Stoke - 23. End

I think I slept for a decade. When I woke up, it was in a place I’d never been before. Sitting up, I looked around the bright room. It was bathed entirely in warm sunlight. The fluffy blankets and pillows surrounding me were white. The room was so bright. If Talon was here, I’m sure he hated it. A gauzy white canopy was secured to the ceiling that soared high above my head. The fabric stretched in what must’ve been yards and yards down to settle around the bed. It floated ever so slightly, skimming over the pale stone floor. I was starting to have a hard time believing I wasn’t in a dream. I sat up slowly, pulling the covers back as my wide eyes took in the room around me. It was huge. The entire wall to my left was floor to ceiling windows, curved into arches at the top. They were broken up only by a set of doors that stood propped open. The same gauzy material hung over them. More for privacy than to dim the light. A mild breeze drifted in that reminded me so much of home, my heart ached. Ocean and sand. The salt water’s distinct scent.

Directly across from the bed, there were two archways. They were made of white-washed wood, the arch itself coming to a slight point at the highest part. I could see a sink vanity through one and only a chair upholstered in sand colored fabric through the other. Finally, the last wall to my right had a door with the same arch. Large paintings of the ocean sat on either side of it and I glanced at them for only a few seconds. Where on earth was I?

I heard a laugh come from the propped open doors and scooted to the edge of the bed. I could already tell my legs were weak. I massaged them gently and mumbled a spell as I eyed the soft linen pants I wore. A thin white shirt hung loosely from my torso and I frowned. I didn’t remember owning either of these. Perhaps Potlyne had made them when I was brought…wherever I was. I heard that laugh again and pouted as my stubborn legs still shook when I shoved myself to my feet. I stumbled over to the door, holding onto it for support. A great many things fought for my attention all at once. The ocean stretched out as far as I could see, stunning as ever in its azure brilliance. It’d been so long since I’d set eyes on it. It almost made me emotional. I was high up on a cliff of some kind, on a balcony built right into the rock. Directly below was a white sand beach that stretched for miles. I could even see a harbor and ships.

That wasn’t what kept my attention. The scenery was pushed aside as I watched Talon try to pry something from Meep’s iron grip. They grappled on the ground, Meep putting up a surprisingly fierce fight. Talon was pulling punches but I could see his irritation rising as the child refused to quit. Anika sat to the side in a wicker chair. She laughed again when Meep managed to slam Talon’s fingers between two pieces of metal.

“Motherfuc-“

“Language.” Two pairs of eyes turned to me and Talon stared for a few seconds. He dropped whatever he’d been fighting over and rushed to me.

I was scooped up in strong arms and crushed to his chest, words whispered against my ear, “I was starting to think you weren’t going to wake up.”

“How long was I out?” Talon was gripping me so tight it was borderline painful, but I felt him swallow hard and kept my mouth shut. I stroked my fingers down his back and moved them up, running my nails lightly over his scalp.

“A week.” He mumbled and took a shaky breath, “Hanja said you’d wake up and he kept reminding me he’s always right, but fuck.”
Meep had been celebrating his tiny victory, completely oblivious in his moment of triumph. Then he seemed to register Talon had moved and Anika was staring. He looked up and my heart shattered into a hundred pieces as his eyes filled with tears. He threw down his prize, which appeared to be some metal contraption, and sniffled as he held out his hands.

“Oh, no. Come here little love.” Surprisingly Talon released me and helped me down to my knees. I held out my arms and Meep’s body collided hard with mine. I almost toppled over, but Talon righted us both. Small arms wrapped around my neck and I frowned softly up at Talon as the boy cried.

“Yeah, thanks for waking up. Pretty sure he wouldn’t have been satisfied with only me.” Talon had a strange soft smile on his face, eyes wet with his own unshed tears. Affection. I grinned knowingly at him and he scowled and looked away. I ran my fingers over Meep’s hair, leaning back when I touched metal and something else. There were two pieces of metal that sat behind his ears, a soft clear material snaked into them.

“What’s this?” I touched it lightly again and Meep’s eyes lit up. He quickly got excited, started moving his hands, thought better of it, and smacked Talon’s legs repeatedly while pointing from his head to me.

“Ow, ow. Yeah, I get it. I’ll explain.” Talon stepped out of the boy’s range and Meep’s eyes narrowed until Talon started talking, “Hanja, Tyren, and Fallyn came up with these as a temporary solution. They amplify sound. Hanja thinks he’ll be able to restore at least partial hearing, but he’s running himself ragged so he hasn’t had time. Either way, these will help him then too.”

“How do they work?” Meep was leaning against me, cheek pressed to my shoulder as he watched Talon’s mouth move.

“They’ve been going slow. He gets really overwhelmed. If he pushes too hard it gives him headaches. They’re off right now, but Hanja and Tyren will be back in a few days. They had school affairs to handle.” I nodded and smiled softly, finger tracing over the strange device. Meep pawed at my hand and then there was a glint in his eye. He looked up at Talon and then his gaze strayed to the metal thing that sat in the middle of the balcony floor.

“No, I see your eyes demon child. That’s mine.” His hands moved to signal “no”, but Meep lunged. Talon did as well, body far longer and able to cover more distance. I rolled my eyes and glanced over to Anika as they rolled around, fighting over it again. After a moment, I looked again. I smiled softly when a memory that seemed forever ago, returned. Talon sitting next to Dima, my family’s servant, fiddling with the same metal contraption he and Meep now fought over. How strange time was. We’d been dancing around the other then, unsure where we stood with each other. That was also the night we discovered the connection. Now we were a family.

“How are you feeling?” Anika asked calmly.

“A little weak, but I feel good.” She had some color again and I noticed she was also starting to fill back out. She was starting to shrug off the physical evidence of Anders’ cruelty. Anika wore a lightweight, tiered, blue and white dress. It was the lightest colored thing I’d ever seen her wear. Her shorter hair was neatly brushed and I thought she was even wearing a little makeup. She hadn’t taken off the sapphire bracelet I’d bought her since she’d put it on that day in the market over a week ago.

“They hardly left your side. Talon’s been strangely good with the boy. Gives him entirely too much sugar, but I was surprised. Don’t let him fool you. I caught them cuddling together next to you on more than one night. More often than not the boy sleeps on Talon’s chest.” My heart seized at the thought and I smiled to myself. I watched Talon stand, holding the object high above his head, smug grin on his face. We stilled when a peice of the balcony’s stone barrier broke off. It nailed Talon’s ankles and he hit the ground hard. He groaned loudly and Meep snatched up his prize. He scampered over to show me and held it up towards my face. Talon was laying on his side, staring after Meep in shock as the air tried to return to his lungs. Meep looked around at us when no one celebrated his victory, pouting.

His hands moved fast, What?

*

If ever I thought I couldn’t parent, it’d become more obvious when the child I cared for started having his hearing partially restored. He could say some things, he learned our names quickly. He understood them, but pronunciation was hard for him. Clearly because he hadn’t heard the words. Tyren thought he may be remembering how they were supposed to sound or how the letters were. We weren’t sure. We didn’t know if he’d had his hearing at one point and didn’t remember, or if he’d been born this way. Had something happened to deafen him? We had no way to know. Either way, one day, he causally let it drop that Meep wasn’t his name. We’d been going over letters and Tyren had been having him work on pronunciation with “Meep”. The boy had nodded and then let it slip.

I had stopped right away and so had Tyren. We exchanged a glance and Tyren defaulted to signing.

What do you mean?

Nickname. Meep nodded and smiled at us. It’d been months since the dungeon. Why had it never occurred to me that it may not be his real name? It wasn’t a real name! Guilt slammed into me and I turned more to him.

What’s your name? Why didn’t you tell me? I’m so sorry.

The boy shrugged again. My mama always called me Meep. She never said it. I-S-L-W-Y-N.

He frowned up at me and pushed my shoulder gently. No sorry.

“Islwyn…I’ve never heard a name like that before.” I said softly as Meep looked over the sheets we’d made with letters. Tyren looked lost in thought for a moment. His mother had never said it. I wondered why and combed my fingers through his hair as he tried to trace the letters. I widened my eyes at Tyren who seemed to mirror my slight panic at our discovery.

“I’ve never heard one like it either.”

*

Two years. It had taken two years to finish my studies in between everything else we had going on. In those two years, I’d go stretches without seeing Talon and Meep, now Wyn, for days. The room I’d woken up in after the trial was in my estate in the south. I was yanked back and forth between there and Syrin nonstop. This trip had been less taxing. Without having to train with Tyren, I only had to report to go over Syrin’s day-to-day business. The city had remained the capital and the palace had transitioned fully to meet the city’s new needs. It held a much larger school, the military headquarters, and hidden below was still Wren’s Verseckt. Tyren, Hanja, and the other teachers had taken control of the school. Eon and a few of the military officials that’d remained loyal to the king and had joined the rebellion now headed the country’s army. It was strange seeing my friends and brother in their new roles. What was stranger was having a role of my own. I had land, more than one manor, and people who depended on me. It seemed I was constantly working on something. Numbers for this, sending money there, paying taxes, and learning everything else that came with my new position. I was worn out.

I dragged myself up the white steps. I’d already missed dinner and the manor itself looked dark already. I rubbed my tired eyes and opened the front door. Tugging my boots off, I listened for any noises. Nothing. Frowning, I wandered around our house. The dining room was empty, the light dimmed. The pale wood dining room table had already been cleared and cleaned. A vase of strange flowers in its center courtesy of Wyn. We’d discovered soon after the balcony incident that his Magik was different. He never touched anything like stone again. His favorite seemed to be plant life, flowers. We were still trying to explore it. It seemed the more we learned about the boy, the less we knew. I sighed as I once again got lost in thought about the boy, now for all intents and purposes, my son. I shook my head as frustration built. I continued my search. We’d figure out Wyn in time. Like everything else.
Next the main sitting area’s two powder blue couches were empty, the white stone fireplace unlit. I doubled-back, my irritation now building steadily. I simply wanted to relax!

Where are you? I told you I was coming home tonight.

Greenhouse.

I scowled softly to myself. I was tired and my fuse wasn’t very long tonight. I hadn’t seen Talon for a week this time and I had a list of things I wanted. At the top was simply laying eyes on the stupid man. What was the point of being in the greenhouse at night? I worked my way past the closed library door, Talon’s new alchemy room, and two bathrooms before reaching the back of the house. The greenhouse had been added on when we’d discovered Wyn’s Magik. It was entirely enclosed, a white dome soaring high into the sky for when he started training. It was supposed to be empty. I shoved open the door, yawning as I let my fingers trail over the frosted glass.

“What the fuck have you done?” Talon laughed as I shouted, but it hardly reached my ears. Black and white roses filled the entire space, reaching upwards and outwards as they curved around the room. There was a gold rug under my feet that led to where Talon sat on a stool in the middle of the blooms. Candles hung in the air around us, hundreds of them. I had covered my mouth at some point and stared at him. The flowers meant Wyn, the candles were lit with Eon’s magik so they wouldn’t blow out, and they were held by small metal discs that had to have been Tyren. Talon’s shadows whispered through the room, holding the lighting aloft. Hopefully Anika was nearby if Talon managed to set us or the foliage on fire.

He stood, crossing the distance between us and picked up my limp hand that hung by my side. He leaned over, his dark chin-length hair brushing my shoulder. He whispered softly in my ear before he knelt, “I told you I wasn’t going to be outdone.”

I couldn’t believe I hadn’t tripped over my own feet a hundred times. My hand was in Talon’s. The hand. The one with the black band with gold foil and an engraved moon. I hadn’t been able to stop staring at it. Not even as we nearly ran from the room, upstairs, and down the hall. Talon wrenched our bedroom door open and I’d barely closed it behind me when my back slammed against it. Fingers gripped my hair tight as he kissed me hard. It’d been too long and on top of it, every single touch felt charged. We were going to get married. I still hadn’t wrapped my head around it.

He released my hair as we came up for breath. We didn’t get much of a break as he cupped my face, kissing me again and pressing me harder against the door. It was summer, so luckily, we didn’t have multiple heavy layers to contend with. He stepped back to rip my gold sleeveless shirt over my head and I flicked my wrist. His black one fell in tatters and we were on each other again. My hands roamed over his shoulders as he kissed and sucked at my neck. His hands gripped my backside as his mouth moved down.

“Bed Talon. Bed.” He blinked up at me with unfocused eyes and I pointed to the bed across the room. He nodded and his arm scooped my legs out from under me, his other one at my back. He almost tripped when I turned his face to kiss me hard again. We stumbled forward and he dropped me on the bed. Before he could climb onto it after me, I crawled forward. We were panting softly and he looked hesitant as I untied the laces on his pants, kneeling on the bed.

“Kal-“

“Sh.” I tugged his pants down and wrapped my fingers around him. I knew it would happen, but it still took me by surprise when fear surged through me. I glanced down at my ring as I ran my tongue over his tip. I kissed softly down the underside as panic set in. Talon pushed gently at my shoulder and I tightened my fist on his base, dragging my tongue up the underside and taking him into my mouth.

“Baby, you don’t have-fuck fuck.” I looked up at him as I slowly bobbed, sucking, and hallowing my cheeks. I lit my fingertips and traced them over what wasn’t in my mouth and farther down. The light spread to my whole hand and I cupped his sac. I forced myself farther down, eyes watering a little as I fought off memories. I slid back, swirling my tongue around the head as I kneaded what was in my other hand. Fingers slid hesitantly into my hair and I pushed him against the inside of my cheek as I unlaced my own pants. His grip tightened and I beat back another surge of panic. It was okay. He wasn’t forcing me. He had never hurt me the way the other one had. He loved me. My eyes flashed to the ring on my finger again and the panic fled. I forced myself all the way down, tears springing to the corners of my eyes.

He pulled me off by my hair and I gasped, spit trailing from his tip to my mouth, “Face down.”

I climbed farther up on the bed and rolled over, getting onto all fours. Lips pressed to the back of my neck and his calloused hands ran down my chest, flicking and pinching my nipples. I let my head fall back on his shoulder and his tongue traced the shell of my ear. His hands caressed over my abs and sides, lightly touching each rib. They then dropped and he slowly worked my pants down and over my ass. His lips touched to my neck again and then began to travel down my spine, hitting every separate vertebra. I shuddered. Hands smoothed over the globes of my backside and he spread them as he continued his descent. I gripped a hand in the sheets as I felt his tongue slip over my entrance, flicking against it teasingly.

“Please.” I felt it slide into me and I couldn’t help my moan. I spread my legs as it thrusted inside me. A finger joined it after a minute and another shortly after. I think at this point we were both losing patience and Talon sat back. He dug out our oil and I could hear him stroking himself. Then two slick fingers rubbed my hole before thrusting in a few times.

His fingers left me and I bit my lip as I looked over my shoulder at him. Our eyes met and he shuddered, large hands finding my hips. We moaned in unison as he slid in. It’d been way too long and I had missed the familiar stretch. His thumbs rested on my lower back as he moved inside and I gripped the sheets, rocking my hips back and trying to pull a full breath into my lungs. My head hung forward, moans dropping steadily from my lips as he pushed my legs wider. His fingers ran up my spine and into my hair, gripping at the crown and wrenching my head back as he snapped his hips forward. I had a few seconds of coherent thought. Enough of it to hope that Anika and Wyn weren’t here as I screamed Talon’s name. I slid my hand back, resting it on his thigh as he slammed into me, “T-too much, fuck Talon.”

He released my hair and leaned over me, “You want me to stop?”

I shook my head and moved my hand back up to grip the sheets, “M-more. Give me everything.”

“For the rest of our lives, love.”

*

Tyren and I spent months trying to decipher the book that was supposed to have Talon’s cure in it after I finished training. I stared at red pages so long my vision blurred. After a while, it’d really lost its novelty. No longer was I in awe of the scarlet pages and gilded text. I simply wanted it to give up its damn secrets. Against my wishes, Talon had gone to the other teacher, Master Meteo and she’d bound his Magik temporarily. It’s been bound for months now and we were both getting antsy. As was Tyren. Talon had reasoned that this way none of our friends would feel guilt and it needed to be done. I’d been against the whole thing, but it wasn’t my choice. My only role in this now was trying to help Tyren, so I held back my worries and kept my mouth shut.

We sat on the floor in his old classroom. It seemed so odd. The room had been cleared. It was like a completely different building without Tyren’s influence and personality. It was almost sad. I’d learned so much within these walls. It’d been an unofficial meeting place on more than one occasion. I’d met Wren here for the first time and Hanja. Now it lay empty, desks and stools long gone. Talon sat cross-legged on the ground, rocking back and forth as he struggled to entertain himself while he waited. He’d been unbound this morning with the hope that tonight would be the night.

“I think that should do it.” Tyren said, spreading the paper out in front of us as he added a few letters to it. He held it out to me for a second look and my eyes scanned the page. My translating wasn’t nearly as fast, but after a few minutes I nodded. We exchanged a look and I could see my own nervous energy mirrored on Tyren’s face.

“If I die, keep all my cool stuff away from the kid.” Talon smiled teasingly and I scowled at him. He was joking, but we had no idea how he’d react to this. His body had been tainted for so long.

“If you die, Wyn will get it immediately. The only way to ensure you can continue teasing him is to survive.” My voice was shaking now and I swallowed. My mouth was so dry. I rested my palms on the ground as Tyren nodded to me. We started reading the words in unison, the mixed languages sounding even worse than they had looked on the paper. We read through once and I frowned as Talon failed to react.

“Again, Kalian.” We repeated, the words coming easier this time. The orb around my neck glowed green with red and mixed together to create an ugly muddy color. The second time we finished, Talon’s head was propped up on a fist. Boredom was written over his face.

“I-I don’t understand.” I dragged the book over and Tyren and I flipped through frantically. What had we done wrong? Had the translation been off? The pronunciation? How would we even know? It was two dead languages smashed together. One of which, the world had very little knowledge of.

“I’m not sure. It’s possible that we’ve done it wrong.” Tyren covered his mouth as he stared between the book and paper, thinking.

“Well, miracle fix didn’t work. We’ll bind my power again. No big deal.” Talon shrugged.

“It’s damaging to hamper your power for extended periods of time. Especially with how strong you are Talon. It could kill you.” Tyren shook his head, finger tracing under the golden lettering as he re-read.

“Something has to.” I glared at him and nervously rubbed my thumb over the smooth band on my finger. We had to figure this out. We had to.

“One more time Tyren.” He glanced at me pityingly but nodded. We started again and I felt my own power creeping from me. I let it move over Talon, sinking into his skin. We finished and I bit my lip.

“I’m sorry you two. It seems like we was-“ Talon’s words were cut off violently as he jerked backwards. His head cracked the ground painfully and I slid my legs under me, ready to dart across the room to him.

“Stop, wait. We can heal that later if we have to.” Tyren gripped my arm and I almost hit him to get him to release me as Talon convulsed, thrashing. His eyes were wide open and rolled back, the whites unnervingly on display. His fingernails scrambled across the ground as he tried to find purchase. The shaking slowed as we watched. Then his feet planted and his back arched so sharply I thought there might be damage, his screams tore through the room. He stopped moving then, slumping to the ground limply, eyes closed.

I jerked from Tyren’s grasp and dove across the floor. My fingers slipped under his head and I grimaced as they came away bloody. I turned his face to me and jumped when I was met with black eyes. Clawed hands clamped around my wrists and teeth snapped at my face. As I held him at bay, I watched the black spread over his body.

“I’m sorry, love.” I frowned as fangs snapped at me again. I wrenched my wrists from his grip and punched him hard in the jaw. He staggered away from me and lost his balance. I flicked my fingers and my Magik caught his wrists and ankles as he fell, securing him to the ground. Tyren was by my side and held the paper up. We turned it into a chant, repeating over and over. It was worth a shot. Nothing else had worked. Talon was struggling and more than once I had to fight off hostile shadows as they tried to stop us. I heard the excitement in my voice spike as blotches of pale skin started to appear in the black. They started to grow, stretching farther and farther. He began heaving and I moved forward again. I traded the restraints for a box surrounding him. Talon rolled onto his side, hands flat on the ground as he wretched. Black spilled from his mouth, splattering the ground. The more he purged, the less black I could see on his body. He coughed hard and fell onto his back, panting. I crawled to him, avoiding the black patch on the floor that seemed to be eating through it.

“Kalian, burn it away if you can.” Tyren said, glaring at the substance. I rested my hand on Talon’s chest, lifting the other, dropping the box, and focusing energy at the black gunk. Light ate at it and I added more power until the poison began to disintegrate. When I looked down to Talon, his eyes were normal. Grey with delicate swirls of black, hopefully from his regular power.

“Did you two learn your bedside manner from Hanja? I think you dislocated my jaw.”

+Five Years After Final Trial+

The large window that stretched over the far wall across from Eon’s war table did very little to help my interest stay on what was being discussed. I crossed a leg over the other and tried desperately to remain respectful. This meeting only happened once a year. I could handle one day. Once a year. I had dealt with worse. Lex, Anders, rebuilding Dimian’s government, clearing Talon’s corruption, and a great many other things were more difficult than this. Why then, did it feel like the worst torture I’d ever experienced? The man speaking was twice my age and twice as dumb as any person I’d met in a long time. He was trying his best to convince the Council that he couldn’t possibly pay the taxes expected of him because he’d been giving so much back to his people. He was rolling through numbers that didn’t make any sense when you added them up. He had no proof of anything he’d done for his people. No documentation. Eon’s eyes flicked to mine. His elbow rested on his chair, mouth resting against his hand. His fingers blocked the grin he shot me from anyone else’s view. This was the same man that had been terrified of my brother at the assembly five years ago. I still remembered his horrendous purple and green ensemble. Eon’s hair was cut back into some semblance of order. His beard cut very close to his face. He looked presentable again and I knew Wren hated it.

“Oh gods, we get it. You can’t do basic math.” Talon interrupted, shoving the papers away from him that the man’s personal secretary had passed out. They fluttered over the table and some fell to the ground.Talon’s jacket was more fitted than most things he chose to wear, and I’d been appreciating it all day. It clung to him, the fabric black as always, but his sleeves had gold embroidery around the wrists and reaching up the underside of his forearm to his elbow. He had his usual black pants and rings covered his right hand. His left was empty except for one. I bit my lip and smiled to myself. He felt my eyes and let his head fall back against the chair as he smirked at me, long dark hair slipping over his cheek.

“Excuse me?” The man asked, clearly deeply offended. We both blinked, breaking eye contact as the man startled me out of my lust-induced trance.

“What Lord Verloren is trying to say, albeit a bit tactlessly,” Tyren said, goldenrod eyes flicking to Talon and then back to the man, “Is your numbers seem a bit strange. May I ask who calculated your expenses and put together your ledgers?”

“Well, I did of course. I shall have them redone. Either way, the Council must see that my current taxation rate is outrageous!” The man sniffed, turning up his nose in Tyren’s direction. Eon shuffled through the papers in front of him, looking for something. He slid a paper toward him and his eyes scanned down the sheet. The man watched him and lifted his nose higher to hide his nerves as Eon read. Eon finally glanced up, expression unreadable.

“The rate you pay is currently the lowest amount of any region. Kalian and Talon pay twice what you do and their region is half the size of yours. You were given a break last year with a promise to bring proof of “projects” you claimed to have carried out to improve living situations in your region. You seem to have regurgitated the same story this year. Would you like to try another perhaps? Maybe you’ve prepared a backup lie?” Cold blue eyes focused on the man whose own eyes were bulging out of his head. He had gone pale and looked like he’d be sick at any moment.

“He should be stripped of his title.” Spoke up another duke. Keverin. The man who’d turned down the crown. His land lay to the southwest of Syrin. He had steel grey hair and amber eyes and was currently glaring at his peer.

“Second.” Another duke spoke up. His territory was to the far west I believed. Fawcel. He’d been the one to argue with Talon at the assembly. The man in red.

“Do we have any actual numbers? Real ones. We are supposed to have independent statistics, yes? How much of his population is living below poverty? Has he made any improvements? He was previously penalized for housing conditions, correct? Also, water quality if I remember right.” I frowned, glancing over the overwhelming amount of paperwork in front of me. Where had I seen those numbers…Papers rustled and Master Meteo slipped some over to me. As I scanned, I began to get angry. I paused and looked up at him. The duke was sweating and gripping the back of his chair. He refused to return my gaze.

“Duke Crux, explain something to me. Your people are still starving. As far as I can tell, there’s been zero improvement. They are living in little more than tents. You reside in the north. You have harsh winters, yes? I have lived outside during one of those winters. As have others gathered here. We know firsthand what they’re like. With proper clothing and supplies. Your people don’t have those. It is so bad that you have a yearly average of deaths from exposure. Do you know how many other regions have something like that? A special category for preventable deaths due to neglect?”

“W-well I couldn’t say…” He stuttered, still trying to look anywhere but at me. He would if he cared about any of this. The entire Council had access to everyone’s numbers and statistics. They weren’t a secret on purpose.

“None, Duke Crux. Zero. You are the only region where we have to keep track of an entire separate category.” I slid the paperwork away from me, staring out the window so that I wouldn’t simply decapitate the man. Hanja stood and walked over. He placed a large piece of parchment in front of the duke. His long hair was loose and swept behind him as he walked. As usual, he wore his robes, scarlet this time. His crane flew over the bottom hem and I wondered what significance it had. Fighting for my life had made me never question it before.

“Can you explain to the Council members sitting farther away what I set in front of you? The general has so many medals and stars now, that I fear with the glare from the sun, he may not be able to see.” Eon smirked at the healer and my eyes dropped to Eon’s uniform. It was navy now with white piping. He did indeed have various medals and I had lost track of his title. The highest one is normally how I remembered in my head. A certain number of stars were involved. I couldn’t inflate my brother’s ego by actually addressing him by his correct title. Nope, I was doing him a service.

“I-it’s the treaty we signed that day.” The man said, wincing away from Eon’s gaze.

“What did we agree upon?” Hanja asked as he slid into his seat.

“That we would work to improve the country together. That we’d keep our titles and land.” He answered.

“You seem to have forgotten a few key details.” Eon curled his fingers into a fist, resting his cheek against it as he looked at the man, “You were given five years to earn your place. Five. Tell me, Crux, how long has it been?”

“The taxes are too high! My family has had this land for two hundred years!” The man shouted.

“Done a lot of good with it too.” Talon sneered, “You think you deserve to be in charge when women and children are freezing and starving to death while you gorge yourself in a heated mansion? Eat shit.”

“Talon,” Tyren scolded, “I do agree with the sentiment. You share a partial border with Dleth. The closest settlement to that border is primarily refugees. Am I correct?”

The man glared at Tyren and refused to answer. My teacher’s curls had grown out a touch and he was colorful as always. A bright mustard yellow vest and teal pants that reached his knees was today’s ensemble. Completed with a multitude of his gold jewelry. Tyren rolled his golden eyes, “I’m sure there’s absolutely no correlation with that and the fact that it’s the poorest part of your region with the least support.”

“So, I ask again, Crux, how long has it been?” Eon’s face was blank, body posture still relaxed, but I could see the tension in him. Eon wanted to launch across the table and deal with the man himself.

“F-five General.”

“Per the treaty how long were you given to improve conditions?” Eon prodded, sitting up, his palms resting on the arms of his chair lightly.

“The same number.”

“Again, a vote. We’ve heard enough.” Keverin said, nodding to Tyren.

“Move to strip him of…well everything.” Duke Fawcel shrugged.

“Second.” Keverin nodded again. The Council was made up of eleven dukes, the four teachers, and Eon. The decision had to be unanimous. It was. I sighed as the screaming man was escorted out of the room. I suppose we were back to ten dukes again until his spot was filled.

“Now, on to more topics that I’m sure will excite and thrill you.” Hanja’s face stayed impassive as he spoke and that made it even harder for me to hold back laughter.

“Dleth is becoming a problem again. They’ve been laying low. Testing the waters to see if Dimian would survive. Now that it has, the king has made moves.” Eon said, standing. He hit something and the table shifted to a map of Dimian and the surrounding countries. Everyone gathered their papers and set them to the side to see better. Eon flicked his fingers and then his wrist. Small markers appeared sporadically along the Dlethian border, burned into the wood with a flare of blue fire.

“These are either attacks, attempted attacks, or where their men were spotted trying to cross the border. The king is aging and getting a little reckless and desperate. He’s still upset that you snubbed him, Talon. Suman isn’t helping matters. He constantly pokes at his grandfather and there are rumors he intends to kill him. The only problem is that Suman does not want the throne.” Eon explained. My mind flashed back to the man we’d met those years ago. He’d seemed absolutely delighted at our disrespect and disregard for his grandfather and king’s wishes. Also, perhaps a touch deranged, but that was a family trait that had long since stopped bothering me.

“What could he want then?” Keverin asked in clear confusion.

“Anarchy.” Eon shrugged, “Suman is probably the only Dlethian that hates his homeland more than any foreigner. He wants his grandfather dead. Doesn’t care much what happens after that.”

“He’d send his country into chaos over a family dispute?” Fawcel scoffed, shaking his head and resting his chin on his fist.

“While it’s true that it is a family dispute, it runs deep. Sumerion was more…successful in his moves against Suman’s family than he was Talon’s. Talon’s father almost managed to get them all out. None of his cousin’s family was that lucky. Suman survived simply because he could be an heir.” Tyren said, gold jewelry catching the light as he turned to look out the window.

“What was his reason for offing this son?” I exclaimed, slamming my palms on the table. Talon flinched at the movement. He’d been forcibly knocked from a different kind of trance. I’d watched him stare blankly at the outline of Dleth the entire time the others spoke, eyes unblinking.

“Aeris was going to kill him.” Tyren said, “He had the whole thing planned and it would’ve worked but something tipped the king off.” I let my hands fall into my lap, stewing quietly. The man was a monster. How did we attract so many of them?

“What’s being suggested then? Back the grandson and see Dleth crumble or attempt to establish an ambassador as the king originally requested and seek an ally?” Hanja asked, voice bored.

“There’s a good chance he will only entertain Talon,” Tyren sighed, cheek resting in his palm as his elbow balanced on the table.

“Then I’ll do it.” Everyone, including me looked at Talon.

“You don’t want to do this.” I frowned at him and he offered his hand. I slid mine into his and his fingers traced over my ring. My eyes darted to his, white with gold leaf and a sun etched into the surface.

“Might as well. Aren’t we in the business of trying to prevent wars now?” He raised my knuckles to his lips and grinned, “Think of the fun I could have. Being a duke’s husband is starting to make me slow and lazy. Do you know how long it’s been since someone threatened me with violence? Well, other than my own child. Why’d we teach him to talk again? That’s besides the point. My love, I am suffering.”

“I have no problem with that. Take Wren with you, Talon. He’s been wanting to get out of the city.” Eon nodded as he sunk into his chair.

“Rah as well. The three of us should be able to handle it.” Talon nodded and placed more kisses along my knuckles as I let my annoyance sit plainly on my face.

“Settled. Talon in Dleth. Loren in Illiath. If Talon could open trade we could have a good thing going.” Fawcel was getting excited, greed gleaming in his eyes.

“I’ll maybe focus on preventing a collapse first. Filling your silk-lined pockets will not be my first priority, Duke Fawcel. Please sit back from Eon’s table. I’m unsure if the wood can withstand the amount of drool currently leaking from your face.” Talon narrowed his eyes at the man and was met with a glare.

*

“You think I don’t know what I’m getting myself into? Or is it that you don’t think I can take care of myself? You save me one time and reverse Magikal corruption and think I’m helpless.” Talon said to my back as I leaned against the balcony’s railing, my hair whipping around my face in the wind.

“I think you’re losing brain cells rapidly in your advanced age.” I refused to look at him. There was nothing in throwing distance and if I faced him, I would surely want to throw something.

“I think you stole all the snark you now possess from me. You’re supposed to be the nice one. Get your own personality flaws. Also, advanced age? I’m 31.” He whined, arms gripping the balcony next to me as he pressed against my back.

“Almost dead.” Anika supplied from where she sat behind us.

“I want to go with.” I whipped around at the same time as Talon turned. Anika had sat up at well and the three of us stared. Wyn cringed away from the attention, gaze dropping to his feet. His black waves fell forward to cover his face. Hanja had restored his hearing partially. He could now hear what anyone else could with the devices they’d made him. Sometimes even more.

“I’m not even letting him go. You think you’re going?” I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms.
At the same time as Talon grinned,“Course you can come.”

Both of us frowned, facing the other. I glared, “Neither of you are going.”

“It’ll be fun for him. He’s never left home other than to travel to Syrin.” Talon reasoned and I caught the wink he shot Wyn. The boy shifted on his feet, disarming green eyes landing on me. They’d only become more spectacular with his awakening. There was a veritable rainbow of colors extending from his pupil, his striking green still the base. I looked to Anika, lifting my hands in disbelief as I motioned to the boys. Her hair was past her shoulders, curling and scarlet again. Her weight was healthy and she’d even developed a tan. She looked nothing like the woman our parents had abandoned. She smiled apologetically and shook her head, holding her hands up to stay out of it.

“Then I’m coming with. I can’t trust you two alone together.” Wyn’s tanned arms were suddenly around my waist and I fought a smile as Talon hugged both of us. There was no way, trip or not, that I would allow Talon to spend that much time in Dleth alone. There was no telling what damage could be done if he spent extended amounts of time around his family. We’d go quick and only report back on the climate in Dleth’s court. That was what I decided ahead of time. Nothing ever went the way I planned. Talon was the emissary in six months and our little family spent our days stretched out between home, Syrin, and Dleth.

My universe was constantly changing, unseen hands tipping its axis this way and that. I had weathered a great deal of pain and hardship, but it had finally balanced. I had Talon and Wyn. The list of blessings had removed the strife from the forefront of my mind. I had everything I never even dared dream of.

If I would’ve known what awaited me, I would’ve ventured into unfamiliar dark alleys far sooner than I had.