Alderan groaned. “I get it, but you don’t need to hurt me.”
“Entire languages have been lost!” Wrik released Alderan’s shoulder and stood. He smacked his fist into his palm. “You must stay here and help me translate some of the books of prophecy.”
Alderan rotated his arm and rubbed his shoulder. “And why would I do that?”
Wrik knew the answer. Given the fact that Aria had called out to Alderan and he’d heard her, the two of them must share a bond stronger than any he’d witnessed before. He folded his hands behind his back and smiled. “For your sister.”
Alderan crossed his arms. “Take me to her, and we’ll see what she has to say.”
Wrik smacked his lips. “Deal.” He retrieved a strip of black cloth from within his robes and offered it to Alderan. “Wrap this around your head and cover your eyes with it.”
Alderan snorted. “I’m not putting that on.”
“You will do as I say, or you’ll find yourself locked inside that room again.”
Alderan huffed and grabbed the strip of cloth. “You need to work on your hospitality skills.”
Wrik shook his head. He certainly shares Aria’s attitude. “No one knows about this room or its location, and I will do everything in my power to keep it that way. Understood?”
Alderan wrapped the cloth around his head several times and then tied the ends together. “Satisfied?”
“To be certain. Stay right here. It will take me a few minutes to unlock the door.”
“Sounds like a ten-second job to me.”
“Only if you prefer death.”
Alderan swallowed hard. “Take your time then. By the way, where are we headed?”
Wrik walked over to the door. “To my bedchamber. It’s where I study and sleep. I’ll leave you there while I fetch Aria.”
Wrik unraveled the trespass ward surrounding the doorway and unlocked the door with his key. He cracked the door open and peered down the corridor. Nothing moved, shadows or otherwise. Satisfied, he walked over to Alderan and took him by the arm. “Do as I say and don’t make a sound until I tell you it’s safe. Understood?”
Alderan nodded.
Wrik guided Alderan out of the room and into the corridor, and then he locked the door and conjured the trespass ward again.
Gods, let our path be unobstructed.
Chapter Six
Aria stood out on the balcony that jutted out from the southern side of her and Pravus’s bedchamber. Her black robe pulled against her shoulders as it billowed at her back, leaving her naked flesh exposed to the cool, morning air. A few people moved about in the city of Atrum Moenia far below, little more than sewer rats from her vantage.
She couldn’t care less if the people below gazed upon her nude body. In fact, she relished the thought. With Cinolth at her side, she’d become their goddess, deserving of worship. She drew upon her mezhik as she rubbed her stomach where Cinolth’s heart had once been, intoxicated by her own touch. Gooseflesh prickled her skin.
Pravus lay in bed twenty feet behind her, still asleep. The thought of ravishing him again as she had several times on their wedding night aroused her, but with that memory came sobering thoughts. Her mezhik faded as her mind drifted to Alderan, her brother risen from the dead the previous night. How long had it been since she’d seen him?
Ages. Longer.
She pulled her robe closed and cinched it with its belt, the air no longer refreshing. Her fingers twisted through strands of red-and-blonde hair as she pondered her life and how Alderan would see her now. So many things had changed in the last year. Would Alderan recognize her? Not physically of course, but the person she’d become.
I’m a woman, a wife, and a queen now.
She peered down at the insides of her wrists. Six marks. Six elements. Fire, water, nature, earth, air, and light. Three on the left wrist, and three on the right.
Mezhik came to her with little effort. The bonds she shared with Pravus and Cinolth likely attributed to her quick learning, but she thirsted for more.
Six marks. Five more than Pravus. The first mage in 1200 years.
With just a thought, she pulled moisture from the air and formed a puddle in her left palm. She gazed at herself in the puddle’s reflection. She hardly recognized herself from the child Alderan knew. Her eyebrows had thickened and darkened significantly since she last looked upon herself. They reminded her of small dragon wings. The ends of her lips curled into a smile.
I am Rídär Drezhn.
Aria closed her eyes. Her heart fluttered and her spirits soared like they had when she’d flown through the skies on Cinolth’s back. That moment could’ve lasted a lifetime and she would’ve been satiated. Desire to be upon his back filled her once again, a sensual longing akin to the way the touch of mezhik intoxicated her. His presence didn’t register in her mind like it normally did. She looked skyward and scanned the gray skies but found no trace of the leathery beast.
Where have you gone without me?
Anger swept through her like a pulse of light, boiling the puddle of water in her palm. Steam rose in the cool air. She cast the water over the balcony and retreated back inside the bedchamber.
She’d given Cinolth life through her mezhik, bonding with him on a level she couldn’t begin to comprehend, but that bond didn’t afford her control over his thoughts or actions. However, she obsessed over him, his presence ever at the forefront of her mind.
Is it he who controls me?
She shook the thought from her mind. It made little difference. They shared the same desires.
Plush animal pelts tickled Aria’s toes as she walked across the room and over to the massive fireplace. Its opening extended above her head and stretched wider than she could reach. A pile of fresh-cut logs lay on its hearth, ready to be consumed by fire. She obliged. “Ƨäʈ äbəlläíz.”
A pulsing, orangish-red fireball formed over her palm and leapt onto the logs, setting them aflame. Within moments, heat began leaching from the logs and warmed her hands.
Aria uncinched the robe’s belt, and the robe slid off her shoulders and into a pile on the floor. The flames bathed her with their warmth as she drew closer to them. Gooseflesh faded from her skin as the fire drew the cold from her bones.
The scent of pine filled her nostrils, and boiling sap popped as it seeped from the logs. Aria breathed deep. The smell carried her back home to Viscus D’Silva, her thoughts returning to Alderan.
What has become of you in my absence? Are you a wizard? Or a mage like me?
Assuming him dead for so long, she’d never contemplated such ideas before. How had his life changed apart from her and Red? Had he searched for her? Her eyes filled with moisture, and her chest ached to see him again.
Does Alderan know I’m alive?
She peered up at the stone ceiling, but the answer she sought wouldn’t come from a god she couldn’t see, hear, or touch. In the past, she’d relied on Ƨäʈūr’s guidance over her life, but each passing moment since she’d taken Cinolth’s heart from Nardus’s chest diminished her need for Him further. Soon, Ƨäʈūr would be nothing more than a faint memory. A false god who takes life without remorse. No, she only needed to look within for the answer, so she did.
Alderan must know.
On her wedding night, she’d felt her bond with Alderan like she had in the past; a familiarity akin to the wind through her hair. Two rended souls united once again. She could’ve placed his location on a map.
It’d been so long since she had felt the bond that she’d forgotten how much she missed it. Nothing else compared to its warmth and depth. An unbreakable bond.
However, after the commencement of the stone ceremony and the awakening of Cinolth, the bond weakened. She still sensed Alderan’s presence in the world, but she could no longer locate him.
She searched the undulating flames before her, but they held no answers. “Where are you, Alderan? How will I ever find you?
”
She’d give anything to see Alderan again. Within reason, of course. She needed to find someone she could trust to track him down and bring him to her.
But who?
Aria trusted few people or creatures in the world. It only took a single hand to count them. Alderan. Amicus. Karraar. Wizard Wrik.
At one point, she would’ve placed Pravus’s name in her short list, but his constant need to keep her in the dark and lie to her face diminished her view of and respect for him. No doubt she loved him, but love had nothing to do with trust. He might never earn hers again.
Obviously, she couldn’t have Alderan find himself. She didn’t know where to find Amicus either so that left Karraar and Wizard Wrik. She already owed Wizard Wrik for helping her get down into the dungeon where Pravus had held her father, Nardus. The last thing she wanted was to owe him further. Karraar, on the other hand, had sworn his life to serving her when they were in the wastelands.
Aria twirled a finger in her hair and frowned. Where is Karraar?
She hadn’t seen Karraar since the night they’d arrived at Galondu Castle. In fact, she’d seen nothing but humans roaming the castle corridors. In truth, the castle stretched farther and wider than she could imagine. She’d seen but a fraction of its glory, but she had a knack and a mind for mapping out buildings and terrain with ease. One day, she’d know every last secret Galondu Castle held within its walls.
Excitement rose in her chest but faded quickly. So many other things took precedence in her life now. She forced her thoughts back to Karraar. For all she knew, Pravus had executed Karraar for nearly getting her killed in the Inferus Wastelands.
To be fair, she’d wanted nothing more than to spill Karraar’s blood when they were deep in the wastelands. Had she the strength at the time, she would’ve. Now, the thought of Karraar lying dead somewhere unsettled her more than she would’ve thought possible.
She ground her teeth and clenched her fists. I owe him nothing. The words echoed in her mind, hollow and meaningless. She’d never escape the truth: she would’ve died without his help.
How Karraar had weaseled his way onto her good side escaped her. She reminded herself that he’d killed Red, the only father she’d known, but it did nothing to ease her fear of his demise. For reasons she couldn’t quite grasp, she’d chosen to believe Karraar had killed Red to end his suffering.
Cold hands slid around her waist. She shivered even as Pravus’s voice filled her ears. “Is something troubling you, my love?” He pulled her against himself. His fingers, slivers of ice, worked their way down the sides of her legs.
Aria pushed his hands away, turned, and met his golden-eyed gaze. She found no trace of concern in his lust-filled eyes. She rarely did.
“No,” she said.
Pravus lifted her into his arms and pressed his lips against hers as he carried her over to the bed. He set her down on its edge and pushed her onto her back. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he leaned into her.
Several minutes later, Pravus collapsed onto the bed next to her. Sweat glistened on his broad chest and across his brow. He sighed loudly, his breathing labored. “That’s just what I needed.”
“Thrice last night.” She rolled onto her side and stroked his chest. “Are you determined to impregnate me in our first week of marriage?”
He pushed a strand of hair from her face. “Would that be so bad?”
She didn’t answer. How could she, knowing she’d never be able to bear him a child? She should have confessed it to him before but never did, so how could she now? Instead, she planted kisses on his lips, his chin, and down the side of his neck. By the time she reached his chest, he grabbed her and pulled her back down.
Aria made love to him once more. This time, he took his time with her. Finished and sore, she rolled to the side and stared up at the crimson canopy overhead.
“Where is Karraar?” she asked.
“Do I know this Karraar?” Pravus’s voice betrayed him with a slight but noticeable inflection at the end.
Aria’s pulse raced. Perhaps he did have Karraar killed.
She pressed him. “The beast who saved my life in the wastelands.”
He sat up, his brow creased in a scowl. “Do not concern yourself with his whereabouts.”
She covered her breasts with her arm. “Yet I must. I’ve neglected to thank him for what he did out there.”
Pravus’s jaw tightened. “He did his job. Leave it at that.”
She maneuvered herself to the edge of the bed and slid off of it. “I pray you do not misunderstand me, husband.” She faced Pravus and pushed up her breasts. “If you plan on partaking of these again, you’ll find him and bring him to me.”
Redness crept up his neck. “If you think threatening—”
“It’s a promise.” She walked back over to the fireplace and snatched her robe off the floor.
“Auh!” The bed rattled as Pravus ejected himself from it. He stalked forward, his finger wagging. “You’re lucky I don’t squeeze the life from your pretty, little neck.”
“Pfft. As if you could.” She glared at him. “We both know my mezhik surpasses yours in every way.”
Pravus swept his arm toward her. In an instant, the room flashed across Aria’s vision. Her body jolted as it slammed against the bed. Her breath caught in her throat as a silver collar wrapped around her neck and strangled her. She convulsed, the air trapped in her lungs.
Another flash, and she stammered backward, nearly falling into the fire. Her chest heaved as she sucked in air, the collar gone.
Everything he did to her was an illusion, and she knew it, yet her mind still couldn’t distinguish between it and reality.
“Never test me again,” growled Pravus.
Aria massaged her neck as her eyes narrowed. One of us won’t survive this marriage. “Your little demonstration changes nothing. Bring Karraar to me.”
Pravus snorted. “So be it, but it will take several weeks to get Karraar back here.” He turned and teleported out of the room before she had the chance to respond.
Aria huffed. “I shan’t wait several weeks to find Alderan.”
The smell of burning wool stung her nostrils. She looked down at the robe in her hand. Plumes of smoke rose from it. She tossed it into the fire and watched it shrivel and burn. If Pravus thought he’d get away with manhandling her again, it’d be him she’d cast into the flames the next time. She crossed her arms and paced in front of the fire, her anger building. How had talks of war in the war room transitioned to battles in the bedroom?
Was there ever love between us? She chided herself. You know the truth, Aria. You still love each other. But would it be enough to hold their marriage together? A kingdom divided would surely fall into ruin. She must do better showing unity with Pravus. Her future depended on it.
Aria stood tall in front of the flames. “I’m a survivor. A warrior. I cannot fail.”
She turned from the fire, her mind set on her next task. Time to find Alderan.
A smirk crept onto her face. “Looks like I’ll owe Wizard Wrik another favor after all.”
Other odors besides the fire and charred robe permeated the air. She lowered her head and sniffed herself. “Ugh!” She reeked of sex and sweat, and not just of her own.
Shivers crawled across her skin and shook her. “I’ll go see Wizard Wrik after I’ve had a bath.”
Aria could easily draw a bath with the aid of mezhik, but what good would it be to have servants if she did everything herself? They’d become lazy and complacent. She’d have none of that. Besides, she had better things to do with her mezhik.
She reached out to Brema with her mind. “Come draw me a bath at once.”
† † †
Pravus stormed through the castle corridors looking for someone or something to unload his fury upon. “The insolence of that woman,” he growled. “I cannot and will not allow her to usurp my kingdom.”
&nb
sp; He reached out, and the steel doors before him swung outward, banging against the other side of the stone walls. Credan stood on the other side of a massive, rectangular table made of brownish-gray stone. The ruckus caught Credan’s attention and drew a gasp from his lips.
Credan bowed, his eyes still fraught with surprise. “Good morning, my lord.”
Pravus stilled his anger as he approached the table. “She’s not been herself since taking that damned stone from Nardus.”
Credan’s expression turned from surprise to confusion. “My lord?”
Pravus leaned over the table and eyed Credan. “This is all that wretched dragon’s doing.”
“I doubt you are wrong, but perhaps you could fill me in on what’s happened so that I can gain a better understanding as to the context of the conversation.”
Pravus seethed. “Cinolth corrupts Aria’s mind and pits her against me.” He brought his fist down on the table with enough force to jostle and topple the war pieces laid out across the map of the Ancient Realm spread across its surface. “Every thought she possesses stems from his twisted influence. He must be dealt with before he ruins everything I’ve built.”
Credan drew his hand across the top of his bald head but stopped short from plunging down the side of his face. Instead, his fingers attacked a large, black mole just above his left ear. Pravus wanted to reach across the table and rip the mole off of Credan’s head.
“I… don’t disagree.” Credan shrank back from the table. “However, don’t we need his help to defeat the Three Kingdoms?”
Anger and pride rose in Pravus’s chest. He pointed a finger at Credan. “And what does he offer us beyond the strife he sows? Nothing. He brings us nothing.”
Credan pulled on his shirt collar with a finger. “Forgive me for speaking of rumors, my lord, but they abound.”
Pravus grabbed one of the war pieces from the table and palmed it. His eyes narrowed. “Rumors of what?”
Credan folded his hands together and stared at them for several moments before answering. “If true, an army gathers in his name.”
Rended Souls Page 6