She opens her hazel eyes and looks at me. I take a step closer to her and as I do, the world around me seems to go quiet, and it’s then I notice the sand is no longer digging into my skin. I look at her puzzled, as her soft hands hold a flickering flame that doesn’t burn her.
Around us the wind dies down almost instantly, the sand falls back to the ground along with the bubble she seemed to control. She stands up, closing her fist and the flame inside of it disappears. She hasn’t stopped looking at me once since we made eye contact.
“Are you dangerous?” my question springs forth, my fingers inching towards my sword.
“I could be.” She smiles. “But I mean no harm to anyone here, plus” — she holds up her wrist and the shackles on her — “these will not let me do much, anyway.”
“I think it’s time you finish the story you started in Shaston.”
twenty-seven
Ereon
“What the fuck happened here?” My voice echoes through the air as I yell at Ryul, and his face registers nothing but pure shock.
I was almost asleep, listening to Carnaxa breathe against my chest. She said little after we came back from training, she doesn’t say much anymore. I remember the Carnaxa in Antalis, sure she was sometimes quiet, but this is different.
“Still gathering reports from thePrel. But from what I’m hearing, someone was affected by the madness.” Ryul’s hair is strewnwith sand and whipped around, minor cuts cover his face from the small stabbings of sand.
“The madness?” I ask as I look back into the tent. Carnaxa’s outline is evident from the candle lantern inside, and I can see she’s pacing.
Lelfait, Thylas’ man, comes running up. He pants as he puts his palms on his knees, bending to catch his breath. He has a bleeding cut across his shoulder and from the looks of it, he was cut pretty deep.
“I can’t find the Ambassador.” He looks around. “It was near me. The madness. One of thePrelwas arguing with one of mine in theShayi. They started fighting and then...” He breathes deeper. “It just — the wind exploded out of the soldier. Once it stopped, the men tackled him. They are to bring him here — to you, Prince Ereon.”
I nod my head while also inwardly groaning. I know that means I’ll have no other option but to put him to death. According to my father’s proclamation, it has been established that anyone showing symptoms of the madness must die in order to prevent the spread. Just add it to the blood that’s already on my hands.
“Where is Thylas? Has anyone checked onBêlitSiphonie andBêlRhenor? Where you find one, you’ll usually find them all,” I suggest, looking toward where I last saw Thylas and Anara.
“I’m here.”
Thylas comes walking up, still running his hands through his hair to get the sand out, Anara not but a few feet behind him. I happily sigh, seeing that she is okay. Since she told me to leave, I’ve obliged — for now. Soon, I’ll want to talk to her. I found out years ago that she takes a few days to calm down after something bothers her. This isn’t the first time she’s been mad at me.
“Where is Carnaxa?” Thylas comes up on my right.
“She’s fine … in the tent.” I motion my head in the general direction and notice her shadow, now with two others, Siphonie and Rhenor, if I had to guess. “Anara, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Her eyes dart to Thylas. She looks at him and then to Carnaxa’s tent. Is she asking permission? Since when does Anara ever ask for anything? Thylas slightly nods and she turns on her heels, heading to the tent.
“What’s happened?” Thylas says plainly, not even looking at me.
Ryul and I update him as a man of thePrelis brought to me. His hands are tied tightly behind his back and he is forced down to his knees in front of me. I take in his appearance; besides the swollen eye and bloody lip, he looks as normal as anyone else here. Well, except for the fact that he’s crying; most people in thePrelwould rather be burned alive than shed a tear.
“Prince …” His words come out sloppy as he fights his tears. “Forgive me. I didn’t ask for this.”
I glance toward Ryul who shakes his head, already knowing that I would let him go if I could. I can’t. We don’t know how the madness is being spread, we could all already be affected.
I pull a curved sword from the scabbard on my back. As I do, the man panics and pulls his arms from around him, the bonds falling to the ground. He stands swiftly and swipes a right hook at me andI swing my head to the side. Thylas barrels into the man, tackling him to the ground.
The soldier pushes against Thylas’ chest as wind flies from his palms — the madness. The gust forcefully pushes against Thylas, causing him to soar away from the man. Around the soldier’s hands, the sand gathers in the wind as he prepares to free it once more.
I take a step towards him and he releases the tiny particles. The sand cascades around me, cutting into my face and I hold my palm up. The surrounding air becomes cold and the sand is suddenly repelled by an invisible force. It’s not noticeable to those who are watching, but I don’t feel the sand pelting me anymore. Looking hastily over my shoulder, Carnaxa stands just outside the tent.
“Get my wife to safety,” I yell over the roaring wind that’s still building. I hear Thylas curse under his breath as he heads her way.
I keep my hand up, expecting whatever is giving me a reprieve to disappear. Making my way to the man, the sand continues to fall away from me. I grab his throat with one hand, it’ll be hard to wield anything if he can’t breathe. He struggles to pry my grip off his neck as I lift my sword in my other hand to hit him on his temple. He becomes clay in my hands as he passes out.
I release him and his body falls to the ground. Ryul comes beside me before speaking, “He could have had a quick death. Now, you’ll have to flog him for striking a Prince and then kill him.”
