A Soul For Atonement (The Soulbearer Series Book 4) (5 page)

“See?” he asked with a raise of his eyebrows. “I have complete dominion over my realm and everything in it, unlike your pathetic cousin. What do you think of my purple horse?”

Arden shifted her attention to discover the winged horse had changed colors once again. “Point made. Now, back to saving Dev.”

“All in good time, Arden. First, let’s enjoy a nice little ride through Chaos. If I remember correctly, you were quite fond of the stars.”

The green lightning vanished, and the clouds above cleared to expose the heavens in motion. Streaks of white flared across the sky while pulsating violet and pink galaxies swirled beyond her reach. Awe bloomed in her chest and flowed through her muscles, easing the tension in them. Yes, she was fond of the stars when he presented them this way. He’d told her before that there was great beauty in chaos, and this was his proof.

The steep canyon walls at last gave way to a grassy plain where the hills rolled like waves on the ocean, but the road underneath them stayed straight and flat. Every now and then, the hills would part to reveal a crumbling castle or stone statue with a face eroded beyond recognition. The green lightning sparked through the tall red grass like giant webs, all to the same rhythm as the exploding stars above.

Arden pointed to them. “Even in chaos, there’s some sense of order.”

“Hold your tongue, you impertinent little barmaid.” With a sweep of his hand, he disrupted the harmonious song between the heavens and the earth and left discord in its wake. A blissful sigh fell from his lips. “Much better.”

Arden focused on the skies above and willed them to move in time with the hills below. A few minutes later, they fell into sync. “You may control this realm, but it’s still my dream.”

He squinted one eye at her. “I liked you much better when you were just a simple barmaid.”

“But thanks to you, I no longer am.”

“No, indeed,” he said with a rueful laugh. “I knew from the moment I saw you that you were meant for greatness. Think about it, Arden. If I hadn’t chosen you, you’d still be cowering in Wallus, wondering when you’d be burned at the stake for being a witch. Or worse, stuck in a Thallian work camp addicted to kokalla.”

She rubbed her arms to stave off the shiver that threatened to wrack her body. The Thallians had destroyed so much of her homeland, but with her former lover, Kell, back on the throne, she believed Ranello would one day be restored to its former glory.

The carriage slowed as the road ended in a grove of trees. Loku set the reins aside and helped her down. “Shall we get down to business?”

“Please.” She crept closer to the trees. Ruby red apples hung from the branches, so ripe and tempting that she was reaching for one before she knew it.

That is, until the leaves formed a snarling mouth that snapped at her fingers.

Arden jerked her hand back and covered it, her heart pounding as she assured herself that she wasn’t missing any digits. They were all unharmed, but Loku’s boisterous laughter turned her fear into anger.

“Be careful,” he said, his chest still shaking, “they bite.”

“That warning would’ve been appreciated five seconds ago.”

“Ah, but you see, you’re going about this the wrong way.” He leaned against one of the trunks and stroked the bark like he was petting a dog. The leaves rustled, and the branches relaxed into stillness.

Loku reach up and plucked an apple, tossing it to her. “That’s how you calm them down.”

She inspected the fruit for any hidden surprises like worms or internal rotting, but it was as perfect as an apple could be. Her mouth watered. She bit into the ripe flesh, letting the crisp sweetness fill her mouth. “How is it that the best apple I’ve ever tasted comes from Chaos?”

His expression darkened into something seductive and devious. “There are a great many things you could enjoy here with me, my little Soulbearer.”

A shudder coursed down her spine, and the apple lost its sweetness. Before she could ask what he meant, the levity returned to his grin, and he beckoned her to follow him deeper into the orchard of snarling trees.

Arden pressed her arms to her sides and followed him, her nerves on edge from every branch that lunged at her.

Loku, on the other hand, appeared as though this was nothing more than a stroll through a normal apple orchard. He stopped in front of a tree in the heart of the orchard and rubbed its trunk like he’d done earlier. A shimmering light flowed up from the roots to the leaves, bathing them in a silvery light. The tree froze, and Loku reached up to grab something from its branches. At first glance, it appeared to be another apple, but as he juggled it in his hands, she realized it was a large ruby.

“So, you’d do anything to free Dev?” he asked, tossing the jewel from hand to hand so quickly that she couldn’t figure out what shape it was cut into. It was neither perfectly round nor square.

She opened her mouth to say yes, but caught herself just in time. Loku was up to something, and if she agreed to his plan too quickly, she’d find herself at his mercy. She crossed her arms and tried to appear uninterested. “Depends.”

“You disappoint me, Arden. Even before Dev professed his love for you, he still would’ve given his life to save yours. And you’re not willing to do the same for him?” He shook his head and started to turn around.

“I said it depends.”

He gave her a sly smile over his shoulder. “Your Milorian blood is starting to show.”

“Yes, but my patience is starting to wane.”

He chuckled and rolled the ruby over his shoulders from one arm to the other. “You could give Marist a run for imperial snobbery.” He popped the jewel up in the air from his shoulder and caught it, but not before she saw that it was shaped like a heart. “Perhaps we should be discussing ways to claim the throne for yourself.”

“Loku…” she warned.

“Oh, very well, let’s get down to business.” He wrapped his hand around the jewel and pointed a finger at her. “You need to find the Blood of Lireal to save Dev, and since I was with Syd at the time he stole it, I know exactly where he hid it.”

Impatience beat in her heart like a line of war drums. She squeezed her arms tighter across her chest to keep her temper in check. The last thing she needed to do was piss him off and have him withhold that information to spite her. “But?”

“But what?” he asked, fluttering his eyelashes like a simpering flirt.

“But what do you want from me in return?” She lifted her chin and moved a step closer to him. “You don’t do anything unless it serves your purpose, and I’d like to know what your price is.”

“You already know what I want, what I desire above all else, what I will have again.”

The sinister tone in his voice left no doubt in her mind what he wanted. It was the same thing that drove him to convince her to go to Lothmore Palace a year ago. The same thing that he pushed her to discover. The same thing that made him howl in frustration when he learned it was no longer there.

The urn containing his ashes.

When Loku unleashed the Realm of Chaos onto the mortal realm, the gods and goddesses joined together to separate his soul from his body and imprison it inside the first Soulbearer. Then the mortal mages burned his body and hid the ashes in a cellar deep inside Lothmore Palace. Loku led her there with the intention of using her connection to the current lord of the castle to retrieve them, but Varrik di Miloria caught on and had the ashes moved to another secure location.

“He won’t tell me where they are, Loku.”

“Are you so certain?” He circled her, leaning close to her ear to whisper, “After all, what father wouldn’t want to make his daughter happy?”

“One who understands the danger of giving you your body back.”

Loku made a muffled sound of displeasure in his throat and moved back in front of her, playing with the ruby once again. “Very well. Your cold-hearted father would let the man you love die for a crime he didn’t commit just to keep me from claiming what is mine. So be it.”

The trees parted to reveal a man with auburn hair being led to a stone altar by winged giants far off in the distance. She couldn’t see their faces, but she knew the man was Dev. The guards forced his head down to the altar while the largest of them lifted a stone club into the air.

Panic diverted the moisture in her mouth to her eyes as the Ornathian started to swing the club down. “No, don’t!”

The image evaporated into the fog before the Ornathian smashed Dev’s head, but it didn’t stop the image from racing through her mind over and over again until her stomach squeezed with fear.

It’s just a dream
, she reminded herself over and over again.
None of this is real
.

“It’s quite simple, Arden. You tell me where my ashes are, and I tell you where the relic is.” Loku threw the heart-shaped ruby back into the tree with the silvery leaves. “The choice is up to you.”

The fog closed in around them, and he backed into the mist, vanishing completely with the exception of his voice. “How much do you love Dev?”

Then the ground fell out from under her.

Chapter 6

Arden tumbled out of bed, her nightgown soaked in sweat. Her breath seeped out in a strangled sob. The only way to save Dev was to convince her father to reveal the location of Loku’s ashes, but she already knew what Varrik would say. He was the empire’s Lore Keeper, and he knew what havoc Loku had created when he had a body. He wouldn’t jeopardize the safety of the empire for her.

“
You don’t know until you ask
,” Loku whispered.

She brushed back the damp strands of hair that clung to her face and looked out the window. Darkness had fallen, but the orange glow to the east warned of the approaching dawn. A curse fell from her lips. Sweet Lady Moon, she’d slept the entire day away. Only twelve more days to find the relic and return it to King Adeyemi.

A heavy blanket of helplessness draped over her shoulder. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on top of them. There had to be another way to save Dev. Arano and Marist wouldn’t help her, but there had to be someone who could.

Cinder licked her hand before wedging himself under her arm.

A grin pulled at her lips, and she ruffled his fur. “I’m glad I still have you.”

The wolf leaned against her, his muzzle resting on her head.

She allowed herself a few minutes to enjoy the affection he offered before moving. “Come on, boy. We can’t save Dev by sitting here.”

The light of the three moons was giving way to the sun by the time she emerged from her quarters. Only the earliest of the servants and the ever vigilant night guard stirred at this time of the morning. She made her way to the stables without anyone to hinder her path and started saddling her horse.

She was adjusting the stirrups when the glow of a lantern illuminated the shadowy stall. Arden looked up and immediately shielded her mind.

“Leaving already, Soulbearer?” Marist asked from the other side of the door.

“I’ve already wasted too much time here.” Arden gave the leather strap one final tug and grabbed the reins. “Time is running out to save Dev, and you won’t help me.”

A hint of an apology played in the downward cast of Marist’s eyes and carried over into her voice. “It’s not that I don’t want to, Arden. But you must understand my position.”

“I understand it very clearly.” She tried to maneuver past the empress, but Marist blocked her. “Politics above all else.”

“No, the safety of my people above all else.” Marist gripped the stall door and coated it with a thick wall of ice, freezing it closed. “And as much as I hate to do it, sometimes the life of one must be sacrificed to save the many.”

“But he’s
my
one, my love, my heart and soul.” Arden’s anger bled out into frustration and sorrow. “I don’t think someone like you could ever understand that, though.”

Marist looked down, her normally stony countenance softening to regret. “No, I’ve never felt the depth of emotion you and Dev have for each other, and I’m truly sorry that I cannot resolve this situation for you.”

For a moment, a stab of pity tore through Arden’s cloud of fear and fury. What must it have been like for her cousin growing up inside the palace? To be a pawn in their uncle’s political games? To never feel safe giving her heart to someone because she’d always be questioning their motives?

“Please, Arden, I know how much he means to you by how far you’re willing to go to save him, but if you are unable to—”

“I will find that relic and save Dev.”
Even if it means giving Loku his ashes
. She summoned her fire and melted the ice over the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m wasting valuable time.”

“And where are you going from here?”

“Where else can I go? Syd stole the relic from the Ornathians, so he had to have hid it somewhere near them. Otherwise, they would’ve captured him and reclaimed it.”

“The Ornathian lands are dangerous. Not many return from them.”

A hard lump formed in Arden’s throat. She hadn’t considered that. Maybe Lothmore would be the safer alternative. “I’ve faced worse odds. Now please, let me go.”