“Yes,” Gavyn said. “But it did not lead to death, but to a love…a mating in her words…a bond that is unbreakable.”
Frustration surged through Xian. “The outcome is not what we feared, but it did happen. Exactly as the foreseer said. And that is what is important. War is inevitable. Right now, I do not care to speculate on the aftermath though I can easily envision the hopelessness and despair. What I care to prevent are the battles that will be waged. I—”
A blast, sharp and thunderous echoed with such primal power, the walls of the castle shook, and Xian stumbled. Another blast roared, then a repercussion of a long scream, so melodious and vibrant it ached the ears to endure. The soundwaves rolled through the walls of the castle and trembled over the kingdom. Another sonic blast came, then another, as the soundwaves echoed over the seven kingdoms with unrelenting force.
Dread coiled in Xian’s gut. “What is that?” she demanded hoarsely, stepping from his arms and flashing to the high turret of the eastern wing, a bird’s eye view of the castle grounds and the sleeping city of Adara. Ajali was already there with Tehdra, and his other high dukes and closest allies of the kingdom. Their faces were grim, and in their cold, hard eyes she saw the painful truth.
It was the sound of death and the promise of destruction, and it blasted from the Empire of Mevia—the kingdom of sound.
The sonic booms rippled across the sky once more, and creatures which had been in the air plummeted to their deaths, their hearts ruptured from the force of the waves. The very air and the earth beneath their feet trembled in reaction to such blatant show of power.
“It is here,” Tehdra said, lacing her fingers with Ajali’s.
"It has come too soon," her brother responded, tipping his face to the sky, his expression harsh and ruthless.
Xian walked to the edge of the balcony and gripped the ledge overlooking Adara. Towering mountains rose in splendor with waterfalls rushing down their ridges, and below the mountains, thousands of homes spread in an organized sprawl. Crystal lights were coming on by the thousands as the City of Fire, which had slept, responded to the call of violence trembling on the air. Millions of white city-lights, glinting like diamonds, burned. Their majestic capital of marble spread for miles as it woke hours before what was required. A wall of heat was suddenly at her back, but she did not lean into the silent support he offered.
Her realm was prosperous and had one of the most glamorous cities of the seven kingdoms. The people had been at peace for over one hundred years. Never in their history had another war been declared so soon after the other. And why? Greed and madness of the emperor. But surely that could not be all. What did he want? How Xian wished she could infiltrate the empire and slit his throat. But if she were to attempt such a feat, her life would be lost. The emperor was reputed to be one of the most dangerous men of the seven realms. It was even said that Darkans feared him, which is why they had aligned with him and worked to overthrow their own king from the throne.
“Say it,” she demanded hoarsely.
“It is war,” Gavyn said, his gray eyes bleak, the chilling distance in his voice an echo of the brutal fight to come.
A sudden violent mix of fear and rage like none she’d ever experienced overwhelmed Xian. She bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood.
“War has come to the seven kingdoms.”
Chapter 3
Gavyn sat in a high wing back chair in the antechamber attached to the war council. The antechamber was starkly furnished with the twin chair to the one in which he sat, an iron table, and a chaise longue by a crackling fire. The ceiling rose to more than six stories upward and was pure glass, the night sky theirs to admire with a simple tilt of their heads. After Ajali had summoned his generals, chancellors, and his Sherras—his most loyal high dukes of the realm, which had pledged their houses to him, he'd singled out Gavyn and requested a brief private audience. He tipped the goblet to his mouth and drank deeply of the wine which came from Aria. It was tangy and quite potent, and one of the realm of Earth and Sands’ most famous and expensive commodities.
“It is unusual you would wish to meet with me privately now.” Gavyn could feel the wave of energy in the room next to them as the council waited for their king to return.
Ajali did not turn around but continued staring at the sigil of his house above the crackling fireplace. His lustrous plaited locks were caught in a queue at his nape, yet they still fell to the middle of his back. His hands were clasped behind him, and his feet were braced apart. His king seemed as if the fate of the realm rested on his shoulders only, and Gavyn could sense the turbulence writhing inside his friend.
“I saw you dancing with Xian…kissing her,” he finally murmured. "You both have never shown such an obvious attachment for each other publicly before."
A stillness blanketed the room.
“And you wanted to warn me from her?” he drawled, with provoking mockery.
“No, but I did want to warn you.” Then Ajali shifted. Regret flashed in his eyes before his expression smoothed.
Gavyn?
?s hand instinctively tightened on the goblet. “Just tell me.”
“She will be leaving the kingdom tonight.”
His heart twisted with unexpected pain. “For how long?”
“She might visit from time to time…when the war is over.”
And that could be anywhere from one year to a hundred. Agony sliced through his soul like a poison-tipped dagger. A faint rumble of warning, unfamiliar and insidious, slithered through his mind.
“Do you do this to protect her?” Gavyn asked softly.
In his gut he knew it was a move to consolidate more power, but he wanted it to be something else. A coldness slowly permeated his bones and worked its way up to his heart. Let it be something else.