The urgency in Aramaz’s tone jolted me back to reality, his emotions crashing over me like a tidal wave—worry, fear, terror.
With a gasp, I regained control, my magic quickly calming. In horror, I noticed the two handprints I had burned into the exquisite mosaic on the table before me. The once vibrant silver and blue gemstones now appeared blackened and lifeless.
I was falling. Falling with nothing to catch me, and—
A hand descended on my shoulder, its warmth seeping through the thin fabric of my white silk dress. Aramaz.
The king had come to my side once more. His tall presence felt so familiar, a much-needed reassurance. When my eyes met his, there was none of the censure I expected in their blue depths. Only an endless anguish, so immense it rivaled my own. In that fleeting moment, a glimmer of hope sparked within me. Perhaps our shared desperation and sorrow could mend the vast divide separating us. The chasm created by both our mistakes.
But the strong lines of Aramaz’s handsome face hardened as he slipped back into the role of the King of Aron-Lyr. I recognized the shift, because I was playing so many roles, wearing so many masks myself.
Queen. Goddess. Lover. Deceiver.
Sometimes I wondered which of them I really was.
The king took a seat beside me, the heavy wooden chair scraping against the marble floor. “Maybe it is time we cast our vote,” Aramaz said, his gaze sweeping over the other Aurea.
No one raised any objections, the room silent except for the occasional sniffle from Khiraz.
“We have gathered here today to pass justice on one of our own,” the king continued, the weight of his words reverberating in the air. “Noctis, the Fallen One, was once revered as one of the mightiest among us, until his insatiable thirst for power and Chaos corrupted his mind. He stands accused of destroying the peace. Defying the Allfather’s will, he committed unspeakable acts, causing the deaths of countless innocents and attempting to destroy everything we have worked so hard to create.” Aramaz’s voice crackled with a faint roll of thunder, his powers stirring. “We cannot allow his deeds to go unpunished any longer. So how do you vote, my brothers and sisters?”
Silence. Filled with eternal pain and regret, a dark testament to the unending conflict that plagued us all.
“Death.”
It was Sha’am who broke it, the Aurea of Fire’s voice a vicious growl, those burning eyes fixed on me. I refused to look away, refused to grant him my shame. It was mine alone to bear.
Without hesitation, Zamani echoed her spouse, her glare equally vindictive.
M’tar’s vote for death resounded through the room next, as powerful as an unstoppable avalanche. Tanez did not immediately follow her husband’s verdict, her striking face clouded by sorrow. Yet the Harvest Goddess’s tone was resolute when she cast her vote, her green eyes meeting mine.
“Death.”
“Death.” Ashur and Namtaz spoke their sentence as one, the two Aurea of Water composed, their expressions betraying no hint of their true thoughts.
“Death.” A soft breeze carried Enlial’s vote to every corner of the room.
Beside them, Khiraz inhaled deeply and brushed away the tears on her pale cheeks. “Death,” the Aurea of Air whispered, her golden eyes full of pained resignation.
And thus, only one vote remained.
“Death.”
As I heard the finality in my husband’s voice, devastation engulfed me. I averted my gaze, unable to endure the sight of his face turning into an icy mask reminiscent of the stone carvings in the Temples of Order, where he was worshipped by mortals as the Sky Lord.
The siren song of my powers grew louder in my ears, urging me to unleash carnage and destruction. I gripped the edge of the table in a desperate attempt to regain control.
“It is decided, then.”
The broken, blackened gems beneath my grip sliced into my flesh, hot blood slickening my fingers, the sharp pain only a faint echo of the anguish consuming me.
“By the will of the Ten, Noctis, the Fallen One, shall be stripped of his magic and cast down into the Abyss, so its power destroys his very being.” One last time, Aramaz’s voice filled the room. “May the Allfather have mercy on my brother’s soul.”
CHAPTER
6
Noctis
