The room was tense as they sat with my declaration.
“Send me.” Faylinn’s voice was quiet but sure. All heads swiveled in her direction.
“And how is that going to help?” Sol asked dryly to murmured agreement. “No offense, Rune Master, but you don’t have the experience or skills necessary to quantify the damage done.”
I bristled, ready to come to Faylinn’s defense, but relaxed once I noticed her languid posture.
Faylinn’s fingers traced an absent pattern on the pages laid out on the desk as she chewed her lip in thought.
“None taken, Sol. But our Bond is . . . different than I’ve recorded before,” she said, choosing her words carefully. “I passed him memories earlier today—that’s how he was able to explain in detail what happened after he fell in battle.”
Ben’s eyebrows rose fractionally at her admittance. He and his Bonded shared a quick, loaded glance before he spoke.
“Asha and I can’t do that,” Ben said in surprise as Asha shook her head. “And we’re fully Bonded.”
Faylinn’s cheeks pinked slightly as I sent her the memory of her naked in my bed, her curly hair fanned against the pillow, nipples taut and begging for attention.
Her hazel eyes flashed with a mixture of desire and exasperation before she closed the connection between us. I covered my mouth with my palm in an effort to disguise my sudden humor. Discussing death and destruction was neither the time to laugh nor be aroused.
Sol hummed, clearly not convinced.
“And how is that supposed to help?”
Faylinn shrugged, abandoning the random patterns she traced with her fingers. “I go and see the damage, talk to the survivors, and relay that information back to Rohak through our connection.”
She made it sound so simple, and I was disappointed that I hadn’t thought of that solution earlier.
Such a clever woman.
“Then, once we’re certain the city is secure, we can let Rohak out of his newly minted prison,” Faylinn teased with a wink.
Felix and Ben both chuckled lightly, but Sol’s expression seemed to sour even further.
“The king’s safety is not a laughing matter, nor is it a joke. Are you so flippant with your Bonded’s life and safety?” Sol’s cutting words sucked the air from the room. Faylinn’s expression immediately sobered as her eyes flashed in anger and indignation.
“Careful, Mage. Remember who put those runes on your body that saved your life. I can just as easily remove them.”
“Threatening a member of the king’s cabinet now?”
Faylinn smiled dangerously.
“Never. But if you want to throw titles around, remember that I’m the Rune Master to the king—the same king I amBondedto. Do not mistake my humor for not caring. I just happen to know Rohak well enough to understand that whether wepermithim to leave the manor or not, he will find a wayto see Vespera for himself. Refusing him access to the city, to his people and soldiers, would effectively neuter him as both a ruler and a general. You’d cut him off at the legs before he even had a chance to stand.”
Sol growled but closed her mouth when Thandi squeezed her shoulder with intention.
“I’m not saying to let him wander without a guard. I’m simply stating that, at some point, he will need to leave the manor and see for himself. Just because he is without magic does not mean he’s incapable.” Faylinn’s words were soft at the end.
“The Rune Master has no innate magic, and she is one of the most powerful people I’ve met—man or woman, Mage or not,” Felix added, his quiet voice breaking the mounting tension in the study.
I cracked my neck before pushing to a stand. My muscles groaned and my joints protested the sudden movement, my age belaying my relative health. Feeling the need to move, I crossed to the opposite side of the room, studying the titles of the books that lined the shelves. The sun had long passed its zenith, though the beams streaming through the window were still strong and warm.
“Rohak? What are your thoughts?” Ben asked.
I sighed, my eyes tracking the various titles etched into multicolored spines but not absorbing any of the words.
As much as I wanted—needed—to see Vespera for myself, I couldn’t deny that there was merit to Sol’s argument. I appreciated Faylinn’s faith in me, but Sol was right—I was magicless now; completely powerless and at the whims and mercy of everyone else. It would be prudent to adjust to the gaping hole where my power used to live before venturing outside into potential danger. I’d relied on my magic for decades—even now, knowing it was no longer there, I reached for it just to feel the ashes and embers dance along my skin.
“I agree with Faylinn.” My back remained to the group, but I could feel an argument coming from Sol even before she uttered a word. I held up a hand to stall her tirade as I turned around. “I am not just agreeing with her because she is my Bonded. I trust her. She will go and observe the city, speak to our people, and relay the information to me. I have . . . things that I need to investigate here. The rest of you should return to the Academy and continue to coordinate the relief efforts. I would like a healing quadrant established immediately, as well as temporary housing for those who were ousted by the gods’ destruction. We will also need to coordinate meals in the mess hall for all those affected. Ben, Asha, Felix, I will leave those objectives to you. Sol and Thandi, I want instruction to restart immediately at the Academy. Our soldiers, the young, unAwakened cadets, especially, need a sense of routine and normalcy again. Provide that for them. Once I have reviewed the information with Faylinn, we will reconvene.”
