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My heartbeat was the only sound, echoing against my ears, threatening to burst out of me. Could he hear it? He leaned forward, his lips alarmingly close to mine as they curved into another half-smile. The expression so set on his face, like he would continue to smirk into mine.
The door to our compartment swung open, causing us both to jump back. My back slammed into the cushions on the seat behind me.
Peter coughed awkwardly from the door, knowing full well what he had just walked in on. His smile widened as he took in my reddened face. “I’m sorry to interrupt what I’m sure would have been rather enjoyable, but Synder requested to speak with you, Sie.”
His expression darkened at the name. The smirk-like smile from moments ago was gone. “Tell him I’ll be right there,” he said to Peter, his gaze never leaving mine.
Peter looked between us both, still grinning like a child. He nodded his head once before closing the door behind him.
The silence that followed was endless. I scrambled for something to talk about. For anything to say. “Isn’t it a waste of time for you to ride the monorail when you can just teleport to the castle?”
I instantly regretted the question. What a stupid thing to ask him after we almost kissed. I should have asked him if he remembered me. What he thought of me being selected. I should have tried to find out his stance on rank zeroes. Instead, my brain went right to his ability.
He leaned back in his seat, stretching out his long legs as he let out a small laugh. “Is this really what you want to talk about?”
I bit my lip. I had about a million other questions I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. The Prince’s eyes trailed to my lips, my teeth nervously gnawing on them. Blood trailed down my chin. Great. I’d reopened my scab from my Trials. He chuckled as he passed me a cloth to wipe up the blood.
“Teleportation doesn’t quite work like that. There are limits to how far you can travel at once. Besides, my teleportation ability is my weakest power. It drains my reserve fast.”
“Isn’t teleportation the same ability as portal users from Lux?” I asked.
He eyed me for a moment. His gaze went from the cloth I was dabbing against my lower lip to my eyes. I shifted in my seat. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought up Lux.
“It’s similar to those of Lux that can use portals, except nothing opens up between them. Luxian portal users have to have set up a portal prior. They need to create a portal at a starting point and an ending point. They can’t travel on a whim. But, once a portal is established, they can travel within it for however long they want. Portal users also rarely have limits to how far they can travel. They could transport themselves across the planet if they wanted to. Teleport users are different. They can’t travel far distances, but one minute they are standing there, the next they are gone. All you need with teleportation is to know where you want to end up, and you will go there. It’s more of a whim whereas Portal users have to plan.”
“And how far can you travel?” I asked. The more I knew about him, the better, and I knew absolutely nothing. Plus, my curiosity was getting the best of me.
“I can only teleport as far as I can see. Several miles at best, and that will drain my reserve fast, forcing me to rest in between jumps. If I use little movements, teleporting only a few feet at a time like in a battle, it’s fine. My main abilities lie in compulsion and mind control.”
I wasn’t ready to ask him about that. I wasn’t prepared to hear how dangerous he was, what horrible things he possessed behind that beautiful face of his. I didn’t want to fear him. And he probably wouldn’t even answer me if I asked, so I blinked away the question and turned to look out of the window.
“Here,” he said as he passed me a necklace. It sparkled as the sun shimmered against the small, white pendant on a long golden chain. I held the chain closer to my face to examine the circular design. The golden sun of Lux was etched in the center with Tennebris’ twin moons surrounding either side in waning and waxing crescents. It was as if the pink moons were a blanket for the sun, like they were always meant to fit together. It was beautiful. I was in awe admiring the necklace, at a loss for something that seemed designed from both Kingdoms, that I didn’t realize he was still speaking to me.
“What?” I asked.
“I said I want you to wear this and never take it off.”
“Why?” I asked as I took the necklace from his outstretched hand and examined it.
“I’m not the only one at the castle who can use compulsion. This will protect you from being compelled by anyone, including me. It will protect you from any abilities being used against you. It is infused with the blood of an Alluse user from Lux. You can’t trust anyone at the castle, Scotlind. And now, because of that”—he pointed to my wrists as he leaned back into his seat again—“everyone in the Kingdom will know that you can be compelled.”
I looked down at my wrapped wrists and sucked in a breath. He was right. There would be no hiding that I was a nix. I was basically labeled as weak and asking to be compelled, or worse.
I took a shaky breath as I looked down at the necklace again. I’d heard rumors about the horrible methods Lux used to make devices such as this. That they developed ways to drain Advenians’ blood and fuse their abilities with objects. I hated the thought of wearing someone’s blood around my neck. It was worse knowing that it was most likely taken by force. Alluse users were known to be mistreated among our kind, worse than nixes even, as their abilities nullified anyone’s around them. But with Alluse infused in an object, it could block powers being used on me.
“Thank you, Prince Noren,” I said and meant it. The thought of being protected trumped my hesitancy about the necklace. My heart leapt, knowing that I would never have to worry about being compelled. That I could be my own person. I wouldn’t have to fear someone forcing me to do anything against my own will. This was freedom, maybe the first thing in Tennebris that I could decide for myself.
“Don’t ever call me Prince Noren again,” he smirked, still leaning back in his seat. “You can call me Sie.”
“Thank you,Sie,” I said again, unable to stop my own smile from forming.
He nodded, then gestured toward the necklace. “If someone does compel you, though, I need you to play along. Do whatever they are telling you to do. Don’t tell anyone about the necklace, and never let anyone know that you can’t be compelled.”
“What?” I snapped sharply. “What’s the point of me wearing this if I still have to act like I’m being compelled?”
His eyes narrowed as he stared darkly at me. “Because you aren’t safe. Some people would rather see someone like you dead than rule our Kingdom. Many Advenians support having rank zeroes’ rights being taken away. To them, seeing one on the throne is unthinkable. They want to take them out of the schools, which would mean they wouldn’t get a Trial. All of them would automatically become servants. There are numerous members of the Council who support this. It hasn’t passed yet, and I don’t intend for it to. However, a lot can happen in six months. It doesn’t add up that they selected you as my bride. Most matches are more…” he paused, searching for the right word, “ostentatious.”
I seethed as he continued. “If someone uses compulsion on you, they could force you to kill yourself. They could get rid of you without ever laying a finger on you. So, I want you to agree to any trivial compulsion someone might use on you. Don’t reveal that you have an Alluse object unless the situation is life or death. If that happens, I want you to run and come find me right away.”
