3. Aramis

Chapter 3

Aramis

T he sound of a dagger slicing through rope is a symphony to my ears.

"Glad to see yer still alive," Nero says, sheathing his dagger back into his boot. I wince, rubbing my chafed wrists as sensation and blood flow return to my hands. The sight of him and two other men approaching as the first light of dawn graced the sky had filled me with relief.

"Thanks," I say to Nero as I glance up at the burly, tall man standing next to him with chestnut brown hair and piercing blue eyes who had been silent. I can't put my finger on it, but I could have sworn I've met this male before. "I am Aramis."

"I know," he says, nodding to my best friend as he examines me. "Nero told me as much. You both look worse for wear."

Glancing down, I grimace at the disheveled state we're both in from traveling. From our mud-coated boots to the green stains on our once-tan pants, it becomes evident that we are in desperate need of a proper bath. Running my hand over my jaw, I feel a week's worth of growth, emphasizing the need for both a bath and a shave. The lingering scent of sweat that surrounds us reinforces the urgency. I look more like a peasant than a prince.

"We traveled hard and fast to make it here." I square my shoulders, standing to my full height and raising my chin. "I must speak with the council."

"We are eager to hear what you have to say." He holds out a hand and we shake firmly. "My name is Roger. Roger Macgregor."

Macgregor.

I school the shock from my face. He couldn't possibly be related to Kela. But as I look at him, I can't deny the unmistakable tilt to his head, the way he holds his body, and his eyes. She had his eyes.

"Let's go," Aries barks out. "Unless you want to look worse in front of the council by being tardy." He snickers and turns, walking away.Nero's improved mood gives me hope that I might not be walking straight to the guillotine, so I step forward, nearly stumbling at the weakness of my body.

"Woah there, Aramis. Need a hand?" I cut a sharp glance in Nero's direction, willing my body to listen to me, but I sway on my feet.

"Solari is still learning to control her magic. You'll feel weak and shaky like you're recovering from the plague for a few hours at least. Her touch has put even the strongest of us to our knees." Roger's lips purse together as he stares toward her and Aries in the distance.

"What is she?" I ask, reluctantly accepting Nero's help. I lean heavily on him, my legs wobbling like gelatin as we make our way toward the village.

"She's a halfling. Her mother was a python shifter, but she never spoke of the father. Her mother passed away sixteen years ago. She caught the vermillion fever at the end of her pregnancy and passed hours after giving birth to the babe. She was born with pure white hair, porcelain skin and silver blue eyes. We didn't think she'd make it, especially after everything her mother went through, but she held on."

"She is just a wee bairn," Nero says. "I've never seen her when I've come before."

"She is a strange child, as if she only has one foot in this world. She used to keep to herself and we mostly let her. But then her peculiar powers started manifesting a few years ago and Aries decided to take her under his wing." The tone lacing those last words betrays a note of discontent in regard to this choice.

"And her other heritage?" I ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"We haven't been able to figure that out and her mother didn't leave any hints. She hasn't shown any sign of shifting or other powers, but we've never seen or heard of anyone else like her."

Children with abnormal powers, elementals fated to shifters; this can't be a coincidence. Something is coming and even the Goddess is intervening.

The gentle sounds of a village waking from slumber start getting louder as we approach the camp. My battle instincts kick in, observing and categorizing everything I see.

Following a dirt road, we pass hundreds of tents in multitudes of colors, their walls illuminated by flickering flames. Clotheslines hang from tent to tent, where garments sway gently in the breeze. Shoes seemingly belonging to both adults and children are orderly placed by the entrance. The inviting aroma of porridge sways my way from the big pots balanced above fire pits scattered between tents, making my empty stomach cramp up. The few shifters already active at this time of day sit on the makeshift benches around the fire and send curious looks in my direction.

As we make our way toward the heart of the camp, the tents are soon replaced with cottages in various stages of repair, some with sagging roofs, others with make-shift doors, but nonetheless, people seem to make do with what they have. I cower slightly at the thought of the riches I grew up with at the castle. Before us, in the center of town, stands a tall building with bland walls, small, cracked windows, and a heavy canvas sheet for a door. Aries and Solari are nowhere in sight. More and more people bustling through the dark streets stop and stare and I feel small, as if every sin I have ever committed is clearly visible on my face.

"Wait here," Roger says, holding back the sheet as we duck into the dark room beyond.

Nero supports me as I lower myself to the ground, legs still uncooperative, and leaves again. The room is large, the wood consisting of plain planks of wood without ornament. Worn, moth-eaten curtains cover the cracked windows. Tiny orbs of mage light float above a marred wooden rectangular table surrounded by eight chairs. From my angle, I can barely discern a map of Shadowvale, covered in various hand carved wooden figures. It's a war table.

"Fucking Aries." The fabric covering the door ripples as Nero's wings flair behind him, and I tear my gaze from the table. His body radiates tension as he paces in the cold stone floor beneath us. "That bastard has nay right to let her touch ye, use her magic on ye. It was unprovoked."

How many times did I extend less of a courtesy when we brought shifters to be questioned at the castle?

"If it gets us one step closer to saving the kingdom and winning their trust, I'd do anything," I vow as I gently stroke the golden thread deep in my core. It's what Sybil would want. The way she finally looked at me like a man and not the beast who tore her from her home and everything she loved.

"Be careful ye don't eat yer own words," Nero chuckles.

Murmuring voices outside draw our attention before the door is flung open. Roger, Aries and a group of other people enter the room. By their appearance, they vary in ages from no older than Edmund to as old as my father. Some have prominent shifter features in their demi-form, and others radiate elemental powers, although the majority seem to be shifters. Most wear tattered clothes, in little better shape than my own as though they escaped with only the outfit on their back. Their eyes burn into my skin as they pass, some pointing and whispering, some scowling, and others staring with curiosity etched into their faces.Eight sit in the chairs and turn to face me whilst Nero remains stoically by my side. I push to my feet, willing my legs not to give out on me, but the still lingering effects of Solari's magic mixed with the musty odor of packed, sweaty bodies nearly makes my stomach turn. I scan the gathered crowd, my instincts screaming to fight or flee. I've never been surrounded by so many shifters in one room and here I stand, weak, weaponless and nearly defenseless.

A tall, willowy man with cropped salt and pepper hair and cold, sharp green eyes like cut emeralds stands at the center of the table and lifts his aged hands. There's an air of authority to him enhanced by the deep lines etching his face. A quiet strength that commands attention. I don't need Nero to confirm this man holds most of the power within this camp.

"You should always respect wisdom when you see it in others, Aramis. Leaders respect other leaders." One of my father's few lessons before Tricella turned him into an empty shell, comes back to me. Before the memory can startle me, I am distracted by the mage lights brightening, illuminating the room further.

"Aramis Adrostos. Crown Prince of Shadowvale, you come before the council of Thorns, seeking to speak with us." The man's voice is deep, each word imbued with authority.

I nod, then open my mouth to speak but he turns, facing Nero, and continues, "Nero Lockheed, your absence has been a point of discussion. For weeks you have not reported back to us, yet you return not with the unicorn we were expecting, but with the Shadowvale prince?"

Heat burns along my neck at his dismissal, but I bite my tongue and bide my time. Some battles are better won with words than sword blades.

"Victor." Nero bows his head respectfully. "I apologize for my absence, but much has occurred since our last meeting. Tricella's forces–"

"We are aware Tricella's forces are on the move searching for the unicorn. We've heard the rumors from the scouts. What happened to the unicorn shifter?" Roger says, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

"That is one reason we are here. Sybil is trapped in the mountain passes. We were on our way down to find you to see if you knew the old entrances to the library of Harpalyke. We were camping in the caves overnight when an avalanche trapped Sybil inside."

"No one has been to the library in years. Not since the beasts took to the tunnels in the war. You're more likely to be eaten than make it there alive," Victor says.

"You cannot mean just to leave her there to die," I say, meeting his gaze, tension radiating through my body. The barest flicker of magic hums in my veins, a wind whipping through the room, causing the mage lamps to bob in the air.

"I told you he can't be trusted! His magic is wild and untamed as his temper. He's as likely to tear this village down in a royal tantrum as he is to report to Tricella," Aries says from his end of the table.

"That was hardly a wild show of power," a female with wild, wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes chuckles from the opposite end of the table. "If you want a true demonstration of untamed elemental power." She lifts her hand in the air, conjuring an orb of water. Her lips pull back into a grin as she leans over the table, the orb grows spiked projectiles as it spins faster.

"Enough, Evolet. This is not the time to provoke Aries."

"Fine." She leans back in her chair, casually letting the orb spin in her open palm, once again a smooth, opaque ball.

Victor turns back to me, frowning. "That is not what I said," he replies. "We value every life, shifter, elemental and any other who comes to our refuge. We have been looking for Sybil for years after hearing rumors of Tricella's hunt for her parents. For their kind . We will have our cartographers look for information concerning entrances to the library, and they'll consider sending scouts to search for her."

"Thank you," I say, clenching my fists and pulling back my magic until it simmers under my skin. My strength is slowly returning, and I stand taller but my heart races. They've agreed to help her, but how long will it take to find the tunnels and search for her?

"Have you heard any word from the castle since you left?" Victor raises an eyebrow, steepling his fingers before him as he stares at the two of us.

"No," I say, letting my head drop, feeling the weight of loss for everything I have left behind: my crown, my friends, and Edmund. Now the possibility of losing my mate too. "We have not had contact with anyone in the castle since we left, but Tricella knew where we were. I don't know how she found us, unless..."

"Hmm?" He raises an eyebrow, and the crowd falls quiet, leaning in expectantly.

How much can I tell them? Can I trust the shifters with intimate knowledge of who is close to me? What secrets can I reveal without endangering my family further?

"Tricella knows Nero freed Sybil and that I helped her escape when she sent her abominations to attack us in the woods. She has a seer, Kieran."

"That is not news to us. Nero has warned us of Kieran's powers for some time. Our village is warded by the best elementals and witches to protect our people from his sight. It's why we've evaded her attacks for this long. Feeding us old knowledge will not win our favor, Prince. We need help. We need answers to defeat her and stop her reign of terror." His last words are enhanced as he stands, punctuating the air, his voice hitting me in the chest like a physical blow.

"I did not–"

"Tricella has gone on a rampage since you two absconded with the unicorn right from under her nose. Her attacks have become more violent, her shadow demons kill with no regard to who is enemy and who is friend. Did you really think she would not inflict her rage upon others? Innocents? We had to pull all our spies from the castle for fear they'd be found out. Not even elementals are spared from her bloodlust now. And her demon pets are growing stronger by the day. At this rate, neither shifter nor elemental will be able to oppose her madness."

Evolet, the water elemental, bows her head to hide the scorn on her face. Did she flee from the citadel near the castle? What had happened to her?

"Tricella was stealing Sybil's magic, her very life force." I narrow my eyes. "If Nero hadn't saved her–"

The canvas door whips to the side, and we all turn as a female shifter storms into the room, baring her fangs. Anger pours off her in waves as she narrows her hate-filled gaze on the two of us.

"Where is my daughter? Where is my Kela?" The last notes of her voice end in a canine whine, her hands fisted, claws extended at her sides.

My daughter .

Suddenly, my chest feels too tight to breathe.

"Kaitlin," Nero begins solemnly. He holds the woman's gaze, and when the silence stretches on, she furrows her brows.

"Nero. Where. Is. Kela? You were supposed to be with her and the unicorn. She saw it. Where is my baby girl?" Roger pushes back from the table and comes to her side. He tentatively puts his hand on Katlin's shoulder, but the woman pushes him off. Nero, at a loss for words, shakes then bows his head.

"No." Tears line the woman's green eyes as she lifts a trembling hand to her mouth. The pain lacing her sobs is excruciating and my ever-present guilt echoes in my own heart that breaks at the sight of this woman mourning her daughter.

"Kaitlin," Nero says quietly, face falling with grief and anger. "We were ambushed by Tricella's shadow demons on our way here. We were outnumbered and under prepared."

She turns, burying her face against Rogers' chest as she wails. He holds her close, running a gentle hand across her back but his eyes are too hazy with tears.

"We did everything we could to save her. She fought like a true warrior," I say, even though nothing I say will be able to take away from the pain.

She turns to me, glaring with puffy red rimmed eyes. "I don't care what you did or what you think of her. If it wasn't for your family and that bitch ruling these lands, she would still be here." I flinch as she spits at my feet.

"We knew about the attack," Roger says over her head as he rubs comforting circles on his wife's back. "Kela told us as much before she left. She had seen it all. She didn't give us the details but the way she acted… we suspected something unsettling. We tried to convince her to stay, but commanding her was like commanding the ocean to stop crashing along the shore or the wind to stop blowing."

"Roger, if she knew, she should have said something." Nero's hands clench at his side. "If we knew, we could have been more prepared, taken a different route, anything."

"You know her visions didn't work like that, Nero," Roger replies calmly, taking a seat at the table and urging her to sit next to him.

"Where was the unicorn? Why didn't she heal her?" Kaitlin asks venomously, glaring at me. "How is she supposed to save our people if she can't even save one? Kela was only a pup, barely out of her youth!"

"Perhaps the prince is still in league with the queen," Aries starts. "She may even be tracking him here as we argue, a distraction!" He shoves his hand in the air, staring at the crowd around him

A murmur rises from the crowd as everyone begins to talk over one another. Hate filled gazes and pointed fingers move in our direction. I instinctually step back toward the door.

"He is a threat to all shifters," a deep male voice calls out.

"Everyone deserves a chance to change."

"What about Kela? What if it wasn't an accident?" My teeth grind at the obvious insinuation.

"We've already been over this–"

"What if he has already shared the location of the camp with his spies?" They begin to cast accusatory glances at one another.

"He let Kela die. He let hundreds of shifters be tortured by the queen. A life for a life!" Someone shouts from the back of the room.

Nero tenses behind me, hand reaching for the hilt of his sword. My palms begin to sweat, and I reach for my magic to throw a shield around us if needed. They may be out for blood, but I can't hurt them and prove not to be the monster they claim me to be.

"Enough," Victor's voice rings out, the magic lights flaring. The council has all risen from their seats, magic radiating off hands and claws outstretched and I see that it is equally comprised of half elementals and half shifters.

"Violence in response to violence will never break the cycle. We would be no better than the queen herself." Victor's stern voice commands the council to lower their arms and return to their seats, as the crowd quiets and steps back.

"Prince Aramis will undergo a trial for his war crimes against his people and a decision will be made with Alpheias's blessing."

A snarky laugh challenges Victor's sentence, and everyone turns their heads toward the only shifter reckless enough to oppose the old man: Aries.

"He is a threat to our village. You can't mean to leave him to roam free until a decision is made. From the rumors, he could tear down this village with his magic before the night's over. I hope you won't see the day you regret this decision, or we'll all be food for demons." Aries' venomous gaze lands on me and I can tell he'd be happy to rescind my head from my neck if they only give him the chance, just as I'd happily prove to him how good I am with a sword.

But Victor ignores the shifter's words, his sentence now law. The old man nods at the council members before leveling his stare on me. The stone hiding under my coat begins to pulse, matching my heartbeat, and I hold my breath,

"His trial will commence tomorrow at sunset. In the meantime, he will remain locked in the cells, his magic bound with the durgrim embedded in the walls."