“You’ll sit on that throne,” I swore, “and you’ll do it with Dax by your side.”
The prince looked up at me, and gratitude shone in his eyes. The kind you felt when you couldn’t voice what you wanted, but were thankful someone saw it anyway.
Dax shifted closer to his prince’s side and brushed back his curls. “We have other plans in place. Other dreams that you and Celissia have been discussing since you were small. This is how we’re going to achieve them.”
“He’s right, Bare,” Celissia agreed. “There are bigger goals to remember.”
I wasn’t sure what they meant by that, but Barrett blew out a rough breath, continuing to chip away at the cypher. “It’s all so worrisome.”
I snorted a laugh. “Sounds like the simplest way to describe politics.”
They all cracked smiles.
“I think Nassik cares about one thing over all else,” Dax said, exchanging a nod with Celissia. “His house. His daughter is promised to the crown so he isn’t openly rebelling, but we’d be foolish to assume he won’t take an opportunity to do so.”
A power-hungry ruler whose boundary had not been tested yet. How far would he go?
“I think Dax is right,” I said, thinking back to all those years I spent studying history as the heir to the Revered. Picking apart the movements of past rulers and the reasoning behind their decisions. “Nassik, like so many in politics, doesn’t truly care about his people. Many might when they first start out.” Ishrugged. “But somewhere along the line, the power overtakes them. It becomes less about the greater public and more about…more. More land, more wealth, more accolades for their family. We’ve seen it time and again in the past.”
“I studied that pattern, too,” Barrett muttered. “It’s one no one has ever come up with a way to combat.”
“Pure hearts?” Celissia drawled.
“Are few and far between.” Barrett pried up the wood chip and flicked it out across the dunes. He sighed. “At least we’ll have more news from Rebel soon. Come on, let’s eat before we head back out.”
“I’ll be right there,” I said as they stood.
Barrett wanted to combat the greedy tendencies of men, but was there truly a way to fight warrior nature? We thrived on the magic of the land; it made sense that so many sought power in other forms once they’d had a taste. Whatever made them feel stronger, more prominent. Invincible.
I contemplated the sun-kissed dunes and budding cyphers for a few silent minutes, tossing the pitfall of warrior instincts around in my mind.
But my eyes kept landing on that stubborn chip of wood Barrett had flicked away, lonely and sinking in the sandy sea, and I couldn’t help but wonder if that was how being a ruler often felt?
Being pulled in so many directions that you found yourself alone, drifting, and drowning in your surroundings.
Chapter Forty-One
Ophelia
Zanox roared somethingfierce as Sapphire looped around him.
“Competitive?” I tossed over my shoulder at Jezebel.
She leaned forward and stroked her khrysaor’s neck, her voice carrying on the wind. “He’s a big baby.”
In response, Zanox bucked. Not enough to actually dismount Jezebel—that creature would dive in front of flaming arrows before he let harm come to my sister—but she did pop off his back, airborne and laughing for a moment.
Sapphire sped ahead. As I peered back at them, the khrysaor’s wings beat among the wisps of clouds stretching into the sky high above Soulguider Territory. Dynaxtar soared peacefully to his left, carrying Erista.
My heart inflated, a bubble of bliss expanding between my ribs. I curled my fingers tighter into Sapphire’s mane and released a wild laugh to the stars.
After everything in the catacombs and the rescue—everything with Damien’s odd dream visit—thiswas what I needed. To feel unbridled, unbroken, lost among the clouds with my myth-born warrior horse.
“Cypherion and Malakai said we need saddles,” I called to Jez as Sapphire swooped around Zanox again.
“No thank you!” From the lift in her voice, it was clear she shared that utterly freeing and intrinsically right feeling spreading throughout my body. Erista whooped in agreement, the sound trailing along the clouds. Sapphire shook her head as if to agree she wouldn’t be saddled again.
“That’s what I said.” I laughed. “Tolek told him there wasn’t a chance we’d agree.” Not when the heart of these creatureswasfreedom after being contained for so many years.
