Page 5 of The Sunbound Princess
My pack seemed heavier as I started down the steps. Although, maybe that was just the weight of my responsibilities. The heady perfume of roses wafted to my nose as citizens continued tossing flowers into my path. Music drifted on the air, the notes of a lute threaded among the shouts and cheers of the townspeople. Children sat on their parents’ shoulders, small golden flags bearing my family’s crest in their hands. When Corvus and I eventually married, the palace banner makers would add sunblossoms to the crest, creating a new symbol for our joined houses.
Corvus should be here.A lump formed in my throat. I swallowed it.
Helios waved at a group of children. Tiny sparks shot from each of his fingers and eddied into the air. The childrensquealed, several scrambling to catch the motes before they winked out of sight.
“Show off,” I murmured.
Helios sent another flurry of sparks spiraling into the air. “I’m giving the people what they want.”
“Parlor tricks?”
“Pageantry.”He sent the next round of embers soaring into the air, where they formed a dazzling sun before dissolving into golden rain. Bystanders gasped, the sound laced with delight.
Doubt and resentment shadowed my mind. “My father loved pageantry.”
“And he was good at it.” Helios drifted closer, his waving hair nearly brushing my hip. “Thessador had his flaws, but he understood the power of appearances. It’s one thing tosayyou’re the next queen. It’s quite another to make peoplebelieveit. You’re not marching to your doom, Ezabell. You’re going on a sacred quest. Give your people a reason to believe.”
A reason to believe.Maybe Helios had a point. Who knew how long it would take to the find the sunstone? I could be absent for years. In the meantime, I needed my people to believe I would return victorious.
I summoned my magic again, letting it build beneath my skin until golden light pulsed at my fingertips. With a flick of my wrists, I sent twin streams of sunlight spiraling upward. The magic braided itself into a glowing coronet that hovered above the crowd before bursting into a shower of miniature suns. Each one drifted downward in a shower of sparks.
The crowd gasped, then erupted into raucous cheers.
“The Princess of Light!” someone shouted. Others took up the cry until it became a chant that rippled through the streets.
Helios offered me a knowing smile. “There. Now they’ll remember your power.”
“Thanks,” I said softly.
“No problem.” He looked toward the city’s gates, which shimmered more brightly as we neared the walls. “Quick question. Do you know where we’re going?”
I followed his gaze. The magic in my chest tugged, drawing me forward. Experimenting, I veered to the left, heading away from the gates. The tug weakened, the Dokimasi’s magic fading. I moved back to the center of the road.
The magic surged back, the tug jerking me forward so fiercely that I almost stumbled.
“To the gates,” I said. “At least for now.”
Helios appeared to think it over. Then he nodded. “It’s as good a place to start as any.” He started humming along with the music.
“Do the dancing lights!” a little girl shouted from the crowd.
Helios flicked his fingers, and a sun spun into the air. The little girl clapped her hands.
A mixture of relief and optimism surged through me. Maybe Helios was right. The Dokimasi wouldn’t be so bad. Yes, I had to leave Corvus in Lum Laras, but at least I had Helios.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I told him. “I couldn’t ask for a better companion.”
Chapter
Two
EZABELL
Six hours later, I was beginning to regret my earlier statement. Lum Laras had long since faded behind me, the city’s streets replaced with countryside crisscrossed by dusty roads and lush forests. My feet ached. The straps of my pack dug into my shoulders. Sweat trickled down my back and dampened my hairline. The tug of the Dokimasi was an insistent thread in my chest.
And Helios had kept up a relentless stream of chatter since we left Lum Laras.
“So,” he said, trailing sparks as he bobbed alongside me, “how long do youreallythink it’ll take to find the sunstone? A day? A week? A month?” He frowned. “I should have done a betting pool at the palace. I could have been rich.”
