The fuck? “What the actual fuck? You think you can bargain your way to get your hands on a human? Mate, you are responsible for a whole lot of bullshit surrounding Riftborn.”
He snaps his teeth at me, and Solan steps close, releasing a deep, threatening growl.
Kael intervenes. “What Prince Aelith is most concerned about is his fated’s health. Their well-being. He has no desire to use them or exchange them or even barter for them. He wants them safe and well and to have the opportunity to know them.”
The prince stiffens at Kael’s words, his lips pressing into a thin line, but he doesn’t refute them.
Honestly, I’m impressed as hell with Kael. It’s not every day you meet someone who can smooth over a Glowranth prince’s ego while also diffusing a tense standoff.
“You think he’s telling the truth?”I ask Solan through our bond, my thoughts dripping with scepticism.
“Glowranth, especially those of the royal guard, pride themselves on their integrity,”Solan replies, his mental tone even, but there’s a hint of tension beneath the surface.
I scoff aloud before responding through the bond.“Integrity? Really? Even though they’re responsible for kidnapping Riftborn and hand-delivering them to their queen? Doesn’t exactly scream ‘moral high ground’ to me.”
Solan’s golden gaze flicks to me, his jaw tightening slightly.“Their role is to serve their queen, their queendom. As such, they believe they are upholding their integrity by following orders. It’s deeply ingrained in their culture.”
“So kidnapping innocent people is just another day at the office for them?”My scathing tone filters easily into our bond.“Great. Love that for us.”
Kael’s deep voice pulls me back to the present. “The prince has no intention of harming anyone here,” he says, glancing pointedly at Solan before his gaze shifts to me. “And while I cannot speak for the queen’s actions, I can assure you that my prince’s motivations are his own.”
“And what are his motivations?” I ask sharply, my rifle still angled protectively in front of me.
Aelith’s gaze locks onto mine, sharp and unyielding. “I will not allow harm to come to them,” he says, his voice low but full of conviction. “Not to my fated.”
“Right,” I say, crossing my arms. “And what if your fated has no interest in you? What if they”—I use the pronoun deliberately, certain the prince doesn’t even know the gender of his fated—“don’t want to be here? What if?—”
“Enough.” Kael’s voice cuts through my tirade, not loudly but with enough authority to make me pause. He sighs, a sound that’s almost human in its exasperation. “Prince Aelith, perhaps now is not the time for declarations. If we are to gain their trust, we must first work together.”
The prince bristles but says nothing, his glowing markings dimming slightly as he visibly reins himself in.
Shanae steps forwards, her voice cutting through the tense silence like a blade. “Here’s the deal,” she says, her tone brisk but unyielding. “We’re taking you to our headquarters. You’ll wear blindfolds to ensure the location stays secure. Once there, you can speak to our leader directly. We’ll also check on the human we found, make sure they’re coherent and healthy, and get them up to speed on what’s going on, once they’re awake and well enough.”
Kael inclines his head, the glow along his skin dimming slightly as he considers the proposal. His gaze shifts briefly to Aelith, whose bioluminescence flares in protest.
“You expect me to trust you enough to blindfold me?” Aelith snaps, his voice dripping with disdain.
“Yes,” Shanae replies bluntly. “Because if you don’t, you’ll have to figure out another way to deal with getting to your fated and keeping them away from your mom. Good luck with that.”
Aelith’s jaw tightens, his teeth slightly bared, but Kael intervenes again, his calm and steady presence a stark contrast to the prince’s fiery arrogance.
“My prince,” Kael says in Glowranthian, which Solan continues to translate for me, the guard’s voice low and firm, “this is a reasonable compromise. We need their cooperation as much as they need ours. For your fated’s sake, let’s proceed.”
Aelith mutters something under his breath that sounds distinctly unflattering, but he finally relents with a sharp nod. “Fine. But if this is a trick?—”
“It’s not,” I cut in, tired of the back-and-forth. “We just want answers, the same as you.”
Kael’s gaze flickers to me, and there’s something almost like respect in his expression. “We’ll comply.”
“Good,” Shanae says briskly, clearly done with the posturing. “Let’s move. The route’s going to be complicated, so keep up.”
The journeyback is a tense one. We’re all aware we’ve not found the rift’s location or anyone who came through it. There’s no doubt that we all agree that this new development is more important, though.
Shanae leads us through a deliberately convoluted path, weaving through dense, thorny underbrush and terrain that shifts unpredictably. At one point, we cross a shallow stream, the cool water a brief respite from the oppressive heat of the forest.
Jamie clings to Calythra’s side, his small face pinched with fear but resolute. I catch his gaze and try to smile reassuringly, but the ball of dread in my gut only tightens. How much more can he endure? How much longer before this world breaks him—or worse?
Through our bond, Solan’s voice cuts through my spiralling thoughts.“You’re worrying again.”
