“Nothing but lies,” I spat, taking a step away from the priestess. I glanced between her and Nero, who was watching me intently. “The Source has never served me and neither have its gods. They abandoned Avedin a long time ago. Magic is gone from that place and it’s not coming back.”
“Tell me then, how does magic happen? How do shifter children become animals in your kingdom? Surely they are born amongst you, even if your king pretends otherwise. Is it not magic that fuels them?”
“It’s dormant blood,” I countered. “Something passed down through generations that only appears in certain shifters. I’ve studied it,priestess. I know what I’m talking about.”
I’d spent years researching shifters and Source users, attempting to mimic their powers in potion form, attempting to harness those qualities for practical use. Shifting was in one’s blood, in their very core, passed from ancestor to ancestor but rarely manifesting. Magic had nothing to do with it. Right?
Tetia rolled her eyes. “It’s not dormant. It’s very much alive. It’s why it scares your king so much.” Her lips twisted into a mockery of a grin, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. It was clear she had no love for my king… not that anyone really did.
“The tale of Basillius’s visit to Avedin is infamous,” I said, recalling the story I’d grown up with. “The Source was responsible for the death of his only heir.” Now the king was childless. A cold, empty man with nothing to live for save for his own vanity.
“Animus chose his own fate!” Tetia shouted, her eyes flashing so brightly that I had to blink against it, as if power writhed just beneath them, exposing itself for the first time. Her hair rose off her shoulders as if lightning were running through the strands. “He could have had an heir, a mate, and a thriving kingdom had he not simply taken what he wanted. He could’ve saved thousands of lives. Instead, he chose a human woman with a child that was never meant to be his! You speak of things you have no knowledge of, girl!” Her words were hissed and shouted at the same time. “The Shadowbane is coming, and its reckoning will be…”
“Stop!” Nero barked, stepping between us. His back was towards me, and I watched as his right hand crept towards the blade at his hip. His voice became softer, and a shift in the air told me he was using his abilities. “Tetia, stop this. You know she’s only stating what the world already knows. You’ve moved on from this.”
It sounded like this was an argument that had happened before, and Nero was exhausted with the priestess. But one word stood out from all the rest. It bounced around in my head with an odd sense of familiarity.
The Shadowbane…Why did that sound so damn familiar?
Tetia closed her eyes and backed away from me as she sniffed, brushing a wild strand of hair off her forehead. Instead of responding to the prince, she looked away, off into the distance of the garden, her mind far, far away even though her sudden rage had faded.
Nero, who looked less than impressed, guided me by my arm back the way we came. He tried apologizing on her behalf as we walked, but my mind was elsewhere too.
I stared at a row of rose bushes, inhaling deeply, my eyes watering. While the petals smelled light and herbal, there was another scent just beneath them. As I inhaled deeper, I moved closer to the bushes while Nero attempted to hold me in place.
The roses were poisoned. The smell was pungent now and unmistakable. Acacia powder was tasteless, but to the trained nose, smelled like fresh dirt after a rain with a tinge of cinnamon. Nothing like roses. Who had planted these, and for what?
I didn’t mention the poisoned roses to Nero; instead, I just let him guide me back the way we’d come. I wondered what was happening to Caldor, Remus and Rijjat. Were they being tied up, chained up and locked in a dungeon? Was Nero preparing them to face the gallows?
We reached the archway that would lead us back into the beautiful rooms we’d walked through before, and several guards stood posted on either side of the tall, intricately carved pillars. They stood up straighter as their prince approached.
“Let her go with her men but make sure they do not leave this city. No one touches her unless I say so. She’ll need to be presentable for tomorrow.” The guards nodded in unison, and I peered up at the prince in confusion.
“You’re letting me go?” I asked, arching my brows in disbelief. “What’s tomorrow?” Surely this was some kind of trap. Still, his words burrowed deep into my bones.Her men… My men?
Nero grinned down at me as he raised a hand to my face, lightly brushing a strand of my wayward hair behind my ear. He let his fingertips drag down my cheek in a featherlight touch. “Tomorrow is my brother’s name day, and the entire city is invited to a ball in his honor. You’ll be joining us, along with your… companions,” he said with a cheeky smile that made my blood boil. “I’m letting you leave out of trust, Mara. Trust that you’re far too curious to run back to your little king just yet.” He stepped closer, his voice lowering as he brought our bodies flush together. “But if you defy me and attempt to flee my city, this is your warning that youwillbe caught. I won’t be so forgiving a second time.”
Xmara
We'd already ordered three rounds at a run-down tavern on the edge of Nexus. Rijjat insisted he knew the owners and would run us a tab, so I took advantage.
It wasn't really a tavern though, it was more like a brothel masquerading as one. But it had good soup and tasty ale, so I was content. Even Caldor had lost his perpetual scowl, chatting away with the man behind the counter. The potion I'd given him would start to fade soon, and he would need more of it to attend the king’s name day ball without being spotted, but I had to admit it was easier to look into his eyes while they were dark brown.
He'd come for me. Remus and Caldor had put aside their differences and come for me despite the danger they faced, even if theyhadmanaged to get themselves not only tied up but also captured in the process. I hadn't had enough time to process that yet, but I suddenly felt warm inside, and I didn't think it had anything to do with the ale.
We had until tomorrow night to prepare for this ridiculous ball. I’d been to plenty of them on Waylan’s arm over the years, but aside from the food and gossip, I didn’t enjoy them much. This wasn't in the plan and derailed everything tremendously. I didn’t trust that devious prince; I just knew he had some kind of plan up his sleeve.
The longer I sat, the more I drank, and the more I drank, the harder I pondered. I kept replaying the priestesses' words in my head…The Shadowbane’s reckoning…What had she meant by that, and why had Nero leaped between us to keep her from explaining? Something wasn’t right between those two, and suddenly, I realized that Nero was right. I was far too curious to flee the city.
Rijjat managed to secure rooms upstairs for the night, which was lucky since my vision had begun to double and triple with each mug, and I didn’t think I could make it back to the temple with dignity. It wasn't often I allowed myself to indulge in drink. Avedin had strict rules about women consuming ale or spirits unsupervised, so I never bothered.
I was reluctantly starting to enjoy myself in this strange country despite having been captured by the prince himself, and that was what scared me most of all. I'd come here to do a job for my king, and we were a week into the journey, and I was no closer to the castle than I was when we crossed the border. Attending a ball, though yes, it was inside the castle, still wasn’t good enough. It was too public. Too many eyes would be on the strange, nameless woman who’d shown up without invitation.
By now, Nero would have reported back to his brother Basillius and warned him that the infamous X was in his city and would be attending his name day ball. I wouldn't be surprised to wake up and find a host of city guardsmen at the door to the tavern, ready to drag me before Basillius himself.
"I've had enough for one night," declared Remus after emptying his mug and slamming it on the wooden bartop. He rocked back on his stool and hiccupped.
His eyes were bright green tonight, the feline under his skin awake and prowling. He'd missed his dose of potion, and I hadn't bothered to force it down his throat yet. The thought of it made my stomach queasy.