“And they didn’t do anything to stop it? What your father did to you?”
His low laugh was bitter. “They would have been killed for it. Besides, even if they were not children, they were quite young.”
“I don’t think I could have done nothing,” she whispered.
He slid his palm up her cheek, cradling her face. “I know. Which is why I am very glad you were not there.”
Her breath caught when he leaned forward, but, as always, he did not kiss her. Still, with his forehead pressed against hers, it was the closest she had been to him in a while.
Varax.
Yes, Nya?
Is it just us here?
The dragon paused.Yes. Say what you need to. He will not hear.
She closed her eyes, fingers curling in the fabric of Morgen’s shirt as she felt the rise and fall of his chest. In the safety of her own mind, she whispered a truth she was sure he would never accept.
I love you.
There, in the sanctity of her thoughts, she pretended she heard him whisper it back.
Chapter
Eleven
‘Twin soul’. The phrase haunts me. June dismissed it as impossible when I brought the concern to him, but I could tell he was unsettled.
—Lady Anabeth, Consort to Her Majesty Cion Livii, Queen of Aren, D’anna
Nya watchedthe lava spark and bubble below her, legs curled to her chest against the biting chill of the wind. The tears on her cheeks had long dried, but still, she remained on the ledge, where she had been for hours after walking out of the war room. No one had followed her. They all knew she wouldn’t leave again, and there wasn’t anywhere to run to beyond the cave systems of this mountain.
The principals would not accept the terms, whatever they were, she was sure of that. There would be war in Arcadia, one that would surely impact the mortal realm. Her parents would be involved because of her role in all of this; if anyone was hurt or died, their blood was on her hands.
She heard footsteps behind her but did not move or even turn to see who it was. If one of Morgen’s soldiers wanted to murderher, so be it. At least then, it would cause mutiny within his forces, perhaps even enough to stop all of this.
But then, Imeria said, “Did you know the Gods’ Aisle is at the very edge of the realm?”
Nya didn’t reply, eyes still on the molten fire below.
“That’s why the land is so uneven. It moves, and when it does, we get a lot of that bubbling up,” she added, pointing at the lava. “But it isn’t always like this, with the lava and the lack of plant or animal life. In fact, the Gods’ Aisle is sometimes one of the most beautiful places in Arcadia.”
Nya glanced sidelong at her, a brow raised. “I don’t know if I believe that.”
“It’s hard to see it right now, I know,” Imeria said, her eyes sharp as they slid across the barren landscape. “This is where the principals first woke. However they came to be, this place was their passage into this world, and whenever the realm is unstable, this is the first place it becomes obvious.”
“Unstable?” Nya echoed, eyes narrowing.
Imeria nodded. “I’m sure you heard of the storms. I don’t think the bad ones were as far as D’anna, but that will change soon.”
“I thought the storms were because of him?”
Imeria laughed. “Morgen?” She shook her head. “No. He’s powerful, but not so much that he can idly keep storms like that raging for days. I mean, you saw what happened when he moved Varax through a portal twice in a row. He’s an heir, but he is still half-mortal.”
“If it’s not Morgen, then what’s causing the storms?” Nya pushed.
“He should probably be the one to explain it to you,” Imeria said with a grim smile. “But I meant what I said, Nya. We do not follow him blindly or without reason. I care about Arcadia, andthe mortal realm, believe it or not. Bad things are beginning to happen, and it will get much worse.”
