14. Idris

Chapter 14

Idris

I 'd never been so pissed off and turned on at the same time.

The woman at my left barely looked at me as we traversed the nearly pitch-black caverns underneath the castle. Her jaw set, her mind buzzed like a hive of bees, her racing thoughts needling my brain. I couldn't hear all her thoughts, just the ones too loud for me to ignore, but it was safe to say my first in-person impression was not the best.

Vale did not give a single fuck that I was a king, didn't care that I had ruled a kingdom for longer than she'd been alive, that I had more magic under my skin than my body could contain alone.

She still thought I was scum, and honestly, I couldn't blame her.

In two hundred years, I had been helpless to watch as witch after witch died trying to break the curse that poisoned all of the magic in Credour. The same curse that hamstrung the dragons as a whole, that siphoned power from witches and vampires alike, that crushed shifters under its power.

It was my fault the curse was even a reality.

But under all my guilt, I seethed. White-hot jealousy raged under my genial smile and carefully crafted fa?ade. Vale was supposed to be mine, and yet, it made perfect sense as far as curses went. The one woman who spoke to my soul, who was brave and smart and beautiful, wanted absolutely nothing to do with me and everything to do with the two men I counted as brothers.

Fighting over a woman was what got me cursed in the first place. Damn if it wasn't a bitter pill to swallow watching history repeat itself.

And still, I could not get the images of her running full tilt into a dragon fight out of my head. Zero hesitation, she just raced into the fray, not realizing that she would be as good as dead should Rune decide it was so. And then she stood in front of my men, protecting them with her magic, putting herself in harm's way to save their lives.

Never—not once—had a single Luxa earned the respect and favor of Rune, had him defend her as if she were precious. Other than a handful of witches, very few even survived Rune at all.

She was unlike any before her, but if I couldn't convince her to give a shit about helping me, we would be dead in the water. Hell, I couldn't even unclench my own jaw long enough to tell her not to worry about the council members we were set to meet or the mob outside the castle gates.

Maybe it was better not to lie to her.

There were still two more trials for her to overcome, and yet, the most perilous thing she would face would be the council we were hiking toward. Then again, with the way she put me in my place, the poor saps would likely either fall in love with her or plot her doom.

Unlike any other Luxa before her, Vale didn't so much as take my hand as she hiked up the winding path toward the castle proper, her only moment of pause at the staircase. She swallowed hard as she stared at it for a second, but it wasn't I who was able to comfort her.

No, it was Kian, twisting the knife in my chest as he moved past me to get to her. He'd been my friend, my confidant, my right hand for centuries, and yet, she had so easily drawn him away with her light.

Frozen, I watched them climb, unable to understand how everything had gone so wrong so quickly.

"She's afraid of heights," Xavier whispered under his breath, remaining at my side.

That was definitely a problem, but not one I could think about right now. I was still pissed off Kian was walking with her, holding her hand, naked as the day he was born, without a shred of shame. Well, and the fact Vale hadn't so much as blushed at his nudity.

Growling, I weaved a pair of pants onto both of them from thin air, hiding their bodies from her gaze—not that she was looking. Her eyes were forward, her spine straight, her face blank, even though the scent of fear wafted from her very pores. The staircase was old, of course—everything in the castle was—but it was sturdy enough to hold us all, and the thick stone banister protected her from falling.

I had an inkling of what she had gone through and what kind of life she might have lived with the Perder Lucem , but the amount of steel in her spine astounded even me.

"Why?" I hissed, the word barely leaving my lips. Rune loved her, Kian and Xavier were licking her heels, I was half in awe of her. What did she have to fear?

"People fall, Sire. Her friends, her parents, perfect strangers. And under the mountain, she has been forced to watch as they die. And then life moves on as if their deaths meant nothing. Over and over again. Every day."

Kian and Vale continued on, but I didn't move an inch. "She told you this?"

Xavier didn't so much as look at me, his icy blue eyes so full of longing pinned on the woman walking away from us. He shook his head. "I healed her from the brink of death. That much magic passing between us? I likely saw more than she wanted me to."

No wonder she hated me. She saw me as a monster who let witches die for two centuries with no end in sight. And no wonder Kian and Xavier were half in love with her already. The way they were raised? They likely saw themselves in her.

"Anything else I should know?"

His gaze hardened as he actually met my eyes, something Xavier usually avoided at all costs. The resolve in his expression reminded me why I'd chosen him as my hand all those years ago.

"I will not watch her die. Do you understand? Neither of us will."

It was a threat and a promise all rolled into one, and I couldn't decide if I was proud, jealous, or pissed the fuck off. I figured it was a mix of all three.

"So noted."

The scent of fear wafting from Vale didn't dissipate until we reached the castle proper. Her heart was beating faster than a hummingbird's, but she didn't seem winded in the slightest. If it weren't for the death grip she had on Kian's fingers, I wouldn't have that first clue she was a hairsbreadth away from losing her mind.

I couldn't send her into the lion's den like that.

"You two, go get dressed. I'll prep her for the council."

My most trusted advisers, my closest friends in the world, stared at me like they were considering telling me no. Vale seemed to pick up on the tension, because just like she had with Rune, she stood in between them and certain danger.

"It's fine. I'd like to know what I'm walking into."

After a tense moment, the pair of them nodded and took off to actually put on real clothes to replace the illusions I'd conjured for them. I took that slight reprieve to survey her comportment, something the council would try to pick apart at the first sign of weakness.

Her spine was ramrod straight, the corset under her gown likely helping in that regard. The dark color of the fabric hid any filth from the caverns, and other than the drop of blood at her sleeve where she'd cut herself, she was the picture of perfection.

Then again, I was biased.

Gently, I took her elbow, guiding her to a small alcove where we could talk alone. She stared at my hand on her sleeve as if she would enjoy burning it off, but I didn't let her go until she was where I wanted her.

"Let me guess," she hissed, crossing her arms, "I'm about to walk into a room where I'm going to be picked apart by a group of old men who know nothing about me. Is that about the gist of it?"

The laugh that rumbled from my chest was just as foreign as it was welcome. I couldn't recall the last time I'd laughed, but it made sense that she was the one to do it. "You have it exactly right. There are twelve members of my council from all of the separate factions still remaining in the kingdom. They will ask you questions about your lineage, your abilities, and when your power is manifested."

She rose a single eyebrow that said, "That's it?" all on its own. "Those should be easy enough to answer. Why do you think I need to be prepped, then?"

"Because they are ancient and believe in the old ways of doing things. They will inspect your deportment, you're bearing, and judge you based on it."

Those gorgeous green eyes rolled as she shook her head. "This should be interesting. Any tips and tricks you want to share?"

Every other Luxa had come from money, from powerful families, from social climbers with less status than they wanted. Vale, coming from the heart of our enemy, was none of those things.

"You don't need my advice, Vale," I murmured, moving closer to her, wanting those beautiful eyes on me. "It doesn't matter what they think. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks. The only thing that matters is whether or not I believe you can break the curse, and I know you can."

Then she gave them to me, looking into my eyes for the first time since we got up here. "Then why do I have to meet them at all? Why shove me in front of some old fogies whose opinion means fuck all?"

"Because, unfortunately, this is the way it's always been done. If I want to keep the peace, it's the only way forward. Considering the mob outside my castle walls, you know more than anyone how incredibly fragile it is."

Her heart thundered so hard I could almost feel it in my own chest. "So if I go in there and they hate me on sight, what does that do for you?"

This was why Kian and Xavier were already in her pocket—had to be.

"Absolutely nothing. I'm not in charge of who Fate decides to show to me no more than they are in charge of who Fate decides should break this curse. I just have to show up and do my job the same as you."

Somehow, her spine got straighter. "Fair enough."

"I trust that if you can survive the guild, you can survive these assholes just fine."

She huffed as she shook her head. "I don't know why you sent Kian and Xavier away. You could have just as easily said what you needed to in front of them."

"Other than they needed clothes, you mean? Because I'm inherently selfish," I murmured, taking in her scent that was only slightly tainted by theirs. "In all of the futures I ever saw for myself, I never once considered that I might have to share. I find I don't like it much."

Those gorgeous green eyes flashed with ire, sweetening her scent to the point I was nearly mindless. "I am not a toy to be fought over or a prize to be won. I am only here to do a job and that is all I am here to do."

Oh, how fun it will be to change her mind.

"Why come here at all, then?" I asked, stalking forward as she backed away, the wall halting her progress far earlier than she wanted it to. "Why allow them to bring you here?"

That question had been burning me up for an hour. If she hated me that much, if she didn't want anything to do with me, why allow herself to be taken?

"You're the one who can read my mind. You tell me."

My gaze dropped to those full lips. Oh, how I wanted to see if they tasted as sweet as they looked. But she didn't want me—of that she'd made herself perfectly clear.

"I can't read your mind all the time. It's only when you're screaming at me that I can hear your thoughts. Once upon a time, that was considered a blessing. I'm guessing you'd consider it the opposite."

Her shoulder lifted in a gentle shrug. "I don't know. Hearing your voice on the mountaintop kept me alive," she admitted, her begrudging tone just as enticing as her scent. "Maybe it's not so bad."

I couldn't help it, I lifted her chin with a single finger, meeting those eyes. "And here I thought you hated me."

They narrowed to slits as the perfume of need wafted into my nose. She might dislike me, but she didn't hate me—not completely.

"Who says I don't?"

"Your scent does. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

At the sound of footsteps, I stepped back, allowing her to have her space before we walked into the throne room only for the council members to fuck it all up.

"Your family name," Dorian demanded, sitting back in his seat as he surveyed Vale with a curled lip. He hated witches on sight, so getting his approval would be an impossible task—half the reason I hadn't told her just how hostile this meeting would be.

Vale's ire—her rage—made her far more formidable than she thought. And just like I expected her to, she latched that penetrating stare onto the vampire and took him to task.

"Tenebris. Though, I don't know what good that information will be to you, considering you've hated me since I walked in that door. Well, that, and the fact just about everyone in my family is dead."

Kian tried to cover his snort of laughter, but Dorian still heard him, removing his hateful stare from Vale.

"Tenebris is an older line, but still just as formidable," Fenwick remarked, his ancient, crooked frame leaning forward in his seat. "We thought your family died out. Glad to see the scrolls were wrong. Do you recall how your family passed, child? I do hate incomplete records."

Vale appeared stricken for a second at the blatant—if unintentional—disrespect before she firmed her jaw. "If the guild leader of the Perder Lucem is to be believed, dragons chased them off a mountaintop and they fell to their deaths rather than get cooked by dragon fire."

That had me sitting up. Not one memory I'd gleaned from her told me she blamed dragons for her parents' deaths. But it did explain why she wanted nothing to do with this kingdom. I wondered what other lies Arden poisoned her mind with.

"Though," she continued as light flickered from the healing cut on her wrist, "considering Arden also stabbed me and tied me to a stake to be burnt alive, it's completely possible he was lying. Sorry I can't complete your records for you."

The ancient mage was considered the head maester of the records and likely didn't catch her sarcasm, but Dorian did. And like the vampire he was, as soon as he smelled blood, he was as vicious as a shark.

"What makes you think you can break this curse, girl?"

The look she gave him could have melted iron. "I did help take out a whole conclave while covered in Lumentium , so I might be able to handle it. Or," she offered, holding up a finger, "it could be the dragon under your castle that really likes me. Other than that? Not much."

Her slow sinister smile was a thing of beauty, but watching the council lose their minds? Fucking priceless.

"You've already passed the first trial?" Dorian scoffed, his sneer out in full force as he stood from his seat. "With no witnesses? And we're supposed to believe the word of a lying guild snake?"

Of course Dorian would be the problem.

"Who said she didn't have witnesses?" I asked, shutting him down before he fucked up and said something he couldn't take back. "I observed the trial personally." My words were laced with the power I so rarely set free as I waited for Dorian to try to impugn my honor.

"B-but how? When?" Dorian sputtered, the council buzzing around him with obvious affront.

This wasn't protocol, but nothing about Vale followed the rules.

"If you want," Vale offered, "we can walk on down to the caverns, and you can watch Rune curl around me like a kitten. But honestly, that staircase is a bit much if you ask me."

Another snort to my right reminded me that this had gone on long enough, but Vale wasn't done.

"Before you call me a liar again, remember that I didn't ask to be here. I personally don't give a single fuck what any of you think about me. My goal is to break the curse and move on with my life. If you want to stand in the way of that, fine. But remember, I've been living for years in the heart of a guild that would have killed me at the first hint of magic, and I survived."

Power bloomed from the healing cut on her wrist, her light so bright, it had Dorian along with the rest of the council, shielding their eyes. It expanded in a dome around her, the magic growing until it swallowed myself, my throne, as well as Kian and Xavier. The walls of it crackled with blistering heat, and this was without even a hint of training.

What would she be able to do when she was at her full strength?

"If you're trying to scare me, you're doing a poor job of it," she hissed, her voice throaty with the threads of her power. "I've been keeping my magic under wraps for five years just to stay breathing. If you think a sneer and a bad attitude are going to intimidate me, I hate to break it to you, but you're going to have to step up your game, sweetheart."

Then, she dropped her magic just as quickly as she wielded it and winked at Dorian. Gods be damned, she was fucking magnificent.

"Vale has passed the first trial," I thundered, drawing the attention of the room back to the matter at hand. "She will reside here to hone her magic until I deem her ready for the next trial. And any disrespect to her will be considered as a slight against me. Is that clear?"

The chorus of "Yes, Your Majesty" was music to my ears.

"Then you are dismissed. Leave us."

It was only when the double doors closed did Vale stumble. Before I could catch her, Kian was across the room, his speed one of the reasons he had always been my right hand.

He guided Vale to an empty chair, his expression darkening at the blood dripping from her nose.

"She's using too much magic," Xavier murmured, echoing my thoughts.

We'd seen this before, Luxa burning out before the trials could be completed, and it sent a spike of fear right through the center of my chest.

"Then you'll have to teach her how to use it properly," I hissed, fighting the urge to sweep her up and take her to the very healers who'd just stood there and called her a liar.

The only way she would survive any of this was if she could defend herself.

And the person teaching her couldn't be me.

My jealousy was about to bite me in the ass.