Alexei continued to scroll through his phone, clearly disconnected from the rest of us. What was with him, anyway?
A couple of passersby gave me odd looks when they saw my prosthetic was off, but I ignored them. They didn’t matter. My friends did.
“I’m proud of you,” Emma said. “This was a big step.”
My chest glowed. Less than a year ago, I would’ve been ashamed to show anyone what I had lost, even Emma. Now I was comfortable with being who I was in public, so long as my friends were around. Perhaps there were perks to no longer being a part of the royal family. I was no longer afraid of being judged.
Or perhaps it was merely because I had such good friends, who were willing to welcome me as I was. I could’ve never made it this far without them.
Kiara glanced upward, her eyes searching out for Alexei. “Lex, would you mind reading through my paper for Griffin Magic? I think it needs a supporting argu—”
“I’m busy,” Alexei said flatly, cutting her off. I’d never heard him use such a short tone before, especially not with Kiara. His eyes remained glued to his phone.
Kiara’s lips tightened, and she gathered her things. “You know what? I actually have to go. Siona needs some help at the shop.”
“We’ll come with you. I need some new quills,” Emma offered. She threw a glance back at me, which I clearly understood. She and the other girls hurried off with Kiara. Stefan and Theo got the hint, and moved away to play a game on one of the air hockey tables nearby.
I moved closer to Alexei, so that I was sitting beside him. Whatever this strange thing was between him and Kiara, it needed to end.
Alexei could already sense what I was going to talk to him about, and spoke before I could. “Your mate was out of line the other night,” Alexei complained. “She can’t tell me how to live my life.”
“I’m backing her up,” I said. “You can’t claim you’re not mated to Kiara. You show all the signs the rest of us did. Why are you avoiding her when it’s clear you love her?”
“I’m not getting into it. Kiara and I aren’t going to work out.”
“Oh, yeah? How long have you been denying your bond with her?”
Alexei softened. “Since I first saw her slide into the tarinticula pit to save me, the moment we met.”
That was a long time. To not have Emma at my side when I did had been unbearable. “You’re torturing yourself. Stop warring with what will be.”
“It can’t happen,” Alexei said through clenched teeth. “Please, let the matter drop.”
Pushing Alexei was never a good option. He still didn’t have a good handle on his empathy powers, and was prone to meltdowns. I didn’t like the idea of causing two scenes in one day, so I backed off.
Alexei shifted uncomfortably. “There are… rumors of a rebellion growing in the city,” he whispered under his breath. “People are saying there’s an underground movement to unseat Eli from the throne.”
My heartbeat quickened. “And is there?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “It’s all rumors. I haven’t found anything concrete. I bet it’s nothing.
Disappointment replaced the hope I’d been savoring. There was a part of Alexei that was still connected to his dark childhood, whatever it had been. I knew Alexei still roamed the city late at night, talking to shady figures he probably shouldn’t be. If Alexei didn’t know if the rebellion was real, it was probably just wishful thinking on behalf of the people.
“People can talk all they want,” I said. “But if no one takes any action, it’s virtually useless.”
“I’ll keep an eye out,” Alexei said. “Don’t get too comfortable, Ethan. Whatever traction the movement is gaining, it’s just starting. Your trial gave people hope. Now they want to fight back.”
His words made an uncomfortable feeling fester in my chest. I didn’t want people to get hurt on my behalf. Eli had armies at his command and power at his side. What the general public could do against him, even with magic, was limited and frail. If my trial had caused some sort of rebellion to spark, people would die.
But it was too late now. The damage had already been done, and the dominoes of fate were toppling over. Whatever was about to happen, I couldn’t stop it.
I could only watch what I’d ignited.
Chapter Six
Emma
“Pay attention, Emma. This lesson is very important.”
