Admittedly, it was a threat Essyma made to us nearly every day, but today, I took it to heart. I hadn’t done well in that fight and couldn’t afford another bad day. I had to live, for Izzy.
I trudged away, aching and bleeding, to the infirmary, where I’d be stitched up and bandaged, but not magically healed. And while I was there, hissing through the process, since painkillers weren’t wasted on shifters, I couldn’t stop thinking about Izzy.
Perhaps if I sorted through my thoughts now, today, I could function tomorrow. I didn’t think it likely my mind would let go so easily, but it was worth a try.
My feelings for Izzy hadn’t changed, I loved her. The trouble was, no matter how she felt about me, she didn’tneedme. I wanted to protect her, but she had a dragon for that now. And the bond would ensure I remained her lover, but she had an incubus and a seraph to tend to those needs as well. The mate bond was the only thing keeping us together. And for now, I’d take it.
But the thought — the worry — I couldn’t seem to get rid of was:what will happen once she’s fully trained, once she’s come into her power and position?
She knew who she was now. It was only a matter of time before she had the power to break our bond. Only a matter of time before she’d need to present herself as a royal, and having a shifter lover would only harm her image. I’d vowed to serve her for as long as she’d have me… but that had been back when she’d not been aware of her heritage. Now that she was, I couldn’t help but wonder how limited my time would be.
And if I couldn’t serve her, was of no use to her, not needed… perhaps I’d let Artol end me. Before Izzy had come into my life, I’d been nothing. Without her, I’d be nothing again. Life wouldn’t be worth living.
While I wallowed in self-doubt, the three bells of a campus-wide announcement sounded. To ensure everyone heard these important updates and couldn’t ignore them, announcements were sent directly into the minds of all those on campus by a powerful sylph.
“Attention all Veilblood Academy staff and students. It has come to our attention that Sa Brown Izzy is a half-blood elf. As such, she is to be exiled immediately. A reward of a thousand gold is offered to anyone who brings her to campus authorities.”
Fuck me, a thousand gold? That’s a fortune. Everyone on campus would be hunting Izzy!
“However,” the announcement continued, “our generous and gracious princess Saldrea has offered an alternative option for this mixed blood wretch. If Sa Brown Izzy turns herself in to the main administration building by or before seventeen o’clock then she’ll be granted leniency. Princess Saldrea offers trial by combat, in the form of a dominion match. Sa Brown Izzy will be allowed to form a team and take on the princess and her team. If Sa Brown Izzy wins, she will be granted a stay of exile and allowed to continueher education at Veilblood Academy. She will, however, be confined to campus and escorted to the human realm upon completion of her time here. Thank you all for your attention.”
I couldn’t make sense of this. Why would Saldrea offer such a thing? Then it hit me. Saldrea was hoping for one of two outcomes, both of which would get rid of Izzy, while leaving Saldrea blameless. Either Izzy didn’t turn herself in and was exiled… or Izzy took the offer, and Saldrea “accidentally” killed her during the dominion match.
Fuck me, this was bad.
I needed to prepare myself. If Izzy was going to be exiled or flee back to the human realm, I’d have to go with her. That would be the safest option, not that Izzy would take the safe option, given what I knew of her.
I couldn’t see Izzy winning a dominion match against Saldrea and her goons, all of whom were experts in their respective elements. Izzy was still too new, too fresh. Her chances of winning would be slim, especially with Saldrea out for blood.
First, I needed to let Izzy and Safir know about the announcement, since it wouldn’t have reached them in the capital. I took out my phone and quickly sent a text.
I prayed Izzy would take the easy out, but that was selfish. It would mean we could be together… forever. She wouldn’t need to learn her nymph or elven powers, just live as a human, with me by her side.
But I had a feeling Izzy would choose to fight. It was in her nature, who she was. And if she did, I would support her, even if victory wasn’t a sure thing. But I had to believe she’d win… because if she didn’t… if she died... I’d go mad or follow her to the grave.
AMARHUK (ROOK)
I groundmy teeth as the announcement faded.
Fuck.
This was bad.
As much as I’d hoped to distance myself from Izzy… I didn’t want her to die! In fact, the thought of losing her was physically painful, a knife to my heart. Which illustrated to me all the more why I needed to keep away from her. My heart shouldn’t be involved at all.
She was elven royalty for fuck’s sake!
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself inanyrelationship, let alone with an elf, and certainly not with a royal! And Izzy being of mixed-blood made the whole thing even more complicated. I couldn’t imagine many elves would want her on the throne, and yet — given the plans the people around her were making — that’s where she was headed. I couldn’t see that happening without violence, probably war. I’d fought wars in Urval and knew how brutal they could be. I didn’t want to get mixed up in another life-or-death conflict.
Even if I already was.
I’d found Elnori, the dryad who provided my master — the dwarf Svokol — with much of his intelligence on the goings on around campus and in Seial. She’d been surprised that Safir had sent me. She admitted she’d been working with the old tiger shifter — who’d been pulling strings behind the scenes — for nearly ten years. They were part of a cabal of “lesser” races searching for a true royal to put on the throne and depose the tyrant Valnea.
We’d been on our way to talk to Svokol and convince him to join that cause when we’d heard the announcement.
I’d been wondering what Saldrea would do after finding out Izzy was a half-blood elf. This situation had two likely outcomes: Izzy’s banishment or her death. The chances of her winning a dominion match against Saldrea were slim. Even if I had a sinking feeling that’s exactly what Izzy would attempt to do.
And she’d probably pull me into it.
