“Did he harm you?” Veron asked finally.
“Would you be able to do anything even if he had?”
His face crumpled, and I felt a punch of guilt in my gut.
“Nothing I won’t survive,” I said softly. “It was mostly just intimidation. He’s a sick puppy, that one.”
“I’m sorry this happened,” Veron said. “Hopefully he’s satisfied now.”
I held my tongue. Casseroux was anything but at this point. Once I accomplished my mission—which I hadn’t the foggiest idea of how to do since in fact the Artifex was inside of me—he would keep me as his personal lab rat for the rest of my life. I had thought that being under the thumb of the Hunter’s Council was bad, but this was so, so, so much worse.
Veron placed a hand on my shoulder. “Get some rest. We’ll have a family brunch in a few hours.”
Brunch. I’d been borderline tortured; the word brunch seemed something from another life at this point. “Great,” I lied. “The sooner we get out of this place, the better.”
Veron’s eyes shimmered with pain. “I’ll see you soon.”
I saw him to the elevator and then retreated toward my room. I was nearly to the door when Xavyr’s soft voice cut through the air behind me.
“Casseroux plans to take you back once you find Skye.” It wasn’t a question so much, but a statement asking to be denied.
I turned and slumped against the door frame, meeting his golden eyes. Words weren’t necessary, he could read the answer in my expression.
“You don’t have to act so strong in front of me,” Xavyr said.
“So you think my strength is just an act?” I arched a brow.
“No, that’s not what I meant.” He shook his head. “You are strong, that much is clear. But no one can be strong all the time. And you’re with me twenty-four hours a day.”
“What about you? If no one can be strong all the time?”
The muscles in his jaw rippled. “I chose this life. That’s different.”
I slid down along the wall until I was sitting on the floor. “I didn’t choose any of this.” I sighed. “Well, that’s not true. Not exactly. I did choose to follow Kellan. I wanted to know about my heritage, wanted the thrill of something new and unknown. But I didn’t know I was going to start a war. Didn’t know that my friends would die, or be captured. That there were things like the Timekeeper and Casseroux. Didn’t know that I would become—”
I cut off. I’d almost said too much. Way too much.
Xavyr stared at me intently, his eyes swirling like galaxies. “Evryn, I know your secret. I know about the Artifex.”
I sat there, mouth agape, as Xavyr looked down at me. How could he know about the Artifex?
Xavyr sat down next to me, a fluid movement as if he were simply folding in on himself. “The Syon are a very elite group of warriors. We train for more than a decade for the purpose of taking honorable jobs like this one. Protecting people. Even whole cities at times. We learn not just personal defense but war strategies, military tactics. Magic as well. If we do not have mage blood ourselves we are infused with it, something that can kill a person. But it’s part of the many tests we undergo to prove our worth.”
He paused for a moment before continuing. “One of the things we are trained in is the different energy meridians that run through a person’s body. Knowing this is beneficial to our fighting skills. We can disable a person, even kill them, by inflicting a variety of low impact moves on the body, using this knowledge of energy, or life force if you will. So,” and here he met my eyes again, “I can clearly see the incredible amount of energy living within your core.”
“Well,” I said after a moment’s silence. I wasn’t sure what else to say.
Xavyr laced his fingers together and raised them to his forehead as he dipped his head forward, a sort of strange bow. The energy between us rippled, and while I didn’t know exactly what the gesture meant, it was clearly a very solemn oath. “I will guard your secret with my life. Just as I guard the rest of you.”
A tension hummed between us, and Casseroux’s words buzzed through my head. But Xavyr didn’t have feelings for me. I was just a job. Not to mention I didn’t want him to have feelings. I had Kellan.
“Does Casseroux know?” Xavyr asked.
Everything in me tightened at that name. “I’m not sure. He knows something is… odd about me. But he didn’t go into details.”
“We can’t let him get you alone again.”
I snorted. “No argument there. I won’t ever see the light of day again. I’ll either have to get rid of this Rai and live in hiding, or…”
“Or we disable him.”
I nodded. Such a delicate way to put something that wasn’t delicate at all.
“What is your plan, once you’ve boarded Skye and found your mother?” Xavyr asked.
“Officially or unofficially?”
The shadow of a smile turned his lips. “Unofficially.”
I observed him, realizing that in the extremely short period of time I’d known him, I’d already come to trust him completely. Which wasn’t something I did. Like ever. “Well, I’m not going to be a prisoner of the Council or Casseroux. Which means I can’t leave Skye with my Rai intact. Or, I have to jump somewhere else before they lock it again.”
Xavyr nodded. “I agree. I’ll help you.”
“Won’t you get…isn’t that like aiding a criminal? Against the law?”
Xavyr definitely smiled this time. “I am not bound by any laws other than the oaths of my Order.”
“Well, it’s settled then. Fugitives together.” Saying the words made my stomach flip, in both fear and excitement. I was still an adrenaline junkie at my core, though lately things had really been testing my limits.
“Well, I’ll let you rest,” Xavyr said, standing and offering me a hand. “I’m sure you’re tired.”
“Actually, I couldn’t sleep right now if my life depended on it.” I looked around the suite. “I’d kill for a TV.”
“TV?”
I chuckled. “Something from my realm. A form of entertainment. A good way to turn your brain off.”
Xavyr gave me an odd look as if wondering why someone would do such a thing. “Well, I’ll let you take your leisure, however you see fit.” He bowed slightly at the waist and turned to go.
“Xavyr?”
My bodyguard turned back around.
“Did you already have the mage blood, or did you get the infusions?” The question had been burning inside of me since he’d mentioned it, even though it had come in tandem with him revealing he knew my deepest, darkest secret.
His face clouded for the barest of moments. “I got the infusions.”
“And you survived.”
“I survived,” he echoed. He nodded, once, and retreated to his room.
I spent the next few hours reading a book on the history of the realms I found in the library, and before I knew it one of the servants came to retrieve me for the family brunch. We rode the tree elevator to the very top of the tower where Veron’s personal quarters were situated, three stories in all. It was decorated in a similar style to mine, though definitely centered on entertainment: there were several sitting parlors, a wine cellar, and a small art gallery.
The servant escorted me to the dining room. It had a soaring domed ceiling, a giant mahogany table, and a continuing mural of hunt scenes on every wall. Veron, Myrinne, and Talyn were already seated. My father got up and enveloped me in a welcoming hug, whereas the other two smiled thinly, their contempt ill-disguised.
“Have a seat next to your sister,” Veron said, pointing at the empty chair across from where he sat with Myrinne.
I caught Talyn in a slight eye roll at her mother. As I pulled back my chair, I stared at her until she felt the gaze and turned, then held contact long enough to let her know I’d seen. She likely didn’t care, but I wasn’t just going to pretend they weren’t being total dicks. I settled into my seat and took a big
sip of mead from the silver goblet at my place setting. Flashes of my first night drinking mead with Kellan moved through my head; it seemed an eternity ago.
“So, did you get a chance to rest?” Veron asked.
“Yes,” I lied.
“I heard you went through quite the ordeal,” Myrinne said in a tone that indicated she relished the idea.
“It could have been worse,” I said, playing with a slight fray in the velvet cushion of my chair. “Casseroux is a bit sadistic, that’s for sure. But I don’t tend to let bullies get the best of me.” I held her eyes as I said it, and she smiled. If she was hoping for verbal sparring, she would get it.
“I would be careful talking about the leader of all the realms that way,” Talyn said. “You wouldn’t want word to get out that you dislike him so.” She dipped her head to the side, her hands folded daintily in her lap. I didn’t miss the subtle threat in her words.
“On the contrary, when someone in power is abusing that power, the worst thing a person can do is stay quiet about it,” I said.
We were interrupted as several servants brought salads out. They were a mix of wild greens, roasted beets, and something that looked like a quail egg on the side. The plates looked like they were made from pewter, and a hawk motif ran around the edges. Pots of thick, dark dressing were placed next to each of us.
“I think you both have excellent points,” Veron said with a broad smile.
Did he really not notice how much they despised me? Was his game plan just to make nice and let us fight it out? I ground my fingernails into the palms of my hand.
A change of subject was needed. “How is the war party coming together?” I asked, looking only at my father.
“Wonderfully,” he responded. “We should be ready to go at first light tomorrow. I’m meeting with the other clan heads later today to discuss battle strategies.”
“Will I be coming to the strategy meeting?” I asked.
Veron shook his head. “It is traditionally only the clan leader and their second-in-command.”
I nodded. It would be interesting to go, but I had nothing to contribute. I hadn’t planned too many battles in my lifetime.
“How is the war party going to get to Skye?” Talyn asked.
“I am able to reach it by jumping realms,” I said, trying not to sound smug.
“Well, that’s good and well for you, but what about the rest of the Hunters?”
I met her frosty blue eyes calmly, not rising to the bait. “My plan was to jump everyone through one at a time, in a location where we won’t be noticed. Unless of course, anyone else has a better idea.”
“Let’s hope you are successful,” Talyn said. “It would be a shame to call the war party together for nothing.”
“Yes, let’s hope,” I said with a tight smile.
“I’m sure Evryn will do just fine,” Veron chimed in.
Silence fell and I took the opportunity to dig into my salad. Myrinne was slowly tapping one finger on the table as she ate. Veron made small talk about the weather and news around the capital, and before long our entrees came, plates of sliced roasted meats, potatoes, and mushrooms. I had my mouth full of food when Myrinne finally decided to jump back into the discussion.
“I understand Casseroux did tests with your blood, with one of the goals being to confirm your paternity. Did he succeed?”
Next to her, Veron stiffened.
“He didn’t say,” I responded when I’d swallowed my food.
“So, in fact, it remains unsure who your father really is?” Myrinne pressed.
“My dear, I do not think this is an appropriate subject of conversation,” Veron said, his voice low and trembling. His face had gone as red as the meat on our plates.
Myrinne turned her honey-gold head to her husband. “I think it would be nice to know that this girl we’ve taken into our family is in fact related by blood and not the offspring of some other affair her mother may have had.”
“There was no one else,” Veron growled. “Evryn’s mother wasn’t like that.”
“But wasn’t she? A married woman?”
“You speak of things you do not understand, Myrinne,” Veron said, his tone quiet and deadly.
“It’s quite true,” she said, pushing her chair back and standing up. “There are many things you do which I cannot begin to comprehend.” Her eyes raked over me as she said it, then she turned and strode from the room.
Talyn made as if to follow, but Veron pinned her with his eyes. “You will stay.”
She frowned and flashed her eyes over at me as if it was my fault. Were these women totally insane?
The rest of the meal passed in silence. Talyn stared down at the table the whole time, not eating, her hair covering her face. Veron’s skin tone slowly returned to a normal hue, but his jaw was tight and his posture rigid. The servants came up timidly to refill our mead once, and scurried away quickly afterwards.
It was clear that while my father had opened his household to me, I would never have a place here in the eyes of my sister and stepmother. So much for my welcome-to-the-family brunch.
The stag visited my dreams again. As before, he was startlingly white against the backdrop of the universe. Time and magic spun around him, swirled beneath his hooves. And then, the battle, and the Timekeeper, and the same reverberating words
Deep magic…. deep magic….deep magic.
And then Kellan was there. He had not been in the dream before, but he was there, and instead of the usual dark gray, his eyes were made of stars. Was it his voice that intoned the same words, over and over? No, it wasn’t Kellan’s voice, but it was familiar. I knew that voice, but I couldn’t place it, and as my mind tried to recall the owner, Kellan began to fade. I realized we were in a forest, though I didn’t know at what point we’d gotten there after the battle.
“Wait!” I called, relieved my voice was working again, unlike my attempt when I chased the stag.
But Kellan just kept fading, his body merging with the trees, and he said nothing, just watched me with his eyes made of stars.
Then he was gone, and I was alone.
And the voice said, one more time
Deep magic.
Chapter Ten
The sun rose fiery from the horizon, appropriate for the gathering of a war party. From my vantage point in the stable, I watched as it lit the giant golden trees and turned them crimson. Brynwyn snorted as if she could feel my excitement. We were getting out of this treacherous city, and finally one step closer to finding Kellan.
The Hunter’s Council had released the lock on my Rai so I was able to jump freely between realms. Which I would soon be doing about a couple dozen times to get the war party onto Skye. I’d never tried that many jumps in close succession, so I was hoping the Call didn’t fail me. The fate of my mother, Sabin, and Jaffe counted on it.
“Ready to mount up?” Veron called, striding into the stable. A servant stood at the ready with his gelding, whose coat shone even more auburn in the rising sun. I was relieved to see that Myrinne and Talyn did not accompany him. After our lovely family brunch the day before, it would be totally okay with me if I never saw them again.
“Absolutely,” I responded. The other Grayfeathers, about a dozen in total, chorused their assent as well. Only Xavyr stayed silent and stoic, though he shot me a covert glance, an acknowledgement of our secret plan.
We led our horses out into the dawning day, and once outside we all mounted up. Veron led the way, since only he and the other clan leaders knew the rendezvous location. After we settled into pace, I pulled Brynwyn alongside him.
“It’ll take about an hour to reach our destination,” he said to me. He sat astride his horse easily, one hand on his thigh, the other loosely holding the reins. It seemed I would never gain that kind of ease on horseback, even with as good and patient a mount as Brynwyn. “It’s a clearing outside the city, where you won’t have as many distractions while trying to get us into Skye.”
; “That will be good,” I said. I paused for a moment and then added, “What are the chances the Dragon and Raven Council members didn’t alert their kin to our attack?”
“Technically, such an act is forbidden,” Veron said, but his tone clearly indicated his faith in that.
“So basically, they’ll be on high alert.” I groaned, and Brynwyn shimmied beneath me. “Maybe it would have been better if we hadn’t told anyone I’d survived the fall. Soo Kai might have thought she’d gotten rid of me, with no one the wiser to her hostile takeover of a flying city.”
“Perhaps. But if we hadn’t alerted the Council, we’d be going into this fight alone.”
I shrugged. Element of surprise or an extra dozen warriors? It was a toss-up. I’d been told the Rosewaters had a decent number of warriors. If the Stag Clan had greater numbers, that might have made it worth it, three clans against two. But at this point, the Stags that could hunt were practically extinct. It made my heart burn painfully to think of it.
We rode in silence for a few minutes, the city growing more vibrant and more awake as we traveled. The sun had fully escaped the horizon and now climbed its way slowly up the sky. People were out on the streets, and hover crafts and other vehicles buzzed about. In the distance, I could see Casseroux’s tower of gray, like the finger of a corpse jutting from the earth. I shuddered and Xavyr looked over at me, though his amber eyes were impassive.
“We’ll have to go on a vacation after this,” Veron said abruptly. “To celebrate the return of my daughter. A war party is hardly the way—”
Something shot past my shoulder, and my forearm blazed as if someone had branded me.
Before I could draw another breath, Xavyr had leapt from his horse and dragged me with him, sandwiching us between Brynwyn and his mount. Veron reined in his gelding and I heard his boots hit the ground on the other side.
“Stay here,” Xavyr commanded, deathly calm, and he moved out into the open.
My heart hammered in my chest as I watched him stride forward. I heard the twang of a bow string, and as Xavyr moved, he pulled the metal cylinder from the sheath at his side. With an audible snap, blades extended from each end of it, forming a staff about four feet long. He whipped the staff up and cut the arrow from the air as it came for him. I felt all the air leave my lungs.
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