Soul Relenter (Soul Saga #3) (3 page)

Accacia nodded. “Thank you, Uruith.”

The warrior smiled. Of course, Your Majesty.”

Accacia walked through Canu until she found her aunt’s eave hidden high in the trees of the forest. The location of her home was close to t
he eave Accacia and Zyle shared. She was happy they were near one another.

Accacia
walked to the doorway and shouted into the room, wanting to avoid trespassing on Laura’s property without her knowledge. Laura walked from the kitchen and smiled at her niece. “Come in, dear.” She held her hands out to Accacia, and Accacia walked into the embrace. She loved the feel of her aunt’s arms. She felt protected. “I’m making tea. Would you like some?”

“Yes, please.” Accacia walked into the room and sat at the kitchen table. Laura’s house was decorated in colors of green and yellow, highlighting
the colors of the forest outside the window. There were wild flowers in vases around the room, and the rug on the floor was pink, matching the colors of the blossoms. Accacia loved the way Laura decorated her home. It felt cozy.

Laura placed the steaming cup on the table and sat across from her. “What do I owe the pleasure, Your Majesty?”

Accacia laughed. “Don’t call me that.”

“I just love to tease you.
” Laura drank from her cup. “I’m just so proud of my niece, the Queen of the Asquithians. I know Portisha and Henral would be very happy at the news.”

Acc
acia’s lips fell at the mention of her deceased parents. “I hope so.”

“How are the plans coming along?” she asked. “Do we leave soon?”

Accacia nodded. “Zyle almost has everything prepared. He has been working non-stop. The most time I spend with him is in his study—other than when he comes home at night.”

“It is unfortunate, but it must be done—Zyle understands his responsibilities.”

“He is a wonderful king.”

“The
best,” Laura agreed. “I’m very happy that Zyle is my nephew-in-law, if such a title exists. I have always loved him like family.”

“Would my mother and father be happy with our commitment? My father did ask him to be my Life Guardian—he probably never expected us to be together.”

“There is no doubt in my mind, sweetpea. They would be overjoyed having Zyle as your life partner. They know he would protect you with his life.”

Accacia nodded. “Good,” she said. “I was hoping that wa
s the case.” Accacia thought of the upcoming mission on the Continent. They had to free the souls of their kin—failure wasn’t an option. She was frightened of the journey nonetheless—and not just because she might be killed. “Are you scared, Laura?”

“Of what?” she asked.

“Of our mission on the Continent,” Accacia said.

“Yes,
of course I am. Just because I’m a warrior doesn’t make me fearless.” She finished her glass of tea and set it upon the table. “Fear is essential in battle—without it, what fuels you? I know the idea of failure—that I will not save my life partner or protect my kin—will feed my strength until the task is done. Love is what will get us through this.”

Accacia nodded. “I can’t even think of the idea of failure.”

“It isn’t an option.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Are you scared, Accacia?”

“Yes.” Accacia stared at Laura. She thought that was obvious.

“You know what I’m referring to, Accacia. Are you frightened to see Aleco again?”

Accacia looked down at her tea and said nothing. She was more than frightened—she was terrified. But at the same time
, she couldn’t wait to see him—to embrace him in her arms—to tell him how sorry she was for leaving to begin with. But she couldn’t confess the depth of her feelings—she didn’t want Zyle to find out from anyone besides herself.

Laura recognized her hesitance. She placed her hand on top of her niece’s. “Your secrets a
re safe with me, dear. I won’t tell Zyle anything if you wish me not to.”

“What about your loyalty to him?”

“It is as strong as ever. But you’re my family and I’m also loyal to you. I know you would never purposely hurt Zyle, so I don’t feel the need to inform him of your conflicted emotions—I assume that is what they are—conflicted.”

Accacia shook her head. “Yes a
nd no.” She stared at the tea on the table. “I don’t know what I feel, Laura. I’m scared to see Aleco again because I know how hurt he’ll be when I tell him the truth—that I’ve moved on with someone else.”

“But he gave you permission, didn’t he?”

“Yes—but I know it won’t ease the blow. Aleco loves me—he always will.”

“Are you going to leave Zyle
, then?”

“Of course not,” she said. “Zyle is my husband—I am destined for him. How can I deny that?
I’m meant to be with him for eternity—it’s my fate. And I love him, Laura. Besides, I promised Zyle I wouldn’t leave him—it was the cost for him to agree to this undertaking. I am committed to Zyle in every way—nothing will change that.”

Laura nodded. “So you aren’t worried about what will happen
between you and Aleco when you’re there?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean, Accacia.”

Accacia met her gaze. “I would never betray Zyle—I already made that clear.”

Laura sighed. “What you say now doesn’t apply to when you return. When you see Aleco’s face, I’m sure you will feel differently. Decisions will no longer be black and white.”

“I’m not worried about it.”

“Why?”

“Aleco told me to move on—he will respect my marital commitment to Zyle. That was
what he wanted to begin with. I never would have pursued the relationship without his consent.”

“I don’t believe that,” Laura said. “I think it would have happened anyway. Like you said, you were destined
for Zyle. So how could you stay away from him?”

Accacia didn’t respond.

“Zyle is your soul mate, Accacia. He is also your race so he shares the same life expectancy. He is the best friend of your father and a great friend to your aunt—the relationship was inevitable. If Aleco can’t understand that, he’s an idiot.”

“Please don’t talk about him like that
. You don’t know him and I’m certain you would like him if you did. I still love him—that will never change, even with the passage of eternity.”

Laura nodded. She regretted offending her niece, especially when she was in such a vulnerable place. “I apologize, Accacia. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Accacia smiled. “I forgive you, Laura.”

They drank their tea in silence. Accacia thought about the voyage with more dread within her heart. Even though she knew Aleco would understand h
er relationship with Zyle, it wouldn’t make telling him any easier. She wondered if he had already moved on with someone else; it was a possibility. How could he expect her to move on without allowing himself to do so?

Laura stared at her niece while she drank her tea. She knew Accacia was going to have a difficult time on the Continent because of the situation
, and she felt horrible knowing she couldn’t assist her niece. It was something she would have to deal with on her own.

Accacia interrupted the silence. She was tired of brooding over her situation with Aleco. “I spoke with Roxian today.”

Laura almost dropped her cup. “About
what
?” she asked. “What reason could you possibly have for speaking to her?”

“I offered to vindicate her crimes if she chose to fight
with us on the Continent. She is an amazing warrior. I have seen her swing a blade firsthand. She deserves the opportunity to avenge the death of her husband—everyone deserves the chance.”

Laura shook her head. “And what did she say?”

“No,” Accacia said. “At least she said that today. I hope she changes her mind.”

“Thank the gods she said no.” Laura looked at her niece with incredulous eyes. “I can’t believe you even made the offer—she can’t be trusted.”

“Well, I was hoping she had changed.”

Accacia was wise beyond her years, but this choice made her seem insane. “This woman tried to kill you, dear. Do you not remember
that
?”

“Yes.”’ S
he sighed. Accacia was tired of hearing this from Zyle. Now she had to hear it from her aunt as well. “I knew it would be risky, but I had to believe she could grow—become a better person.”

“Let me
save you the time, Your Majesty. That will never happen.”

Accacia s
tared at her aunt. “I hope you’re wrong.”

Aleutian Keep, Letumian Province

4

“The commander of Paso Robles, Mitan, is here, m’lord.” Aldo stopped directly before the king’s desk, which was covered in unread parchment sheets. The servant didn’t understand what Drake did with all his time. It seemed like all he did was drink.

“Bring him, Xavier.” Drake didn’t look at Aldo. He was staring into the flames of the hear
th, looking more forlorn than he had ever been. His dead courtesan still troubled him even after all this time. Aldo knew better than to correct the king. He could call him whatever he wished as long as he got to keep his head.

“Yes, sire.” Aldo left the room and ushered Mitan through the doorway. His head al
most touched the top of the entranceway as he entered Drake’s study. The king glanced at the commander and noted his brute size. A larger man he had never seen.

The k
ing turned in his chair and faced Mitan, the supervisor of Paso Robles. “What is your report?” he asked. “Are those disgusting slaves giving you any trouble?”

“Not at all,” he said with a deep voice. “A knife to the throat does wonders.”

“Good,” he said quietly. “And all the goods are coming along?”

“Yes,” Mitan answered. “Your gold is in the back of the carts that accompanied me. I know you won’t be disappointed with the sum.”

“For your sake, I hope not.” Drake drank from his glass of whiskey and returned it to the table. “Weekly reports through messengers will suffice now. There is no reason for you to travel here any longer. However, if something goes amiss, I will demand your presence—and it won’t be to converse.” The threat hung heavy in the air. Mitan was a strong man, stronger than any soldier he had known, but the king frightened him. He was intelligent and powerful, rumored to be a god. “You may go.”

Mitan bowed and left the study, closing the door behind him. Drake stared at the dancing flames for a moment before he rose to his seat, leaving his full glass of whiskey on the wooden surface
, and walked to his bedchamber. The bedroom he had occupied with Accacia was still forbidden. He couldn’t force himself to sleep there. Instead, he slept in Aleco’s old bedchamber, which was slightly larger than his old bedroom.

Drake stripped off his clothes and crawled into bed
then stared at the ceiling. Nothing in the room had been changed. An old rock collection that belonged to Aleco was still on the nightstand, and Drake found a variety of plants in the drawer of his cabinet. Drake didn’t throw away anything in the room. He didn’t care for the belongings. It served as a reminder of his power. He was unstoppable.

The memories of his older brother came into his mind every now and then. He hadn’t always hated his brother, but it seemed that way most of the time. Perhaps if his parents hadn’t blatantly favored him he may have
harbored some affection toward his twin. A part of him knew that was untrue. He would have hated him either way.

Drake remembered when they were young boys
, about the age of thirteen. Their father had brought home a large dog, an animal he found in the countryside. The beast was large, as tall as their father when it stood on its hind legs, and it had a massive jaw. It could break off your hand.

“Is it a wolf, father?” Aleco asked. “It looks like the ones in the forest.
”

“No, it isn’t, you idiot,” Drake spat. “It’s
just a dog—you know—like a pet.”

Aleco ignored his brother and looked to their father. Their father patted the dog on the snout and fed it a piece of raw meat, which it s
wallowed whole. “Actually, you’re right, Aleco. It is a wolf. That was a very astute guess.”

The lines of Drake’s face stretched into a scowl but
no one noticed. Their attention was glued to the new family pet.

The dog walked over to Aleco and sniffed his outstretched hand. Aleco waited patiently for the wolf to trust him and allow Aleco to touch him. Eventually the dog deemed Aleco to be
trustworthy because it rubbed his head against Aleco’s leg. Aleco rubbed the dog’s fur and scratched him behind the ears. The wolf’s tongue hung outside his mouth and his drool seeped onto the tile floor of the keep. “I think he likes me,” Aleco said excitedly. “What she would we call him, father?”

“I don’t know, son. Do you have any ideas?”

Aleco thought for a moment. “How about Rufio?” he asked.