In the end, Haken proved remarkably resourceful.Micah had grossly underestimated him—a mere Healer—who claimed himself capable of combat with an Element he’d never used to cause harm. The same young man desperate enough to appear confident for the sole purpose of impressing his reluctant Chosen.He had certainly delivered.As soon as the guards advanced outside Micah’s quarters, Haken adopted an air of cool professionalism despite Micah readying his stance for confrontation.The words that had spewed from the Healer’s mouth were both confident and authoritative as he explained a fabricated ailment that seemingly inflicted Micah. He had explained, being as they were Chosen, Micah and Josiah possessed an intuition when the other wasn’t feeling well. Considering Micah’s ailing state, he knew Josiah needed prompt attention.Prompt attention—immediately.It was in the guards’ best interest to allow them passageway to Josiah’s quarters. While the guards obliged, albeit in a state of confus

“Micah!”Jerking violently awake, Micah pulled down his hood and frantically searched his surroundings. His chest heaved frantically to accommodate his racing pulse, certainly not accustomed to jarring awake so abruptly, especially when his mind had dipped down into a deep, heavy sleep.Across from him, Viktor danced on one foot, then the other, before cupping his groin.“Where do we pee ?”Behind him, Talia shook her head exasperatedly.Micah stared blankly at Viktor. “ What? ” he exclaimed sharply. “What are you doing?”“I need to pee,” he repeated. “I don’t know where we should go. Is there a designated area or…?”Groggy and still fighting the faint clutch of sleepiness, Micah looked at his team. They were in various states of awareness, some appearing just as jarred as he felt, others wide-awake and irritated over Viktor’s antics, Agni especially.“What?” Micah asked again stupidly.The boy slouched petulantly. “Pee. I have to pee.”“Go!” Micah demanded, his tongue slurring with s

“They are not beacons, child, but entities who wish to remain undetected,” Micah impersonated, pitching his voice to sound like Agni.Said entity offered him an uninspired look.“I said until they do not,” Agni emphasized. “Evidently, they do not wish to remain undetected. They are hailing us almost as subtly as your teammate is hiding that pain in her fractured wrist.”Micah stayed back as his team clambered into the inner region conveyance train. The conveyance unit resembled a carriage more than it did a traditional train. However, instead of a horse as the power source, the small, single-compartment unit ran off the bulky coal and steam engine situated in the front.It was a broken-down piece of rusted equipment used to shuttle the residents between the desert settlements of Region 20. Judging from the noises it emitted, and the noxious scent of rust, Micah imagined it was close to its expiration.Fortunately, the place they believed Kai to be located had tracks close by.Otherwis

The newborn was no longer than his forearm.A tiny thing. Just days old.Five days, to be exact.He’d waited nine mortal months to see it in the flesh, now it was here, a bundle of soft, healthy skin and a thrumming, developing heart. Less bloody and far more endearing than when it took its first, wailing gasp of air five days ago.Cupping the baby in his large palm, he held it aloft, analyzing the petite features, long lashes, the wild tuft of black hair, and the elfin nose and tiny ears. Soft. Breakable. He could curl his fingers into a fist and easily crush the newborn until its delicate ribs closed in around its organs.Death would be quick.His fingers tightened out of morbid curiosity, smiling as the newborn squirmed and emitted a sound of displeasure.No.His fingers loosened before the midwife overheard. He’d observed newborn mortals before—several before as their parents sought for his blessings. Never did he feel any sort of gentle affection for them. They were, after all, m

The atmosphere in the throne room was quietly intimidating.Not an atypical occurrence, Conway supposed, as he’d seen a great deal of disputes and power plays in this very room. Today, however, seemed especially dour and grim. He imagined it was an accumulation of reasons.Prince Ezra’s sudden health scare was an obvious catalyst.King Calder’s necessary damage control was a close second.Not only for his heir’s condition in the eyes of the public, but also for the capital as a whole, who were on the verge of recovering from the unobtrusive and supernatural attack they’d found themselves under. Several men and women claimed they’d felt a haze lift.They’d felt lighter than they had in weeks.Conway had heard the accounts and he’d been entirely unsurprised. While his symptoms hadn’t been severe, his mind did feel clearer. He understood there were others who’d been affected more so than others.They’d been frightened.An understandable sentiment.It would take quite a bit of effort to t