Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

I fell asleep on the ride back to base, but it was only a few hours, so I still felt groggy when Liana landed at Sky Reach.

I’d had her tell Onyx that my sisters were safe and to get that message to Elaine before she lost her mind with worry. Even so, Elaine was pacing the courtyard, waiting for me when I returned. Now that it was daylight, I took stock of the base, noting the two huge impact marks that had been made in our south wall and on one of our training fields. But all in all, the buildings were still standing, and repairing the wall and the training field was doable. The base was crawling with soldiers, so I was guessing we suspected the attack was over and it was back to business as normal. I’d have to check in with Commander Ledger about that, but first Elaine…

She ran to me the second I leapt off of Liana.

Her voice shook. “Are they okay?”

I nodded. “They’re safe. The bows were taken from my father’s house after the Lottery.”

She exhaled all of the breath she’d seemingly been holding. Her hair had sprung loose from its bun, and her eyes were rimmed with deep shadows. The only person who possibly loved my sisters more than me was Elaine. She had been with them since they were tiny babies.

“What did the letter say?” I asked her.

Now that I knew my sisters were safe, I was curious about the reply.

She swallowed hard. “It said he will give you three months to reconsider his proposal, at which time he is following through on his promises. And the bows were proof that he can.”

“Bastard!” I growled.

Elaine chewed the inside of her lip. “How do we keep the girls safe? Aisling, I think Maxim is capable of the things he says.”

Of killing my sisters? Of dragging me against my will to be his wife? Maybe. He had a firebird, too, so maybe.

“Over my dead body. And trust me, I don’t die easily,” I told her.

She nodded and swallowed hard. “Those girls are everything to me. And I know they are to you, too. So what do we do?”

I sighed, peering at Liana. “Liana thinks I should have Valor go into the Wilds early and get a creature to help protect her.”

Elaine gasped a little and then glanced at Liana with respect. “That might be genius.”

“Or it might get her killed,” I added.

‘Technically, I suggested all three girls go, not just Valor.’

‘No way. Val is the only one who might be ready. Trust me.’

Elaine glanced off into the distance as if thinking this through. “Why just Valor? Why not all of them?” It seemed she was having the same thoughts as Liana.

I made a strangled noise in my throat. “They’re fourteen! Valor is the only one who would bond strongly right now. The others would have weak bonds, and Victory might not even make it out of a bonding at all.”

She’d come out of it with a bunny rabbit or dead.

Elaine swallowed hard. “You’re right. But if we could train Val and she could bond strong, I would feel so much better about leaving them in Riverine.”

Soldiers passed by us, running to their next destination. I nodded and then stepped closer to my governess, lowering my voice so that only she could hear me. “Until Valor is trained, should we hide the girls away in the country? Take Gwen and a handful of trusted tutors and guards with them? Everyone in Riverine knows what they look like, but in the country…”

Elaine nodded. “They will hate you for it. No friends, no school, or social life…”

I shrugged. “If they are alive to hate me, I can live with that.”

“I’ll make it happen. Give me your list of trusted people, and I will make sure only they know. Does two months’ time seem like enough to get Valor trained?”

I scoffed. “No. But we will have to make it work.”

“Just to be clear, in two months we are sending Valor into the Wilds alone to bond early?” Elaine’s voice was slightly shaky, as if she, too, were scared of doing such a thing. When it was said so directly like that, fear overtook me.

“Yes,” I croaked.

If this Maxim character was as bad as Liana believed him to be, I wanted my sisters to have the best chance at protecting themselves. If I were to die in battle and not be able to become reborn, Valor would have to have a creature before she could rule as empress anyway.

“Are Tetra and everyone still underground?” I asked her. I wasn’t about to ask where Kohen was, but that’s who I wanted to see.

She shook her head. “They moved to Mohave bunkhouse, topside.” She pointed to a maroon brick building in the distance, and I thanked her.

Jogging across the quad, I saluted soldiers as I passed.

When I got to Mohave, I stepped into the women’s bunk first. There were half a dozen soldiers inside and just as many creatures lazing about. When they saw me, they all stood at attention, eyes wide as if I was there to inspect their bunks or something. All except Tetra, who stayed lying down and just peered up at me curiously.

“At ease,” I told everyone, and they relaxed.

“Hey, Ash,” she said, and then she addressed the entire room. “She may be the empress, but she’s also my best friend, so she will probably be coming here a lot. You don’t need to worry about it.”

I grinned at that, and the women in the room seemed to relax a little more.

I sat at the end of Tetra’s bed and glanced down at her bad foot. “Are you having a good or bad pain day?” I asked.

“Good. Why?”

“You up for a walk?” I glanced at the other ladies, indicating I wanted privacy, and she nodded.

“Absolutely.” She grabbed her cane and hefted herself out of bed as Ariyel popped up from where she had been lying on the floor and looked up at me.

“You can come too,” I told her creature, who stuck her snout into my hand to thank me. Again, I was taken aback by the affection from her creature. It meant that in Tetra’s mind, we were as good of friends as I thought we were. Sisters, even. It was a relief when I felt I could only trust a handful of people right now.

We went out back and into the woods on a walking path. I was dead tired, hungry, and knew I had a full day ahead of me, but I also needed my best friend to know what had just happened.

I quickly brought her up to speed on Maxim proposing marriage and then the threat to my sisters and the bows.

“They’re okay,” I pressed when the color drained from her face.

“I just got back from them, but…” I then told her about Elaine’s plan to move them to some undisclosed location in the country and Liana’s plan to get Valor a creature early.

Her mouth popped open a little at that. “It’s scary because it’s never been done before that early, but honestly, Aisling, it might be the only way to keep them safe.”

“I know.” I kicked at some moss on a rock.

“If you asked, my mother would go with the girls as a tutor. She could also help mother them. I worry Valor doesn’t have anyone soft around now that you’re gone.”

“Hey!” I punched her arm. “I’m not soft.” It was a sweet offer, though. One I would seriously consider.

She grinned, but then her face took on a serious expression. “You were soft compared to your father, Aisling.”

I squirmed at that. She wasn’t wrong, but it felt wrong to speak ill of the dead. Why was everyone coming down on my father? Elaine, Caruso, Kohen! Let the man rest in peace.

“He was a widower, a ruler of the country… he did the best he could.” Had my mother stayed alive, things might have been different.

Tetra nodded. “I’m just saying, my mom loves your sisters, and if you need someone to help make them feel safe emotionally, I know she would jump at the offer.”

Maybe that’s what half the problem was. The girls felt like they had no family. Elaine left them to help me. I left them to help the country. They needed a mother figure.

“You know what, T? I’m going to ask her. Thank you.”

She gave me a small smile and nodded. “Now, tell me more about Kohen.”

I bristled. “What do you mean?”

She gave me that don’t start with me look, and I burst out laughing.

“Do you think it’s obvious to everyone else?”

Tetra shrugged. “Only to me. Or those of us who know you so well. I see the glances you steal across the room. Aisling, you love him.”

Hearing her say it cemented it for me. I couldn’t help the stupid, goofy grin that graced my face at that moment. “I do.”

Tetra was smiling, too, now. “Good for you!” She shook my shoulders. “This is what our youth is for, having forbidden romances with sworn enemies. I live for this.”

I raised one eyebrow. “Are you also having a forbidden romance?”

Was her romance with Dev forbidden just because he was Imbrian?

She grinned. “Well, not so forbidden as frowned upon.”

That felt wrong. How had we allowed it to come to this division between our peoples? It was so totally wrong, but Imbrians and Amerseans were encouraged to date within their own people only. Had my father started that? Or did it naturally come about within our culture because of the war?

“I should change that,” I said.

“Change what?” Tetra asked.

“The frowned-upon thing with Imbrians and Amerseans. That’s not right. I don’t know why we allow it to be. We’re one people. We can trust them. It’s been over a decade since the Blackout. It’s time to show the people that we are happily cohabitating.”

Tetra appraised me. “I’m liking this kind of talk. How will you do that?”

“I have no idea. But I’m in charge now, so I’m sure I can figure it out.” Maybe being empress wasn’t so bad. Maybe I could make a positive difference for the country. I’d always been trained to take over the war, but what if I could fight the prejudice between our people as well? A thrill went through me at the thought. It was as if my father dying had opened my eyes for the first time.

“Kohen is on the training field with Onyx, in case you are wondering.” Tetra batted her eyelashes.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “You’re amazing. Have I told you that lately?”

She shrugged. “Being your best friend is a tough job, but someone has to do it.”

I squeezed her before I let her go and started making my way to the practice field to find Kohen.

As I crossed the main quad, soldiers saluted me left and right. It was kind of exhausting to have to keep raising my arm to salute them back. Would a head nod do?

“Aisling!” Elaine’s voice had me spinning around and chills rising on my arms. It was the tone of her voice that raised the alarm bells. Panic. What now? Stars, how much more could I take?

She ran towards me with a large white envelope in her hands. Admiral Caruso and Commander Ledger flanked her.

At the sight of all three of them, I stood taller.

Another letter from Maxim?

“What is it?” I asked.

Commander Ledger took the envelope from Elaine’s hands and handed it to me. “The report finally came back on your father’s toxicology bloodwork.”

I steeled myself, unprepared for this, and yet… excited.

“Does it lead to anything useful?”

“It’s classified. For your eyes only.” He handed me the envelope, and I turned it over, seeing the red and blue taped seal and tiny printed words.

For Empress Aisling Everhart only.

I peered around me, wondering if I should take this to my office or just open it here. I’d have to speak to Kohen later, I guessed.

“Thank you. I’ll go over it and then call a meeting,” I told them. I wanted some time alone to deal with whatever it said. If there was somehow evidence in here that pointed to a single person, I wanted to process that alone. Especially since we were looking at fellow Amerseans, someone with close access to my father. Or Maxim. I just didn’t know anymore. I didn’t want to say it, but it could very well be Caruso who stood before me. Just because she’d been interrogated didn’t mean she couldn’t lie.

Commander Ledger appeared disappointed by that but saluted me, and then they all left.

‘I’m resting in the tree line if you want to open it by me,’ Liana offered.

I peered up at the tree line and grinned. ‘Are you always stalking me?’

‘I prefer to call it keeping you safe, but yes, I am always looking out for you, Aisling.’

Reading this with Liana felt perfect. I walked across the quad and into the thick forest that blanketed the southern edge of the base.

I found her lazing on the ground with her head nestled in her right wing as she was curled up and nearly asleep.

“I don’t want to disturb you,” I said as I sat next to her and leaned on her back.

‘You’re never disturbing me, young one.’

I smiled at the nickname. ‘Everyone is younger than you.’

‘True,’ she laughed, and it was a cute snorting huff.

I stared at the envelope, my fingers pausing over the seal.

‘Are you scared to know who killed your father?’

‘Yes,’ I answered truthfully. ‘What if it’s someone I know?’

‘It will likely not state a single person but a toxin that you will have to investigate before finding the actual culprit.’

I knew that. I did. But I also just felt this foreboding feeling in my stomach.

Without overthinking it, I opened the report.

There was a bunch of useless stuff at the top. I scanned right to the conclusion of the report.

A new mark was found that only appeared later on the body. It was indicative of a small needle inserted into the neck. Blood toxicology shows a high volume of Hesperus, or “Evening star,” an herb found only in the foothills of Imbria. A tasteless, odorless poison.

It felt like time stopped, and the entire forest tilted on its axis as all the blood rushed to my head.

Foothills of Imbria.

Tasteless, odorless poison.

Meera?

My hands shook as I felt Liana stir under me. I peered at her to find that her eyes were wide.

‘Aisling, the needle in the report… remember the blow darts you told me Kohen used on the guards when you both came to free me?’

My eyes flew wide, and my heart stopped beating.

No.

Needle mark.

I won’t kiss you again for a long time.

Did Kohen kill my father? Or was he protecting Meera because he knew she did?

Everything I do is to protect you. Remember that.

No…

I stood, heart pounding, hands shaking. My head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. I was so confused.

Liana stood as well, shaking off her feathers, and peered up at me.

‘Did Onyx ever say anything ? —?’

‘No. I would tell you.’ I could feel the anger rising within Liana. She thought of Onyx as a son. If he hid this from her, she would be livid and devastated.

Maybe I was overreacting. Admiral Caruso interrogated Kohen, and he was found to be clean. So I was back to Meera. Little unassuming Meera.

Folding the papers, I told Liana to be on standby as I walked in a daze to the practice field Kohen was at.

He was alone with Onyx, using some throwing knives on a target stand. As if sensing me coming, he spun, and when I saw his face, my heart sank into my stomach.

Guilt. He looked guilt-ridden.

“No,” I said, shaking my head as if that could stop this.

“I had to protect you,” he said, and the confirmation caused a sob to rip from my throat.

What was happening?

Kohen had been using me this whole time! He wanted revenge for his father’s death, and so he killed mine and spun it as protection.

My devastation quickly turned to rage. My skin began to smoke.

“You killed my father?” I needed to hear him say it. I had to be sure.

“Aisling, listen, your father was behind the attacks on you at school. He wanted you dead?—”

“Lies!” I snapped, and a wave of fire flew from me and slammed into him, knocking him back. His eyebrows burned off along with half of his shirt, but his skin was fine. He and I shared the same gift of being impervious to flame.

He looked heartbroken. “I love you, Aisling! But he brainwashed you. He was evil and?—”

I exploded with more fire this time, but his own wall of flame flew from his hands and came out to meet mine. The two walls collided, causing a bomb of heat to explode in my face. I didn’t care. I was devastated, numb, dead inside.

First Jace, now him. Would men always betray me?

I knew I had to kill him. He’d just admitted to assassinating my father, the emperor. My numbness quickly turned to absolute hatred and rage.

This isn’t happening.

Onyx got closer to Kohen, and he slipped his leg over his creature, mounting the black dragon. “Look through his office. You’ll find proof of what I’m saying,” Kohen begged me as the walls of fire we’d erected between us died out at the same time.

‘I need you,’ I told Liana. He was going to flee. If he did, I’d use my power on him. I’d control him and force him to stay while I removed him of his head.

“I’m sorry, Aisling,” he said, again with the most heartbreaking expression on his face.

Sorry? He’d left my sisters and me orphans, and he was sorry?

It wasn’t until Onyx’s tail swung out and cracked me in the side of the head that I realized he meant he was sorry for that. Not for killing my father.

I tried to stay conscious, to hold on to reality, but the blow was too hard, and everything went black.