CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Eira.
—From Lyvia’s list.
The brindle hounds bayed as Tiberius’s form cast a dark shadow over Cantor Manor on the edge of Aedrialis.
It’s strange to be back,Ti murmured as he banked and began a speedy descent into the courtyard that separated the stables and my old home. My stomach twisted in agreement, uncertain how I really felt about being here.
Do you think they remember you?I asked, eyeing the group of mares in the pasture lining up at the gate, ears forward and tails high as they watched us sore over their land.
They remember,he said.
But they know you’re different.
Though Ti didn’t respond, I knew his loneliness. Theothernessof being the only one of his kind.
Ti’s hooves thundered down the lawn, still manicured despite the battle that raged through Aedrialis only two daysago. The bright green of summer had faded into brown as crisp winter winds whistled through the city.
Evony slid off Ti’s back. Her balance and skill at riding him had grown, but it was nothing compared to her love for flying. She carried a wild, fierce sort of energy since taking down the shield. Bear’s body had been removed from the wall, along with the hundreds of others. We’d held a private funeral for him in the royal gardens.
Though no Bellator connection linked us, I swear I could feel Evony’s emotions simmering below the surface, fueling the energy buzzing off her skin. And though less obvious these days, I still sensed that otherness when she was near.
A pair of Rising guards stationed near the gated entry points nodded as I dismounted. The hounds quieted as they peeked around the corner, cautiously taking in the new arrival. I let out a soft whistle, and the bravest of the group approached, his thin tail tucked between his legs. I knelt, extending a hand, the white star shining in the frigid morning light as he dared a sniff.
“It’s me, buddy,” I murmured, earning a slight tail wag as I scratched behind his ear. I stood, and he bounded off to join the rest of the small pack that patrolled our land.
The wide doors to the back of the manor swung open, and Aeriden stood between them, staring as if he didn’t know who I was. The small piece of my heart that had healed upon seeing him alive ripped open, the fresh scar unsealing.
I shoved that wound down as I looked up at the spitting image of my father, meeting him with my own unflinching gaze.
Aeriden was alive.I repeated the words again, forcing my mind to believe what my eyes saw. Dark King Daimos must have used the Transcindiel on the severed head to create something that looked close enough to my father…
Aeriden’s azure eyes slid from my own to Evony before landing on Tiberius. His mouth parted as he took in mycaeluma’s massive form before he pursed them and stepped to the side, waiting for us to enter.
A strange sense of detachment numbed my limbs, and my body seemed to float into the brightly lit day room.I didn’t belong here.A lady’s maid I didn’t recognize brought a tray of tea to the small table in the corner as Aeriden pulled a chair out for Evony.
“Aeriden,” I began, my voice foreign and far away. “This is Evony Hunt from Rivaner. I knew her parents well, and I’d like to ask you?—”
“That’s the first thing you’re going to say? It’s been two days, Lyvia. Two godsdamned days. I’ve been waiting for you to come here to see me for two fucking days. What in Tynan’s blistering hell of darkness has happened to you?”
Aeriden’s eyes swept over me as if searching for the living powers slithering beneath my skin.
I ground my teeth, irritation flaring at the judgment, at the disgust in the depths of his eyes. “Look, a lot has happened. Unfortunately, I really don’t have time to unpack every?—”
“I came for you,” Aeriden snapped, looming over me.
Despite my height for a Sultiran woman, he was so much taller than me. My stomach twisted.
“I came to find you when Dad went missing, and then they started saying all those things about you. I was supposed to return to Aedrialis, but I knew something was wrong. They said you were sighted near the Lake of Light, so I headed there. But…”
I swallowed, knowing if I hadn’t left to return to Rivaner, I would have found him. And maybe we could have fought together, maybe he could have helped, and I wouldn’t have ended up in Nivis…
“She left to save Rivaner,” Evony hissed, her temper flaring at the accusation in Aeriden’s tone, “to save me. Save my familyfrom being taken as Tribute. Asslaves. The Tribute that was ordered by the king you so diligently served until the very end?—”
“Evony,” I snapped, holding out a hand.
Aeriden’s eyes darted to the star gleaming on my palm, and I brought my hand down.
