Dakath squeezed my hand, which I’m sure he thought would reassure me, but my fear was wholly overwhelming. The panic I felt towards the possibility of being sent back was like a toxic acidic mixture in my gut. My palms began to sweat as I swallowed the emotion thick in my throat.
Suddenly, I found myself between Kolvar and Dakath, both peering down at me.
“It’ll be okay, darling,” my gentle giant reassured me. I so badly wanted to believe him… Icouldbelieve him. Ihadto believe him in order to push through this.
Dakath lowered his face to press a kiss to the top of my head that had an exhale whooshing out of me. It was such a sweet and unexpected gesture. I was almost positive that Kolvar made a sound of surprise at the action, but no teasing comment followed so it was possible I imagined it. It sounded a bit greedy but I hoped that Dakath and Kolvar didn’t normally act like this with others, I liked the idea of them treating me differently, treating me like I was special to them.
After a moment of savoring their closeness, I looked back at Elijah, finding that I wanted his support as well. I inhaled sharply as I found his green eyes pinned to me. I waited, expecting him to look away, but he didn’t.
“We brought you here, Kyella,” Elijah said as he walked forward to stand at my back. Looking over my head at the guards, he nodded, and they opened the doors to the throne room. “We will take the fall for this if there is any issue.”
I knew his words should’ve made me feel better. I knew that he was attempting to provide comfort and surety that we wouldn’t suffer their ruler’s wrath. Still, my heart sank because it wasn’t the reassurance I was looking for. It seemed so formal and unemotional.
Accepting the small win that he hadn’t turned his gaze from me, I nodded and stepped through the doors behind Dakath and Kolvar.
The contrast between Malakai’s throne room and this one was stark. In fact, they were exact opposites. While Malakai’s throne room was constructed of dark stone bricks with no windows, giving an oppressive feeling of darkness, this room was light and airy, natural light streaming in from the many windows at the tops of the white walls.
Rows of guards in black and gold armor lined either side of the room, with two on either side of the ruler sitting on the throne atop three steps. I tried to hide my shock as I realized the person was wearing a gold-plated mask beneath a black robe.
Chills littered my arms at the sight, and the silence that stretched within the large room following our arrival grew ominous.
“Leave us,” the guard to the left of the throne called out, his tone brooking no room for argument. It shocked me that the command hadn’t come from their ruler.
I looked back at Tristan as the guards filed out of the door we came through. He had a grimace on his face as Rina hugged his leg tightly, trembling. Bailey dropped to her knees, running her fingers through her daughter’s hair and murmuring reassuring words to her.
Tristan’s silver eyes clashed with mine, and I nodded my head in understanding. This was arguably the biggest moment of our lives. We had fled Thaicia, but it meant nothing unless this ruler allowed us to stay here in Tridia.
As the heavy doors shut behind us, I faced front and followed the three Lords as they approached the throne and dropped to a knee, bowing their heads.
Awkwardly realizing I should probably do the same, I stumbled, my long skirt getting caught under my feet. Just as I kicked it out of the way and began to drop to the floor, a voice barked out, “Stop.”
I froze, not straightening and not yet bowing on a knee. My legs strained with the odd half-squat position.
“Approach.”
Glancing around, I saw the Lords staring at me expectantly from their spots, and I realized the voice was speaking to me. Lifting my head fully, I smoothed my hair behind my ears and gulped as I walked around the Lords and found my place at the bottom of the first step.
Bowing my head, my voice trembled as I felt my plea for their protection spewing from my lips. “Your Majesty,pleasedon’t send us back to Thaicia. I was a blood slave to the Emperor there, and my companions’ lives were constantly in danger. Tristan was forced to work for the Emperor upon threat of his family’s slaughter. We can’t go—”
My words were cut off as the robed figure pushed from the throne and descended the steps to stand directly before me.Shit, had I angered them by speaking out of turn?
“Raise your head,” the ruler said, and I finally realized that the voice belonged to a woman.
The Tridian Empire had an Empress, not an Emperor.
Slowly lifting my head, I gasped as I found a kind face—not a gold mask—looking down at me. Not only that, but she was beautiful with curly black hair, bronzed skin, and hazel eyes. Her face was all sharp angles, and I found myself wishing I had an ounce of her beauty. I also couldn’t fathom why she would hide her face behind a mask.
The Empress’s gaze was locked onto my own, and I felt the heavy weight of her stare for what felt like an eternity before she asked, “Have your eyes always been gold?”
My head reared back, confused by her question. “Uhm, I’d consider them more of a light brown,” I mumbled.
“Oh, child, your eyes are as pure as a brick of gold,” she said, offering me an amused look before cocking her head sideways.
“Barnabus!” she called out.
Barnabus?
A bat came gliding through the air to land on her shoulder. It was possibly the largest bat I’d ever seen, with cream fur covering its body outside of its leathery black wings.
