The Eye of Elektron: A Clean Urban Fantasy (The Sumrectian Series Book 1)

by Leigh G. Wynn

  Ansel seemed to have read her thoughts yet again.

  “I have certainly done my share to upset”—he paused in search of a better word—“disappoint my country’s Sumrects… They have every right to condemn me. The brave and bold have tried to kill me… and failed, as expected. The rest only fear me enough to leave me alone.” He spoke with an unusual detachment that made her shudder.

  A short, lean, fair-haired human with numerous piercings and a tattoo peeking out of his collar came to take their order.

  “New tattoo, Micah?” Ansel asked.

  “Yes.” Micah flipped down the collar to reveal a deep-blue bird perched on a heart. “Indigo. For my newborn daughter.”

  As the two chatted, Dawn wondered if Ansel visited often; he seemed to know the entire staff here. She also wondered if Panatomius’s animosity toward him drove him to remain in Fors. What could have alienated him from his Sumrects so much that some even preferred him dead? Before long, her mind drifted to Henry and her failed attempt to flee. How will I ever fool Ansel? If anything happens to Henry because of me—

  “What would you like, madam?”

  She snapped back to reality. Both Micah and Ansel were staring at her.

  “Oh, um, the voortem salmon for me, please.”

  “Excellent choice of an authentic Sumrectian dish. And the usual for you, Mr. Ansel?”

  “Yes, Micah, please.”

  They thanked Micah and watched him leave with a spring in his step.

  “Where were we?” Ansel took another sip of wine.

  “I can’t imagine you did anything terrible enough to elicit such intense feelings of hatred. What could you have done?”

  It was a long time before he responded. When he did, he quite simply said, “I chose a powerless human over my Sumrects. I chose Amber over them.”

  “What?! That’s it? I know Sumrects hold prejudices against humans, but to fault you for falling in love with one and then to ostracize you… that is a bit harsh!”

  “Not at all.” He shook his head and paused thoughtfully. “Perhaps I should explain about the surahs.”

  Suddenly, Blair’s voice rang in Dawn’s head, “Regina and Ansel were surahs.” She had a feeling surahs meant a lot more than just partners.

  He rolled the stem of the wineglass between his fingertips.

  “You see, Regina and I are surahs, the perfect pairing. In the Sumrectian world, marriages, or partners, if you will, are carefully calculated. Arranged. From birth, each one of us is assessed and measured against others consistently until one’s eighteenth birthday. Genes, ability, talent, inclinations, etcetera, as well as certain thoughts and memories, are stored in the UIC.”

  “When Sumrects turn eighteen, the UIC assigns us each a life partner based on which pairing would produce the best possible genetic combination and thus the most desirable offspring, so every generation improves upon the previous one. They also consider compatibility and various factors that contribute to the most stable of relationships. Breakups and divorces rarely occur because matches are so perfectly arranged no one ever encounters difficulties or disagreements in his or her marriage that are not easily reconcilable. Each pairing is a surah. Perfect.”

  “The UIC took great care in finding a suitable partner for me because at eighteen, I had been designated as the future Atma. They eliminated many viable matches who were compatible with me in terms of power, intelligence and personality but were not equipped to be the wife of a ruler. After much debate, they chose Regina, the daughter of an ancient and exceptionally powerful family… the Leniads.”

  “I expected and accepted the pairing. At the time, I was so focused on winning tournaments and training to be an indigo Sumrect that I left myself little time for other pursuits. I respected Regina. Love, no, but respected her, yes. She was, and still is, brave, sharp and incredibly powerful. If anything, I wanted to do right by her. I had no reason to object to the UIC’s pick for me. That is… until I met Amber.”

  “For the first time in my life, I encountered an absolute mystery, a being I knew nothing about yet was so inexplicably and irrevocably drawn to. On the one hand, Amber was utterly powerless, but on the other, she was a more powerful force than anything I had ever known or fought. After countless battles with the land’s greatest armies and tournaments with the fiercest Sumrects, I had finally met my match. With her, my powers exercised no influence. She was not afraid of me. Back on Panatomius, I never had to face a single ‘no’, a single rejection. But she stood up to me, disobeyed me… much like how you did.”

  He leaned in, gazing deep into Dawn’s eyes. There was an uncharacteristic urgency in his tone, as if he wanted nothing more than for her to understand him.

  “She had her whims and caprices, her laudable virtues and endearing vices. Every nuance of character that made her unique captivated me. I had to discover her, one quirk at a time, and solve the enthralling, enchanting enigma that was her. What did she favor? What did she fear? What drove her completely crazy? None of these things I knew.”

  He paused and sank back in his seat again. “I was hooked. Suddenly, my life took on meaning beyond becoming the most powerful Sumrect Panatomius has ever seen. I began to doubt the UIC’s choice for me, an unthinkable crime for our kind. When I chose to ignore the surah and take Amber as my wife, Regina was certainly not the only one enraged by my insolent decision. Most of the Sumrects were outraged by what they deemed to be an act of rebellion. Worse, some Sumrects started to follow in my footsteps, ignoring the pairings made by the UIC and choosing their partners freely. I wasn’t trying to set a precedent. I merely understood what it meant to love another.”

  “Were we compatible? Would the UIC have chosen Amber for me had she been a Sumrect? I highly doubted it. However, their approval no longer mattered because I had realized something that was so prevalent in Amber’s world and yet so foreign to me… I didn’t love her because she enjoyed the same hobbies I did, because her worldview mirrored mine, because we would produce incredible offspring… No, I had fallen in love with a part of her that wasn’t tangible, that can’t be measured, assessed and quantified.”

  “To me, it was never a moral dilemma, whether to choose an empire or her. All the glory in the universe could not compete with her loving glance… You have to understand, Dawn, as an Atma, I did not have the privilege to be selfish, to sacrifice others’ happiness for the one I loved, which was one reason Regina deeply resented Amber and thought her unfit to be my spouse. Regina would have wanted me to choose an army over herself, to choose duty and glory over her, as the wife of a ruler should and would. Not Amber. She didn’t care if I was the great Ansel Cassadian, didn’t care how many Morvyanns I could take down or how many battles I’ve won. She didn’t need a hero, a public figure to admire and serve. She needed a husband who can give her all the attention she deserved… And I was more than happy to be that for her. I made selfish choices that a true Atma would never make…” He bowed his head and stayed quiet for some time.

  When he began again, his voice was laden with guilt. “I don’t for one moment regret the choices I have made, but after I compromised the safety of my Sumrects, I decided I was unqualified to rule… Ultimately, I abdicated my responsibilities to Vance. My father was livid, let alone the rest of Panatomius. The Sumrects thought I had betrayed them, that I had let my powers go to waste. Perhaps they were right, but when Amber died, I was convinced Vance made the better ruler of us two.”

  “But he isn’t! Ansel, you’ve seen the destruction he brought to Earth. You can’t possibly agree with how he’s treating the humans. You can’t possibly applaud the way he has ruled these past eleven years.”

  “No, it’s a shame what he has done…”

  “Then, why don’t you do something about it? It’s one thing to choose your wife over your Sumrects. It’s another to run away from your responsibilities completely.”

  Ansel looked up at her, stunned and defiant. “I—”

  “That’s r
ight. You are running away from your problems. You can blame it on your wretched reputation, on your selfish desires, on your wife’s death, but what you are really doing is not taking on what is rightfully yours to take on. You may always dismiss your talents, rejoice at the fact that you are losing your powers so that you can join the ranks of anonymous humans, but you are only cowardly ignoring the fact that you are Ealon, the ‘guardian of souls,’ the guardian of humans and Sumrects alike! And what you are capable of, Vance can never replace. No wonder your Sumrects are mad! Because they saw something in you that you refused to see in yourself. They had faith in you, and they put their hopes in you.”

  Shocked, he responded to her outburst in a quiet voice, “And what do you suppose I do?”

  “Do what needs to be done! Do what’s right. Don’t let Vance get away with any more than he already has!”

  At that moment, Micah walked up to the table, yet he did not bring any dishes. He merely bent down and whispered something in Ansel’s ear.

  “Excuse me.” Ansel rose from his seat. “I must go speak with someone.” His eyes lingered on Dawn just long enough to make her uneasy before he left with Micah.

  Puzzled, Dawn watched them disappear into the adjacent room. She glanced around the empty restaurant at the sleepy staff. Now is my chance.

  Chapter 16

  Careful not to make any sudden movements, Dawn left the table and strolled to the restrooms near the kitchen. A few staff members turned to look. She smiled in acknowledgement, gesturing to the restrooms with a shrug. The staff nodded in understanding and returned to work. After she passed the kitchen, Dawn veered into a hallway that led to a metal door, above which hung an illuminated exit sign. Perfect. She glanced back once more to check if anyone was watching before she pushed open the heavy door. It screeched as though it had not been oiled in years. Dawn cringed. None of the staff, however, seemed to notice the sound.

  Quickly, she slid into an unlit stairway and shut the door. She allowed only a few seconds for her eyes to adjust before she hurried down the steps, keeping one hand on the rails for guidance. She counted the floors while she descended.

  Seven.

  Six.

  Five.

  Four.

  Th—

  THUD.

  A quick blow to the head. A rough arm around her waist. And the last thing Dawn heard was her captor’s heavy breathing as her body was swung over a set of broad shoulders.

  ✽✽✽

  Myles waited in the hotel conference room on the fifth floor, his palms sweaty against the purple velvet box. Earlier that evening, he received a message from Ansel inviting him to an impromptu meeting at the East Ballroom of the Ealon Hotel. The request came so abruptly he had only the ride over to prepare his thoughts. He knew he was playing a very dangerous game with no option of backing out; his stories better be believable, or it was game over.

  At exactly 11:00 PM, Ansel entered, dressed in his usual black attire. He appeared neither excited nor angry, which unsettled Myles. What is he trying to hide?

  The ballroom doors closed with a soft click as Ansel motioned for Myles to sit. Gingerly, Myles took a seat across the Sumrect at one of the many long tables.

  “You came from my brother’s… bearing news, I presume,” Ansel stated calmly, his hands laced together on the table in front of him. “I thought there is no better time for us to meet than now, while most are still at the celebration.”

  “Yes.” Myles’s brain hunted for the appropriate response. “Vance wanted me to bring Gail to you… to further earn your trust.” The truth is often the best defense.

  “And why does Vance believe I have lost your trust?” Ansel’s expression was impenetrable.

  Myles wiped his damp palms on his knees under the table.

  “Suspicions of a guilty conscience, I guess.”

  “I see.” Ansel nodded and inquired no further. “Thank you for saving Gail. Or… should I thank my brother instead? For sparing her life?”

  Myles chuckled a bit too forcefully.

  “I’m certain Gail will be an enormous asset to us. She has been of great help to me the past few years and will be rewarded heftily,” Ansel went on, staring at Myles. “As will you… for your work.”

  Myles returned his unwavering gaze. “I want nothing more than to serve your cause. Someone like Vance should not be allowed to possess so much control.”

  “There is no cause,” was the stern response. “I like to be informed of Vance’s plans, but to overthrow his rule… that is not an ambition of mine.”

  “But Ansel—”

  Ansel held up a hand to stop him from pressing the issue. “We are not here to discuss my stance on the resistance movement. You know, and I know, that after those tragic events from the past, I vowed to never partake in anything of the sort. Now, tell me, which secret did Vance send you to acquire from me?”

  Though Myles expected Ansel to anticipate Vance’s every move like a grand chess master, the wording of Ansel’s question still unnerved him. He responded with the utmost care, “Vance gave me a portal dating back to the tenth year of the Lion. He said you possess a portal to a solitary period in your past… a time he would very much like to gain access to. My last assignment is to procure this portal from you.”

  “Have you figured out the date of this portal you need?” Ansel’s piercing eyes hastened Myles’s already rapid heartbeat.

  “When I accessed Vance’s portal, I saw him argue with Regina inside your study… Their conversation occurred sometime on the night of Amber’s death. Regina warned Vance about the spell… something about how two are now playing the game…” He trailed off when he noticed Ansel, deep in thought, was not paying him any attention.

  “Hmm? Please continue,” he said absentmindedly a few seconds after Myles stopped speaking.

  “Er… okay. Regina claimed that she saw you interact with an Etherian—I don’t know if I believe her—and that you even made a pact with one. Ansel, is that true?”

  The Sumrect leaned back in his chair until his face receded into the shadow cast by the yellow floor lamp to his right. Not sure if he had said too much, or not enough, Myles waited.

  After a while, without directly answering the question that was just posed, Ansel said in his typical peaceful but enigmatic fashion, “I understand… Vance wants to know more about my interaction with the Etherian.”

  Regina was telling the truth! Myles tried to control his astonishment. “We have to come up with an excuse to tell Vance—” he began.

  “Excuse? Vance won’t accept that from you…” Ansel murmured, almost to himself.

  “We need to craft a believable story to tell him because we can’t allow Vance to get his hands on your portal.”

  “But he will. In the end.”

  “What?!”

  “There’s only one thing for you to do, Myles.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Give him what he seeks.”

  “You are not serious, Ansel! You can’t simply hand him the last piece to his puzzle.”

  “Vance will not forgive you for failing at this very important task. And yes, the portal will help my brother more than you can imagine…”

  “Then don’t let him have it! Help me fool him once more. It’s a risk I’m willing to take!” Myles leaped to his feet. The uncontrolled, emphatic utterance of those words convinced even himself that the risk was worth taking.

  In the shadows, Ansel shook his head slowly. “Myles, I know my brother much better than you. Sit down. Listen to what you must do.”

  “You have a plan?” Myles plopped down in his seat.

  “No… not a plan, just the only solution we have right now.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Give Vance the box in your hands.” Ansel tapped his index finger on the table, under which Myles had kept the purple box from view.

  He knew! Myles glanced down at the velvet container with Ansel’s name carved in Sumrectian. The b
ox to Ansel’s secret.

  “Give him…?” Myles could not believe what he was hearing. He had not expected the task to be so simple.

  “You heard correctly. Take the box to my brother. It’s about time.”

  “You are mad!” Myles shot up from his seat. Why is Ansel giving up so easily?

  “Myles, trust me.” Ansel brought his face into the light. “If I had a better plan, I would share it with you.”

  “Then think of something better! You are brilliant! You can come up with a better plan.”

  “A better plan for you and me… but not a better plan for Pam and your parents,” Ansel said quietly.

  The comment took Myles by surprise. He could see Ansel’s expression now in the lamplight. It was not one of fear or desperation but of genuine concern. For Myles.

  “I know my brother is currently holding your family hostage, and he has threatened not only your life but theirs. You must do as I say… I do not want more innocent blood on my hands.”

  Out of all the surprises Ansel had thrown at him during the meeting, Myles did not anticipate this. His cheeks burned with shame.

  “Ansel… your secret will for sure help Vance complete the spell, and who knows what kind of damage he will cause then?”

  Ansel finally smiled and gave a light chuckle. “Oh, no need to tell me how much damage he could cause. I think I have a pretty good idea.”

  “So, your plan is to sit here and laugh about it?”

  “Just trying to lighten the mood…” Ansel stood and walked to the window overlooking the hotel entrance. He gazed at the street below as he said, “Myles, I order you to take that purple box to Crimson. As soon as you can.”

  “No! That’s insane!”

  “Please. Do not fight me on this.” Ansel kept his back turned. “My mind is made up. Plus, the box you hold has an added layer of protection. Only with the help of Etherian powers can one access its contents.”

  For the fourth time that night, Myles was caught off guard. “You mean Vance cannot open it alone?”