Chapter 16

Chapter

Sixteen

A voice said: “Her vitals are good. Skin is pink, but no more burns. She’s healing nicely.”

I felt like I was stuck under a hundred-pound blanket, trying to pull myself up out of a dream.

“Let me know when she wakes.” Elaine’s voice gave me the boost I needed to fully open my eyelids.

“Tell her yourself,” said an elderly male doctor wearing a white coat—the voice I had heard. He saluted me.

“Aisling!” Elaine threw herself over me, pulling me to her chest.

I was in a large medical room with the privacy curtains pulled shut and bright lights shining in my face. I tried to say something back to her, but my voice was a croak. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.

“Let me examine her quickly, then I can give you privacy,” the doctor said.

Elaine stepped away from me, worry in her gaze. The doctor, who had a head of thinning silver hair, was barely holding on to a grin as he handed me a glass of water and helped me sit up.

“Immortality? Empress, it’s… amazing. You’re… amazing .” He sounded starry-eyed, and I wasn’t in the mood for it. How many people knew I could rebirth? Where was Kohen? How long had I been out?

“Liana?” I suddenly remembered my creature.

‘I’m outside waiting for you. Glad you made it, young one.’

“She’s fine—right outside,” Elaine told me.

The doctor held a stethoscope to my chest, and I batted him off. “I’m fine. You’re dismissed.”

He frowned. “Empress, I don’t think that’s wise?—”

“You’re dismissed,” I said again, this time more harshly.

He swallowed hard, nodding, and left the room.

Elaine released a shaky breath and opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off.

“How long have I been out? Did you find Kohen?”

“Three days. And no. But we’ve sent in a heavy contingent of soldiers looking for him. They’ve… met resistance, though.”

I barked out a laugh, standing slowly and gripping the corner of the bed rail as Elaine rushed to my side.

“Of course they have. Kohen killed my father, then he killed me, and now he’s trying to take back his country.”

Elaine growled. “Well then, we burn it to the ground.”

I nodded, glad she was thinking along the same lines as me. She helped me out of my gown and into clean clothes.

“Iniki found both you and Liana dead in the wilds. Creatures were circling your body. She held them off until we could get there.”

I’d have to thank Alek. Waking up from being reborn only to die again would have sucked. I wasn’t sure how many times I could fight that fire beast. It seemed stronger this time.

Elaine dragged a finger across my arm and the light pink skin there. It looked like I had a sunburn.

“Your entire skin was charred, Aisling. You looked—” Her voice caught. “But Tetra forced us to keep you in here. Said you would be… reborn. I wasn’t really sure what happened last time. We never talked about it in detail—” She was mumbling, and I placed my hands on her shoulders to steady her.

“I’m okay. You did everything right,” I told her.

Her mouth set into a grim line. “Aisling, I’ve raised you since you were little. You’re like a daughter to me. Seeing you… dead like that… was—” She stared off into space. “I never want to go through that again, but is this something that might happen again? Are you really immortal?”

‘Am I immortal?’ I asked Liana. ‘Will I age and grow old?’ I suddenly wondered.

‘You will grow old, yes. And you are immortal so long as you can fight the fire beast. One day, when you are old and gray, you may no longer be able to fight her, and then you will join your place among the stars.’

Okay, that was a lot to process. “Kind of,” I told Elaine.

She blew air out through her teeth. “Too many people saw. We couldn’t keep this secret. They are chanting immortal empress in the streets. The people have been inspired by this. They think you will reign forever and be able to protect them against anything.”

My stomach dropped. That was a lot of pressure.

“Immortal empress? Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe that will make its way back to Maxim and Imbria.”

Elaine nodded. “It could be a good thing.”

I rolled out my neck, readying myself for what was ahead. “Okay, it’s time to declare war on Imbria. If they are trying to separate, we have to shut it down before Kohen can take control.” I moved to the door, and Elaine stepped out in front of me to slow my progress.

“Aisling, there is one more matter to discuss first,” she said, chewing her lip.

I braced myself because she looked like she was about to deliver unsettling news.

“Some rumors have started here at the base. Jace was overheard telling people that you kissed Kohen at the graduation ball?—”

“Jace ratted me out!” I screamed.

I never should have publicly kissed Kohen. That was so stupid. I never should have kissed Kohen at all. But at the time, my father was still alive, and I hadn’t known I’d be empress a day later.

“Yes,” Elaine said. “And so now people see that Kohen wormed his way into your heart and then killed your father and you. They think your decision-making is…”

I glared at her. “What?”

“Weak. The admirals are calling for you to get engaged now and then married within a year, someone loyal to the empire.”

“Oh, because as a woman, I’m weak and fragile, and I need a man to help me think?” I snapped and then realized it wasn’t Elaine’s fault. She was just delivering the news.

Take a husband? I knew that would come eventually, but so soon?

“I’m sorry,” I told Elaine. “This is just a lot.”

She nodded, giving me a compassionate look. “Aisling, we always knew you would be empress one day and take a husband and have heirs.”

She was right. “Do you think my decision-making is weak?” I asked her.

She paused for too long, and my mouth popped open as hurt crept into my heart.

“Hang on, let me explain.” She reached out and grabbed my hand.

“I think choosing to trust Kohen Badshah enough to let him into your heart was stupid. I will not mince my words on that,” she declared.

There was the Elaine I knew and loved my entire life.

“But,” she went on, “I trust that every decision you make is for the good of the empire, and one mistake will not blemish your reign over this country. We just need to fix this now so it can move to the back of people’s minds.”

I sighed. “Okay.”

She nodded. “Okay. Your friends are outside. You should see them quickly and then meet me in the war room with the admirals to choose your husband.”

“ Then we can go to war against Imbria?” I pressed her.

She nodded. “Then we are all prepared to follow your lead on that.”

Okay, that was good. It sounded like an ultimatum, which I didn’t like, but my father had taught me that keeping the admirals and those high up in the chain of command happy and making them feel heard was important. I was going to get married sooner or later. Better that my people saw I would marry for the good of our country. Especially before this rumor of my being intimate with Kohen got out.

Kohen . I was still in shock at everything that had happened with him.

Why move aside on the first day to allow Tetra to stand near me at the Lottery?

Why leave his alliance so that I would take over and protect his friends when he could have done that?

Why protect my life when I was attacked at school?

Why help me get Liana right after we’d bonded and the Luskins had taken her?

Why, why, why? I had more questions than answers, but it really was simple when I took my heart out of the equation. He did all of that, so I would trust him. With that trust, he got close to my father and killed him. And now he was back in Imbria with his friends, probably working with a rebel faction to become king again and break away from Amersea.

We’d be two nations again, and I’d be fighting two wars, one with Luska and one with Imbria. No, I wouldn’t let that happen.

“Aisling?” Elaine peered at me and I cleared my throat, slightly embarrassed about being lost in my thoughts.

We stepped out of the medical center, and when we got outside, Tetra threw herself at me.

“That rat bastard!” she growled.

She was talking about Kohen. If I had my way, I’d never hear his name again.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” She squeezed me so tightly it hurt, but I squeezed her back.

When we pulled away, I noticed Alek and Roc were standing with her, concern etched across both of their faces. Their creatures hung back a few feet behind them—except for Iniki, who was perched on Alek’s shoulder.

I looked at her and Alek. “Thank you for your help.”

Alek nodded, frowning. “Of course. I’m glad to see you alive… again.”

The unsaid thing hung in the air like a pungent perfume.

I died and came back to life.

It was weird. I should probably address it, but I didn’t have the energy right now.

Roc saluted me. “Permission to be on the front lines when we dish out payback to Kohen and Imbria.”

I grinned. “Permission granted.”

Roc was loyal, always had been.

Tetra peered at the boys. “Can I speak to her alone, please?”

They nodded, and Alek gave me one last lingering look before they walked away.

When I was finally facing just my bestie, I felt some of the cement wall around my heart crumble.

“Ash.” She placed her hands on my shoulders. “I know how much you cared for him. I’m so sorry. I feel partly at fault for encouraging you to like him.”

I shook my head. “You didn’t do this, Tetra. He was calculating from the second he saw me on Lottery Day. This was always his plan. Anika and the others, too.”

I knew she’d grown close with Anika.

She chewed her lip, and I saw something cross her face.

“What?” I asked her, eyeing the door to the war room behind her. I was expected there soon.

“I was with Anika when it all went down. Kohen showed up and just gave her a nod. Then she grabbed my shoulders and said some crazy stuff.”

I pursed my lips. “Like what?”

She shook her head. “It’s crazy, Aisling. Can’t be true.”

“Like what?” I pushed.

She chewed her lip, like even saying it would get her in trouble. “She said your dad was the terrorist, not Kohen’s. That he was behind the attacks on your life at school and the attack on the train station during the Blackout.”

I barked out in laughter, and Tetra seemed to relax.

“I know. It’s too wild to be believable,” she agreed.

I nodded. “And what an easy scapegoat for them to explain their behavior.” My father bombing his own people and trying to kill his own daughter? It was asinine. But for a split second, a darker part of me wondered if he would do such a thing? No . Kohen had put that in my head, and if I went down that path, he won.

“Doesn’t matter.” Tetra waved me off. “It was crazy, and I’m in shock. I can’t believe they all lied to us like that. I trusted them.”

“Me too. Every single one.” Even little Meera who blow-darted my neck!

She pulled me in for another hug. “I’m here if you want to talk,” she whispered in my ear, and I nodded.

Lastly, I walked over to Liana. She’d been waiting patiently off to the side for me. I wrapped my arms around her neck and snuggled into her feathers, letting her calming energy wash over me.

‘Kohen killed me,’ I told her. Technically, it was probably Meera, but I knew she did nothing without his command.

‘Onyx took my life, too.’ I could hear the hurt in her voice.

‘They have to pay,’ I warned her. I would eventually find Kohen and kill him, and Onyx would die as a result of that.

‘I know that,’ she said, but there was something else there, too. Confusion?

I pulled back and met her gaze.

“What?” I asked. I’d known her long enough now to know when something was bothering her.

‘What Anika told Tetra lines up with what Onyx told me,’ she mused.

‘So what? They have all corroborated their insane story? It means nothing.’

‘Maybe, ’ she said.

I growled, taking a step back from her. ‘I don’t have time for this. The admirals want me to choose a husband, and I’m about to declare war on Imbria. I need to know you are with me one hundred percent.’

She bowed until her beak touched my feet. ‘I am yours to command, Empress.’

Pride swelled in my chest at her loyalty. A loyalty I wasn’t sure I deserved.

‘Thank you.’ I petted her neck feathers as she raised her head, and then I made my way to the war room.

I hated that being a woman not tied to a man made me look weak. At this point, I’d be fine never getting married or having children and just letting the triplets have families of heirs and take over when I was too old. Between Kohen and Jace, I was done with love. This would be a marriage of convenience. No love involved. So, I just wanted to get it over with.