“There can’t be many more, Your Majesty,” the shadowed male replied without hesitation. “The most recent drops have all been willing participants for the gods.”
“Hmmm. And you said she had two aetherial affinities?” Lucanus questioned, assessing the female who was hovering mid-air. He walked over to her, tracing markings on her arm that I couldn’t see. “How soon can we transfer her affinities over?”
“As soon as dusk tomorrow, Your Majesty,” Kymond answered, his head bobbing in deference to the male before him.
Luc’s words rang through my mind.
Transfer affinities. Remnant. God from before The Rift.
What was he talking about? And how does no one know about this?
“Arrange it,” he affirmed as he tooka step back. “But, Kymond . . . it had better work this time. I grow weary of these failed transfer attempts. The texts state it is easy enough to transfer an affinity from one angel to another. Get it done correctly this time, or it will be your last.”
Kymond’s throat bobbed as he started guiding the female’s body from the room. “Consider it done, Your Majesty.”
Both males exited the temple on the fourth floor, and for a long moment, I sat there . . . too stunned to move.
I’d been right. Something was happening to those angels. But what, I didn’t know. Only that, somehow, Lucanus was behind it.
I only waited a few more minutes, ensuring the floor would be clear, before I took off in a hurry, backing out of the inner Solis Court temple and out into the corridor.
You shouldn’t be here, Rae.
You know better.
You know . . . and yet, you still thought it was worth it to risk your sister’s safety over some stars-damned information—important, shocking, information. But information nonetheless.
I backed up further, rounding the corner of the hallway, and collided with a firm body.
Because of all the hallways to turn into, Ihadto choose a hallway that was occupied by Royal Solis Guards.
And evidently, I’m just flat out of luck tonight.
A strong arm grasped my forearm, the grip bruising, and I could feel their gaze looking at my affinity mark.
“What are you doing here?” the gruff voice bit out in a demand. “This level of the court isn’t for lowers.”
“My apologies,” I stated, dipping my head even though I already knew this level wasn’t for anyone other than King Lucanus or his royal guards. That detail hadn’t seemed quite as important earlier this evening when I’d first snuck up the back stairwells to get to the fourth floor of the court. But now . . . I wished I hadn’t snuck up this high.
“Well,” another guard approached, stopping before us. I tookin the firearm he held at rest between his hands, the symbol for a fire affinity indicated above the trigger. His dunewrap was firmly in place, his deeply bronzed skin hardly visible in the court’s low lighting. My gaze switched from one guard to the other, then back again. Both males towered over me, their wings flaring behind them as they trapped me in place. My breath caught in my lungs as my gaze darted nervously between the two guards.
Okay . . . you can get out of this one, Rae. Use your brain—it’s got to be good for something.
“You’re going to have to come with us,” the second guard stated in a no-nonsense tone as he gripped my upper arm and began guiding me down the hallway.
“Where are you taking me?” I protested, even as I followed the guards.
“All lowers found in marked-off areas are to be brought to King Lucanus’s holding room until after the festival.”
“Are you sure you want to make him go through the hassle? All because I got turned around in the Solis Court? It’s just such a big space, so easy to get lost in. I would hate to waste the king’s time on something as trivial as a directionally-challenged dancer.”
“You’re a dancer? For King Lucanus?” the first guard asked, his tone a tad kinder than it had been when he first found me lurking through the corridors.
“Yes,” I replied sweetly, putting an extra chirpy lilt in my tone that had the Solis Guards at the Tilted Tavern eating out of the palm of my hand. “I danced the first portion of the festival. Although, I must admit, while I excel enough as a dancer to keep the king’s attention, I fear I’m absolutely horrible at directions.”
His gray eyes softened slightly, and a hint of a smile crept up my lips. A smile that was deflated just as quickly when the other guard, the one with an iron-clad grip on my upper arm, replied, “It doesn’t actually matter to me whether you’re a directionallychallenged dancer, King Lucanus’s starbound, or Astara herself. No lowers are allowed on the upper levels of the court. And seeing as that is where you happened to be found, we will put you in holding until after the festival.”
Another firm yank on my arm followed his righteous speech, and then we were making our way down the levels of Solis Court to the holding rooms.
