“He’s nervous about seeing his parents again,” Roran suggested.
I grabbed them both by the wrist. “Please, both of you. Don’t tease him about this. Don’t try to talk to him about it. Just let this happen. I know we mean well, but he’s still dealing with the idea that he’s attracted to the two of you.”
They glanced at each other, then nodded. I gave each of them a quick kiss and turned us down the road again. We had to keep moving because now the others were long strides ahead of us.
The trees cleared suddenly at the top of a short rise, and as we crested it, the city of Elkthorne opened before us.
I had no idea there was as massive a city as S’Kir anywhere else, east or west.
There was no other way to describe Elkthorne. It was just enormous, spread out between us and the water in the distance. There were tall buildings, at least ten stories, and instead of gleaming white like S’Kir, it sparkled in aqua and green.
“Well…” Belshazzar said, “It’s the fucking Emerald City. Isn’t this nice.”
“That grew,” Dorian muttered. “I don’t remember it being that…”
“Large,” Rilen said. “I don’t remember as well as you do, I’m sure, but yeah, I kind of remember it being smaller.”
“Elkthorne is the largest city in all of East S’Kir.” Aiko explained. “They have always managed to keep themselves somewhat separated from the business of the Stronghold. The forest and the water have always helped. They are a bit larger than when I was last here, but not much.”
He started walking down the hill. “The green was chosen to keep the city from being seen, but that’s pretty much an impossibility now. It’s too big. Now it’s more of a tradition.
“The city is led by a triumvirate—three people who are elected and hold the position for life unless the people vote for a recall, or they step down. They work together to keep the city whole and functioning.”
“You’re not excited to be home,” I said.
He glanced at me. “No, princess. I’m not. I left here two hundred years ago, and I didn’t think that I would ever be back. Not that I didn’t want to, but the circumstances were not… the best.”
“Kicked out.” Belshazzar nodded.
“No, Your Highness. I left. On my own.”
The king’s eyes narrowed. “Huh. Wouldn’t have guessed either, actually. You’re too… nice.” The word came out on a sneer.
“You don’t become a Lord Knight in Savion’s court by being nice, Your Highness,” he said. “You don’t survive attacks by the mad queen by not knowing what you’re doing.”
“Where do we have to go, Aiko?” Rilen asked.
“The town hall.” He pointed to the tall clocktower in the center of the city. “The Triumvirate will be there, and they will be holding hearings and such.”
“And they’ll know where Niniane is holding Gwen?” Belshazzar probed.
“They should, and they will either share it with us or kick us out of the city,” he answered.
Belshazzar’s eyes grew red and angry. “What?”
“We came here because this is where they have the biggest spy network. This is possibly the only place in all of East S’Kir people won’t shoot at us and call us traitors. At least, not right away. We don’t have a lot of options.”
Belshazzar had Aiko around the neck and off the ground in a blast of wind. “Listen to me well, boy. Gwen is more than just some random vampire. She is the Queen of the Vampires—”
“Put him down,” Dorian snapped.
“What do you care? I could kill him, and it would affect you the least.”
“I said, put him down, Bel. Put the fucking vampire back on his own two feet.” Dorian folded his arms. “He’s been nothing but helpful all this time.”
Bel started to squeeze Aiko’s neck. “I want the queen back.”
“Belshazzar!” Dorian snapped.
