Caius looked weary. “What changed was my access to Erdikoa.” Defeated eyes rose to meet Sam’s, and instantly the commander understood. “I would have been able to kill Gedeon, and she would have been immortal, but then…” His voice cracked. “Her guilt would have sucked the life out of her, and I couldn’t keep her here. Had we married, she still would’ve had to serve her sentence.”
Sam wished he knew how to comfort people because the sight before him was crushing to see. Caius picked up his glass and threw it across the room. It shattered against a bookshelf, spraying the floor with razor-sharp shards.
“Had I married her and then taken over her contract, Gedeon would have felt the awareness of a newRoyaland went looking for her. I wouldn’t have been strong enough to protect her. She wouldstillbe in danger, immortal or not.” He hung his head. “Had I known Lenora would show up, I wouldn’t have traded contracts. I wouldhave married her because being with her mother would’ve absolved her guilt. But I didn’t know, and I did what I thought was best.”
“And what of Adila?” Sam asked. “Have you tried speaking to her about Gedeon?”
Caius’ features darkened again at the mention of his sister. “She won’t speak to me.”
Sam’s brows pulled together. “Why not?”
“The last time I spoke to her was about bringing Lenora to Vincula for Rory’s sake,” Caius spat.
Sam remembered the day well. Adila wouldn’t even let Caius tell her Lenora’s name. She’d cut him off, told him not to ask her for anything, and hung up on him. “Have you tried calling her since then?”
Caius laughed humorlessly. “What’s the use? She knows my sentence is up, but I’ve heard nothing from her.”
TheRoyalseach had a phone that only the otherRoyalshad access to, and when they called, it indicated who the caller was. The phones lacked technology, but the magic in them was old. It was impossible for Adila not to know he called.
“Do you think she is working with Gedeon?” Sam asked carefully. He had only seen the Scales of Justice sporadically over the last five-hundred years. He stayed in Vincula mostly unless Caius sent him to Erdikoa. He preferred the relaxed atmosphere as opposed to the bustle of the light realm.
Because of his ability to detect lies, Sam knew Caius didn’t kill Atarah. He wasn’t sure how Adila’s ability worked, but he’d always assumed it allowed her to see if the mystics on trial were guilty or not. Caius’ sentencing never made sense.
He once asked Caius why he didn’t fight Gedeon then, why he let himself be taken before the Scales of Justice in the first place. The king’s response was,“I thought my sister and I would stop him together.”
It struck Sam as odd that Gedeon never tried to kill Caius in the name of avenging their sister.Unless the Lux King feared his brother.Caius’ power was strong, even when cut off from Erdikoa. Itshouldn’t be stronger than Gedeon’s power, but Sam often questioned the fact.
Something resided within Caius, an ancient strength Sam sensed when they first met. Perhaps Gedeon recognized Caius’ strength and feared he wouldn’t win against him in a fight.
But what had he planned to do when Caius was released?
“How could she not be working with him?” Caius asked. “A part of me always hoped she sentenced me without hearing my side because she thought I was guilty and that if I confessed, she would have to sentence me to hell.” He shook his head, lost in his own mind. “But that makes little sense. Her ability would have known my deserved fate, no matter what I said.” Unfocused eyes stared at nothing as he voiced Sam’s exact thoughts. “It was a lie I told myself because she was all I had left.”
Sam sat quietly, letting his friend vent. He did not speak about Adila often. Her betrayal cut deeper than Gedeon’s ever did.
Sam stood, his wings fluttering as they reappeared. “Do not abandon Rory now,” he said, looking down at his friend. “In Lenora’s visions, only you can save her.”
He turned to leave, but Caius’ voice stopped him. “’Only the golden child can save her,’” he recited, giving Sam a tight smile. “It’s more likely to be you than me.”
Sam pushed the button to open the bookcase door and turned back before stepping into the corridor. “If I thought I could save her, I would have already done it.”
***
ERDIKOA
Sam appearedin the arrival bunker and ripped at his uniform more aggressively than was necessary. He ground his teeth together in frustration at all the things he had to watch happen, knowing his help would kill them all.
The power he possessed could make his clothes disappear, but there was something satisfying about ripping things when angry.
He yelled as he pulled the leather shirt from his body, threw it on the ground next to his breastplate, and tilted his head back to yell at the aether. “I will never forgive you if something happens to them.”
He shifted into his wingless form, dressed in street clothes, and tied his hair back. Like shifter magic, he could shift in and out of animal form with his clothes still intact.
Once outside in the night air, he surveyed the area before shifting into a creature of the night. His sleek black fur would keep him well hidden, and his enhanced night vision would help him navigate his way.
He hurried across the courtyard that separated the bunker from the palace. The palace, the bunker, and the judgment chambers were separate buildings that sat close together.
It allowed eachRoyalcomplete control over their own domain.
