly violent. But easily tricked. And in the end, completely controlled by Aemon’s orders. If they hadn’t been, I wouldn’t be alive. Nor would Meera.
But akadim that could think for themselves …
I did that for you, he thought.For decades, I’ve tried to figure out how to make them more palatable. Had I accessed the shard sooner, your captivity would have been far more comfortable.
I glared.Maybe I didn’t need to be captured at all.Nor Meera! Maybe you could have asked—
Asked Asherah and Auriel to open the tomb and collect it for me? To simply hand it over?
Yes!
Kitten, he purred.We both know how that would have gone.
You weren’t asking Asherah and Auriel! You were asking Lyriana and Rhyan.
