“Is that what you think of me? That I’m a puppet with no free will?”
We’re standing very close now, our chests almost touching. It’s as if we’re always gravitating towards each other, despite anything.
“I don’t know what to think, Daegel. You told me you want to find a way out of your legacy. That was what, three months ago? And now that the General was mysteriously assassinated, you’re playing along with your father’s game like a good little soldier.”
A muscle ticks in his jaw. The air between us is charged with tension. His next words are a punch to my gut, “Is your need for vengeance worth sacrificing love?”
Someone clears their throat behind me. I glance over my shoulder to find Vera with two glasses of plum blossom wine in a hand.
“Vera D’Argent.” Daegel dips his chin in greeting and takes a step away from me. “My condolences. I know you were deeply involved with the late Ezkai General. What a loss it must be.”
His words are laced with venom. I’m stunned by it.
“Ezkai Daegel. Appreciate your kindness,” Vera says flatly. “If you’ll excuse us now, I have someone I want Phoenix to meet.”
Vera hands me one of the glasses and places a hand on my shoulder. The gentle squeeze she gives me is full of warning. Before Daegel can say anything else, Vera steers me away from him. His gaze lingers on me until we disappear behind a sea of people.
“I thought I was clear about your relationship with Daegel,” Vera whispers into my ear.
“You were,” I say, voice thick. I clear my throat. “We’re not together anymore. It wasn’t a pleasant chat you witnessed.”
Vera surveys me for a second, as if trying to determine if I’m lying to her. Then she says, “The pain of a heart breaking is one of a kind.”
Before I can answer, a familiar face appears in front of us.
“Vera, dear,” Taaslord Noire says, smiling. He turns to me. “Ezkai Phoenix. What a pleasure to see you two here tonight.”
Thin tendrils of shadows creep up his neck. Immediately, my eyes snap to them. It doesn’t go unnoticed. “My shadows scare you, Ezkai Phoenix? They shouldn’t.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, Taaslord,” I say. “It’s just that I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Noire’s eyes sparkle. “I was touched by the spirits of the gods when I had a near-death experience. Instead of claiming me and allowing me to rest in their realm, they decided to send me back with a little gift.”
My eyebrows hike all the way to my hairline. What. The. Fuck.
Noire says, “As I said, my shadows are not something you should be scared of. They’re only a concern for my enemies.”
I look at Vera. A corner of her mouth twitches up in amusement. I have a feeling it’s a gentle warning. They might be on my side, supporting me as their chosen champion. But it doesn’t mean I have their full trust.
“I’m glad we’re on the same team, then,” I say, and lift my glass in salute.
The plum blossom wine is sweet on my tongue but it burns my throat just as bad as whiskey does.
“Me too, Ezkai Phoenix,” Noire says. “Vera, are we on track?” She nods. He dips his chin at us. “Perfect. Now if you excuse me, I have to leave you two. Duty calls.”
Taaslord Noire whirls on his heel and departs. We all but make it three steps before a pair of Ezkai approach us. Two very familiar faces, one pleasant—Ezkai Cassandra, my emotional manipulation instructor from the Ezkai Academy, with blue-as-sky eyes and dark skin. And one not so pleasant—Ezkai Gavriel, the politics and history instructor with a scarred face and haunted eyes.
“Ezkai Phoenix, good to see you,” Ezkai Cassandra says with a smile. She glances at Ezkai Gavriel at her side. “We were surprised to hear that you’ve signed up for the trials. But thrilled nonetheless.”
Ezkai Gavriel’s gaze is sharp and unkind as he looks me up and down. “Nothing but audacity still, I see.”
The familiar brutal honesty makes me chuckle. It forces Ezkai Gavriel to arch one eyebrow at me.
“Thank you, Ezkai Cassandra,” I say to my favorite instructor with a smile. Then, I turn to Ezkai Gavriel and say, “Nothing but bitter insults still, I see.”
Ezkai Gavriel purses his lips, but Ezkai Cassandra chuckles. She loops her hand through his arm, a familiar and intimate gesture.
My gaze snaps to the place where their bodies connect. I blink, my mind reeling.
