“I don’t want to be sitting here looking like I’m bored or thinking I’m queen when they get here. Help me up?” she asked, surprising me. I held out my hand, and she slid her smaller one into mine. My Wielding reached out to hers like a spark. Her eyes widened, and I gave her hand a squeeze before letting go as she stood up.
She stiffened ever so slightly, then I remembered our truce. I leaned forward to brush my lips against her brow. We could never be soulmates, but maybe we could be friends. Perhaps even lovers. And that would be enough. Because someone had to lean on another when the worst happened. If that’s what Lyric wanted, I could make it happen.
“Are you ready for this?” I asked, looking at her face.
“As ready as I’ll ever be. Though these days, I never feel like I’m ready for anything that comes at us.”
“You still make it through. That has to count for something.”
“Perhaps.”
Before I could comment on that, I felt the others behind me stir. I turned.
Rhodes and a newly healed Luken stood on one side of the room, their faces grave. Luken was a little pale, Braelynn on his shoulder. My uncle Ridley had healed him as best he could. Apparently, the poison had been meant exclusively for Luken, one that clung to the pores attracted by his bloodline. I knew it had to do with his father, the one that nobody really knew anything about. It was the only explanation for Luken to be targeted over anyone else. Especially considering that most everyone else there was either a king, the son of a lord, or the Priestess herself.
Wyn and Teagan stood near Luken and Braelynn, a unit. Ridley stood on the other side of the room, not necessarily apart but enough that our group covered the whole area before we sat down at my table.
Emory was back in her room, though not because we had asked her to go there. She hadn’t wanted to be the focus, hadn’t wanted to stand out, and I was grateful for that. I didn’t know what Emory’s plans were, or if we could ever trust her. However, seeing Emory take strides to becoming a better person helped Lyric, and I was all for that.
Another icy shard flared in my chest, and I held back a grunt. Lyric gave me an odd look, and I answered with a barely perceptible shake of my head. No need for her to know that every time I thought of her, every time I got angry, it felt like my body was shattering into a thousand pieces.
Rosamond stood on Lyric’s other side, her hair flowing in a wind that wasn’t actually there. I had thought only Alura could do that. Clearly, Rosamond possessed the same skill.
We were waiting for our summit to begin, and now the lords and ladies were making their way in after resting from their journey.
Pulling people through this crystal as Lyric had without her actually being near them had taken a toll on everybody. It had taken some of their energy, and I knew we all regretted it, even if it had been necessary. It would have been easier for the others if Lyric had traveled back and forth, but we weren’t sure the crystal had that type of energy, and I was damn well sure Lyric didn’t.
So, we had done it this way, and now the lords and ladies would be in front of us, waiting to plan.
At least, I hoped.
The fact that they had answered the call at all had to count for something. Unless they were all treacherous men and women, and this was just a meeting for the King of Lumière and The Gray to figure out exactly what we were planning.
Lanya, the Lady of Air and Rhodes’ and Rosamond’s grandmother came in first. Rhodes went to her side at once, holding out his arm so she could put her hand on it. She ignored it and instead reached for a hug. Rhodes leaned down to his smaller grandmother and brushed his lips on the top of her head before holding her close. When she moved away, she patted his cheek, smiled like a grandmother would, even though she looked nearly the same age as Rhodes, and then finally took his arm before walking towards the others. She greeted them all, every single one, with hugs and warriors’ holds before coming to where Rosamond, Lyric, and I stood. She hugged and kissed her granddaughter, resting her forehead against Rosamond’s for just a moment before coming to Lyric.
“You must rest soon, my child. For we are here to take your burden. At least, part of it.” She kissed Lyric on both cheeks and held her close. Lyric didn’t say anything. She just gazed at the other woman in awe. I was right there with her. There was something about Lanya that went straight to the heart. As if she could see into your soul almost like a Spirit Wielder could.
Not that I knew exactly what a Spirit Wielder could do. I was trying to pick up things when it came to Lyric. No one could help her train that Wielding, not the way we were helping with her other four elements. Thought maybe we would all figure it out along the way.
I hated that she was so alone in this. Another jagged shard stabbed my heart, and I winced.
Lanya gave me a sharp look before holding out her arms. For some reason, I ducked my head and held her close just as she wanted. I felt as if I were a little boy again in my mother’s arms. I had never met my grandmother. She’d died long before I was born. I had never met any of my grandparents now that I thought about it. I’d had my mother, even as she grew colder in her years.
I knew now that it was to keep me safe from Lore, maybe even from The Gray himself. And while she might’ve thought she failed, I always knew that she was there for me. I would have done anything for her.
I didn’t know why holding this woman not of my territory, this fierce warrior lady with the tender heart and soul made me think of that. As she leaned back and cupped my cheek in her hand, all I wanted to do was hug her again and have her tell me stories and say that everything would be okay.
Those were not the thoughts of a king. They were the fantasies of a young boy who had long since perished.
I nodded my head, giving her the respect she had earned and deserved.
“You also need rest, my son.”
I didn’t correct her usage of the title: son. It was hard to do with Lanya.
I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw Rhodes staring at us, not glaring. No, he almost looked as if he were happy. At least pleased with what was going on. Not that I knew exactly what that was or what any of this meant. It was hard to understand when it came to that man.
The Lord and Lady of Fire walked in soon after Lanya went to Rosamond’s side. They looked regal as always, and I grinned at Shimmer.
I had always liked Griffin and Shimmer, even if I didn’t always agree with them. Then again, the lords and ladies of court were never supposed to always agree with those in power. There were meant to be confidants, advisors, and for courtiers to have opinions of their own. At least, that’s how my mother had always liked it.
That’s how I wanted it, and one day, if I had a chance to actually rule a court that wasn’t crumbling around us, I wanted to keep it that way.
“My son,” Shimmer said, holding out her arms. Teagan went to her and hugged her close, Griffin doing the same. They said hello to the others, though they only hugged Wyn.
Both the Lord and Lady of Fire gave each other looks, though they didn’t say anything as they held Wyn close.
They could tell what had happened to her, but no one was going to say anything. At least, I hoped not. I had a feeling when Wyn’s parents, the Lord and Lady of Earth, walked in, things would get tricky.
“My king,” Griffin said, his voice gruff.
“Lord, Lady,” I said, bowing my head slightly. It was out of respect, and I hoped the others realized that. These had been my elders for as long as I could remember. Having our new stations in life didn’t mean that I had to forget who they were to me. Teagan was my best friend, and that meant they had been in my life as long as he had.
“Thank you for inviting us. We’re interested to hear what you have to say,” Shimmer said softly before going to Teagan’s side.
When the Lord and Lady of Earth walked in, Rhodes, Luken, and even Lyric stiffened. My gaze moved to Wyn.
She looked at them, her eyes wide, resolute.
> And when they walked past her, their own flesh and blood without even saying a word, I wanted to reach out and strangle them.
I couldn’t. It wouldn’t do anybody any good if I beat them down using my Wielding or even my fists.
They weren’t going to acknowledge their daughter now because she was a Dane.
They had used her, even tried to marry her off to me, even though she was technically my cousin. All because they wanted power. And while they might be in this room now, I didn’t know what side of the coin they would land on when the real battle came. We needed allies, but despite that, I wanted to kill them right here and now for what they were doing to Wyn.
Lyric let out a choking sound, and I reached for her, grasping her hand in mine.
She squeezed this time, and I held on.
I shook my head slightly, and she nodded, even though there was Fire in her eyes. And not just the metaphorical kind.
No, her powers were holding her back, and she wanted to hurt the Lord and Lady of Earth for daring to hurt her friend.
However, there was nothing we could say.
The Lord and Lady of Dirt—like Rhodes always called them—nodded at me but didn’t come forward. I was their king. Though, clearly, they were still the same bastards they’d always been. Valor and Zia still didn’t acknowledge their daughter, didn’t acknowledge anyone other than issuing a slight nod, then went to stand on the opposite side of the wall near my uncles. The fact that Zia and Justise were siblings had not gone unnoticed by anyone in the room. Zia didn’t say a word to her brother. She always chose to ignore Justise. Maybe because Zia only wanted power. She had always gone to Cameo to try and get it, not even Justise. Her brother had been nothing in her eyes, not even a steppingstone, so she ignored her sibling.
I didn’t understand why they were still Lord and Lady of Earth, and that was on me. I needed to change that. Soon.
“Let’s all take a seat,” I said, dismissing the formalities. Everyone took their seats without another word, thankfully not fighting over who had to sit by whom. They’d already done that by separating to different sides of the room.
“Why are we all here?” Valor asked, the Lord of Dirt looking as if he’d rather be anywhere else.
Frankly, I wanted him somewhere else, too. Though I couldn’t say anything.
“The King of Lumière is working with The Gray. We saw the shadows as he fought us. We need to stop him, using any means necessary.”
Though I had said “any means,” I knew in my heart and my soul, that I didn’t actually mean that. I wanted to see what the others thought.
There was silence for a moment, and then everyone exploded at once, asking questions and explaining things. It hadn’t mattered that half the people at the table were there for the battle, they all had questions about what to do.
I slammed my fist on the table even as something tugged at my chest. I knew that The Gray wanted me. I pushed him away, snipped those cords because I knew what was coming. Maybe he had always done this, perhaps that’s why I had always felt pulled. Now I knew what it meant, and I ignored it. The Gray would not have me. No matter what happened, The Gray would not take me again.
“Silence,” I rasped out.
“You’re still an insolent pup,” Valor sneered, and Wyn opened her mouth to speak. Lyric interrupted. Maybe to protect me, perhaps to protect Wyn. Either way, I was grateful.
I needed to work on making sure those cords couldn’t wrap around me again, and that The Gray couldn’t keep his hold on me. I might still have my curse, I may not be able to ever love, but I would not allow The Gray to tug me under his control.
I had at least that much power where I hadn’t before. It could have been because I knew of the control The Gray had over me, even if he had been the one to unveil it himself. Or maybe it was because I was stronger. Perhaps it was because of the woman at my side—but I put that thought away.
I couldn’t. Not if I wanted to keep her safe. And myself.
“He is your king, it would do you well to remember that,” Lyric said. Before Valor could say anything else, she shook her head. “We are here because, like Easton said, we need to find a way to stop The Gray and the King of Lumière. You see the devastation and loss within your own people, I have talked with each of you about it. The realm is dying, and if we don’t find a way to put the crystals back together, to reunite our people, we’ll all lose.”
“Our?” Zia asked, her pointed nose in the air.
“Oh, shut it,” Shimmer snapped. “This is not the time for you to be thinking of courts and ladies and your betters. She is the Spirit Priestess. She is part of us all. The people in this room are of two kingdoms, two worlds. Now, we have to rise together.”
“Thank you, Shimmer,” I said, knowing I liked her for a reason. She might have a temper, but that came with Fire. In the past, I didn’t always know where her loyalties lay. Now, however, I knew she would fight with us. Same as her husband, who had reached out to grab her hand, giving it a tight squeeze before kissing her brow.
Teagan just grinned, looking over at his parents as if he knew that they were completely badass. They would fight with us. Good.
“If we fight in a war right now, I’m afraid we will lose,” Lanya said, looking at all of us.
She was the grandmother of a Seer, a Truth Seeker just like her grandson, and we all listened when she spoke. Well, not all of us. The Lord and Lady of Dirt seemed to have better plans. At least they didn’t say anything.
“I don’t want a full-scale war,” I said softly.
“None of us do,” Rhodes said. He paused. “Okay, maybe my uncle does, but we sure as hell don’t.”
“We need to know that we’re all in each other’s corners, and we need a plan.”
I nodded at Lyric. “Then let’s make one.”
It took hours and a lot of screaming and yelling and discussing numbers of people on our side. The problem was, we didn’t know. We knew that there were people who were sympathetic to our cause in each of the four territories. And we knew that perhaps the Spirit Wielders, the ones who walked in Lyric’s dreams, could be counted on to help. However, we didn’t know exactly how.
This was just the beginning, and it had to count for something.
“We will stand with you in this. However, I want it to be known that there is still a boon in play,” Valor said, looking between Rhodes and Lyric.
Once again, I resisted the urge to strangle the Lord of Earth.
“I know we owe you a favor for letting us live,” Lyric said.
“Which is ridiculous,” I growled. Rhodes shook his head.
“No, there must be honor, even amidst all of this. There must be honor. We recognize that, but I don’t know what bearing that has on this.”
Valor only shrugged, though I knew he had something up his sleeve. He just wasn’t ready to show it yet. “I wanted to make sure that everyone knew that. However, we will be there when you decide what your next step is,” he said, looking at his wife. He didn’t look at his daughter, though.
“I will always be by your side,” Lanya said. “Always.”
“We will be with you, too. However, first, we must try for peace,” the Lord of Fire said.
“I agree,” Lanya said before I could say anything else.
Rosamond clasped her hands in front of her. “I know you tried to meet with him, and it was a trap. But with all of us, with our combined powers, perhaps he will see reason, or we can make way for peace as a group. If the world sees us as we are, coming together, maybe it will do some good. I know that if we go in with our powers blazing and the world ready to burn at our fingertips, we will lose far more than just our lives. We will lose the war and our people.”
Rosamond was the one speaking, yet it was Lanya who nodded along, holding her granddaughter’s hand. “She speaks the truth. We must try for peace. We must attempt to use words first.”
“They tried to kill us,” Luken ground out. Braelynn nuzzled against
him, and he reached up to scratch her neck.
“It’ll be for the good of the realm to try. It’s also the rules of war,” Lanya put in.
I growled, though I nodded. They were right. And the truth burned.
“So, we will meet with the king, we will try once more for peace. If not, then we know we must fight. Gather your troops, train, protect your territories. No matter what, know that we may fight in the battle of our lives. Because The Gray is no ordinary puppet master. The King of Lumière is a puppet, but he has power.”
The others agreed, though the Lord and Lady of Earth were slightly cagey at best.
I looked over at Lyric, who appeared just as—if not more—tired than before. Yet she nodded at me, and I knew we were making the only choice we could.
Perhaps words would help us find peace and reason.
I knew that the world would burn around us if this didn’t work.
And I feared that time was coming sooner than any of us wished.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Easton
* * *
I knew this was going to end badly. Hence why, though we were coming for peace talks, trying to give the King of Lumière one last chance before a full-scale war broke out, we were also dressed in battle leathers, our Wielding reserves at full strength.
I’d spent the past day going over plans with my inner circle and the lords and ladies of their respective elements. And when I wasn’t knee-deep in battle and peace plans—the latter something I knew wasn’t going to work, though we had to try for our people’s sake—I was meditating with Ridley and the others.
The Gray might still have his spindly fingers around my heart when it came to the curse, but I’d be damned if I let him wrap his smoky ropes around my body and pull me into his realm again. Now that I was aware of what he could do, I was shoring up my defenses as well as filling my wells of power.
Ridley was the best at this, and with good reason considering his past. I had watched him teach Lyric his form of training months ago, and because of that, I had gone to him again for similar training of the soul when the lights had been extinguished and Lyric had been asleep.
From Spirit and Binding Page 24