Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Bastien

Bastien moved around Thalia’s living room, examining knickknacks and photos that represented her life over the past seven years. He vaguely listened in on the conversation between Kieran and Thalia in the kitchen as she prepared drinks. While he didn’t really want to be sociable, he knew Thalia needed some time to adjust. The alternative was to kidnap her with brute force to take her back to Vyronas, and that wasn’t really an option. He had no desire to further traumatize her.

For now, they were safe. All the erchras Ferelith had sent were dead, and Bastien cast a perimeter warning spell around the area to sound off if any more intruders appeared. He doubted more would come anytime soon, as it would take time for Ferelith to realize her demons had failed.

Kieran’s voice was boasting as he regaled Thalia with a trumped-up tail of once dispatching twelve erchras with nothing more than a butter knife, which elicited a genuine laugh from the princess. It was a low, husky sound of amusement, and Bastien knew that sound well. There was a time that laugh could’ve driven him to his knees in desire, but now it did nothing other than stir up annoyance at his brother’s shameless flirting.

From the mantel above the fireplace, Bastien picked up a framed photograph of Thalia’s parents, Jaron and Selena Clairmont. They’re sitting on horses with the Teton Range in the background.

That scene never happened, of course. It was a manufactured memory, part of the complex magical spell that brought Thalia here in the first place. It’s her actual parents’ faces, but they were never here in Wyoming. They died in Kestevayne when the throne was taken.

The magics surrounding her false reality made it so she wouldn’t want to leave this area, fake memories of rancher parents implanted and a deep sense of familial duty to continue this ranch. It was all done so Thalia wouldn’t stray and could therefore remain under a cloak of protection that was sealed around her and fortified with the ring he’d put on her finger.

Bastien wasn’t surprised the ranch had flourished under her care. She was an animal enthusiast, but horses were her greatest love. He wondered, though, if she ever felt she didn’t belong. He also wondered how lonely she was, for she was fairly isolated. This pricked his conscience a little.

Glancing into the kitchen, he was unmoved by Thalia’s stunning beauty. Oh, one couldn’t deny that her hair was glorious with its soft, chocolate-brown waves cascading past her shoulders. Her eyes were the color of spring grass, and they always sparkled with intelligence, kindness, and humor. Her lips were soft—that he knew from much experience—but that knowledge of her was so muted and dulled he easily pushed it aside.

As he looked back to the photos on the mantel, he could see Thalia was happy and content, and he knew that after tonight, he probably wouldn’t see such joy again. He was going to hit her with heavy stuff and would be receiving nothing but enmity from here on out.

Thalia walked into the room carrying two highball glasses and a bottle of amber liquid with a black label.

“Okay, I say we make this a drinking game. Every time I think one of you is feeding me a line of bullshit, you have to drink.” She threw a chastising look at Kieran. “You already owe me one for the erchras story you just told me.”

In only a few minutes, Kieran had managed to penetrate her distrust, significantly lightening her mood. There’d been a time in years past when he was able to do that with Thalia, but now he simply had no desire to see her laugh or smile.

Her amusement shouldn’t have irritated Bastien, but it did, and his tone was sharp. “This is no game, Thalia.”

The smile vanished, her words punctuated by anger. “You think I don’t know that? I’m very aware this isn’t a game, as evidenced by me nearly dying tonight. Even though you say you know me, you don’t. I use levity to ease difficult situations, and I’m sorry if that bothers you.”

“My apologies,” Bastien said stiffly with a slight nod. “I didn’t mean to offend.”

Thalia snorted as she addressed Kieran. “Is he always this proper and civilized?”

Kieran leveled a thoughtful look at his brother. “Do you mean stuffy and boring?”

Thalia nodded. “Exactly what I mean.”

Attention still pinned on Bastien, Kieran rubbed his jaw as if this were a complex riddle. “I’ve long suspected his humor was surgically removed, but no… he wasn’t always like this.”

More banter followed, and Bastien didn’t like it. But he didn’t tell them as much, merely waited for them to get serious about the discussion.

Thalia grabbed the liquor bottle and twisted off the cap. As she poured a few inches in the glasses, she nodded toward two chairs. “Might as well sit down.”

Bastien took one chair, which wasn’t quite big enough for his large frame to fit comfortably. Kieran took the other, and Thalia handed each man a glass before moving to the couch.

“Aren’t you having a drink?” Kieran asked.

Thalia picked up the bottle, put it to her lips, and took a hefty swig. She hissed through her teeth after swallowing and held it up. “No glass required. I feel like I might need the rest of this tonight.”

Dropping onto the couch, Thalia set the liquor on the coffee table that separated her from the men. She leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees, and clasped her hands. There was no more sparkle of levity in her eyes, her expression now deadly serious.

Looking between Bastien and Kieran, she said, “You have ten minutes to explain why you’re here. If I don’t believe you, I want you out of my house. If you don’t leave when I tell you to…” At this point, Thalia leaned sideways, reached under the couch, and pulled out another shotgun. She rested it on her lap and said, “I’m going to shoot both of you. Understand?”

Kieran barked out a laugh, but Bastien wasn’t amused. Thalia had placed her shotgun on a rack near the door when they’d entered the house, so it was a surprise she had a weapon in her hands again.

“Understood,” Bastien clipped out, refusing to look at the gun but keeping his eyes locked on Thalia’s. “Since our time is limited, I’m going to give you the short version, and you can ask questions as needed.”

Thalia nodded, lips pressed into a flat line of skepticism before he even started.

Bastien leaned forward in his chair, putting his untouched bourbon on the coffee table. “You are from a land called Vyronas. Kieran and I are from there as well. It is in another dimension.”

“Wait a minute,” Thalia interrupted, holding up her hand. “Assuming I believe you, are you talking about another planet?”

Bastien shook his head. “Vyronas is what’s known as an AltVeritas. A separate dimension of existence right here on Earth. There are many dimensions that exist—”

“I don’t believe you,” Thalia scoffed, again interrupting his explanation.

“You don’t have to,” Bastien replied flatly. “I’ll prove it to you soon enough.”

“How are there different dimensions?” Thalia asked, lending credence to the possibility that she might believe him a little since she wanted more of an explanation.

“Where we are now, here in Wyoming, at this particular time, is known as the Earth realm, or the First Dimension. Thousands of years ago, a meteor crashed to Earth, and it was discovered to have magical properties. The large stone was broken into smaller pieces, and the magic was used for many things, but often it was used to open doorways into other dimensions. To create other worlds coexisting with this one.”

Thalia raised an eyebrow. “Why would anyone want to create other worlds?”

“To escape persecution, poverty, prejudice,” Bastien replied. There were hundreds of reasons, but those were three very good ones. “There are similarities among the dimensions, but there are also great differences. For example, the First Dimension—which is here—is technology driven. Most other AltVeritas, including Vyronas, are driven by magics.”

“Give me an example.”

“Here on Earth, you may use a car or airplane to travel great distances. In Vyronas, we use magic to bend distance. To bring our destination to us so that we can step from one place to another.”

“I’d ask you to prove it to me now,” Thalia muttered, picking up the bourbon and taking another sip, “but I think that would waste time.”

Bastien took this to mean she believed him. He knew that her encounter with the erchras probably had more to do with her accepting this crazy story than his assurances.

“While there are several royal families, all of Vyronas is governed by a ruling sovereign from an old and advanced line of magic. House Clairmont ruled our world from the capital city of Kestevayne. Your parents were king and queen, and you are their only heir. Seven years ago, your parents were assassinated, and Kestevayne was overtaken. You were secreted away, sent to live here until such time as we were capable of reclaiming your throne. That time is now.”

Thalia sat silent as she processed. Bastien knew that what he’d said must sound preposterous, but as he promised… he could prove it to her.

Still, he allowed her a little grace for more curiosities before he sprung upon her the real truth of her life.

“Why don’t I have any memories of this supposed life? Of my parents or of Kestevayne?”

Bastien exchanged a quick look with his brother, who seemed on edge by the question. It was going to be the toughest part of the entire ordeal of bringing Thalia home—how to explain that she’d had no say in any of this.

“It was felt to be in your best interest to suppress the memories of your old life. Instead, a new life was built for you. The consensus was that it would be easier for you not to remember until it was time for you to come back.”

Thalia chewed on her lower lip, apparently brooding over what little information she had learned so far.

When no questions followed, Kieran offered, “We have the power, right now, to bring your memories back. It will answer a lot of questions you may have. Then we can fill you in on the rest.”

Thalia still said nothing, her gaze falling on the bottle of alcohol and staying there. Bastien would allow her one more sip, but past that, no more. He couldn’t afford to have her drunk when time was of the essence.

“That is, if you think it will help,” Kieran finished a bit lamely due to Thalia’s awkward silence as she brooded.

Bastien could imagine what Thalia must be thinking because he knew her so well. She’d built a very nice life here and would not want to leave based solely on their word that she had another life somewhere else. What was worse, he couldn’t even tell her it was a better life, because she’d be going back to war, death, and destruction.

He knew she had to be reeling from this information but he didn’t intend on coddling her. The Thalia he knew wouldn’t want that.

But then again, he didn’t know her at all anymore.

“What if I don’t want to go back?” Thalia suddenly asked.

Kieran scoffed. “Why would you not want to return to your home?”

“This is my home,” Thalia retorted sharply. “This is what I know and love. Tell me… why would I want to leave?”

“Because it’s your duty,” Bastien growled in frustration. “You have a duty to your people. They are suffering under an evil ruler, and without you, they will continue to suffer.”

Thalia sighed. “I’m terribly sorry this is happening, but I’m just not able to connect to what you’re telling me. I don’t feel like this is my problem.”

Bastien sighed irritably at her stubbornness. While he didn’t feel much for Thalia, he did remember a time in his life where he liked that quality about her. “You try to talk some sense into her, Kieran.”

It was silent in the living room as Bastien sank back into the chair and forced himself to have patience. Kieran was connecting better with her, and he could probably bring her around.

Thalia looked from Bastien to his brother. “I don’t disbelieve what you’re telling me. But I don’t want to leave. This is what I know. It’s who I am.”

“Thalia,” Kieran said with a gentleness that Bastien just didn’t have. “This is who you are for right now. But there is so much more to you that you don’t know. Aren’t you even the tiniest bit curious about where you come from?”

“Of course, I’m curious. My world just got turned upside down, and I want to know why. But I don’t want to give up my life here. It’s easy, and what you’re suggesting is going to be very hard for me to go back to. And honestly, there’s something about your brother that doesn’t sit right with me.”

“Like what?” Kieran asked, casting a glance at Bastien. “Tell me and let me put your mind at ease.”

Thalia snorted, her skeptical regard moving to Bastien. She glared at him. “He seems like he’s operating on a short fuse, and I can’t entrust myself to someone like that.”

Kieran didn’t even look at his brother. “Bastien would die to protect you. You can trust him.”

“He clearly dislikes me,” Thalia dismissed the notion. “I could never trust him.”

Bastien remained silent through this exchange. It made him uncomfortable that they were speaking of him as if he weren’t sitting there. But he also knew he didn’t have the ability to address Thalia’s concerns because he simply didn’t care about them.

It was a good thing he’d brought his brother, because he was a far better ambassador.

Kieran sighed, his expression somber. “You and Bastien have history together.”

A jolt of some unnamed emotion went through Bastien at Kieran’s offhanded mention of his relationship with Thalia. Until this moment, nothing about her had penetrated, but that stark reminder that they had a history dating back to childhood caused something to stir deep within.

He brushed it off and watched Thalia’s reaction.

“What kind of history?” she asked skeptically.

“You were in love with each other,” Kieran said and Thalia’s face registered shock alongside a sound of disbelief.

Bastien let the words roll over him. It sounded like an untruth, yet he knew there was a time when he and Thalia were in love.

He just couldn’t fathom it.

When he looked at Thalia, he felt nothing.

Well, almost nothing. He still felt a tenuous pull toward her, but he dismissed it as nothing more than loyalty to the crown and his mission. She was important only to the well-being of all Vyronasians.

“My brother is an admittedly complicated fellow,” Kieran said easily, and that almost brought a smile to Bastien’s face. “He’s changed over the years, but his loyalty to you has not.”

Thalia picked up the bottle of liquor but didn’t drink from it. She merely held it in her hands, staring at the label that read Jack Daniels before lifting her green eyes to Bastien.

He tried to ignore her beauty. It was unparalleled in their land, and when she returned, she’d have every eligible royal seeking her hand in marriage. It aggravated him to no end knowing they’d all be making fools of themselves for her, and he wasn’t sure why that would even bother him.

“I want to hear it from you,” she said quietly. “What were we to each other? Was it love? And if so, what changed you, because you clearly don’t like me now.”

Bastien chose his words carefully, still maintaining truth. “It’s not that I don’t like you. It’s that I don’t feel anything for you at all.”

Thalia’s expression crumbled. She didn’t remember him. Had no clue what they’d shared or the depth of feelings between them. But his response was callous, even to an observer.

Guilt flickered inside him, not just for the hurtful words, but because they weren’t the truth exactly. He had indeed felt something for her just an hour ago. He’d been scared when Maddox had handed him her ring, fearful he wouldn’t make it to her in time. When he saw her tearing around the corner of the barn after shooting the erchras, his relief at finding her alive was so great, his knees almost buckled.

For the throne, he reminded himself. All he did now was for the throne and not her.

Thalia placed the bottle on the coffee table and stood from the couch with her gun cradled over her arms, pointed away from the men. Kieran and Bastien stood as well.

She looked from one brother to the other. “I thank you both for helping me with those… whatever those things were. But I’m going to politely decline your invitation to go back.”

Kieran looked to his brother for direction, but Bastien was done trying to talk sense into her. He held out his hand, palm facing her. Thalia tipped her head curiously at his gesture, as it seemed innocuous.

The power building behind it wasn’t.

His lips curled upward in the barest of smiles, but his words were anything but warm. “You’re under the mistaken impression, Princess Thalia, that this was an invitation.”

Her emerald eyes rounded at the implication, and before she could move her gun one fraction of an inch, Bastien hit her with a spell. “And now… you shall remember.”