“Hello, Kai.”
The greeting was not warm nor inviting, but rather riddled with scorn and sarcasm.
The blonde-haired young woman who had acknowledged him used to be his intended, Brooke Glyndwr. It was unsurprising to see her sitting superiorly amongst other young women of the court, their gazes all sizing him, judging him.
“Where is your handsome friend?”
“You mean, His Royal Highness?” Kai retorted with a curl to his lip from the lack of proper etiquette. “I imagine Prince Ezra has far more important things to attend to rather than entertaining you ladies.”
They looked at one another, as if trying to gauge the depth of the insult.
Brooke merely smiled. “Pity. He is very pleasing to look at.”
“And belonging entirely to the Fire Lord. Someone you do not stand a chance against.”
Micah would hate Kai for saying it, for declaring that he belonged t
He had an obsessive mind.When there was something that he wanted to research, it took a great deal to divert his attention from satisfying that curiosity.For years, during his childhood, his mother had attempted to rouse him from his books by implementing several different tactics, eager to get him motivated to go outside and play with other children. To mingle. To make friends. But to no avail. She could never get him to part with his texts.Yet something—something silently disquiet—was enough to quickly shake his attention from his books.Beck raised his chin from the tome and squinted into the hazy room. Several lanterns rebounded off the walls, illuminating the room but creating deep, fathomless shadows behind stacks of books and corners.Silence.The tailors had left for the night, leaving early to help with the cleanup effort around the capital. Though it was difficult to remember, as he’d been so engrossed wi
Micah could only stifle so much before imploding.They manhandled him, fed him, and dressed him like a doll. He tolerated the lack of privacy and acknowledged the evasive Calder. He’d felt powerless the past several hours and it only seemed to worsen with each passing minute.Powerless and incapable were adjectives to describe him now.It was exactly as he’d feared.Taking the crown, or, agreeing to take the crown, left him an empty husk, a pretty decoration, and a symbol of power and unity. He was but a toy that remained off-limits and inactive. The things he’d enjoyed no longer applied to his lifestyle.He’d never considered himself a depressed individual, yet the darkness smothered and festered, leaving him feeling miserable.Time was also moving with agonizing slowness, only serving to exaggerate his melancholy. It was only two days ago that Micah woke up at the palace
The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end.Micah’s eyes narrowed out the window, submitting to the unnerving sensation and wondering at the cause. Just down the train’s corridor, Josiah interacted with a few military men. Though they were unnaturally smitten with the Igni king, Josiah wasn’t doing anything to warrant Micah’s current feelings of unease and disquiet.Which was actually quite astounding in itself.He rotated on the bench, throwing an arm across the back of the bench and facing Josiah. Alternating between admiring the passing scenery and watching Josiah, he pondered on the restlessness in the air.It felt as if something shifted, as if things were revolving the wrong direction.“I’ve been told you have trouble conjuring your Element.”His unease certainly wasn’t attributed to Calder’s royal guard who decided to sidle next to Micah on the cushioned bench. He offe
“Sachiel.”“Seaton.”Thanking the server for the tumbler of whiskey, Sachiel closed in on the current head of the Edlen family. It was an unideal environment to face the man, for the eyes of several noblemen and noblewomen followed his movements with fine-tuned skepticism and prejudice.He hadn’t faced this level of ridicule since his late wife’s passing.Apparently, a decorated warrior no longer held significance in this society.Today, gaudy decorations adorned the Edlen mansion for a birthday celebration. Sachiel couldn’t quite remember which Edlen was turning another year older. A young one on the cusp of adulthood, he assumed, judging from the lack of children present and the addition of young adults—a bit younger than Kai’s age—that were present.He’d received the invitation with its engraved calligraphy and heavy stock paper. After Seaton’s continued
“You support his existence.”The young boy remained facing away from him.Innocent and juvenile hums escaped the young boy’s throat as he carefully arranged a basket of wildflowers. His dark, small fingers curled around the thin stems and entwined them elaborately around one another. Thick lashes pressed against his plump, healthy cheeks as he paid singular attention on his creation, not at all concerned with Dushyanta standing at his unprotected back.And why should he be concerned?The Earth Goddess would easily conquer Dushyanta.“I consider your failure to be an act of betrayal,” Dushyanta pressed heatedly. “Certainly you realize just what he is.”The hums gradually came to a stop. “As I told Agni and young Ezra,” the boy started softly, “I have my assumptions. Nothing is concrete, and nothing should be concrete for you and the others either.”“He raised a God
Breathing never seemed so complicated.Pressing his eyes closed, Micah attempted to concentrate only on inhaling and exhaling. Under his eyelids, he envisioned ice. He willed it. Wanted to force it. It shouldn’t be so challenging to conjureicewhen it washisElement!A finger pressed between his eyebrows. “You’re too angry to conjure.”Micah opened his eyes, spying Josiah sitting across from him. “I’m not angry.”It had been days. Days upon days of being train-bound. Unnerved by his interaction with Josiah and Prithvi at the Terra Kingdom, Micah kept to himself for the long trip to the Eurus Empire.Books preoccupied him most often. Meditating came second. He only escaped his personal quarters when it was time to eat. Usually, he got by without lunch. As such, he only encountered the royal guards and Josiah during breakfast and dinner before retreating to his compartm
“You are a naïve and ignorant fool.”Micah did not give Conway Edlen the satisfaction of turning around.Dinner had been a strained event. Josiah hadn’t said a word all evening and the royal guards were just as silent. They’d eaten alone at the dining hall, their clinking utensils the only sound that transpired between the group.Micah had sensed the air of frustration and disappointment. He recognized and acknowledged he’d overstepped by speaking about the Noir Users in such a reformist way, especially considering Calder had sent him on this tour to slap the wrists of the kingdoms who allowed such leeway with sorcery.He’d gone completely against Concordia’s principles.Another political misstep, yes, but he was not going to cower.His proposition was new. A budding, nearly intangible taste of an idea that could grow into something impressively beneficial for everyone involved. He just needed t
“The Eurus Empire proclaims the attack on Concordia’s royal prince was a result of a domestic extremist group,” Josiah spoke to Micah’s barely conscious form.“They apologized profusely. Healed you and replenished your lost blood, while simultaneously attempting their best with Captain Edlen’s several fractured bones. They then sent us on our way with armed guards and gifts for Calder. A flimsy and futile hope that the king will somehow overlook the attack on his heir. Calder will only use this as future leverage.”Micah’s unconsciousness slipped from his grasp at Agni’s words.His awareness thrummed and wavered, but eventually sharpened and persevered. Gifts for Calder, Micah mused in his mind.Perhaps they were similar to Calder’s gifts to the Eurus Empire.Packaged in coffins.Micah kept his eyes closed as he responded to the man sitting at his bedside. “The rulers of all t