Page 139 of Fate of the Sun King

“Very well,” said his guard with a bow before he stalked off. At that moment, a resounding crash drew Herric’s attention towards the tunnel where they’d been digging.

“We’ve broken through!” came the cry that had Herric making haste towards the worksite. Someone was already heading up to retrieve him, and they stopped at the sight of their king and bowed.

“This way, Your Majesty.”

Herric wound down into the bowels of the mountain, arriving inside a large cavern. The walls were made of dark, glittering stone, like someone had trapped the night sky underground.

He felt it again. That humming that vibrated in his bones and suggested evidence of magic. He would take his time and thoroughly test the substance. With the unpredictability of Ouranos’s magic, he didn’t dare try anything here in the bowels of the mountain, lest he risk another collapse.

“Well done,” he said to the workers, who watched him with their tools gripped at their sides.

“How would you like us to proceed, Your Majesty?” asked one of the site leaders.

“Bring some to the surface,” Herric said. “We’re going to find out what it can do.”

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

LOR

PRESENT DAY

“Put that book down. We’re going out,” Nadir says from the doorway of the living room.

I’m seated on the floor with Nerissa, a mountain of books spread around us. We have just two more days until the presentation ceremony, and our plans are still in flux. While we hammer out the details of our somewhat nebulous ideas for infiltrating the Sun Palace, we’re scouring through texts for mentions of the arks, hoping to learn something about them.

“Where?” I ask.

“I can’t tell you.”

“You expect me to just walk out of here with you without any sort of explanation?” I ask, closing the book in my lap. “Have you met me?”

He smirks. “Sure, and that’s why I know you’re already dying of curiosity.” He stops and smiles. “I promise it’ll be worth it.”

I roll my eyes. “Fine. But there better be food involved. Chocolate and cheese and decadent things stuffed with other things.”

He chuckles and then holds out a hand, drawing me up.

“Enough talking. Let’s go. We’re going to be late.”

“Late for what?”

“Lor,” he growls.

It’s true that I am curious, so I relent as he drags me out of the back gate and through the streets of Aphelion. We arrive at the docks, where a small ferry waits, bobbing in the ocean as the setting sun transforms the waves into watercolor hues of orange and pink.

“This way,” Nadir says, tugging me onto the small boat decorated with tiny white lights. After we both take a seat on the small bench at the back, Nadir wraps an arm around my shoulders. The captain pushes us from the dock before the ferry putters through the water.

“Tell me where we’re going,” I demand again, but he just gives me a smug smile and refuses to answer. I cross my arms and sit back, pretending to pout as he leans in and kisses the spot behind my ear.

“Patience, Lightning Bug. Enjoy the ride.”

I try to contain my smile, but I do as he says, sitting forward and tipping my face up, enjoying the way the breeze feels tousling my hair. It’s beautiful out here. Aphelion starts to recede in the distance, the golden domes and spires of the city glinting in the failing light.

I look at Nadir, who’s watching me with a satisfied smile.

“When do I get to find out?” I ask.

“Soon.” He pulls out a narrow strip of fabric from his pocket. “First, you have to put this on.”