“Yes.”Warmth gathered in the palms of my hands and chased away the chill left by his words.
“Does she deserve to rule?”
I frowned.“She governs her own people. I doubt she has any interest in leading those who condemned Charmers to exile after the First War.”
Frenzied excitement exploded from the orb, and dust particles of pure crystalized light began to fall from above. Streams of trailing, sparkling dust followed their descent. Oslo’s voice seemed lighter.
“Do you think Zane deserved to rule?”
Zane. At the sound of his name, something deep stirred in the pit of my belly. His blood resided within me, and it was as if the mage acknowledging his name woke a slumbering part of me, of him. History had named him the Viper of Wilheim for his battle prowess and agility, and suddenly I was seeing the image of a snake with inky-black scales. It uncoiled before me, hood flaring wide. He never got the chance to ascend to the throne, but now, through my blood, he could.
“I can’t say.”
“Why?”
“He died for his father’s cause. But to say he deserved the throne would be like admitting he made the right decision to slaughter the Charmers.”I ran an errant hand through my hair and tipped my chin upward.“Some say the king’s command was the first bounty, and Cruor’s Oath was born. Magic would have willed Zane to abide, not to mention loyalty to his family. He had his sister to think of. Perhaps some other fealty beside that. By blood, the answer is yes. By conscience, I cannot say.”
The snake seemed pleased. So did Oslo.“You and your pair bond can rewrite history.”
His statement hung between us, begging to be acknowledged.Rewrite history?Charmers wanted nothing to do with Wilheimians, and I couldn’t blame them. I could no sooner ask them to fall under Lendria’s rule than I could tame a beast in the Kitska Forest. Especially when I wanted nothing to do with the throne.
My gaze snapped to the orb.“I don’t want to rule.”
“And that’s why you must. You’ve been questioned and found worthy. Go forth and have your claim realized.”
A resounding clap chased the shadows away, and the orb of light disappeared in a blink. Vibrant green life surged into view in the form of moss and leaves and vines. All magic from the marble tomb was gone. The sticky scent of pears hung heavy in the air, and I turned to find Ozias and Kost walking toward me.
“You all right?” Ozias asked.
“Yes.” No. I didn’t know. Physically, I was unharmed. But… Oslo’s words reverberated in my mind.
“Let’s get back to the Zeelahs before something happens.” Kost pivoted his hips in the direction of our mounts, but kept his gaze locked on me.
“It already did.” In the time it took for me to take a single breath, Oslo had assessed me. A communion with a mage backed by the gods, meant for royals’ eyes only. I’d been welcomed and questioned, but there were still three more ruins to go, and no chance in hell I’d follow through with the gods’ plans. At that indignant thought, though, a glimmer of inky scales flashed through my mind. Zane. I could practically feel his disappointment, his longing for redemption. Oslo had brought his memory to life, only for me to deny his blood,myblood, and its place on the throne.
Gritting my teeth, I stalked past Ozias and Kost in the direction of our Zeelahs. “Let’s go.”
A sudden burst of heat flared from the ring on my finger.
Go forth and have your claim realized.I was already a prince in name, but without completing the ritual, it meant nothing. If the gods acknowledged my claim, though… Would the glamour of the ring hold up? It grew heavier with each passing breath, and I itched to rip it off and allow my true self to be free.
No.Shaking my head, I slipped my hand into my pocket to remove the thing from sight. Thinking like that was dangerous.
Right as we reached the Zeelahs, a strange beast lowered from the tree on a series of vines. Leena peered at us from a cage in its belly, and I froze.
She took one look at me and immediately thrust her hands through the bars. “Wait! I’m fine. I swear.” Just as she said that, the cage splintered in half and she stepped out. Scratches marred her skin, but she seemed otherwise unharmed. She cradled a glowing fruit in her hands, and she rushed toward us.
“I got it.” Her smile was so genuine it chased away the frustration coiling inside of me. “I also tamed a beast. This is Tok.”
“Tok?” Ozias inched closer. A bold vine shot out and touched his nose. “What kind of beast is it?”
“I’m not sure. Never seen one before. When I send him back to the realm, my bestiary will update. For now, though, let’s make sure this stays safe.” She held the ruska fruit as if it were breakable.
The anxiety of seeing her caged ebbed with her smile. Running a hand through my hair, I studied her prize. “Will it keep long enough for us to get to Silvis’s Ruins?”
She shrugged. “I think it will be fine. Yazmin didn’t mention any need for it to be freshly picked. I don’t see how anyone could get it from here to there that quickly, anyway.”
“I’ll take it.” Ozias secured the fruit from her and gently carried it over to his Zeelah. With deft hands, he unfastened a side pocket of his saddlebag, wrapped the ruska fruit in cloth, and nestled it securely between what appeared to be a spare change of clothes. “That should do it.”
