Slicing through Elysia’s bindings, she stuck her knife away and held out her hand. “Emmellin Reyez, formerly Scarzan.”
Elysia rubbed her wrist and slapped her hand into Emmellin’s. “Elysia.”
Emmellin looked at her seriously while still holding her hand. “You’re family now. And as family, I can let this one go, even if it was my lifelong goal to take revenge on my father. Consider it a welcome to the family gift, but don’t take my kill again, understand, sweetheart?” She made it sound as though she were being generous.
“Is there a list?” Elysia asked dryly. “You know, of people I ought not to kill?”
Emmellin’s grin came back. “Oh, I like you.” And then she punched her.
A clean, practiced punch that knocked her right back out.
Elysia decidedthat she wasn’t sure about this new friendship. Given that she had been knocked unconscious and woken in strange surroundings twice since it first commenced only hours ago. At least this time she was in a comfortable bed with the smells of stew and spices warming the air.
She damn near yelped when Emmellin spoke from the corner of the room where she was sprawled on the floor with a book. “Bet you’re hungry. We napped ya before you could get your dinner at that tavern. That was the prince, wasn’t it? Think we could make him pay for you?”
Elysia rubbed her temples. Being knocked out twice in one day couldn’t be good for anyone’s health. “He’s not really in a position to call on the Blatz wealth at the moment. Has a wicked temper too… I’d be careful there. You should know he’s a damn good tracker.”
Emmellin popped to standing and made an unconcerned face. “Prince or not. Magic or not. He’d have to be dumb as shit to comeherewanting to fight. You’ve been running with Gage too long. Things are different here in Bellia. We don’t care if he’s a prince or some asshole who owes us money. And we’ve all got magic.”
Elysia recalled what Topp had told her about the king and grimaced. They had magic for now, anyway.
Emmellin pulled her off the bed. “Come on then. Let’s get you fed, and you can meet the family. Gage has been very naughty keeping secrets, andyouare going to share them. How are we supposed to maintain a successful and unchallenged crime empire when our heir doesn’t even tell us he’s been training and harboring the mortal to the god of the dead? His job was to keepan eye on you, not adopt you. He is insomuch trouble. Just wait till you meet his mom.”
What?Gage was supposed to keep an eye on her? But she wasn’t given any time to dwell on that new information. Emmellin took hold of Elysia’s wrist and didn’t let go until she’d yanked her down several flights of timber stairs into a large open kitchen and dining room. The smells alone made Elysia’s stomach rumble. There were large iron pots that she had no doubt had been simmering for hours. Platters of cheese and cured meats. Vegetables roasting to perfection.
And about ten Reyezes of all different ages staring at her like she was a disease.
Emmellin shoved Elysia in front of her. “Elysia Parker, everybody. Poisoned a whole court, killed my father in the process, and was chosen for the death voyage.” Emmellin glanced wickedly between Elysia and her family before unceremoniously pulling Elysia’s shirt down once more. “And she’sours.”
There was a moment of silent surprise before cheering and banging broke out. Elysia wasn’t sure she’d ever been more off-kilter. She would’ve thought that years of following Gage around would have prepared her on some level for the people who had raised him, but then again, she was wrong a lot lately. Emmellin shoved her around, introducing her left and right to the warm but rough crew surrounding her. Food and drink were in her hands before she even knew what had happened.
Later, once everyone had piled in around the long wooden table, a young boy with dark hair and matching eyes threw down his fork in a fit of frustration. “Uncle Gage can’t justmarksome random lady. She hasn’t earned it.”
Elysia couldn’t help her smile at his indignation, but she wiped her face clean when she realized several faces around the oval table were considering his words.
She set her drink down and met the young boy’s eyes. “Lyon, right?”
He nodded and shoved his hair out of his eyes so he could properly stare daggers her way.
Elysia spoke slowly, caring for her words. “Gage, your uncle, took me in when I was smaller than you. He is not my father or my brother or lover. But heisfamily.”
While not every person in the room was a Reyez like she had first thought, the man who came to stand behind the small boy looked so much like Gage that it made her heart hurt. Elysia blinked at the familiar dark brown eyes and lithe body movements.
The man spoke. “You say he is family, then we would like to see just how much like family you are.”
A thick woman wrapped in a gauzy cream dress glided down the stairs. Her black hair was spiced with gray and coiled into a strong knot atop her head. Elysia automatically sat up straighter, her heart rate increasing.Gage’s mother, Sylvia Reyez.The queen of this family, this empire then.
She paused above them all, but she stared directly into Elysia’s own brown eyes. “Emmellin has brought us a gift in allowing us to know the one my son has given his life to guide and protect as was his sacred duty. But my family is right to test you. Our family’s protection and resources do not come free.”
Elysia swallowed.
The woman laughed, but the sound only made Elysia’s nerves jump higher. She came closer, swiping a piece of fruit from the table. “Your king grows paranoid. You disappear beneath his sword, and now his son slips out like a thief in the night? Both of your warrants have been sent far and wide.”
Topp had a warrant now too?She knew Topp was expecting it—that was why he had left—but she still struggled to keep the surprise off her face. Garrison being willing to take the chance of harm coming to his only heir was a shock, but then dreadful realization sank within her. If Garrison was a demigod, his lifespan had just expanded. He could make a new heir without hesitation now.
Sylvia’s gaze glittered. “You need us. But you will be tested like any other Reyez initiate, no matter your status. Consider your test to be one of Gage as well. You are his first protégé after all. He has no partner, no children. Justyou.”
As much as she wanted to travel out of there lickety-split and not look back, she knew she would need their protection and assistance, and more than that, she didn’t want to let Gage down.
