“Can I help you?” he asked, his voice soft as his brows pinched up. He ran a hand over the short stubble on his jawline.
My throat bobbed, and I took a deep breath. Holy shit, he smelled good. Like pure sex. Not that I knew what that smelled like.
“You’re Vander Stryke?” I asked, finally remembering how to form words.
“I am.”
“I’m Evony Hunt. High Steward Merik sent me to find you.” The words tumbled from my lips in a jumbled mess, and I tucked a thin braid behind my ear as my thumb rubbed against the lucky arrowhead in my pocket.
Vander’s light brows tilted up in amusement, and he nodded his head. “After you, my lady.”
Ronan scratchedthe short beard that he seemed to have a hard time keeping shaved. Ruby red light floated in through the oval windows, casting a rubelline veil over the long table in the center of the room.
His light curls bounced as he strode across the Grand Council chamber in the highest tower of Mount Telum, thanking me and smiling as Vander Stryke followed me into the room.
“Welcome home, Van.” Ronan smiled, clasping hands with Vander and clapping a hand to his shoulder in greeting.
Vander smiled and nodded. “Thank you, High Steward.”
Ronan cocked his head, his light brows pinching before he huffed a laugh. “After Odessa and Lotrennia… I think Ronan will do just fine, my friend.”
“Of course.” Vander nodded, chuckling as he took a seat.
I slid into a chair next to him as Ronan strode to the edge of the room and poured two cups of ale. I ground my teeth as he slid a cup of water to me, handing the goblet of ale to Vander and taking a long swig himself before getting seated.
“We’ve been cut off from Kayj since the rubelline activation of the castle,” Ronan began. “We have no idea how, or why, it happened, but with a nullifier this massive, there’s been no way to use the orb to communicate with allies in Lotrennia or Kayj.”
Vander’s gray eyes followed curiously as Ronan motioned to the round orb in the center of the table, covered with a black cloth.
“How long have you been cut off?” Vander asked, leaning forward and taking a swig of ale.
I stared at his neck as he swallowed, feeling strangely warm.
“Three months,” Ronan answered. “It happened right after Drystan harnessed the Advetis Bone. Evony was with him when it happened.”
Vander’s eyes slid to mine, and something funny happened to my stomach.
“He transported us to a cave on Kayj,” I piped in. “There was a battle. Some creatures came through an arch.”
Vander shifted, turning toward me with wide eyes. His light brows raised in what felt like appreciation. “And you made it back here after that?”
I swallowed and gave him a quick nod before darting my eyes back to Ronan.
“I wasn’t in the cave when it happened, but the others called it the Vael Lacrima,” Vander murmured, turning back to Ronan.“The Gate of the World. They said two gods… No…” He paused, his eyes flitting to the covered orb at the center of the table. “Embodied. That’s what they said. Two Embodied came out of the archway before they were forced back into the gate.”
My stomach flipped, and Ronan’s face paled.
“How did they force them back?” Ronan asked, setting his goblet down.
“There was a battle,” Vander continued, nodding to me. “Lord Astraeus drew them back with two rubellines, but they took him with them.”
My mouth fell open.
“Lyvia and Tiberius went after him…” Vander trailed off, his eyes dipping.
A tight pressure pinched my chest. Lyvia and Tiberius were?—
“And? Have they returned?” Ronan asked, shaking his head.
