Chapter 26
Seren
A cold bead of sweat traced down the back of my neck, every sense hyperaware of the scene unfolding before me. The crowded throne room shifted and swayed with hushed, muffled whispers cocooning us. We were not welcome.
A chilly breeze swept in through the open windows, carrying with it the scent of snow, and the heavy curtains lining the stone walls rustled. It offered little comfort against the stifling weight of countless eyes fixed on us. Beneath it all lingered the cloying perfume of the gathered elite—an ever-present reminder of the luxury they enjoyed, a world far removed from the brutality of the Dreadwood.
My heartbeat pounded.
Rykr stood tall, defiant, in the middle of the room. Refusing to bend the knee.
“Kneel, Westhaven,” Darya hissed.
“Rykr, please.” What the hell was he thinking? This wasn’t the time for stubborn pride.
Rykr’s eyes narrowed. “I thought the Viori had no kings. I didn’t leave one tyrant to bow to another.”
“Lord Haldron was elected as our leader,” Seth snapped beside me.
Haldron left the throne and crossed the room toward us. “Rise,” he said, his voice as brisk as his pace.
He stopped before us, gaze fixed on Rykr. Thankfully, Rykr kept his eyes averted. “The rumors are true then. Waldren Seth Azad’s tribe harbors a Sealed Lirien. Given the descriptions I’ve received, I expected someone more … extraordinary. This is the man who caused such disorder? This savage, beaten, arrogant man?”
Seth stiffened, redness creeping into his face. “My lord, he may not be able to kneel because of injuries he sustained yesterday. If you could but allow us to explain?—”
Haldron silenced Seth with nothing more than a pointed glance, the weight of his authority palpable. “Do you truly believe, Waldren Azad,” he said, voice cold and cutting, “that I remain ignorant of the events in my own territory? That this … aberration of our laws slipped into Emberstone unnoticed? No council hands down a Skorn sentence without my knowledge.” His words carried quiet menace. “We’ve been waiting for you for days.”
The cool fingers of fear wrapped themselves around my throat. Haldron knew? His reach and spies must be everywhere.
Haldron’s attention turned toward me. “Seren Ragnall.” Stepping closer, he took my chin into his hand, lifting my face, his gaze surprisingly intense. This wasn’t just a frank, unforgiving appraisal—but something more. A display of dominance. His power to do with any of us as he pleased.
A hushed note of admiration curled through his voice. “Exquisite.”
My gaze faltered. What?
Just like his inspection, it disarmed me. “Thank you, my lord.” I bowed my head.
“You’re nearly the spitting image of your mother at your age, though your eyes are something else entirely. They remind me …” He didn’t finish the thought, his face clouding, as though lost to a memory.
Then he blinked. “Brogan always had to fight Lucia’s admirers away. And there were many—including me.” He smiled.
I barely avoided gagging in disgust. My father had never spoken of any interaction with Haldron in their youth. Neither of my parents had.
Yet somewhere inside this intimidating man, there had to be someone reasonable—who’d freed my father to go after Esme.
Haldron clucked his tongue, his thumb and forefinger brushing against my chin with deliberate, unnerving gentleness. My skin crawled beneath his touch—not just fear but the suffocating awareness of powerlessness beneath his scrutiny. “I hear you’ve inherited Lucia’s famed spellcraft prowess.”
I fought to steady my breath. Every response felt like walking a razor’s edge.
“The Oath of Bryndis. Clever. An ancient oath—one most of us have never even heard of—that is difficult to dispute. You must care a great deal for this Lirien, to place your life at risk in this manner.”
If he’d heard so much already, then he must know I’d done it out of desperation, not love. Every word out of my mouth could be scrutinized and judged—used against me or to prove that I was a liar.
“I owed him a life debt, as he saved me from a vuk. Killing him would have brought a curse on me.” The words felt like a tangle on my tongue. Even the illusion of confidence receded as I stared at the Viori leader.
I’d never met him before. Most in our tribe would have considered it an honor. But I hadn’t been invited to court, I’d been dragged here for judgment.
“Another ancient curse—the Pendaran life debt.” Haldron raised a thick, silver and blond eyebrow. “It seems your parents have taught you all they know. Still, tying your soul to a Lirien to save his life smacks of selfish desperation, I must admit. And it does beg the question of why he was in the forest … or how your paths happened to collide.”
