Shadowstorm (Sorcery and Science Book 6) (15 page)

Last summer, a band of Siennans had abducted Davin from Laelia and brought him to the Avan capital city. And it hadn’t been the Avans’ first attempt to capture Davin. A few weeks before that, they’d lured him out to Chrysalis, the former ruling seat of Pegasus. When that plan had failed, they’d tried again. It turned out the Avans had grand plans for Davin. They wanted to forge an alliance with Elitia by marrying Davin to one of their Siennan allies.

“The Avans haven’t tried again,” said Davin. His expression was reserved, which was understandable. No one cherished the idea of being a pawn in someone else’s game.

“It appears the papers King River drew up have been effective,” Father said.

King River’s response to the Avans’ scheme had been to make Davin ineligible to succeed him as high king—at least until Davin married an Elition. He’d sent copies of the document to both Emperor Selpe and Empress Avan. The Avans hadn’t tried to abduct Davin since.

“Effective for the time being at least,” said Mother. “But Sarah Avan is a stubborn woman. She still wants Elitia on her side—even more so now, in fact, that the Avans and Selpes are at war.”

Davin’s eyes hardened. “What?”

“Oh, yes. It happened a few days ago at the yearly summit. Oddly, it took awhile for the news to spread. The two empires were keeping it quiet. It appears they weren’t fully prepared for war. Silly empires and their temper tantrums.” Mother sipped calmly from her teacup, as though the world’s two empires deciding to go to war happened every day. “I have no doubt Empress Avan has people working on a way around King River’s solution. Whether or not she finds one, it will anyway be bad for Elitia.”

“War is a dangerous time,” Father added. “We lost our high queen during the last one. If the Avans manage to kill King River, Elitia will fracture. You’ve been removed from the line of succession, and your siblings have gone rogue. Without a strong unifying head, the sixteen kingdoms will be picked apart by the Selpes and Avans. We’ll end up fighting one another.
Killing
one another. And for what? To advance Selpe and Avan agendas in
their
war. We cannot allow that to happen.”

Davin looked at them. “What do you propose?”

“King River has stated that your right of succession is suspended until you marry an Elition,” Mother said, extending her hand toward Ariella.

The fork dropped from Ariella’s fingers, clanking against the ceramic cake plate. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She didn’t even know what to say. Davin turned to her, his eyes thoughtful, but he said nothing.

“Just think about it,” Mother said, rising from her seat. “When you’ve reached a decision, you can find us at Sundrop Loop.”

Ariella’s parents stepped out of the house, leaving behind a half-eaten cake and a room heavy with silence. Davin stood and walked over to the banister to claim back his black shirt. Ariella stared down at her cake, no longer hungry. Awkwardness hung in the air, separating them like a thick stone wall.

“We should get back to Laelia,” Davin said. “With the Selpes and Avans at war, my father will need both of us.”

Ariella looked at him. The enchantment had faded from his eyes. The affectionate, passionate lover was gone, and in his place stood a man as cool and calculating as his father.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

~
Screamed Silence ~

527AX January 12, Zephyr

ARIELLA KEPT HER eyes forward, focusing on the trail. The hike back from Resonance Canyon felt at least twice as long as the way there, which was due less to the steep incline than to the awkward silence. It hung between her and Davin like a thick storm cloud ready to rip a seam and burst open.

Hours passed. Beside her, Davin matched her stride for stride, but while his body was there, his mind was not. Whatever he was thinking about, it was keeping him busy. Ariella liked to think he was thinking about her, but he was probably worried about the war. She reminded herself that she should be too. For all their scheming, her parents had been right about one thing: Elitia was in danger. The sixteen kingdoms were unified now, but how long would that last if King River were killed? The three kingdoms on the Western Continent—Everlast, Sunset Tail, and the Tundra—would be the first to break off from the rest of Elitia. They’d more likely each stay on their own than join the Avans, but their absence would weaken Elitia. And the other kingdoms would follow. Elitia hadn’t always been unified, but Elitions were stronger together. Elitia had to remain whole—or risk being overrun by the Selpes and Avans.

It didn’t have to be Davin. Maybe Terra? No, she was married to Aaron Selpe. If she became high queen, the Selpes would swallow Elitia. Ariella didn’t even know if she could be both the high queen of Elitia and the wife of the Selpe emperor. There had to be some sort of rule against that. Besides, the Selpes had dealt her enough pain; if she returned, she would only suffer. So Terra was out.

Her twin brother Cameron was the other option. Or was he really an option? He’d spent his whole life as a rogue. Did he even understand Elitia well enough to rule it? Would anyone accept him as high king? Maybe if Davin helped him…but then Cameron probably didn’t want Davin’s help. Not if he’d grown up hating him. If Cameron took over, Elitia might anyway dissolve into sixteen rogue kingdoms, and then they’d be no better off. Which meant he was out too.

That just left Davin. They had to speak with King River. Maybe he would reinstate Davin’s right of succession. It was better than the alternatives.

“Ariella.”

Davin’s voice tore her from her thoughts. She turned to him. “Yes?”

“We’re here. At Sundrop Loop.”

He was right. Her legs had carried her here, the memory of the path home as ingrained in her as breathing. They were under the pinecone canopy now, only a few minutes’ walk from the portal to Laelia. It was just beside the palace, where her parents were probably already sitting down for their midday meal.

“Your parents are very accomplished at the art of strategy,” Davin commented.

“My father is a Cipher.”

“And persuasion.”

“My mother is an Enchanter, like you.”

The hint of a smile cracked his lips. “That explains your resistance. You’re accustomed to fighting attempts to enchant you.”

Davin didn’t need magic to enchant her.

“My ‘resistance’ is due mostly to the mental wall I developed to hold back my foresights,” she said. “I was never very good at resisting my way out of my parents’ plans. When a Cipher and an Enchanter combine their powers, they can manipulate just about anyone. Including me. Not that their intentions are bad. Their plans generally involve making the people they care about happy. And looking out for the good of Elitia. I’d rather be manipulated by them than by someone with sinister intentions. But I understand that not everyone feels that way. I’m sorry that they involved you in their project to make me happy. They were right about the danger to Elitia, but they still shouldn’t have done it. They knew about the rocks at Resonance Canyon and what might happen if we went there. Magic shouldn’t be used to—”

“Ariella, stop.” Davin caught her hand and pulled her around to face him. “You have no reason to be sorry.” His eyes were serious. “As I already told you, I kissed you of my own free will. And I told you I love you because you deserved to hear the truth. Your parents’ plans—and whether they mean well or ill—all of that is beside the point.
We
are all that matter. The two of us. Our bond is between us. Not your parents or my father or Elitia. Us. Forget about them.”

“I’m sorry—”

“No.” He cupped his hands around her cheeks, his intense stare burning her eyes. “Don’t be sorry. Just remember that I love you. Everything else we’ll just take as it comes. Together. Ok?”

Ariella nodded. “Ok.”

Davin smiled and walked toward the portal. “Now, let’s get back to Laelia and see what mess is waiting for us there.”

“Davin?”

“Yes?”

“I love you too.”

His smile upgraded to a full-out grin. “Good. Because if you didn’t, then that speech would have been downright embarrassing.”

* * *

527AX January 12, Laelia

Sundrop Loop dissolved into red and green blotches, displaced by fire and crystal. They stepped out of an arched doorway, one of dozens along the outer edge of the cavernous room. The Gateway of Portals. They walked under a chandelier ceiling, past burning torches and guards, down a dark hall, and out of the circular stone building. Outside, magic hung in the air. From the branches of the everlasting cherry trees, blossoms floated down like pink-white snowflakes, casting everything in a warm, ethereal light.

Ariella started toward the palace, but a tug on the other end of her arm stopped her. She turned around to look at Davin, who was watching her with fascination.

“What is it?” she asked.

“You have cherry blossoms in your hair.”

She snorted. “So do you.”

He brushed his fingers through the layered hair that feathered her face, displacing a handful of petals. They fluttered down to the ground, graceful and sweet. The aroma of Laelia was delicious, like a light and fluffy afternoon dessert.

“Now you’re presentable enough to go before the high king of Elitia,” he said.

“There’ll be twenty more in my hair before we make it inside.”

“Ok. You’ve got me.” He leaned down, his lips brushing teasingly against hers. “I just wanted to kiss you.”

“All you had to do was ask,” she said, putting on her most demure smile.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because then
I
won’t be presentable enough to go before the high king of Elitia,” he growled against her lips.

Ariella didn’t wait for him to kiss her—not this time. She hooked her arms around the back of his neck and pulled him in, every feeling she’d spent years bottling up bursting the surface. Davin responded to her touch, the rhythm of his lips matching hers…and then accelerating. She grew dizzy, as surely as if she’d been knocked over the head with a stick. Davin’s hand tugged at the strap of her tank top, sliding it down her shoulder…

“Children.”

They froze and looked back. Chimera stood there, his stance as relaxed as any Phantom—and former assassin—could be. Ariella dropped her incriminating hands from Davin. He did the same, and her back slid down the tree trunk Davin had thrown her against. She hadn’t even noticed the tree. But it sure did explain the dizziness.
 

“You didn’t look nearly so happy when I threw you against that tree,” Chimera said, a gold spark swirling in his jade eyes.

The swirl was almost whimsical, which was an impressive emotion for a Phantom—and a neat trick besides that. Ariella wondered how long it had taken him to perfect it. Most Phantoms could phase their eyes a different—more intense—color, but she’d never seen one phase only parts of the eye. Chimera was old. Probably not Silas-old, but older than a lot of Elitions. An abundance of time combined with his sense of humor was all Chimera had needed to come up with that trick.

“Broken bones are only fun to Phantoms,” Ariella replied.

Chimera snickered.

“Why was he throwing you against a tree?” Davin demanded, his voice sizzling with…could it be jealousy?

“Training. Only training.”

“The question is, young prince, why
you
were throwing her against a tree. In the middle of Laelia.”

Ariella’s cheeks went so hot, she could have forged steel with that fire. Chimera grinned at her. He was having entirely too much fun.

“We were just heading over to see my father,” Davin said, smooth as silk.

“How fortunate. Because King River sent me to find you.”

Davin turned and walked quickly toward the palace. Ariella followed, and Chimera fell into line beside her, giving her a wink. She hurried along, trying hard not to think about what he—and possibly others—had seen.

“I have something for you,” Chimera said as they walked down the hall.

“What is it?” she asked.

“A message from your kindred.”

“Terra?”

He nodded. “She contacted you through the Sundrop Loop sand pit.”

“Sundrop Loop? When?”

“Two days ago.”

Ariella must have just missed her.

Chimera handed her a note. “I’ve transcribed her message ”

They’d reached the Assembly Chamber, so Ariella quickly scanned the note. Xenen artifacts. Lady Cassandra. And signs of a greater conspiracy, linking it all to the Revs’ destruction. Terra needed Marin’s technical expertise.

As Chimera opened the door to the Assembly Chamber, Ariella tucked away the note. King River was waiting inside the room. He wasn’t sitting in his usual seat at the table; he wasn’t sitting at all. He paced the room, exuding a cloud of restless discontent. Something was wrong. Very wrong. King River didn’t pace. And he rarely displayed anything other than complete and total composure.

Chimera bowed out of the room and shut the doors.

“What did King Fathom and Queen Crystal want?” King River asked Davin.

“They wanted me to overthrow you and take your place as high king of Elitia.”

King River didn’t even blink. “Well, I hope you told them that your revolution will have to wait. Right now, we have bigger problems.”

Davin exchanged glances with Ariella. “We’ve heard about the war.”

“The war is unfortunate,” said King River. “What launched the Selpes and Avans into it is nothing short of catastrophic.”

“What happened?” Davin asked.

“As you know, four days ago the Selpes went to Marina Bay for their annual summit with the Avans. They left it at war. That is now common knowledge.” King River stepped forward. “What is not common knowledge—what I only just learned from other sources—is what really took place in that room.” He stopped in front of Davin, scrutinizing him with a thoroughness that bordered on suspicion.

“Are you going to make us guess?” Davin asked.

“I wanted to be sure you didn’t already know.”

Davin crossed his arm and stared back at King River, father and son so alike they almost looked like twins. “And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”