Caged like the weapon Iaoth and Stadiel wanted her to be. Caged like I had been for longer than I cared to admit to myself.
My sister raked her teeth over her bottom lip, stare stabbing into me like a thousand Demon daggers. “There will be other terms too.”
Iaoth listed them all off, each one making me sicker than the last. Daily reports. Constant surveillance. By the time she finished, she’d stripped away every shield I could have possibly built—and ones I hadn’t realized they’d foresee.
I was helpless, bound to my sister and her husband’s will. Bound by my duty to serve.
At least Sylaira and I would be together. That was the only victory I was going to gain.
Until I had more leverage. Maelsar and I hadn’t had nearly enough time to gather any before this moment. Nothing to expend. And if I promised them anything, I doubted they’d believe me anyway.
“Understood.” The word emerged weak from my throat.
“Now go. I cannot stand the sight of you any longer,” the Koron snarled, pinching the bridge of his nose.
I didn’t waste any time spinning on my heel and leaving the prison of the royal feather.
Didn’t stop moving until I entered the servants' passages with one goal in mind.
The chain linking my fate to Sylaira’s yanked me forward, anxiety twisting it into knots. I had to find her, and fast, to ensure she was safe from the real monsters living in Thalvireth Palace.
46
Again and again, I tried to pierce the icy barricade Vaeron built to keep me from eavesdropping on his conversation with his sister and the Koron. Each time, I failed. Hours had crawled by since I’d returned to the Seer’s feather. Heraphia was already asleep.
But not before she scolded me for pressing my ear to the door of her room and listening to the whispers of the others about what had transpired at the ball.
That everyone had been shocked when they were released from my mate’s Command was an understatement. I’d sprinted—as fast as my injured leg would allow—to the nearest privy to escape it all.
Returning some time later only reignited the gossip.
I huffed and twisted a lock of hair around my finger, staring into the flickering candle on my desk. I’d tried to lie beside Heraphia and rest. But until I knew what the fallout had been from Vaeron’s outburst, I couldn’t sleep.
Was I in danger? He hadn’t given me specifics when he mentioned that he was trying to keep me safe from his sister.
Had the moment he announced we were mates sacrificed the leverage he was working to gain? Or had he been able to use it to seize power?
The bond roared to life in my chest. With a gasp, I clutched my magic source like I could wrench it free. Rage, unlike I’d ever witnessed, scorched the chain between Vaeron and me.
I dove into our connection and reached for him. But despite the surge in emotion, I hit that same wall. No thoughts, no senses, nothing other than white-hot fury waited. As if as desperate as he was to block me out, he couldn’t leash that maelstrom.
Minutes passed, and the tempest ebbed. My breathing returned to normal, chest no longer tight with anger that wasn’t mine. Still, silence reigned down our connection.
Eventually, I gave up and wandered into the kitchen area, hoping Lyriasthe was around. To my shock, she ducked out from a servant’s door the moment I entered.
“Sylaira,” she breathed, rushing to my side. Then, she dropped her voice. “Are you okay? Do you need anything from me?”
Tears pricked the back of my nose. I’d never met her before the palace, and yet she always appeared when I needed her most, like a gift from the Goddess.
“Answers,” I croaked.
She glanced around to ensure we were alone. “Okay. Come, sit with me.”
I followed her to the dining table, using a spare chair to prop my bad leg up.
Lyriasthe drummed her fingers on either arm, thinking. “Since we don’t have much time, I’ll tell you the essentials. First, I am only in this position because of the Issaraeth andMaelsar. I owe my life to them. Second, I have not changed my allegiance. Third, I do not judge you for your mating bond.”
So both of them trusted her, knowing that she was Elessarum. It made me feel more at ease about opening up to her too. “Did you know?” I asked her.
