by RJ Metcalf
At first, Christopher had wondered about that—not only was she of mixed blood, but she also held the vaunted power of elemental manipulation. How would that look on someone like her? He’d only known full-blooded Elph who were manipulators.
Christopher had little contact with the princess, but every interaction left him wondering if the elders back home had it wrong and that the rumor of half-Elph children being rabid was completely made up. She was direct, honest, and surprisingly kind to him though he was Kaius’s assistant.
How much of what he’d been taught was wrong?
“Lucrum, ho!” The red-haired airship captain called out.
Christopher clung to the railing and leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the city from above. The lack of goggles made his eyes stream tears from the wind.
“If you’re that desperate to see what it looks like, it’d help if you had eye protection.” Humor laced the feminine voice behind Christopher. A hand with a silver sleeve at the wrist thrust out a pair of goggles. “Kaius won’t be thrilled if you blind yourself right before arrival.”
Ingrained etiquette almost had him drop to both knees at being addressed by a royal Elph, but he bowed as Kaius had trained him to do. “Thank you very much, Your Highness.”
Abigail waved him aside, and she took his spot at the railing, delicate silver-tinted goggles already in place over her eyes. She peered over the rail, her robe sleeves flapping like startled birds.
She frowned. “Are those, refugees?”
Christopher slipped the borrowed goggles on and passed her to see for himself, cautious to not get too close to the princess. If Kaius were to come upstairs and witness them talking, he’d interrogate Christopher for at least an hour, trying to ascertain what weaknesses she may have revealed. As if Kaius didn’t already know—having been around since before she was born.
Christopher squinted at the dark mass surrounding the light-colored walls. “Looks like it, Your Highness.”
Her shoulders drooped and she turned away. “All this suffering already, and the war hasn’t even begun.” Her hands clenched into fists, and Christopher had to concentrate on not tensing in response to the potential threat she posed. He had yet to witness what elements she was skilled in manipulating, and he had no desire to find out right now. Abigail shook her head. “If I get my hands on those who dropped the barrier, they’re going to wish they were dead.”
Christopher grimaced at the promise in her words and waited for her to return to her cabin before he dared turn back to the city that the airship banked toward. She could never know of his involvement. He prided himself as a soldier who took orders, and wasn’t afraid of much, but sages of any degree––any sort of elemental manipulator, for that matter––were people he never wanted to cross. And if she knew what he’d done?
But once he was reunited with Victor—depending on what Victor had for Christopher to do next, and what freedom Christopher had for his own plans—maybe he would arrange a meeting between the princess and that meddlesome crew. With her temper, they’d be taken care of in no time at all.
Chapter Eight
Ben
Ben rapped his knuckles against the door. “Finn? Are you in there?” He waited a moment, listening intently for any signs of movement inside the bedroom that had been given to Finn for the duration of their stay at Marchioness Francene’s. Finn had declared soon after their talk with Jade that he was going to set up in his room and work in there, so he could have optimum quiet and privacy to work. But that had been hours earlier, and Finn hadn’t shown up for lunch. Or dinner. Ben knocked again.
Another minute passed and Ben grimaced as he balanced the tray of dinner on one hand and checked the handle with the other. He glanced down the long hallway and brightened as Geist turned the corner several doors down. “Hey, Geist!” Ben called out softly. “Give me a hand, will you?”
The hollow-sounding thud of Geist jogging over reverberated in the hall and Ben, turned back to the door, curious if that would draw out their friend. Nothing. Ben jerked his thumb to the handle then hurried to balance the tray before anything spilled. “Pick a lock for me?”
Geist snorted even as he pulled out a leather-wrapped kit from one of the deep pockets on his pants. “Breaking into Finn’s room? Why?” He slipped a thin piece of metal into the curved handle. “It’s not like your girlfriend is in there for you to—”
“He hasn’t been out to eat.” Ben interrupted, tamping down on the flash of frustration at Geist’s ribbing. He waved the tray, letting the aroma of the fresh bread and thick stew waft in the air. “And he won’t be much good to anyone if he can’t even think straight from hunger.”
Geist fell silent, focusing on the lock. A quick grin flashed on his face, and he removed the tools, stepping back. “Done. But do me a favor and wait till I’m gone before you admit that I picked it.”
Ben balanced the tray on both hands as he pushed the door open with his hip. “No promises, man.” He scooted around the door and used his foot to close it, then walked into the brightly lit room. Practically every glass orb glowed—whether it be on the corner desk or hanging from the ceiling. Finn sat on the floor, his notes as well as Jaxton’s spread out in front of him. A fresh pad of paper lay to his right. He lifted one of the pages of notes, examined it, then wrote something down on the pad.
“Finn?”
Finn grunted and set the paper back where it had been. “What?”
So it was one of those days. Ben set the tray on the desk and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “I’m not going to go to the Hollows to rescue Raine, only to have to tell her that you’re wasting away here because you’re too focused to eat.”
Finn looked up at Ben, and his gaze slid over to the tray. He blinked. “Is it lunchtime already?”
“No,” Ben corrected with a slight grin. “You worked through lunch. And dinner. This is what I could grab before Zak and Brandon finished off the food.”
“Oh.” Finn’s head swiveled as he took in the mess of papers around him. He ran a hand through his hair, leaving tufts sticking out every which way as he gave Ben a sheepish smile. “Help up an old man?”
Ben laughed and carefully maneuvered around the papers before offering his arm. Finn straightened with some difficulty before stepping over the chaos and to the desk. “Thank you, son.” Finn broke off a piece of bread and dunked it into the stew. “I really appreciate your bringing this here.”
Ben squatted by the papers and rotated one to read it. Blood-bond only with Void Born blood. How to remove? He moved it back. “Any luck or leads?”
“Not yet.” Finn sat at the desk and groaned as he stretched his legs out. “There’s so many things I need to figure out still, and the sands of time keep slipping by.” He slumped in the chair. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to even find a solution. Let alone how to get Raine out, if the royals don’t want to help.”
“Let me worry about getting her out.” Ben stared at his hands. What exactly was Jade’s plan anyhow? She said she’d tell him at dinner, but she wasn’t there during the meal, so he wasn’t sure what to expect. There’d already been the mention that once in, there was no guarantee of getting out. What if he was trapped there for the rest of his life?
But even if he was given the opportunity to go home to his sister right now, he wouldn’t be able to take it. He had to get Raine out first. He had to see her again. Know that she was safe.
How could he even think of leaving her in general, even if it was to return home? How could he look his sister in the eye, knowing that he’d left a friend behind, in danger?
He sighed through his nose and rose from the floor. “You work on that, and I’m going to see if I can learn more about this plan to get her out, OK?”
Finn shoveled a mouthful of stew into his mouth and nodded as he wiped his beard with a cloth napkin. “You have yourself a deal.”
* * *
Ben returned to the room where he’d met Jade the night prior a
nd was disappointed to find no one else there. Zak had mentioned that Jade would be back soon from wherever she was, but he didn’t know when—or from where. And Ben had no idea where he should be for her to find him. He sank into a low navy blue couch that he hadn’t paid attention to yesterday and tipped his head over the back of the cushion, staring up at his reflection in the molded metal plating on the ceiling. No one else was in the room, so he allowed himself the breech of etiquette by resting his feet on the low coffee table in front of him.
How long would this plan take? What if he got there, and Raine wasn’t in the Hollows somehow? He swallowed hard, remembering the shopkeeper in Doldra and his concern over Void Born being lynched. The brief mental image of Raine, hanging at the end of a rope seared through Ben’s mind, and he flinched into the couch.
What if he got there and it was too late and Raine was dead?
His stomach churned, and he sat upright, uncomfortable with the bile in the back of his throat. If those in the Hollows knew she was Void Born, and if they had no reason to keep her alive for political means or anything … He knew war and how cruel it was. What chance did she have if the jailers there didn’t care?
No. She’ll be fine.
The door swung open and Ben all but bounced off the furniture, relieved for any sort of interaction with anyone. Zak walked in and nodded at him while holding the door open for Jade. Prince Weston followed right behind her, his gait just barely clipped enough to hint that he was possibly feeling awkward or nervous. Jade angled toward Ben and plopped herself on the long cushion that Ben had just vacated. He sat again, keeping a safe distance of two hand spans between them, just in case she harbored any uncertainties about him and his origins.
Nothing on Jade’s face gave any sign of things being out of the ordinary, and that sent an uncomfortable tingle through his body. Was she just going to ignore what had been shared? What was she thinking? He’d spent too long away from her to be able to guess.
Weston and Zak sat at the two chairs across the short table, facing them. Weston’s posture was perfect, his hands in his lap—though his shoulders slumped ever so slightly. Zak all but sprawled on his chair, arms crossed.
Jade wasted no time, her eyes sparkling with a blue fire that reminded Ben of when they were on the Sapphire together. “Hopefully our plan to rescue Uncle Andre will work just as well for rescuing Raine.” She nodded to herself before looking up, a broken smile shining through a forming sheen of tears in her eyes. “Weston is here to help fill you in on the details. He finished developing a new type of weapon, similar to your steam pistol. There’s a whole shipment of them going to the Hollows, and if we can get you familiar enough with them, we can send you as a teacher to train the guards, and thus get you in to the Hollows.”
Ben leaned back on the couch, intrigued. Teaching the steam pistol would be easy enough, so whatever they’d designed next shouldn’t be too hard.
“What do you when you’re in there has to remain legal,” Prince Weston added. He tilted forward at the waist, holding on to the edge of his seat. “We can work on this end to get her released, but unless there’s something catastrophic happening there, don’t do anything illegal.”
Jade nodded emphatically. “We’re not sanctioning a prison break, by any means. Imagine what would happen between Aerugo and Doldra if word got out that we decided to release a prisoner that Antius put in the Hollows? And during the Summit and when we’re trying to unify the nations …” She blew out a breath and skewered Ben with one of the most serious stares he’d ever seen from her. “Don’t mess this up. Go, find her, protect her, but don’t do anything rash.”
Ben swallowed hard. What if she was in danger in there and he had to do something rash? He banished the idea as quickly as it came. “What if you haven’t been able to get any progress on releasing her, and I’m done teaching?”
Weston and Jade looked at each other and he shrugged. “You could stay there as a guard, maybe,” Weston suggested. “I can write a letter of recommendation, just in case.”
Jade’s mouth puckered, but she agreed. “Just, be careful. If you do anything that causes a problem, we won’t have any power to help you.”
Weston’s gaze dropped to the floor. “I couldn’t even help Andre.”
“But, at the very least, we can get you in to the there.” Zak braced his elbows on his knees and pressed his palms together. He raised his eyebrows at Ben. “Will that be enough?”
A lump in Ben’s throat prevented him from speaking, so he nodded before answering. “I can work with that.”
“Good.” Jade relaxed just a smidge. “We’ll show you the steam rifles as soon as we can.” She snapped her fingers and pointed at Weston. “Oh! Did you bring it?”
Weston didn’t even blink at her waving her hand at him. “It’s at the range.” Weston shot Ben an apologetic wince. “I heard about the glass tank breaking on your steam pistol, and I made a replacement that won’t break under pressure. Do you still have the pistol?”
Pleasant surprise surged through Ben. He’d be able to have a weapon that he understood best. “It’s in my bunk room on the Phoenix.”
“Well, bring it in and I’ll fix it for you.” Weston mirrored Zak’s pose. “That way you’ll have something specific to you, and we’ll get you trained on the steam rifles right away.” He gazed between Jade and Ben, focusing on the window. “The sun will be down soon, and I’d rather teach you the steam rifle with real light first. The shipment is due to go out in four days, so if you’re as good a shot as Jade and Zak say you are—”
“He is.” Jade and Zak chorused.
Weston smirked. “Well, if that’s the case, you should have this picked up in no time.”
Amusement and gratitude at his friend’s willingness to accept him and move on warmed Ben. He was blessed to have friends like them.
“As a thought.” Weston glanced at Jade. “The leaders from Antius just arrived. Should we try talking to them, see if they’d be willing to let her go before we even start on training Ben with the idea of sending him?”
Jade tapped her chin and eyed Ben. “Maybe? I was planning to legally petition for Raine’s freedom, but I figured it’d be through our channels here. I hadn’t thought about Antius, to be honest.”
“Well, Antius is the one that sent her there, right?” Weston glanced at Ben, who nodded. Weston gestured toward the palace proper. “So we should try that avenue first?”
“I don’t know what their politics with Void Born and mercy are like. But it’s worth trying, if it potentially means releasing her and keeping Ben and crew here. We need all the allies we can get.” Jade grimaced. “Should I be the one to talk to them, then?”
Weston shook his head. “I’ve met with the Antian delegation a time or two before, so I can talk to them without as much formality as introducing you as Doldra’s princess would require.”
Jade smiled at him. “Thanks.”
Ben chewed on his cheek as he watched Jade and Weston casually chatting. They talked and worked as a team, and with such comfortable familiarity that it felt like whiplash from Jade’s initial borderline panic-attack when they’d barely run into Weston last time. And Zak’s calm indifference to the two somehow made the whole scenario even more bizarre.
Just what happened while he’d been gone?
Zak cocked his head. “It would require some formality and such, but what if you brought Brandon with you? He says he wants to help, and if it forces him to wear the mantle of Doldra’s king …” Zak shrugged and a dagger clanked against one of the vials on his belt. He adjusted the weapon with one hand.
Weston pulled at his bottom lip, brow furrowed. “It would definitely steam my father,” he stated slowly. His eyes narrowed. “But it would force Brandon to be useful. So it’s a great idea. Let’s do it.”
“Can you add one more, maybe?” Ben asked. He waited till everyone looked at him. “Finn. Let him go too. Let him plead for Raine at least. He needs a break out of his room, a
nd he needs to at least feel like he’s at least tried to get her out.” Ben knuckled the couch. “Especially if they prove to be unyielding.”
“I don’t know about that.” Weston’s voice softened. “Is there a chance that Antius would recognize him from your mission down there?”
Ben raked his fingers down his beard and swore softly. “Yes, they likely would.”
“I’m confident my mother hasn’t been appraised of all that’s happened yet, as Sage Thornie has been killed.” Weston leaned forward, creasing his satin vest. “Perhaps Finn could visit her tomorrow morning, just before I hope to meet with the Antian delegation? Maybe she’d have some ideas that could help him.”
A tiny bubble of gratitude rose in Ben’s chest. “That might work. It’ll give him a break away from his papers, and still be something that lets him move forward with everything. What time in the morning are you planning for? I’ll let him and Brandon know.”
A crease formed in Weston’s brow and he sucked in a cheek. “After breakfast, and the Antians have had a chance to settle in.” He straightened in his chair, composed like a true prince. “I will do my best to talk to them and win her release. You have my word.”
“Thank you.” There wasn’t much else Ben could say. Nothing else that would express the way a different, lighter weight settled on him. The pressure of a plan in motion. Now he waited for the right trigger point. For the first time since learning Raine had been shipped off to the Hollows, a sensation akin to genuine hope filled Ben.
Chapter Nine
Weston
The sharp slap of several pairs of boots rang on the marble floor of the palace hall as Prince Weston led his party in the direction of his mother. The desire to slow his stride half a beat so their steps synced in sound flitted through his mind. He ignored the urge. They’d keep up just fine, and they were on a tight timetable as it was. Niles kept just a few feet behind Weston, as always, and Brandon walked abreast of Weston’s bodyguard without any noticeable care of breaking the unspoken rule of what would be proper for him as a royal member.