by Lynette Noni
Taking a moment to centre herself, Alex allowed her heightened senses to slide into place. It was like embracing an old friend or slipping into a bubble bath, so comforting as it was for Alex to allow her Meyarin abilities to take over. And when she opened her eyes, the view before her was even more magnificent.
And also much more terrifying.
Determined to embrace the wonder of the moment, she managed to paste a semi-realistic grin on her face and, with her voice only slightly shaking, said, “Let’s do this.”
With jubilant cries, Roka, Kyia and Aven all linked hands, and both Niyx and Aven strengthened their grips on Alex.
“One!” Roka called out.
Alex’s heart was beating like a hammer in her chest.
“Two!” Niyx followed.
She wondered if she would pass out before they made it over the edge.
“Three!” Aven yelled.
And, with their hands connected, the five of them leapt off the Golden Cliffs and plummeted down the cascading water into the valley below.
Screaming at the top of her lungs, all Alex could think was that Aven had been right: she had never before felt freer than she did right now.
Twenty-Three
If someone had told Alex that she’d enjoy spending an afternoon jumping off waterfalls and splashing around in rocky plunge pools with the future psychopath Aven, his right-hand man Niyx and the would-be-betrothed-but-were-currently-hating-each-other Roka and Kyia, she would have never believed it. But the truth was, Alex couldn’t remember the last time she’d had more fun. For just a few hours she felt free of her worries, free of her cares. She simply lived in the moment, exactly as the Library—and Aven—had encouraged her to do.
And. It. Was. Brilliant.
After they dragged their soaking, laughing selves back to the palace and gobbled down a late dinner, the five of them all but crawled from the kitchen to their rooms. Alex barely had enough energy to change out of her wet clothes and into a silky nightgown before she collapsed onto her bed, her exhaustion sending her to an instant sleep.
But despite how tired she was, she still awoke with a start a few hours later when someone shook her shoulder and quietly called her name.
“Easy, it’s just me.”
At any other time, hearing Aven say those words in the dead of the night would have had Alex reaching for A’enara and swinging with all her might. But after their enjoyable day together, she couldn’t find it in her to call up any apprehension whatsoever.
“Wha’ ’re you doin’ ’ere, A-A-Aven?” she asked, slurring half the words and yawning his name. “’s the middle of the night.”
“I’m sorry it’s so late, but I want to show you something.”
“Why don’ I haf’a lock on m’door?” Alex grumbled, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow.
“Aey-lee-uh,” Aven called, tauntingly drawing out her name. “Trust me. You won’t want to miss this.”
Alex made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat and rolled over again, squinting up at him to grouch, “This better be worth it.”
He grinned in triumph and handed her a steaming goblet. “Drink up, you’ll feel awake in no time.”
True to his promise, after only a few sips of what Alex recognised as warmed laendra nectar, she felt as if she’d slept for days and was now ready to take on the world.
After making Aven leave her room so she could change into what she considered a night-time escapade outfit—tights, boots and a dark tunic cinched at the waist, coupled with a hooded cloak—Alex met him out in her hallway. Without a word, he pulled her close and activated the Valispath.
“Do you mind telling me what’s going on?” Alex asked as they soared out of the palace and into the city.
“I already did,” Aven replied, sounding distracted. “I told you I want to show you something.”
“You could be a tad more specific.”
But there was no need for him to reply because the Valispath brought them to a halt in the dark alley outside The Scarlet Thief.
With a groan, Alex said, “Narsae de Trigon? Really, Aven?”
Seeming surprised, Aven asked, “You’ve been here before?”
“It’s not a memory I want to relive,” Alex said. “Why are we here?”
“I know it’s not the most… hygienic of places, but I promise there’s a good reason for us being here.”
“Hygienic isn’t the word you’re after,” Alex replied as he led the way towards the entrance.
“No, it definitely is,” Aven said with the hint of a smile. “We might not be able to get terminally sick, but if a plague was ever to break out amongst our people, I’m certain it would start here.”
Stepping into the grimy, low-lit tavern, Alex couldn’t help but agree. Being human and therefore susceptible to illness, she also set herself a mental reminder not to touch anything. Eww.
“Tohro,” Aven greeted the burly barman eyeing them from behind the bar. He appeared to be expecting Aven, but showed definite surprise to see Alex.
She too was surprised, though not at seeing him again. Rather, she was surprised to see no one else in the room. The place was empty.
“They’re all out back,” Tohro told Aven. “I closed the place down early like you asked. Make sure you lock up when you’re done.”
Aven gave a nod of agreement and guided Alex deeper into the tavern, his steps long and buoyant.
“Seriously, Aven,” Alex said, a trickle of apprehension crawling along her skin. “Why are we here?”
He stopped at a wooden door that had seen better days, covered as it was in suspicious stains and gritty bar filth.
“I need a favour, Aeylia.”
Alex looked at him, intrigued.
He fixed his eyes on hers and said, “Just for tonight, I need you to forget you grew up with mortals.”
Alex’s heart skipped a beat. “What?”
“I know you have a high regard for them due to your upbringing, but for tonight, all I ask is that you keep an open mind and just… listen. Maybe see things from a different perspective.”
“Aven—”
“It’s really important to me, Aeylia,” Aven said quietly, the golden flecks in his eyes burning like embers. “Can you do that for me?”
“You’re asking a lot,” Alex told him, only half truthful, since he was asking the impossible.
“I know I am,” he replied instantly. “But it’s just one night. You can leave whenever you like, but I hope that you’ll stay for at least a little while. And then you’re free to go back to your human-loving self again.”
Not sure how to respond, Alex gestured towards the door. “Who’s in there?”
“Just a few of my friends.”
Her trepidation instantly skyrocketed as comprehension hit her like an anvil falling on her head. “And… uh, what are they doing?”
A secretive smile stretched across his face. “Waiting for me.”
And with that, he opened the door to what Alex knew without a shadow of a doubt was a meeting of Garseth—Aven’s original Rebels.
Considering the fact that she was witnessing one of the early get-togethers of a bunch of future murderers, Alex found there was nothing all that revolutionary happening. There were no ceremonial slaughters of innocents, no calls for violent rioting and thankfully, no blood-bonding rituals of faithfully blind devotees. It was simply a bunch of young Meyarins in a room, chatting over drinks and suspicious looking appetisers— suspicious because Alex figured Tohro had supplied the food, and as Aven had said, Narsae de Trigon was hardly the most sanitary of places.
After his grand entrance was met with boisterous excitement from the Meyarins, Aven had left her in the corner with an apology, saying that he had to make his rounds. But she kept her eye on him, fascinated by the way he spoke to them, how he gave his full attention, treating them as if whatever they said was the most important thing he’d ever heard. Darrius had once told her that Aven was gifted with a
n almost unnatural amount of charisma, and after seeing him work the room, Alex had to agree.
He was really quite spectacular.
Regardless, she was starting to get fidgety, still unsure why she was there.
“You look like you could use a drink.”
Alex spun around at hearing words in the common tongue and felt her heart sink. “Zain?” No, please no. “What are you doing here?”
Still looking as shabby as the last time she’d seen him, Zain raised a Myrox shot glass to his mouth and threw back its contents. “What does it look like?” he said after swallowing. “I’m drinking.”
He reached out to grab two full goblets from the tray of a passing Meyarin, shoving one into Alex’s hands.
“Glaeron,” Zain said. “The finest brew around.”
“This just keeps getting better and better,” Alex said, not touching the drink even when Zain started swigging large gulps from his. “Not only are you a criminal, but you’re also a functioning alcoholic. Perfect.”
“Everyone has a role to play,” Zain said, his eyes scanning the room, strangely alert. “Mine just happens to be one of the more enjoyable ones.”
“What are you doing here, Zain?” Alex demanded again.
His eyes came back to her. “I could ask you the same question, Aeylia.”
“And I could ask you both, but I already know the answer,” came a new voice.
Alex turned just in time to see Niyx swagger to her side.
“Lovely Aeylia,” he greeted, seeming to have decided on her nickname for the day. “A pleasure, as always.”
“I saw you a few hours ago, Niyx,” she told him, following his lead and speaking Meyarin, figuring it was best to avoid sounding like a mortal given their company. “Surely there’s someone else you can bother?”
“Oh, how my heart bleeds,” Niyx said, raising a hand to his chest. “How ever shall I survive such a painful rejection from my one true love?”
Jeez, he was laying it on thick. All Alex could do was roll her eyes while trying to suppress a smile. Despite how blatantly ridiculous his flirting was, he really was entertaining to be around.
“I’m sure you’ll get over it,” Alex told him.
“You know, I think you may be right,” he said, snapping out of his lovey-dovey charade. “And besides, it’s not you I was wanting to speak with.” He turned to Zain. “First time seeing you here. Glad you could make it tonight.”
Zain gave a slight nod and took another swig of glaeron.
Seeing his new target wasn’t one for words, Niyx turned back to Alex. “Did you know Zain here is Meya’s most notorious illegal trafficker?”
Alex felt her stomach lurch. “Trafficker? You don’t mean…” Her eyes jumped up to meet Zain’s. “You don’t traffic people, do you?”
Zain’s lip curled. “I do many things, but I draw the line at smuggling live goods.”
That, at least, was something. But still… “What do you smuggle, then?” Alex asked.
“Whatever he can get his hands on,” Niyx said, clapping Zain heartily on the shoulder and ignoring the bulky Meyarin’s look of disdain. “He steals from the rich and sneaks his wares out of the city, bartering with desperate mortals who will pay an arm and a leg for anything Meyarin-made. Myrox designs in particular are always in high demand, am I right, Zain?”
Again, Zain remained silent as he threw back the dregs of his goblet and liberated Alex of her own.
“You want to go a little easy with that?” Alex said pointedly. “You’re a big guy, but I can smell those fumes from here. If you pass out, I’m sure not carrying you home.”
“It would take much more than a few flagons of glaeron to knock him out,” Niyx said with a knowing grin. “He could drink all night and still find his way around the city backwards with his eyes closed. Trust me on that.”
“Don’t encourage him, Niyx,” Alex said with a frown. “We want him to stop drinking, not to drink more.”
Niyx let out a bark of laughter. “Good luck with that, sweetheart. Prying Zain from his drink would be like asking him to give up his commercial exploits. It’s not going to happen.”
“It could,” Alex argued. “If only he was willing to try something new.”
Ideally, this would be the time to ask Zain why he continued to refuse Roka’s invitation to join the elite guard, but with Niyx listening in, all she could do was stare at Zain meaningfully, knowing he was aware of what she wasn’t saying.
Finally, Zain spoke. “It would appear, Niyx, that you’ve managed to find the only Meyarin more irritating than you.”
“Hey!” Alex cried indignantly.
“She is rather magnificent, isn’t she?” Niyx said, lips twitching. “But be warned, this kitten has claws.”
“Kittens are harmless even with their claws,” Zain returned, his eyes roaming until they deliberately narrowed in on Aven. “It’s the snakes you need to watch out for. You never know when they might strike.”
Alex couldn’t miss the underlying tension and wondered what had caused the rift between the two Meyarins.
Throwing back the last of Alex’s drink, Zain abruptly announced, “I need a refill.” He didn’t wait for a reply; he simply disappeared into the growing crowd.
“Pleasant sort, isn’t he?”
A bubble of laughter rose out of Alex. “Yes, he’s the life of the party. I can see why you invited him.”
“To be fair, he’s not here because of his social skills,” Niyx said. “Aven thinks he’d be a good ally, considering his access to mortals and his contacts within other trade circles.”
“Aven reached out to him?” Alex asked, relief washing over her. “You’re saying Zain’s not here because he believes in… What everyone else here believes?”
Niyx cocked his head. “What do you think everyone here believes?”
“I’m not a fool, Niyx. I know this isn’t a birthday party.”
His eyes searched her face. “How much has Aven told you?”
Alex wasn’t sure what the correct response was, so she settled on a half-lie, half-truth. “He’s told me enough.”
“And yet, you’re still here?”
“I agreed to have an open mind.”
Niyx burst into laughter. “This I have to see.”
“In all seriousness, what are we actually doing here?” Alex asked.
Still highly amused, Niyx said, “I’m guessing he didn’t tell you much, after all.”
She crossed her arms and turned away, deciding it best not to respond.
He chuckled again but reached out to turn her back around to face him. “I’ll tell you, but only because I figure if Aven brought you, then he must be fine with you knowing. The most important thing you need to realise is that tonight must be kept a secret. No one who’s not here can know. That means Roka, Kyia and anyone else you spend time with.” He paused for a beat and reiterated, “Roka especially.”
Alex sent him a bland look. “I kind of gathered it was hush-hush when I was pulled from bed at an ungodly hour and brought to the shadiest tavern in the city.”
Niyx shrugged. “One can never be too careful. This group has only been meeting for a week; the foundation isn’t strong yet, despite Aven’s magnetic leadership.”
A week. The Garseth were only a week old. That meant Aven must have started recruiting almost straight after his altercation with the human trade delegation. He sure hadn’t wasted any time amassing his group of Rebels. There were already at least thirty young Meyarins in the room.
“As for Aven’s purpose here…” Niyx continued, reeling back her attention. He trailed off, though, when Aven himself stepped up beside them, his eyes alight with fervour.
Before the prince could say anything, another Meyarin entered their circle—someone Alex already knew. She automatically took a step away from the brutal thug, Skraegon, only to run into the solid wall of the tavern.
“I’m only saying you should consider it,” Skraegon said, continuing
whatever conversation he’d been having with Aven, his focus wholly centred on the prince. “Just think about it— if you were on the throne, you could do as you please without having to answer to anyone.”
Chilled by his words—and wanting to seal his lips shut— Alex imagined Skraegon to be a perfect candidate for the Garseth. And when his eyes finally drifted to her, she felt her stomach sink as they narrowed with recognition.
“You!” he bellowed, lunging towards her.
Trapped against the wall, Alex had no room to retreat. But she didn’t have to, since both Aven and Niyx reacted instantly, with Niyx leaping protectively in front of her and Aven grabbing Skraegon by the ruff of his collar and hauling him through the now silent crowd and out of the room.
“Well, that was dramatic,” Niyx said, turning back to Alex as those around them resumed their conversations. “There’s never a dull moment with you, Aeylia.”
Alex looked at him with wide eyes, startled by how quickly the scene had transpired.
“I’m sure there’s an entertaining reason for what just happened, but as long as you’re all right, I’d better go and make sure they’re not killing each other out there,” Niyx said, tilting his head in the direction Aven had dragged Skraegon.
There was genuine concern in his normally carefree eyes— concern for her—so Alex quickly reassured him, “I’m fine, really. Go make sure Aven’s okay.”
Looking at her carefully, Niyx nodded, and his untroubled features fell back into place. “Back soon, kitten.”
He jokingly reached out to stroke the top of Alex’s head as if she really were a cat and took off in the footsteps of Aven and Skraegon, leaving the room. She scowled after him, patting her mussed hair back down.
Alone again, she thought about what Skraegon had said. ‘If you were on the throne, you could do as you please…’
Burdened by dread and fatigue, Alex wondered if anyone would notice if she left. But before she could slip out, Aven re-entered the room, followed closely by Niyx and a skulking Skraegon.