Seth wiped the blood from his nose, a satisfied gleam in his eyes.
Darya wore deep displeasure on her beautiful face.
“Insult her again,” Rykr said to Seth, his voice low and dangerous, “and you’ll regret it. Bound or not, I protect what’s mine.”
Seth addressed the council. “Do you see how Seren mocks everything we stand for? Now her Pendaran lover threatens me, too. He may be her spouse, but he’s still a loyal Lirien.
“We’ve seen this same subversion for years with the Ragnalls,” Seth went on. “Their love for their Lirien realms is known to all … so much so that now Seren has bound her very soul to one, rather than choosing a husband from among us. She should be ejected from our territory and the Ragnalls watched.”
What in Nyxva?
I scanned the crowd for my mother, finding her standing at the back, her expression as horrified as I felt.
I’d made the choice to bind myself to Rykr, and I couldn’t undo it now, but my family wasn’t going to suffer for my decisions—not if I could help it. “If you must punish me, I accept it. But my family has done nothing wrong. I take full responsibility for the oath and my husband, Seth. Leave them out of this.”
“Seth, if I may.” Macklyn Bryce stood from his seat at the council table.
Ciaran’s father was one of my father’s closest friends, a man I trusted. Ciaran and I had grown up together like siblings. Macklyn’s support meant something.
Soroush nodded toward him.
“The Ragnalls have proved their loyalty for over two decades. To question their honor when half of them aren’t here to defend themselves is disgraceful.” Macklyn sat with a finality that made it clear he wouldn’t allow Seth’s attack to continue.
Murmurs of agreement came from others, including council members. But not everyone would agree. And if Madoc or my father had been here, Seth wouldn’t have dared to be so bold. Gods, please let them come home soon with Esme.
The weight of Rykr’s fingers eased from me and I straightened, trying to ignore the heat of his presence.
“I, too, will speak for Seren.”
My gaze snapped to Darya as she rose.
“She’s in my squadron. As her officer, I’ve observed both her courage and integrity firsthand.”
Shock coursed through me but she didn’t look my way.
For Darya to go against Seth … was huge.
Seth dabbed at his bloody nose with a handkerchief. Maybe my provocation hadn’t been entirely wasted. He’d miscalculated. Pushed too hard, too soon. He sniffed, then nodded stiffly at his wife. “Does anyone here truly understand what it means to be Sealed?”
The air was tense, thick with suspicion and curiosity.
When no one ventured a response, Seth gestured toward Olivia. “What about you, Olivia?”
Her gaze fixed on Rykr. “It means he’s been Bloodbound to the king. Plucked from one of the Bound realms. His powers intensified.”
Seth sniffed. “Yes, and no. Explain it, Soroush. You’re the scribe. The people need to understand why this Lirien is such a danger.”
Soroush rose, gripping his walking stick. Seth handed him a speaking horn, amplifying his frail voice over the assembly.
“When King Ragnor Ederyn founded Lirien,” Soroush began, “he faced a troubling reality. The gods, in their wisdom—or folly—bestowed humanity with divine gifts, but unchecked power threatened the balance of the realm.”
The crowd leaned in, enraptured. I tightened my grip on my cloak, every breath shallow as Soroush’s gaze swept across us.
“And so,” he continued, “the Bloodbinding was created. The people were divided—Ederyn, Doba, Pendara, Ambra, Zhi, Ibarra, and Volker—each given a craft. A purpose. A duty.” His voice grew heavier. “Thus, only the people of Zhi were permitted powers over the physical body. Only Pendarans were given warcrafts, and so on. But how to enforce it?”
Soroush let the question hang in the air. He was clearly talented at this—which was also why he was so respected in our tribe. I already knew the answer.
“Magic itself. A child is Bound days after its birth, its divine gift stripped away, limiting them to the craft permitted by their realm. For example, if a Volker babe is born with the gift of master stone-carving, it may keep it. But that same Volker babe born with the Zhi gift of healing? They are left with nothing. Weak. Powerless. Bound to a fate outside of the gods’ will.”
