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There were so many questions it was almost overwhelming to keep them all aligned in my head.
“How does he even know that they are from Vesper?” I asked.
“The biggest giveaway is someone performing their craft. Perhaps Lanuing through a wall when they think no one is looking or healing their friend. Veladin royal guards are trained to take anyone they see using craft under arrest immediately, because, as you know, it’s Veladin law to make yourself known to the king as soon as your craft develops, and if you don’t then you’re a felon.”
I countered, “I never told the court about my craft when it was first awakened in me, and I’m clearly not sitting in a dungeon cell.”
“Your story is different though, just like the few other exceptions the Veladins believe to be rarities living up in the castle. You performed your craft in a public setting, as well as in front of me and my mom. My mom had her suspicions about my father, so it would have been risky for you to disappear when she saw you for herself. Plus, you were also my friend, and although my father and I don’t see eye to eye now, that may have played a part in it, too.”
“Okay, well what about the Vespens who don’t have Artis blood? There is no way he would know.”
He sighed. “Unfortunately, there is. Most of us have a marking, like a tattoo, on our body claiming our devotion to Vesper. It’s a kind of rite of passage.”
Bennett lifted his shirt and pointed at an intricate design that looked like the most beautiful star, tattooed on his skin right above his heart.
“The Royal Guard is trained to view that marking as anti-Veladin and a symbol of wanting to destroy the court. Similar to if the Red Bones had a marking.”
“Why didn’t I know about it?” I asked.
“Probably because your main task as the king’s assassin has been to seek out the Red Bones. Wouldn’t it be a little odd that out of all the clan members you came across these years, none of them had this mark?”
Everything he said made total sense, but that also meant a lot of what I believed in was complete lies.
Bennett continued on, his face stern, “My father tells you, the Royal Guard, and members of the court all different information. It’s to keep his secrets and position of power safe.”
He looked into the fire, as though picturing the cells below the kingdom. “He keeps them locked away to keep our people from spreading gossip that the king is power hungry. We may not be able to reveal information about our kingdom, but we can slip rumors in his. My people refuse to go to war without their legend of a king, but perhaps a revolution could bring light to what Pater truly is.”
I could see the frustration and pain that consumed him in every crevice of his demeanor. There was no hiding how he truly felt on the matter. No mask to hide behind or walls to keep up, and now I finally understood where the hate for his father came from. These were his people, and Pater was torturing them. Tears stung the back of my eyes and I felt like I was going to be sick. I couldn’t even imagine being caged in there like an animal, always on the brink of death but never close enough to pass on. Not living but simply just surviving. Chills ran down my spine and goosebumps scattered my body.
Bennett’s eyes remained on the fire as he said, “If my father ever found out I was here and not in Vicinus, he would kill me in an instant. He has two sons. It would be no fault to our legacy. I would be too much of a threat to him, and he knows I would expose him. I have to wait for the perfect moment and play my cards just right.” He sighed and looked at me.
The back of my throat burned like acid. “Bennett—” The look in his eyes was a plea to understand what had been happening to his people and how stuck he was. He wanted to help but he was trapped. He knew his people were down there suffering, and he couldn’t do anything about it. My heart broke for him, and there was nothing more I wanted than to help him. To find a way to break this stupid curse and free those innocent people. To make the world know of Vesper and its beautiful culture. “I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you, that I spited you for what you said about Pater.”
He shook his head, brushing the thought off. “That doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you’re listening now.” His eyes looked deep into my soul. and I wondered if he could see the way it ached for him. “Thank you, Rhia.”
“It sounds like you care a lot about our people without hardly knowing us,” a warm and friendly voice said from behind me. “Bennett, please introduce me to your friend.” As I turned around, I was approached by a strong man with peppered hair, a clean beard, and soft brown eyes. He looked middle-aged, perhaps a bit older, but didn’t seem like the type of person where age would ever get in the way of anything he wanted to accomplish.
“Avun, this is Rhiannon,” Bennett said, a smile softening his features. “She is a skilled healer in Veladis, and also my friend.”
I wasn’t sure when we defined ourselves as friends, but butterflies flew around my stomach at the mention of it.
“Rhia, this is Avun. He leads our military and defense, as well as takes on certain court responsibilities as my right-hand man. He pretty much takes charge when I’m not here.”
Bennett stood from his seat by the fire and gave Avun a warm embrace. The two looked like father and son and definitely acted more like it than Pater and he ever did.
“I’ve missed you, son, it’s good to have you back.” Pride beamed from Avun’s eyes, and I couldn’t help but smile at the genuineness of it.
“It’s good to be back. Although, we won’t be staying the night. Rhiannon and I need to leave soon. It was already a risk bringing her here, so we definitely can’t stay long, but I don’t regret coming. I can already tell she will be one of us.”
“Ah, so that’s why you asked me earlier to have some of my men retrieve your horses,” Avun said, nodding. “I was hoping to have you stay longer, but I understand.” He gave both of us a reassuring look. “My men should be back any time now and we will send a few with you to escort you through the Silver Forest when you decide to leave.”
“Thank you,” Bennett said with sincerity.
“Do you mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Please!” Bennett encouraged, sitting down closer to me this time, our legs brushing against one another’s. Avun sat across from us on the other side of the small fire. The sound of the sizzling crackle eased away my anxiety in the foreign setting, and the warmth from the fire urged my body to lean into Bennett. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I relaxed comfortably against his chest while his hand rested against my hip. He hesitated slightly before drawing all kinds of symbols with his fingers, which I found rather pleasurable but quite distracting.
“Tell me, Rhiannon, how has your visit to Vesper been? Do you enjoy it here?”
