“But I feel better now.Stronger.”Iyana beamed up at Emmeric, and he immediately returned the smile with one of his own.
At that moment, everything seemed like it would be okay.Iyana wasn’t worried that Altair would betray them to Rigil again.He appeared to be doing all he could to keep her away from the Alpha Centauri.She didn’t trust him, or Scuti, but they would be leaving that night as it was, and they wouldn’t have to see either of them again.Iyana breathed a sigh of relief at the thought.She could finally put Altair behind her.
Chapter 26
Altair
AssoonasAltairreappeared within his own quarters, he punched a hole into the stone wall.He barely felt his bones break or his blood dripping down his fingers onto the floor.It didn’t matter; they’d heal on their own within minutes.The physical pain was a welcome reprieve from the emotional turmoil.
Iyana was alive.Iyana was in Athusia.
Iyana looked terrible.
She was too thin—all skin and bone.Her hair was brittle and frizzy, and there were purple smudges underneath her eyes.What had Sullane been doing?Was he not taking care of her?Altair would strangle him if he was simply letting Iyana waste away.He claimed to love her, to care for her, but Altair wasn’t seeing any proof of that.
Other than the way he held her close when she was crying.Iyana had clung to Sullane, and Altair’s blood boiled.Had she so quickly forgotten what they’d had?Altair had told her while they were in the library to never forget that he loved her.He had thought then that he could still salvage the situation, but the stars were relentless.He’d had no choice but to do what he had done.Altair hadtoldher to remember, and almost in no time at all, she was already in another man’s arms.
The sight had made him want to kill Sullane on the spot.Logically, though, Altair understood that would only drive Iyana further away from him.And she was safer with her Kanaliza around as well.Those were the only two things that had stayed his hand.Altair hadn’t been planning on telling her she was his astalle.But seeing her with Sullane had nearly driven him to insanity.
He had laid everything out for her, told her that she was his star-bound mate, and she had still rejected him—his heart had broken.
Altair put his other hand through the wooden door to the bathing room, relishing the feel of the splinters in his skin.Phaedros take him, he wanted nothing more than to get blind drunk, but the Alpha Centauri was still waiting for him.Rigil would be wondering what was taking him so long.Altair knew that if he were to appear in front of his sovereign in such a state, that Rigil would instantly be suspicious.That was the last thing he needed.Iyana needed time to find Talon’s fucking parents, and Altair would buy her that time.
Taking several deep breaths, he calmed his heart rate and yanked the wooden splinters free from his hand.Once the wounds had healed over, he rinsed the blood off and glanced in the mirror.
The star staring back at him was hardly recognizable.He appeared haggard; exhausted.Iyana was going to kill him.If not with her own hands, then through stress alone.With one last deep breath to steady himself, Altair teleported to the throne room.
Rigil leaned forward on the throne when Altair appeared, his fingers steepled together.Hadar stood slightly behind him to his right, a permanent sneer etched into his face.
“Care to tell me what you’ve been doing, general, when I gave you explicit instructions to go to Nyr?”
Altair straightened his spine and clasped his hands behind his back.“There was more to secure here than I had thought, my lord.I was readying to leave when I heard the rumors of the Aztia being in Athusia, so I’ve been out searching for her.”
“You know none of this would be necessary if you had done your job correctly, right?”Hadar asked.Rigil held up a hand to silence him.
“Hadar has a point.”Rigil cocked his head.Altair felt as if he was boring into his soul.“I’m beginning to wonder if your affections for the Aztia were an act, or if you actually care for the girl.”
Altair forced his face to remain neutral and prayed to the gods that Rigil couldn’t sense how quickly his heart was beating.
“I assure you, everything you witnessed was an act to lure in the Aztia.”
“And yet, you were unable to kill her when you stole her magic, and you are stalling now.Forgive me, Altair, if I’m beginning to doubt your intentions.”
“I am loyal to you, Alpha Centauri.”Altair put his fist over his heart and bowed.“If you will grant me my leave, I will go seek her out now.”
Hadar stepped forward.“Not so fast, Altair.I’m to join you on this little quest.”
Fuck.Altair had been hoping to search out Iyana again to drive his warning home and ensure that she left.Now he would have to actively mislead Hadar whilst appearing to fulfill Rigil’s orders.
“Remember, Hadar,” Rigil said, “we want heralive.”
The Beta Centauri frowned.“I still think we should just kill her and be done with it.”
Stay calm.Stay calm.
Rigil exhaled a long-suffering sigh.Altair still didn’t understand how Hadar had earned this job.“If we kill her, another Aztia will be born to take her place.And then we would have to find the new one.At least with this one, we know who she is.We only need to ensure she lives a nice, long life.In the dungeons.”
“The dungeons I’ll be in charge of?”Hadar asked hopefully.
