2. Danai

Chapter 2

Danai

“ I rina, how have we come to this?” I muttered to myself as I wiped a tear from my eye, the first to fall in more years than I could count.

Our confrontation had left me shaken.

She’d turned on me so quickly. She’d born such anger and hatred.

She’d spewed her venom— toward me .

And yet, there was a part of me that would always love her. I knew it in the marrow of my bones. I could not see her face, hear her voice, recall the scent she so often wore, without longing to hold her in my arms. Irina consumed my thoughts for centuries, and no anger or bitterness could burn away such deep-rooted yearning.

That caused her words to sting ever more.

How could she think I’d turn against her? Me, a betrayer? I could never . . .

But did I?

I had spent years nursing her back to emotional health following the murder of her parents. I was her strength, her rock, and her shield. I saw the vulnerable girl she used to be in my mind, her rich, ebony hair flowing beyond her shoulders. I saw the quirk of her mouth when she was amused and the way her eyes widened when she laughed. I saw the tilt of her head when she sought answers to some riddle, and the twitch of her lips when she grew annoyed.

I don’t know if I recognized the feelings that drove me back then, but a thousand years of reflecting helped me realize how much I had fallen in love with her. Every night, for centuries, I dreamed of her return—her return to me .

Mine was no quest. I had no delusions of grandeur or desires for power. I held no aims higher than to reclaim a woman’s touch, to see her eyes brighten when they fell upon me. My only desire was a life filled with her laughter and the joy of her companionship.

She’d become embittered following her parents’ deaths—as anyone might—but I still saw the young girl, the young woman, the one I loved, hidden beneath her gaze. She was there. I could bring her back, will her into daylight.

If only I had the chance, one moment, to show her the depth of my love . . .

I thought it would be easy.

But returning her to the world of life proved to be the work of many lifetimes.

The words created by her spell couldn’t be that hard to interpret, I thought; but the answer to their riddle eluded me. For centuries, they remained obscured, though etched in stone.

So, I invented the Children to help unravel the spell’s mysteries.

How had that handful of magical geniuses devolved into a group of mask-wearing idiots?

And yet, those fanatics had proved their usefulness and succeeded in bringing their goddess back to the world of the living.

I never imagined she would come back with only vengeance in her heart. Even when she led the Kingdom’s armies east the first time, her goal was conquest, not death and destruction.

I didn’t recognize the spirit that called herself Irina.

She certainly wasn’t my Irina.

Was she ever mine?

Did she ever know the depth of my love?

I pressed my palms to my temples and screamed in frustration, then everything tumbled into place in my mind.

Of course she did. Of course she knew.

She’s the most brilliant woman I’ve ever known.

She fed me crumbs—a gentle touch, a warm embrace, a flirtatious glance—all to keep my hope ablaze. She knew I loved her and used it to turn me into her instrument.

And I did everything she wanted.

Anger welled inside me.

How could I have been so stupid? So blind? So willfully ignorant?

I bent and retrieved the crown, then hardened my heart.

Never again. I see you now. You are the Betrayer.

I brushed the crown’s band and saw that no snow had stuck to its pulsing crimson diamonds. As much as I learned of magic in my many centuries of life, I was still amazed at the mysteries it held. Unsure of what surprises the crown might still hold, I packed it away in my rough-spun sack, slung the pack over my shoulder, and began working my way down the steep slope of the mountain. My Gift of Travel could whisk me away with barely a thought, but I needed to think through what to do next before I Traveled anywhere.

I never dreamed that Irina’s spirit might roam free in the world.

She frightened me in a way no one ever had.

So now what?

I could return to the Kingdom, but what welcome would await?

I had fled the field before the Battle of Saltstone had even begun. While the common soldiers wouldn’t know or care, I was sure Bril or Marks would clap me in irons and charge me with desertion. That assumed they survived, which was unlikely based on the massacre I witnessed.

What about going home?

An odd longing bloomed in my chest.

I could Travel to Fontaine, directly to the Palace if I wished.

If Jess sat on the throne, she would likely dismiss me from her service.

That wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

I could pursue my own studies, or work with the few remaining Mages in the capital’s guild.

But I hadn’t seen or heard from Jess since she fled with those two Melucians. She could be dead, or in hiding, or captive somewhere. It would take her weeks to return to the capital. She probably wasn’t anywhere near the throne.

So, who would be in charge?

The King and Queen were dead, Justin was dead, Jess was on the run, and Kendall was too young to rule. Bril and Marks were either dead or retreating with whatever was left of their army. The other Ministers were too weak to guide a nation.

What a disaster.

A sudden thought bloomed, and my feet stilled.

In the absence of the monarch, the High Chancellor reigns.

Until a new monarch could be installed, I was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Spires.

Given the disorderly state of the Kingdom’s government, a royal selection and coronation could take months—or longer.

Steward Danai Thorn. That sounds better than High Chancellor.

Then doubts crept in.

It has never been a Mage’s place to rule.

We advise and guide but never rule.

A voice deep within scolded me for my self-doubt. I counseled dozens of rulers throughout my long life.

Who could have more experience, knowledge, or wisdom?

I savored the sweetness of that thought for a long moment before swallowing it whole.

Yes, I should lead.

As images of my coronation flooded my mind, I could not halt the vision of Irina striding through the Palace to wrest the crown from my grasp. I knew it was my mind playing tricks, making me doubt, but I could not stop the thrill of her touch.

In that moment, I knew the first thing I had to do.

With a thought, I vanished from the mountainside and appeared before two golden-bronze doors.