Page 64 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

He gave Rain a pointed look, fully aware of his tendency to doubt.

“Your paternal line descends directly from Rainbow royalty. Queen Skylar’s husband is the origin of your surname—she took his name as an honour, though the throne was hers. She was a mighty queen. I was shown visions of their wedding day, and of the birth of their two sons—one your ancestor, the other the White King you inhabited in the dream.”

Rain’s head throbbed—not just from the hangover, but from the sheer absurdity of the information. A different blood type? A hidden lineage? He suddenly felt alien in his own skin.

Isarion stood and returned to packing, giving Rain space to process. Rain had countless questions, yet none would form.

Eventually he managed, “Isarion… how do you know all these details? My visions are cryptic. What you’ve said makes them clearer, but how do you know?”

“Your Grace, I am a Master of the Heavenly Plane. I have spoken to the Gods since childhood. I know how to ask the right questions—and how to interpret their answers better than most.” He spoke plainly, without arrogance. “And then there are the teachings of the Order. We are the keepers of secrets and structure. We know things others do not.”

“I see. And why must you leave so suddenly?”

“There is much I must do, Your Majesty. The tides have turned, and what we have awaited is already in motion. We are behind.” He sighed as he folded a cardboard lid closed. “I must avoid the King. If he learns any of this, he will use everything within his power to extract the information from me. You understand the consequences that poses—for both of us.”

Rain exhaled, letting his confusion settle. He crossed to the window and opened it, peering down at the driveway. Only one trailer was visible and that belonged to the Pink Court.

“Erm… Isarion, are the Pink Kingdom loaning you their trailer?”

“Loan is a generous term, Your Majesty. I would rather not incriminate you in my escape, but as I now view you as the highest authority, perhaps you will pardon my crime.”

A mischievous grin tugged at his lips.

Rain let out a disbelieving laugh. “Isarion Vaelwyn, I never knew you could be such a rebel. How do you plan to get past the guards? ShouldI be leaving with you?” The elder had mentioned Rain would one day need to retrieve whatever the Key was.

“It is not time for you. You must not follow me, Your Majesty. Forgive my boldness—I was hoping you might help me. If you can load the trailer undetected, the first challenge is attaching it to my vehicle without drawing attention. Then I will need assistance getting the gate open and the guards out of my path. I understand if you do not wish to help. Please do not feel—”

“Say no more. I’ll handle everything, including moving your car.” Rain cut him off. He didn’t need the elder to justify the request. He was already committed. “You’ve been a great tutor and a friend. I’ll miss you and your infuriatingly vague answers.” A pang of sadness tightened his chest. “Helping you is the least I can do. Without you, I’d still be locked in my room, unable to tolerate anyone. I owe you a great debt.”

“You underestimate yourself,” Isarion said warmly. “It has been an honour to witness your growth. I look forward to seeing your reign unfold. There is no debt to repay.” Pride radiated from him before he glanced around the room. “Now—let us move quickly.”

Rain lifted the boxes one by one through the large window, guiding them down a floor and onto the trailer bed. It had been a while since he’d used his power like this, but it came back easily, like muscle memory. The real challenge was ensuring no one saw the boxes floating through the air. He kept his senses spread wide, monitoring every energy signature nearby. He paused only once when a guard passed below; he wasn’t sure if the man had a view of the windows.

Soon all of Isarion’s belongings were loaded, including the elder’s suitcase. Then they slipped into the halls, Rain leading the way, ensuring they remained unseen. The palace slept, save for the guards—though some of them might as well have been asleep too, their energy dull and inattentive. Normally Rain understood it; the palace had never beenbreached. But with three courts housed here during a war, this would be the perfect time for an infiltration.

In the garage, they exchanged their goodbyes. Rain instructed Isarion to sit in the car while he moved it into position. He rolled the garage doors up painfully slowly, keeping it quiet. Isarion released the clutch and steered while Rain pushed the vehicle into place. Rain attached the trailer by hand, then signalled for Isarion to start the engine and go.

Rain sprinted toward the palace boundary, avoiding guards drawn by the sound. He watched Isarion speed down the courtyard, then he shoved the guards blocking the road aside, sending them sprawling across the lawn. Ducking beneath a hawthorn bush, he focused on the heavy metal gates. They groaned loudly as he forced them open. Several guards rushed to close them, and Rain had to brace himself, countering the combined strength of eight men. His muscles trembled with the effort.

Isarion shot through the opening, beeping triumphantly as he fled. Rain held the guards pinned until the car vanished into the night, then released them. They stumbled, bewildered, searching for the culprit. Rain stayed hidden, pressed low beneath the bush, the darkness shielding him. Lights flickered on throughout the palace as people woke to the commotion.

After a minute, he slipped away, taking his usual route—scaling the palace walls and climbing back through his window. He had just enough time to throw himself onto his bed before two guards burst into his room.

“What in the fuck…?” Rain snarled, sitting up sharply, delivering an award-worthy performance of groggy outrage. “What are you doing in my room?”

“Your Highness, we came to ensure you were in your chambers,” one guard said, lowering his weapon under Rain’s glare. “Weapologise for disturbing you.”

“Why wouldn’t I be in my room?” Rain demanded, letting a wave of anger roll off him. Both guards shuddered.

“I—I’m sorry, Highness. There was an incident. We thought you were…” He stopped himself.

“Are you accusing me of something?” Rain asked coldly. “It feels like you are.”

“N-no, Sir,” the guard stammered, realising the trap.

“I didn’t think so. What incident?”

“Someone has left the palace. We don’t yet know who. But they had help, Sir. Magic was used to bypass the gates.”