42. Niko

42

NIKO

I raced back into the temple with Gwyneira at my side, and I wondered the whole way whether I was making a mistake.

Not where she was concerned, of course. Being with her was the only thing in my life that still made sense.

But everything else…

Dex and my friends emerged from the hall leading to the tunnels just as Gwyneira, Roan, and I reached the main room.

“Everything okay?” Roan asked them immediately.

Behind us, a murmur rose. I looked over my shoulder.

Water trickled from the fountain, the flow growing stronger with every passing moment.

“Fine, freak.” Norbert strode past, bumping into Roan and making him rock to the side.

A quiver went through Roan. Quickly, Gwyneira put a hand to his forearm with a cautioning look.

One that was probably meant as much for the demon as my friend.

When no one responded to his jibe, Norbert cast a glance back. An intrigued look flashed over his face to see Gwyneira’s hand on Roan. His eyes raked over her body, a cruel smirk twisting his lip like he was imagining doing unspeakable things to her.

My fingers curled into fists, my magic seething to lash out and make him pay for looking at her that way.

The princess didn’t deign to notice that bastard in the slightest. “What happened?” she asked, directing the question at Ozias.

“Nothing we couldn’t fix,” Dex said briefly before Ozias could speak—assuming he even would have. Barring a brief glance of reassurance to Gwyneira, my bearded friend kept his eyes trained on Norbert like he wanted to rip the guy’s throat out.

“I’ll fucking kill that bastard if he doesn’t stop looking at her that way,” Clay growled in a low voice, his eyes locked on his cousin too.

This brought Gwyneira’s attention around. At the sight of Norbert, her brow arched and she drew herself up, every bit of her radiating royalty.

Norbert spotted it. Contempt replaced his smirk, but he didn’t say another word as he continued over to his father’s side.

A shudder coursed through me. I wasn’t a killer. Not really. But I had no doubt in my mind I’d be right there with Clay and Ozias if Norbert tried to lay a finger on Gwyneira.

As if dismissing the giant from relevance, the princess turned back to Ozias. “It didn’t seem like nothing.” She gave him an insistent look.

“It’s over,” Ozias replied firmly. “That’s what matters.”

She frowned.

“ Almost over,” Lars countered carefully, his attention still on the giants.

I let out a slow breath, trying not to panic. Right. That part.

Dear gods…

I swallowed hard. I wasn’t royal. I couldn’t be. I was a healer from the Forest of Azurine, and the only honor I wanted to attain in life was that of being a good partner to my treluria. But for Gwyneira’s sake—for all our sakes—I needed to pretend to be something else now. Animals in nature needed to see the leader at the forefront of a pack in order to believe that pack was strong. If the alpha hid behind others for protection, then predators would see weakness. They would attack.

No matter what, I needed to keep that from happening for as long as I could.

“Everybody ready to run for the hills?” Clay muttered.

“Quiet.” Dex’s eyes skimmed the room, assessing everything. “Everyone stay with Niko and—” He twitched his head toward Gwyneira rather than say her name.

My friends nodded. I drew myself up as tall as I could—never mind that I was the shortest giant of the seven of us—and started toward the enormous fountain.

Gwyneira never left my side. “Are you okay?” she murmured, her lips barely moving while she scanned the temple chamber.

I made a confirming noise. “You?”

She nodded ever so slightly. “Mm-hmm.”

We rounded the fountain, and my heart sank to see the duke already standing at its side. A host of giants waited beyond him, watching him like a king.

He barely spared them a glance, turning to us with a proud, condescending expression. “Ah, the dwarves finally arrive. We thought perhaps you’d given up and fled rather than continue this duplicitous claim.”

Shivers rolled through me. There was no doubt in my mind that the minute this ceremony confirmed he was the king, he’d label us traitors, put a price on our heads, and chase us all the way back to Aneira, where the queen and the Voidborn would make sure we died in the most horrific way possible.

Admittedly, that was the worst-case scenario.

But then again, we’d been running into a lot of worst cases lately.

“Breathe,” Gwyneira murmured.

My lungs did as she asked, and slowly, my head cleared. Gods, I was letting my imagination get away from me—and that was reckless as hell. Humans and giants were no different than animals, even if they pretended to be. They could sense fear.

But I knew how to handle that.

Drawing on every trick I’d learned to stay calm in the face of predators in the forest, I walked with my friends the rest of the way to where Ignatius and the duke stood. Murmurs followed me in a wave, most of them disbelieving and uncertain. The duke smiled at it all, radiating a confidence I could only pretend at possessing.

Eye contact with a predator was a challenge for a fight, so I locked my attention on the fountain instead. The wall of its basin was half my height, though on larger giants like the duke and Ignatius, it barely came up to their knees. But in the time we were gone, the rushing water had filled the basin nearly full.

“So many bodyguards,” Duke Ensid scoffed as my friends and I came to a stop several yards away. “Are you afraid of true Erenlians, dwarf?”

Acknowledging a predator could trigger them to attack, so I didn’t bother to reply. Keeping my body language neutral and calm, I turned to Ignatius. “What now?”

Ignatius took off his boots and then stepped over the basin wall into the water. “One at a time,” he said, “the ones who have stated a claim to the throne will stand within the pool. The waters of Syloria are no ordinary waters. They are alive with the magic of our people. They remember the royal blood that was last chosen to rule, and the power given and taken in this place. They will show us who has the strongest and truest claim to the throne of Erenelle.”

Murmurs of wonder ran through the giants. I wished I shared their awe. I was too busy eyeing the water with barely controlled dread.

The living water.

I’d never heard of such a thing. Not like this. I knew water had tiny organisms in it. That was a given, as was the fact it sustained life.

But for it to be alive in and of itself …

I glanced at Clay. His gifts were closely tied to water. If anything was dangerous about the liquid in that pool, he’d know it.

He caught sight of me, and he seemed to understand my silent question. “Yeah, um… the water’s definitely weird.”

“Weird how ?” Lars asked before I could.

Clay shrugged, his eyes returning to the basin. “I don’t know. Just… alive, I guess. Like the guy said.” His brow furrowed. “It’s kind of creepy.”

Well, that didn’t exactly make me feel better.

The duke strode forward, no trace of worry on his face.

“Boots off.” Ignatius held up a hand to stop him. “The Holy Water of Syloria deserves respect.”

The duke paused for only a heartbeat before saying dismissively, “You are too impatient, scholar. Of course I respect this water.”

Clay snorted with disbelief.

Ignoring him, the duke took off his boots and set them aside. His eyes skimmed imperiously over the room as if checking he had everyone’s attention, landing at last on us. A tiny smile crossed his face, one that clearly said he expected to be ordering our deaths soon.

But predators loved to posture. That didn’t mean I had to react to it.

His smile soured. My stomach quivered with a perverse sense of victory.

Turning sharply as if to put distance between himself and us, the duke slammed his feet down into the pool. Water splashed us, making Ozias growl and Clay mutter more curses.

I tried not to shudder at the thought of living water again, turning instead to check on Gwyneira. “You okay?” I whispered, looking her over quickly.

“Fine.” She smiled, but there was an edge to it. Her eyes never quite left the larger giants. “A little water never melted anyone.”

Norbert chuckled. “Gotta watch out there, dwarves. You might drown.”

My temper flared, only to falter at the strangely uncomfortable looks that flashed over the faces of Brock and the five henchmen who’d gone down into the tunnels.

What was that about?

I had no time to ask. Striding to Ignatius’s side, the duke spun, sloshing water around, and faced the room like he was already imagining everyone bowing while he sat on the throne. “Let the proof of kingship begin!”

Expressionless, Ignatius extended his hands over the water and began chanting words I couldn’t understand.

“He’s asking the spirits to show us the strength and truth of this one’s claim to the throne,” Byron murmured, translating.

“If anyone feels like praying for those holy waters to drown Deter’s ass,” Clay muttered darkly, “now’s the time.”

Roan and Ozias both looked wholeheartedly in agreement, while Dex’s eyes just scanned the room, constantly checking the exits.

Gwyneira reached out, taking my hand with a tiny smile. A small measure of my tension faded.

But then a murmur went up from the crowd, yanking my focus back to the fountain.

A shimmering glow was rising from the water. It hung above the surface like the ghostly lights that sometimes lit up the northern night sky, glistening with red and orange like the memory of a sunrise.

And then they grew stronger. Darker, taking on the color of blood.

The murmurs around the room became cries of surprise.

“Well, fuck.” Dread filled Clay’s voice.

I stopped myself from nodding, even as my heart sank. It was impressive. Admittedly disturbing, yes, given the fact it looked like blood hanging in the air. But the crimson glow seemed a clear sign the duke was tied to the throne.

Gods, how quickly could we get out of here?

I glanced at my friends, wishing I could ask. But to do so would only provoke the predators among the giants to attack us, never mind how my friends weren’t even looking at me anyway. Dex’s eyes darted across the room like he was running every possible escape scenario through his mind, not liking any of them, while most of the rest of my friends appeared on the edge of grabbing their swords, prepared for the fight we all knew had to be coming.

But Byron’s eyes were narrowed. He didn’t seem impressed at all. More like he saw something other than confirmation of the duke’s claim to the throne in that blood-red shimmer.

Confused, I pitched my voice as low as I could and whispered to him, “What’s wrong? Why do you?—”

“The waters speak,” Ignatius called, cutting off my question. “This one does indeed have a claim to the throne.”

Never mind then. But I swore the older scholar’s voice was tight, like he wasn’t any happier with this answer than we were. Even the duke seemed to hear that, his eyes sliding briefly to Ignatius as if making note of the tone.

“The dwarf!” someone in the crowd shouted. “Test the dwarf!”

Cries of agreement ran through the room.

I swallowed hard and then cursed myself silently for the brief show of nervousness.

But here came the moment I’d never been waiting for.

Duke Ensid drew himself up, that smirk returning to his lips. “Indeed. Let us prove this little dwarf’s claim to be false with our precious Erenlian waters.”

Dex’s jaw muscles twitched. A low, displeased rumble came from Ozias, while Roan cracked his neck like the demon was fighting to get out.

But what would happen when the waters really did prove that?

Gwyneira’s hand squeezed mine gently. “It’s going to be okay,” she murmured. “No matter what.”

Utter certainty was in her eyes, and it stilled my breath. Gods, I loved her. Marveled at her. Wanted to spend the rest of my life worshipping her. She’d come so far from the frightened princess who once collapsed in exhaustion inside the cabin of seven strangers, and no matter what, she would always be my queen.

Gods, please don’t let this be the last time I saw her…

“We’re with you,” Dex assured me, his eyes on the giants.

I nodded, trying to look confident when I felt anything but.

Yet, in nature, animals would puff themselves up when they were scared, pretending courage although they were secretly terrified.

So that would be my choice too.

And with any luck, the Erenlians before me wouldn’t know the difference.

“You’ve got this, buddy.” Clay flashed his bright, joking grin, the one I hadn’t seen in a long while.

Right now, it looked like a shield on the battlefield. Turning to face the giants, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Dex, while nearby, the rest of my friends did the same, until they all formed their own wall between me and the crowd.

A small shiver coursed through me, one made of gratitude and love for the incredible family I had. Yes, I knew we’d all be running for our lives in a few minutes, but I’d still be worthy of their faith in me.

Holding myself as if I feared nothing, I took off my boots and then swung my legs over the lip of the basin. Noises of amusement came from the crowd to see me hoisting myself past the ledge.

Nearby, Ozias growled louder, the sound bordering on feral.

And honestly, even that helped. Yes, it was odd to know he could make that sound because he wasn’t exactly Erenlian like I was. But when I glanced back, his eyes were on the crowd and his body language radiated that death was coming for whoever mocked me.

Resolutely, I dropped into the basin on the other side of the wall, bracing myself as the water splashed up around me. On the duke, the liquid had barely risen above his calves. On me, it was up to my hips, soaking me with its cold touch.

And it felt strange . Tingly, but so faint it was only the barest hint of a sensation.

Living water…

Doing my best to ignore that, I forged onward to Ignatius’s side. With a calm expression, the old scholar gestured for me to face the rest of the room, and so I did, drawing myself up and trying not to shiver at the cold.

In the crowd, more than one giant didn’t bother to hide their amusement.

“Looks like a lil kid, he does,” someone commented.

“Ignatius’s grandbaby,” another replied.

Several people snickered, and the duke’s smirk grew. By the basin, Gwyneira glanced away from the giants to peer over the top of the wall as if checking I was okay. Nearby, Clay shifted position like he was fighting the urge to respond to the taunts and Ozias rolled his shoulders like he was doing the same.

I gave Gwyneira the best smile I could manage. But maybe it was for the best if the water decreed that I didn’t belong. That this was all some weird mistake, never mind what I’d felt by the barrier wall. After all, as Clay would say, who needed this kind of bullshit? In the end, it really would be best if we could just go back to the mountains and rebuild the cabin and live in peace where no one cared what we looked?—

The water began tingling stronger around me. Much stronger. I glanced down in alarm, but I couldn’t see any reason for the change.

But gods, the tingling sensation was pressing in on all sides like needles prickling over my skin.

“Begin,” the dude called imperiously, like he was already the king officiating this entire ceremony.

“Ready?” Ignatius murmured to me.

I pulled my attention from the water. “Uh, yeah.” I cleared my throat. “Yes.”

Gods, I needed to sound more confident if I wanted to hold the predators at bay. Kingly, or even just like a powerful giant who knew he belonged.

Rather than a worried young man who definitely didn’t want to get his friends killed because he’d been foolish enough to listen to the sorrowful cries of a glowing magical wall made out of dead people.

Gods, what had I been thinking?

Solemnly, Ignatius turned to face the crowd again. He extended his hands over the pool, murmuring the same words as before.

A heartbeat passed. Another.

Maybe this all really had been a mistake. Maybe it?—

The tingling pressure started to swirl around my body, coursing across my skin through my sodden pants. The water began to glow.

Around the room, the chuckles stopped.

A red shimmer rose from the water, but it wasn’t alone. More shades followed, shining like those nighttime lights in a northern sky—red and orange, gold and green. Blue as well, and deep purple. The rainbow emanated from the entire pool, like the water itself was made of light.

Shocked gasps came from the giants.

For a moment, I thought they were for the glow around me. But when I tore my eyes from the light, the crowd was staring at something behind my back.

Warily, I looked over my shoulder. Out of the shimmering mist, a shape was forming like a ghost. It looked like a giant, like a man. Clad in chain mail and armor, he stood with an enormous sword in one hand and a golden crown atop his head.

“King Archerias,” one of the giants cried. “That’s King Archerias.”

Suddenly, the apparition moved, its free hand lifting.

Coming to rest on my shoulder.

Alarmed cries broke out around the room. “The king claimed him! The king claimed the dwarf!”

I couldn’t even breathe. There was no weight to his hand, only a stronger tingling like my shoulder had gone numb. And as for the man himself, he was obviously a giant, not a dwarf, but his eyes… his nose…

Were they familiar somehow? Maybe even sort of like mine?

My gaze darted faster over the figure as my heart raced. Even made of light, there was a suggestion of brown in the giant’s skin, as if the stone-like flesh would have resembled brown marble in life.

A slightly darker shade of my own olive tone.

I couldn’t breathe. This wasn’t possible. Was I really related to this man? This… gods, this king ?

The apparition’s head tilted downward slightly, his gaze dropping toward me, though his eyes weren’t focused and his eyes stared through me.

But it felt like he was looking at me all the same.

“Welcome, my son. Welcome, heir to the crown and throne of Erenelle.”

The words boomed out over the room, though the figure’s mouth didn’t move.

A hushed wave of surprised and alarmed murmurs from the giants greeted the words, but I could barely make them out over the rushing of my own blood in my ears.

Son? Heir? Had the figure of the king just called me his son and heir?

The apparition’s head rose again, his gaze leaving me, and his other hand moved, lifting the shimmering sword. I tensed, trying not to recoil as he tilted the blade forward.

But he didn’t strike. He pointed.

Straight at Roan.

“Welcome, son of his mother. Welcome, brother to the crown.”

Roan froze. I did too. He… That wasn’t… He couldn’t mean Roan was my…

Oh. I knew what this was. I must be dreaming. Honestly, I couldn’t believe that hadn’t occurred to me before. I must have hit my head in the mines, and this all was a fiction my brain had concocted to cope with the trauma and swelling that would probably kill me if left untreated.

So I needed to wake up. Any minute now, really. I obviously needed medical assistance, so any second now would be?—

The sword moved, the tip pointing at each of my friends and Gwyneira. “Welcome, the Nine.”

Oh, gods, not that again. Even my dreams couldn’t stop telling us we were in danger.

The apparition drew the blade back, returning the sword to its upright position in his grip. “The shield of Erenelle stands ready to defend this world.” Tilting his chin higher, his expression imperious and solemn, the king stared into the distance as if all our futures played out before his eyes. “The skies shall fall.”

The glow on the water faded, taking the figure of the king with it, until only the empty air and the ruins of the temple remained.

Silence reigned supreme.

“King Archerias has spoken,” Ignatius announced, his voice a bit faint, as if even he was shaken. “The waters of Syloria have spoken. By the laws and rites of our people, their word will be obeyed. All hail King Niko of Erenelle!”

Chaos really was too mild a word for the giants’ reactions.

People shouted. Others stared like I’d suddenly sprouted three heads. Several more had the strangest expressions of relief, like maybe they’d secretly hoped I would be chosen and not the duke.

And I still hadn’t woken up.

“It’s a fucking trick!” Norbert yelled. “The dwarves did something to the water! To the spell!”

Brock stared at us. I couldn’t read his expression at all.

Ignatius’s shout carried over the cries of the crowd. “That was not all King Archerias said!”

The noise dwindled, though it definitely didn’t die. Rumblings of confusion still came from the giants, while Norbert and the duke glared like they wanted to peel the flesh from my bones.

“This young man isn’t only the heir of our late king,” Ignatius announced. “The time of the Nine has come. And if anyone—” he fixed his eyes on Norbert and the duke briefly, “—should harm the heir or his friends, they risk our entire world.”

“The hell I do,” Norbert snarled, yanking out a knife he’d gotten from the gods knew where.

He charged straight at me.