“The King of Shaston only ever has one heir, and that is Prince Ereon.” My words come out less confident than I expected.
“Yes ... a son that was already born. So one of you had to go. The King requested it was you. I was happy to oblige. Now here I am, leader of the northern camp.” He opens his arm as he bows.
I stumble away from him. No. That’s not …
“You should ask your father what happens when someone pledges themself to a woman, and then what happens when that woman chooses another.”The vision replays in my mind. My father. Not Reph — my father — the King of Shaston.
“I would keep quiet if you like your head, Prince. Wouldn’t want the heir to realize he has competition.”
Prince. Anara called me “Prince” last night. And the night I released her shackles, she said something else,“An answer to a question.”She’s known.
The blaring horns pierce through the air, shattering the silence and jumbling my thoughts. With each step of the approachingkukhe, the trees tremble, and the ground quivers, filling the air with an unmistakable rattling sound again.
forty-nine
Ereon
The sudden blare of horns shatters the serene atmosphere, jolting me awake from a blissful sleep nestled next to Carnaxa. Hearing the noise, she reacts instinctively, springing up and grabbing the dagger that she now always has within arm’s reach. The one that Thylas gave her. I was taken aback last night as I witnessed his change into someone entirely different from who I thought he was. Once, I would have never thought he could hurt her, but then last night, he was so caught up in his desperation, he didn’t care. After he left the tent, the mood changedand so did Carnaxa. She needed comfort, not my dick, and that’s what she received.
“Thekukhe, Prince Ereon, have returned,” Ryul yells from just outside as he swings open the tent entrance, almost out of breath.
“You ready for another round?” I look at Carnaxa, as she shimmies into her tight fighting leathers, and smile.
The look that flashes across Ryul’s features has my smile faltering. He seems to struggle to find his words. “Prince ... there are more of them this time.”
I stand up, reaching for my own pants and pulling them up my legs. “I know Carnaxa and Anara and the rest of us can handle it, just as we did before.”
Carnaxa’s face lights up with joy when she hears my unwavering belief and praise in her and her magic. She was always the responsible one, adhering to the rules and putting others’ needs before her own. But I won’t ever ask that of her; I’ll always believe in her, just like I showed the men of thePrel. When my father steps down and I take the crown, she and I will stand side by side to create waves of change on this continent.
“Over fifty are headed this way.” Ryul’s words are clipped as I spin my head towards him before he continues, “And more behind that.”
I throw on my tunic, wrapping my thick cloak around me and grab my crown. “Thekukhecome in droves, but never that many and never this fast after an attack. Your reports are incorrect … I know they are saying it’s more than they have ever seen, but such a numbermustbe incorrect.”
With a firm shake of his head, his determined gaze meets mine, highlighting the seriousness of the situation in his tone. “No, Ereon ... They are not. I’m here to advise you and Princess Carnaxa, and anyone else that you would like, to evacuate. We must return to Shaston to secure the defenses there.”
Carnaxa packs a bag and places the dagger in a holster on her thigh. She grabs the staff that I had made for her and sits flipping through the pages of the journal she’s carried for weeks now. She is muttering as her fingers scan the pages.
“And where do you think we can go that we can escape the creatures that are already so close?” I plan the trip in my head. There is nowhere to hide between here and Shaston. Even Shiw, my horse as fast as a shooting star, could never return with two people on his back quick enough to escape the monsters already at our doorstep.
“I don’t know.” Ryul’s grim words stretch across the tent. He knows it. We can’t escape this.
“I think I know.” Carnaxa’s soft voice breaks the tense atmosphere and I turn to see her reading the same page over and over. “Ryul, please fetch theBêlandBêlitof Antalis.”
He bows before heading out and I know I’m going to regret my next words. “Bring the Ambassador and Anara as well.” If I let Thylas die here, Carnaxa would never forgive me. Anara betrayed me in a way I can never forgive, but I don’t want harm to come to her. There will forever be a place in my dark heart for her where our love continues to live. She was there through some of my darkestmoments, a beacon of light amid despair, and I won’t let that be forgotten, either.
Carnaxa walks towards me and cups my face, running her fingers through my beard. “Thank you.” She leans in and kisses me before she returns to her book.
Pale and frustrated, Thylas stands in the tent's corner with his arms crossed. I tried to talk to him and so did Carnaxa, but he remains quiet. His features are completely blank except for when he looks at Anara. He looks at her with furrowed brows, his eyes searching for answers, as if trying to unravel a perplexing riddle. As they stand together, Anara’s pinky finger softly caresses his thigh, and I wonder if it’s from a connection they have or a way of calming him down.
Rhenor stands beside Carnaxa and they watch as Siphonie paces in front of them, carrying two bags slung across her chest and swollen belly. Carnaxa clutches the journal in her hands before she speaks, “We need to leave.”
“No,” Thylas replies, stepping away from the wall and uncrossing his arms. “You and Ereon need to leave. I’ll stay here and fight. The kingdoms, Antalis and Shaston, need you both to survive to lead them.”
I look to Rhenor. Thylas has never cared about Shaston. Perhaps he does now because if I die, then Carnaxa’s protection can’t be guaranteed.
“And we need the Ambassador of Antalis to be alive as well.” Carnaxa faces him. “Do not think that you are so expendable that we would leave you here.”
“Trust me, I’m more expendable than you think.” He huffs as the horns blare again. They are getting closer. “I’ll stay here and buy each of you time.”
