Lykor grumbled under his breath, fists curling against his knees. They wanted to scavenge for scraps of knowledge while the king’s vessels likely sailed across the world with one goal—to seize the chained dragons.
Intelligence was useless without action. What theyneededto do was destroy these ships, not waste time indulging the prince’s pathetic pursuit of purpose.
Lykor parted his lips, the argument razor-sharp on his tongue. But he bit it back. Let Vesryn cling to his illusion of control. For now.
“I’ll go with you,” Serenna blurted. “If my family is still trapped under Elashor’s influence…” She shook her head, drawing another flame from the fire. “I want to help.”
Vesryn’s expression softened and he gave her a nod before turning his attention to Fenn and Jassyn. “Gather supplies for our journey across the Wastes.” He then lifted his brows at Lykor in a subtle challenge, as if he sensed the rising protest. “I assume you’ll want to leave at dawn.”
Lykor’s shoulders twitched at the thought of being shackled to this unbearable cohort. “I still think it’s foolish for all of us to go. What if the elves invadethislocation too?”
“All the more reason for us to make haste,” Vesryn replied. Gesturing at Zaeryn, he added, “And besides, the rangers can manage without me.”
Lykor scowled at the flight captain, irritated by nothing more than her presence.
“And in our absence,” the prince continued, “I’ve already made arrangements with Kal, Thalaesyn, and my mother. They’re capable of protecting our people until we return.”
Sensing Aesar stirring back into his awareness, Lykor cracked his neck. No doubt, he was about to unleash a torrent of arguments and agreements, poised to beat Lykor into a pulp with his logic.
“Fine,” Lykor spat, the concession burning like acid in his mouth. He rose to his feet—because the alternative was staying and engaging in this pointless debate. “We depart with the risingsun. And I won’t hesitate to leave behind anyone who’s late,” he growled before stalking off into the jungle.
Lykor turned inward, bracing for Aesar to take over while he plotted his next move. After all, he had his own plans tonight under the cover of darkness.
CHAPTER 31
SERENNA
Seated on the loamy forest floor, Serenna channeled a stream of raw Essence into a vial. The magic pulsed as it spiraled into the glass container, its glow brightening as dusk draped the glade in shadows.
Beside her, Velinya lounged on her belly in the grass, cradling her chin with her claws as she sighed wistfully. “You both had your magic manifested for a century,” Velinya mused, “and the bond just…appeared one day?”
Newly acquainted with Mara, Velinya had wasted no time prying into the past of the former queen and magister.
“The stars seemed determined to nudge us together one way or another,” Thalaesyn said with a chuckle, accepting the vial Mara handed to him.
A luminous ribbon of Essence unfurled from his fingertips, pooling into the bottom of the container. Each vessel they filled became a reservoir—a safeguard against Wells running dry in future battles.
“I was stationed in the palace for research when it formed,” Thalaesyn continued. “And Mara’s family had moved to the capital while Galaeryn hunted for the strongest line to bind to his.”
Mara sniffed and scowled at the vial as she poured Essence into it. “Galaeryn should’ve selected my half-sister.” Serenna’s thoughts immediately leaped to Jassyn’s mother, whose name she had never learned. “She craved a position in court far more than I ever did. But Galaeryn didn’t care about ambition,” she said bitterly. “The only thing that mattered to him was the magic in our bloodlines—to create his perfect heir.”
Her grip on the vessel tightened, the magic flickering. “When I was the only one to conceive, it irrevocably bound me to the throne. And what an honor that turned out to be.”
Velinya sat up with a disgusted huff, shredding the grass beneath her claws.
Serenna’s stomach soured, a shared wave of contempt rising at the king. She placed her glowing container among the growing stockpile, where Essence shimmered within glass prisons. A glaring reminder of how easily power could be twisted into a cage.
“But it was the twins who brought us together,” Thalaesyn said quietly, funneling another stream of Essence into a bottle. His magic entwined with Mara’s, surrounding them as he drew on the illumination talent he’d given her when they’d rebonded. “I’d heard that Mara refused any help, determined to care for the boys herself. Through the bond, I could feel her exhaustion—I don’t think she slept for a week.” His gaze landed on Mara and softened. “We never acknowledged that the connection had formed, even in passing. But one night, I couldn’t ignore it any longer. And I…sought her out.”
“It was Vesryn.” Mara laughed in earnest, her voice warming. “He was the difficult one. Aesar barely fussed.”
Serenna’s lips twitched, not the least bit surprised.
“When I found her in the nursery, she was barely upright, struggling to soothe him,” Thalaesyn said as he corked his vialand set it aside. “Aesar, somehow, slept soundly through all of the wailing.”
“And as soon as Thal entered the room,” Mara cut in, “I shoved Vesryn at him without a word and collapsed onto the bed.”
Thalaesyn grinned wryly. “Mara and I began spending our evenings together, caring for the twins.”
