Every once in a while though, she stared at me with a spark of flame behind those blue eyes that tugged on my heart.
That pull was built on mutual turmoil, yes.
But it was also built on our magic’s ruthless draw toward one another.
Firose Van Gran was potentially my Source Match. The Sources were cruel and unjust beings.
We’d gotten little sleep and rose with the sun. The land seemed cut from red rock, covered only in dust, dead grass and spiked vegetation. I hadn’t expected to crest a hill and find a sprawling city built at the center of a deep canyon, extending beyond where the eye could see.
Firose and I both stopped to gape at it before we descended.
“Well, Darvanda sure has been busy,” she breathed out.
After a grueling trek, it was nearly mid-morning when we reached the city center. People bustled around us, vending from carts and tents.
“Think of slowly reeling in your magic as though you’re coiling up yarn,” Firose reminded me.
I’d lowered my ward the night before but still felt nervous. I followed her instructions and raised my palms to the Sun ward that I’d created. Focusing intently, I pulled it back to me and the last rays of sunshine reached us.
It felt odd that no one balked or stared at the use of magic. Instead, townsfolk cleaned up damp confetti and discarded wine bottles as though there had been a celebration of some kind recently. We reached the city square, surrounded on three sides by large canals.
A pit grew in my stomach as I realized how peaceful this place seemed and what an oasis Darvanda had built here for his people. I hated the thought that maybe the King of the Sahlms was truly fit for Sybilla in ways I would never be. A true King, one that had accomplished all of this.
Plus,hewasn’t currently possessed by the greatest evil the realm had ever faced.
The weight of losing her wasn’t at all lessened, even knowing she might’ve found happiness with another. I longed for that to be enough and wanted to rip the ugly, jealous feelings out and cast them aside.
“There, that looks like where we should go.” Firose nodded toward a great estate stretching toward the cloudless sky. “Don’t expect a pleasant greeting,” she warned as we approached the entrance.
I approached one of the guards and said, “I am Emmerick Mattock, King of the North Corridor. And I request an audience with Elsedora Lamoreaux.”
Chapter 45
Krait
“Wake up, asshole.”
My eyes shot open.
“You made alistof her faults?” Elsedora scolded. She stood at the foot of my bed with a scowl that could peel the bark off a tree. By Sybilla’s definition, I was a tree, so I stood no chance against whatever berating El had in store for me.
Sources, I hated people sticking their noses in my business. El picked something up from my feet—a familiar piece of parchment. Dread sank down into my stomach.Why hadn’t I torn that fucking list to shreds?
I groaned. “Tell me you are the one who found that.” I covered my eyes as she flung the curtains open, casting sunshine over me.
“Afraid not.” Her clipped tone confirmed my fears as she read the words on the page aloud with haughty dismay. I winced harder with each slight, imagining Sybilla reading that page.
“Where is she?”
“Rightfully avoiding the likes ofyou.”
Glad to have gone to sleep with my breeches on, I stood quickly, found my tunic on the floor and threw it on. “And where might she be avoiding me?”
“You stay away from her today—she’s hurt, and you’ve done enough to make any woman run for the hills. This is the part where I get to tell you…I told you so.”
I shook my head as I pulled on my boots. “I haven’t ruined it. I didn’t mean any of that.”
“It doesn’t matter if you meant it. It matters that she believes you did, Krait.”
