AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When he’d reached our borders, an akadim—a monster of the old world—had nearly breached Bamaria, something that hadn’t happened in years. Rhyan had killed it, a feat impressive even for the most powerful and experienced soturi. For this reason, he’d been permitted to stay in Bamaria despite being forsworn—a criminal in exile from his home country. But killing an akadim hadn’t been enough for my father to absolve Rhyan of his past. He’d assigned Rhyan to be my guard and my apprentice. And Rhyan was stuck with me—the weakest soturion in history, the girl who could very well be his downfall if I didn’t become stronger—as his novice.
Unless Mercurial was right, and the power he’d hinted I could possess was real.
“I know you are. And I appreciate that,” I said. “But considering the Star Court Ambassador’s penchant for showing up after he’s allegedly left the country and then breaking and entering into my private quarters, can you elaborate?” I asked.
“We have eyewitness reports from the Soturi of Ka Batavia that they watched him cross the Elyrian border. They saw him physically crossing it.” The Afeya seemed to have the ability to travel, a power that was forbidden. It was the third vorakh—the one I’d feared I’d have after Jules and Meera had been cursed with the first of the three vorakh two years before. They’d both had visions. Morgana, one year ago, had revealed the second vorakh—mind reading. Then there was me, cursed with nothing.
Anyone found in possession of vorakh was immediately arrested and executed. But the Afeya operated outside of the Emperor’s rule. They could not be controlled or contained, only closely monitored with many, many peace treaties and trade agreements between us and their three courts.
I shook my head. “Was he invited for this most recent visit?”
“No.”
I exhaled sharply, my stomach twisting. Afeya were capable of doing anything, making the impossible happen with their magic. Breaking into an apartment in a country he was not welcome in would be child’s play for Mercurial. But there was a catch when it came to Afeyan magic: Afeya could never perform anything by their own free will. Every bit of magic they used, every spell they cast, every action they took—it had to be by request. Which meant someone had wanted Mercurial to seek me out.
“Rhyan, this isn’t comforting. Don’t you see? He can come back at any time.”
“I know. I’m not taking this lightly. Everyone on your team is very aware, but the new wards around your apartment are up. The mages have given them double reinforcements and alarms, so you should be safe.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Right. And if they fail, then at least my security detail will be patrolling outside my window.”
“With the threat of the Emartis and the way they’ve targeted you, it’s necessary.”
The Emartis, rebels who’d been underground for years, had recently reemerged, determined to remove my father from the Seat of Power. Attacking me by attacking the Katurium had been their latest act of terrorism.
I folded my arms across my chest. “And what shift did you pull? Standing outside my window all night? Or sleeping outside my front door?"
He raised an eyebrow. Just one. I was never sure if he meant to lift one or both when he did that. The scar through his left eye cut through part of his eyebrow. His vision was perfect, and he claimed the injury had no impact on him beyond the way it looked cosmetically, but he couldn’t move that part of his face at all. And though he’d never admit it, I knew he was ashamed of the scar to some degree. Whenever his brown hair began to curl—usually when it was damp—he had a nervous habit of pushing it over his forehead or running his fingers through the curls until they unwound into loose waves that covered the scar.
“Maybe it’s best you leave your questions with the head of your detail,” he said neutrally. “I’m merely an employee.”
“And who is the head?” I asked. “Fucking Markan? He doesn’t tell me shit.”
Rhyan’s hands clenched at his sides. For a moment, cold air sputtered around me, then just as quickly, it was gone. Rhyan’s aura was one of the most powerful I’d ever encountered. Whenever he was feeling a particularly strong emotion or was using large stores of his power, his aura expanded, producing a chill.
I shivered at the sensation, goosebumps rushing up my arms.
“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to—”
I shook my head. “If my aura worked, it would react the same way whenever I mentioned him.”
Markan had been my escort since I could walk, guarding me around Cresthaven and following me in the shadows when I left the fortress. His job was to keep me alive. But to me, he’d always be the bastard who’d stopped me from chasing after Jules when she had been taken. He’d be the bastard who’d drugged me that night and taken my unconscious body back to Cresthaven so my father could force the blood oath on me, cut my wrist and make me swear to protect our Ka’s secrets.
“Arkturion Aemon is the head of your detail,” Rhyan said formally, but there was an underlying tension in his words, an anger threading through them. “Any questions you have, I’d take to him.” His aura flared out again, something colder and darker in the air, and Rhyan’s body went still in a way I’d only seen once before—when he’d first seen me injured outside the other day before a training event.
I’d had to go to the habibellum—a practice fight amongst all my classmates—immediately after helping Meera through a vision. I hadn’t had time to clean myself up or inspect every inch of my skin and hide my wounds with jewelry, clothing, and hairstyles. Doing so would have made me late, and because the Imperator had come to observe me, I couldn’t afford to miss even a minute.
Rhyan had seen my injuries. He’d seen me limping with blood splattered on my tunic. He’d seen the cut on my cheek. He’d blamed Tristan, who was the last person Rhyan thought I’d been with, and for one moment, Rhyan had frozen like a predator. He’d looked ready to race through all of Bamaria until he’d hunted Tristan down and recreated every cut and bruise he’d seen on my body.
Rhyan didn’t know it was Meera’s vorakh doing all the damage.
“Rhyan?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”
His nostrils flared as he shook his head. “Just…if you have questions about security, take it up with him.”
I stepped closer, tentatively reaching out to touch his forearm. “Did something happen at the meeting? Between you and Aemon?”
The muscle in his jaw worked. “How’s your back feeling?” he asked. Anger was laced through his words.
