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Cora pursed her lips. She wasn’t certain what a worldwalker was, but she could guess. It was a type of human they abhorred, someone who could enter their world at will.
She shuddered.
What if shedidhave something to fear?
What if a worldwalker was exactly what she was?
44
Dawn had risen while Teryn had been watching Emylia’s memories. Now morning light streamed through the windows into the halls of Ridine, bathing the flagstones in pink and gold. It would have been a beautiful morning were it not for Teryn’s dread. And the fact that he was a disembodied spirit, of course, but that was hardly novel anymore. His feeling of unease grew with every step Morkai took down the quiet halls, mostly empty save for the servants who were already busy at work. The servants bowed when they saw Morkai, recognizing him as Prince Teryn, and Morkai gave them all friendly smiles.
It was his smile—his overly calm demeanor—that chilled Teryn the most.
Having projected their etheras outside the crystal, Teryn and Emylia followed in the sorcerer’s wake. Teryn had expected an air of frantic urgency to surround Morkai after having lost the most vital piece of his plan. Instead, Morkai walked with poise. Purpose. Fearlessness.
If that wasn’t unsettling enough, the streaks of white running through Morkai’s hair—Teryn’shair—sent a splinter of panic through him. He hardly dared look too long at the deepening hollows in his cheeks, the purple rimming his eyes. Emylia had warned him that his body hadn’t responded well to his fight with Morkai for control. His only solace was that anyone who got close enough to the sorcerer would surely notice these things. The servants hadn’t acted like anything was amiss, but they were trained to be polite. Anyone else, though…Master Arther, Mareleau…someonewould notice there was something seriously wrong with the man pretending to be Teryn. Right?
Finally, Morkai came to the closed door of the king’s study. Teryn had been there before. He’d met with Morkai there after the duke had captured Cora and hauled her to Ridine under the pretense of returning her to her place as princess. That was before Teryn had fully understood what was happening at Ridine. Even then, he’d regretted his betrayal. Hated the duke.
Morkai opened the door to reveal Lord Kevan behind the king’s desk, brow furrowed as he read over what appeared to be a contract. At his side stood Lord Ulrich, expression somehow both bored and smug at the same time. Morkai closed the door behind him and approached the desk. Emylia went to the window behind Kevan and stared outside at the blushing sunrise, a note of longing in her face, as if she remained haunted by the memories she’d shown him. Teryn took up post beside the desk where he could see all three men clearly.
Kevan glanced up from the contract. His eyes went wide as they darted up to the top of Morkai’s head. “What the seven devils happened to your hair?”
Teryn’s pulse quickened.There. Someone did notice.
Ulrich huffed a laugh. “Have you slept, Highness? Or were you kept up with premarital jitters?”
Morkai simply smirked at the questions as he lowered himself into a chair at the other side of the desk. “What, you don’t like my natural color? Not all of us are skilled at maintaining the façades of ink and dyes.” He winked at Ulrich, whose dark bowl cut glittered with gray at the roots. “Perhaps I got tired of hiding. I think it’s time we all show candor, don’t you?”
Kevan returned his gaze to the contract, already disinterested in the man he thought was Teryn. “Where is Princess Aveline, Highness? The Godspriest will be here any moment. You and the princess—well, I suppose I should call her queen—must sign your marriage contract at once.”
Morkai leaned back in his chair, one ankle crossed over his knee, hands interlaced at his waist. It was very much the duke’s posture and not Teryn’s. “I’ve already sent a message informing the Godspriest we’ll have no need for him this morning.”
Kevan’s eyes bulged as he looked up from the contract once more. “Why the seven devils—”
“Aveline is gone.”
Silence fell over the room. Emylia slowly turned from the window to watch what would happen next.
Ulrich cleared his throat, breaking the quiet. “What do you mean she’s gone?”
“She ran away in the middle of the night.”
Kevan stood in a rush. “Excuse me?”
“I don’t know what drove her away. Perhaps the pressures of the crown were too much for her.”
Kevan burned him with a scowl. “Do you jest, Highness?”
Morkai met his stare without falter. “No.”
“Verdian will be here within days for the signing of the pact,” Kevan said through his teeth. “He entrusted Khero to us. If he sees the kingdom has fallen apart under our watch, he’ll—”
“He’ll what?” Morkai let out a dark chuckle. “You’re councilmen of Khero now. Verdian has no power here.”
“On the contrary, Highness, Verdian can usurp Khero in the blink of an eye. That was implied from the start when he and Dimetreus negotiated his and Aveline’s freedom.”
“Then shouldn’t he be grateful to you? Or am I to believe he was being generous in staking such a firm claim on this kingdom? If anything, it seems like he wanted Dimetreus’ regime to fail, and the two of you along with it.”
