Page 58 of Soul Forge

She grinned at the clouds. “I can’t wait to make you eat those words.”

King Artan’s home rose up towards the sky like a beacon, all white stone and intricate towers. The city spread out around it in all directions, the cobbled streets lined with quaint black and white houses. People paid them no mind, too busy going about their day to notice them flying overhead.

Further into the city, the houses grew larger, changing from sturdy wooden dwellings to the same white marble as the castle. Villas on verdant plots of land created a patchwork beneath them, growing bigger and grander until they reached the largest of the lot and Sypher began to descend. Nox and Atlas followed, landing beside them in the soft grass of a beautifully manicured lawn.

A male appeared in the doorway of the villa, coming out to greet them the minute they touched down. He was huge, the reflective shine of his rich brown eyes marking him as a shifter,and his dark hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. A short black beard adorned his chin, and his skin was bronzed and healthy, raised here and there by old scars. Like the rest of his kind, the aura surrounding him was palpable, raising the hairs on the back of Elda’s neck.

“Sypher, welcome.” His voice was deep and gravelly.

“Gira,” the Soul Forge greeted.

“And you must be the new wielder.” Gira smiled at Elda. The expression was warm, and despite her experience with his kind, it made her relax. A permanent twinkle was settled in his eyes, the gold flecks in them catching the sunlight. He shook her hand, engulfing her fingers entirely in his grip.

“Elda Gild,” she replied, inclining her head in greeting. A smile crept across her face in his presence. “I think I’m here to be your punching bag.”

“I’ll leave that part up to Sypher,” he chuckled. “For now, settle yourselves in your rooms, have something to eat, and enjoy my hospitality. It’s good to have you all here.”

“Even me?” Julian probed.

“Of course. Hello, Julian. I’m not sure how successful I’ll be at finding you food, but you and your...horseare welcome to stay.” He cast a dubious look over the demon nosing at his flowers. “Will it be alright in the stables?”

“Are there other horses in there?” the vampire asked.

“I can arrange for a separate stall if needed.”

“Thank you. She’s not good around other horses. Or people.” He patted her neck proudly, and Sypher shook his head in despair. Reiner rolled her eyes.

“She can stay here for now,” Gira chuckled. “Once the stable is ready for her, I’ll let you lead her there, if that’s alright? I don’t want my stable boy to upset her. Or lose any fingers.”

“That’s fair.”

Gira turned to Reiner. “And you are?”

“Cap…” she began, catching herself before the title could slip out. “Rukya Reiner,” she muttered. “Princess Elda’s personal guard.”

“Nice to meet you, Rukya. I never thought I’d see a valkyrie in the flesh. Your mount is a handsome fellow.” Reiner raised her brow at his informal greeting but accepted the hand he offered and shook it.

“How soon can you start training Elda?” Sypher asked the shifter, dragging his attention away from where Atlas was preening his feathers.

“As soon as she feels able,” he replied. “I know this part is important to you.”

The Soul Forge made a sound suspiciously close to a growl. “That’s one way to put it.”

“Sypher?” A female voice floated on the wind, musical and light. Elda felt a strange tingle of apprehension at the sound, and followed it all the way back to the winged soldier, turning just in time to see him lift his head.

Every muscle in his body locked. All expression was wiped from his face, his eyes targeting the source of the sound as she emerged from the villa. The red in them dimmed alarmingly, the fire going out almost completely. The apprehension turned to dread, trailing its clammy fingers across the back of Elda's neck, only worsening when Reiner saw the Soul Forge react and drew her mace immediately. Even Julian bared his sharp incisors.

“I asked her to stay inside until I called her out,” Gira said quickly. “I’m sorry. She arrived this morning.”

The woman was fae, her skin a rich, deep blue, contrasting the arctic blue of her hair perfectly. She wore it down to her waist, arranged in a multitude of tiny, intricate plaits, small silver clasps decorating it here and there. Her eyes were wide and violet, the lashes around them long and luscious. She wastall and toned, her armour hugging her figure all the way to her ankles.

Sypher didn’t move until she was within ten feet of him. Elda looked up to find his eyes were wide, his pulse pounding in his throat. Her chest constricted when she realised he wasfrightened.

“It’s good to see you again,” the woman said, oblivious to his discomfort. Her voice was softer than the petals of a lily, every inch of her oozing feminine grace. The smile that lit her features was the sun rising over the horizon, her violet eyes bright with joy.

Sypher hissed and bolted for the skies.

Elda tilted her head back to study the clouds, but all traces of Sypher were gone. “What in Spirits’ name just happened?” she asked, lowering her chin to look between Gira and the woman’s heartbroken expression.

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