A Soul For Chaos (The Soulbearer Trilogy) (31 page)

Of course, there was still the new problem of Loku casting magic through Arden without her knowledge. He’d have to let the Mage Primus know about that so they could figure out the best way to keep it from happening again.

“Ready?” she asked from the doorway of her bedroom.

He turned around and forgot how to speak. Unlike the last time they were here, she entered the room with confidence radiating from her. The dress accentuated her modest curves and made her blue eyes sparkle. She had finally come into her own, and he couldn’t take his eyes off the woman she’d become.

She beamed at him. “I take it you like the dress.”

He nodded. Like was an understatement.

“Then let’s not keep the Empress waiting.” She looped her arm through his. “Lead the way.”

They were halfway to the palace before he trusted his tongue. “You seem eager to meet with her this time.”

“Well, for starters, I’m not half naked.” She paused and then added, “And I think she won’t stoop to trying what she did last time. I hope we’ve reached a mutual understanding.”

“I don’t think she’s forgotten your defiance last time, which is why she asked us to join her in her private quarters.” And perhaps she’d explain the new protective spells around Arden’s quarters since they’d be behind closed doors.

The same soothing ripple of magic enveloped him as they entered the palace. Arden’s sharp intake of breath told him she felt it, too. The Empress must have employed every priestess of Ivis to cast such a spell on the two buildings. But it was an improvement over the metallic bite of the law he’d experienced with the attacks.

A guard showed them to the Empress’s office, where Marist sat talking with his father. The Lord Chamberlain was notably absent. Dev waited until the doors closed to ask, “I’m surprised your uncle didn’t join us, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“He’s quite upset to miss this meeting, but this is none of his business.”

He bowed to the Empress and— much to his relief—Arden curtsied respectfully. Dev led her to the empty chair by his father. “We came as soon as we safely could.”

She drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. “Tell me exactly what happened yesterday.”

“It was as I wrote in my letter to you, Empress Marist,” his father replied. “The protective barriers of the Conclave were compromised, and someone set fire to the Soulbearer’s room.”

Arden frowned. “That’s not exactly what happened.”

The Empress quirked a brow. “Then tell me what you experienced.”

“I can’t tell you if the barriers of the Conclave were compromised or not, but I remember feeling the same shock-like sensation I felt before the other attacks. Then the fireballs exploded into the room.”

“Did you notice the same thing, Sir Devarius?” When he nodded, she followed up by asking, “And you didn’t act upon it?”

Guilt forced him to clear his throat. “I was distracted at the time.”

“By what?”

“By me,” Arden answered. “We were having an argument at the time, and he couldn’t tell if the changes were coming from me or if they were signaling an imminent attack.”

He expected the Empress to scold him, to berate him for forgetting his duty. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at Arden. “Yes, we’ve all seen what happens when your temper gets the better of you.”

Arden shrugged, not appearing to be the least bit intimidated by the Empress. He didn’t know if he should admire her or be on the lookout for more trouble.

“I’ve placed some extra protective measures around the complex that should protect you until the Conclave’s barriers can be reinforced,” the Empress continued. “You are to stay either in your quarters or this building until it is safe to relocate you to the Conclave. Are we clear?”

Arden nodded, but her lack of a smile showed she wasn’t happy with the plan.

Dev, on the other hand, felt a huge weight lift off of his shoulders. Limiting Arden’s movements meant she’d be less exposed and less likely to become a target.

The Empress then turned to Arano. “How long do you think it will take to add more protective spells, Mage Primus?”

“A few days, perhaps up to a week. I want to make sure I repair the weakness so something like this will not happen again.”

Marist nodded in approval. “And I expect a full investigation in to the Mage Sextus’s death.”

His father grimaced. “We are working on it. The only thing we can deduce so far is that she might have unknowingly played a part in the attack.”

“Are you telling me I can’t trust members of the Mage’s Council?”

“I said unknowingly, Empress Marist. Raggia may have had her faults, but she was loyal to both the Empire and the Mage’s Council.”

The Empress turned back to Arden. “Are you still wearing the charm he gave you?”

Arden held up her wrist to show the silver charm dangling from the leather cord. “I’ve never taken it off.”

“Mage Primus, is it still working?”

Arano held his hand under the charm and murmured a few words. The silver metal glowed with a bright blue light. “The spell remains as strong as the day I cast it. There’s no way someone can use magic to track her.”

“So it means the attacker knew exactly where she was when he cast the fire spell.” The Empress flicked her skirt to the side, exposing her legs. “He would have watched her return to her room.”

“And the last person she spoke to was Raggia.” Dev curled his fingers into his palm, annoyed that he hadn’t seen the pattern sooner. “He must have encouraged Raggia to convince Arden to return to her room and then disposed of her.”

“Which means Raggia might have known him,” the Empress finished. “Perhaps we should review her acquaintances.”

His father bowed his head in agreement. “I shall review the list of those that entered the Conclave yesterday and see if I can find a match.”

“Very good.” She shooed him away with her hand. “I’ll let you get started on the investigation. I’d like to have a word with the Soulbearer alone.”

His father left, but Dev gripped the back of Arden’s chair. When the Empress glared at him, he said, “I’m her Protector, which means she never leaves my sight.”

The Empress raised both brows and blinked several times. “Very well. You can overhear what I have to say to her.”

Dev loosened his grip on the chair and waited, ready to intervene if the two women reached another disagreement.

“Arden Soulbearer, have you ever been to Gravaria before now?”

Arden shook her head. “I’d lived my whole life in Wallus, a small village in Ranello, until I became the Soulbearer.”

“Haven’t you ever wondered why you look so different from everyone else in that kingdom?”

A wave of bitterness rolled off Arden with heat even Dev felt. “I know why I look different. I’m told I take after my father.”

“You make it sound like you don’t know who he is,” the Empress said, her words dripping with false innocence.

Dev tensed. One day, he’d tell Arden about her father, but tonight was not it. One problem at a time.

“I don’t know who he is,” Arden replied, each word clipped with anger. A new wave of magic rose from her, one that made him fear the Empress may have pushed her too far. “He abandoned my mother before I was born.”

If the Empress had any idea that she was treading on a dangerous subject, she gave no indication. She cocked her head to the side, staring at Arden as though she was mentally cataloging their similarities. Then she rose and came toward them, stopped less than a foot in front of Arden. “That is a beautiful necklace. May I take a closer look?”

A string of curse words tore through his mind, but he dared not utter them in front of the Empress.

Arden clamped her hand around the pendant. “Why?”

For once, the Empress did not adopt her usual haughty “how dare you challenge me” demeanor. Instead, she crouched so she was at eye level with Arden. “I need to know what it says.” When she saw nothing had changed, she added a word she’d probably only used two or three times in her life. “Please.”

One by one, Arden’s fingers unwound from the pendant. She held it out for the Empress.

Marist read the Elvish inscription. “Do you know what it says?”

“It’s just some scratches.”

“No, this is the language of the elves. It says, ‘To Alisa, the brightest star in the sky.’ It’s quite a compliment.”

Arden looked to him, her eyes full of questions. “You knew what it said, didn’t you?”

He nodded, not trusting what would come out of his mouth if he opened it.

Marist then turned the pendant over to reveal the Milorian rose. Her face paled. She let the pendant slip from her fingers and stood, focusing her attention on Dev. “My uncles have been demanding to see her.”

The Empress’s voice filled his mind. “And now I know why. Which one is her father?”

Dev squirmed. It was one thing to have her glare ripping him apart, but having her invade his mind so easily left him feeling exposed. Now he understood what Arden must’ve experienced every time Loku spoke to her. He pushed the name of Arden’s father to the front of his mind before the Empress uncovered any more of his secrets.

She nodded and back away. “You should introduce her to my uncle, Varrik,” she said in a tone that indicated it was more of an order than a request.

“If you think I should.” His gaze flickered to Arden, who watched them with a defiant tilt of her chin.

“Would you prefer she meet Caz?”

A threat, and one he preferred to avoid. He bowed his head. “Where is Varrik?”

“In the library, of course.” She turned around, her skirts whirling around her ankles, and returned to her desk. “I have a few matters I need to attend to in peace. You may go now.”

Dev helped Arden out of her chair and steered her out of the room.

Thankfully, she kept silent until after the doors were shut. “Why does she want me to meet her uncle?”

He hesitated. Part of him wanted to tell her the truth now, before she met him, but he knew the truth would be easier for to take when the man was standing in front of them. Of course, he was going to have to construct a shield around Varrik in case she attacked him. Either way, he wouldn’t have to keep this secret from her for any longer. “You’ll see.”

They found Varrik reading a book whose vellum was so delicate, it looked as though it was about to crumble from his fingertips when he turned the page. He looked up at them, his mouth hanging open. Then he rose from his chair, his movements slow and cautious. “Is this the Soulbearer?” he asked.

For her part, Arden regarded him in the same fashion. Her breath hitched, and her fingers dug into Dev’s arm. Any idiot could see she had Varrik’s eyes, his high cheekbones, his pointed chin, his slender build. 

When she didn’t answer, Dev said, “Yes, this is Arden Lesstymine.”

Varrik came closer, staring at her as if she were a ghost instead of a living person. “Lesstymine?”

“My mother’s family name.” Arden’s voice shook, and even Dev could feel the magic welling up inside her.

He offered a quick prayer to Lady Luck that this would end without any bloodshed or damage to the palace.

Varrik seemed to sense her unease and halted. His gaze fell on the necklace, and his eyes widened. “Alisa.”

The magic flared inside of Arden. Her breath quickened. “You knew my mother?”

Dev moved between her and Varrik. He sent a trickle of soothing magic toward her, hoping he could diffuse her anger before she blew up. “Arden, calm down. Let him speak.”

She shot his magic back to him with the sting of a cracking whip. Betrayal burned in her eyes. “You knew?”

 “Let me speak to her.” Varrik grabbed his shoulder and gently pulled him back. A shield wrapped around both of them. The younger Milorian may have been shocked to learn he had a daughter, but he was wise enough to know a brewing storm when he saw one. “I knew Alisa. Very well in fact.”

“I bet you did,” Arden spat. “You had your fun with her and then tossed her aside when you had to go home, right?”

The skin above Varrik’s nose wrinkled, and his shoulders dropped. He reached out to her. “No, it wasn’t like that at all. She was the one who left me.”

“Liar!” The air around them crackled. The green ring flashed in her eyes, but Dev had no idea if Loku was trying to talk some sense into her or further incite her. “You left her alone and pregnant, you bastard.”

“I never knew about you.”

The loose papers on the tables rattled in the wind swirling around the room.

“You expect me to believe that?” She then looked to Dev. “And you—you knew how I felt. How—Why?” She threw her hands up in the air and turned her back to them, but not before he caught a glimpse of the tears gathering in her eyes.

“I told you I knew your father was an elf.” He wished he could take her into his arms and ease her pain, but Varrik held him back. “Your mother’s necklace gave me the clue to his name.”

“You said you wanted to protect me, Dev.” Her words came out as broken whispers. “Why did you bring me here?”

The same painful tumble of emotions played out on Varrik’s face as he watched the daughter he never knew he had treat him like some sort of monster. He reached to put his hands on her shoulders. “Arden, please—”

Arden whirled around, firing a bolt of magic that rocked both men back on their feet. Her spell could’ve easily caused them serious harm if the shields hadn’t been there to deflect it. “Stay away from me, both of you.”

She ran out of the library, slamming the door behind her. A flash of blue burned around the frame.

Dev ran to the door, but it wouldn’t budge no matter how hard he pulled. He banged his fist against the solid wood and leaned his forehead against it. “She’s sealed us in here.” And is on her way to who knows where.

Varrik pressed his hand against the wood and closed his eyes. “It’s a solid ward, but I should be able to break it in a few minutes.”

Dev stepped back to give Varrik room to cast. His heart pounded. He prayed someone would catch her before she left the protective confines of the palace. He didn’t want to think of the consequences if she got free.

Chapter 28