“Where is the relic? I don’t see it.” The duke scanned Roslyn from head to toe, his expression growing darker.
“It’s not like the relics you’re used to,” Tate explained. “The pandora’s box is founded on potential. Each recipient receives a unique gift tailored to their individual skills and personalities. There’s not always a physical manifestation. Sometimes it’s a little more nebulous. Even I don’t know what they received from the sphere.”
Though she had a pretty good guess for some of them.
“But you’re sure she has a relic,” the duke verified.
Tate’s nod was forestalled as she took in the sight of the destruction surrounding her. Books lay open and face down on the ground. Paintings hung crooked on the wall; others having fallen entirely. Shattered glass littered the floor and relics were strewn amid the shards.
“This—” Tate eyed the damage with a feeling of horror.
What the hell happened?
Night’s chuckle filled her mind.You’re in so much trouble. Didn’t the duke tell you he wanted his items back in the same condition he lent them to you?
Vale’s mouth was slightly open as he took in the scene, his dismay even more pronounced than Tate’s. Beside him, the duke’s face was expressionless as Keel pressed a hand to his chest looking on the verge of a heart attack.
Tate pointed at the wall. “I’m just going to go.”
She fled before anyone could stop her, Night racing on her heels.
NINETEEN
Tate and Night didn’t go far before they stopped, not wanting to chance getting lost. The inner temple was a warren of hallways that twisted back on themselves, many resulting in dead ends. Tate had every confidence she’d be able to find her way out eventually, but she’d prefer not to waste half a day in the endeavor.
The duke and Roslyn stepped out of the wall behind them, Vale hurrying in their wake. Spotting Tate immediately, the duke strode toward her with a set look on his face.
Tate gulped. It wasn’t lost on her how much of a faux pas she’d committed. By rights, the duke could demand her arrest and she was pretty sure the emperor would consider it.
The documents and relics contained within the secret room were some of the most precious treasures in Aurelia. Keepsakes carefully passed down from one generation to the next over hundreds of years.
Yet a few minutes in Tate’s company exposed them to more damage than in all the years preceding. If she’d known it was going to be like this, she never would have asked to see the documents in the first place.
In retrospect, it would have been better to complete the melding far from anything breakable or valuable. Had she known how violent the awakening would be to her surroundings, she would have done just that.
She met the duke’s gaze, careful to hide any sign of guilt. This man was every bit the predator Night and Ilith were; just in a different way. His stalking grounds may have been some of the most opulent halls of Aurelia, but that didn’t lessen the danger he posed. At the smallest sign of weakness, he’d move in for the kill.
The duke considered Tate with an assessing gaze. After a long moment of contemplation that made Tate’s hands clammy, he spoke, “You’ll teach my daughter how to control this new talent you’ve given her.”
Tate blinked, momentarily off balance. “Will I now?”
The duke was already walking away, her answer a forgone conclusion. “Consider it recompense for the damage you caused to my collection.”
Tate’s mouth snapped shut. When he put it like that, it was hard to argue—even if she really wanted to. For appearances if nothing else.
Roslyn’s glance was sympathetic. Her expression quickly changed to one of rebelliousness at the duke’s sharp, “Roslyn.”
She didn’t move from Tate’s side, even when the duke stopped and shot her a look over his shoulder in silent demand. Roslyn lifted her chin with an imperious set to her features.
The father/daughter duo embarked on a staring contest. Both too stubborn to give in to the other. Tate felt a headache coming on. You’d think after their recent reconciliation they would have learned their lesson by now.
Obviously not.
Tate touched Roslyn’s elbow. “We’ll follow behind.”
Roslyn’s face showed surprise and a trace of suspicion, as if asking if Tate had suddenly been possessed by a ghost.
Tate rolled her eyes. Yes, yes, they all knew how stubborn Tate could be. She met force with force. Insult her and she’d see the same done to you. That didn’t mean she was right. There was a reason her circle was so small. Her prickly personality made it difficult to keep and maintain relationships. It always had, even in the before times.
