Page 54 of Broken Lands

“Your Majesty,” he said, stepping back and bowing low. “What a pleasant surprise. Have you met Riley Emmett yet?” He gestured toward me, and I moved forward, mimicking his bow and offering my hand to the monarch.

“Ah, yes, our most recent ascendant. Welcome, Riley. I trust you are settling in well?” Disinterest colored his tone, and he didn’t wait for my response before continuing. “You’ve caused quite the stir here, young lady. The elders are in quite the uproar about yourunprovenheritage.” He barely spared me a glance before turning back to Colin.

“That is why I’m here, General. You need to speak to them. Reassure them that this girl is no threat. That she is on our side, and you will personally ensure she remains so. I am at my wits end; General Hughes would have had this in hand by now.” I bristled at his words; at the way he spoke to Colin and called me ‘girl’.

He had no idea who I was or what I’d been through. How dare he judge me!

Colin shot me a look from the corner of his eye. A clear command not to respond. And he was right, I needed to be here. I couldn’t risk that by losing my shit at one nasty comment. I bit down hard on my tongue, trying to rein in my temper. I could feel the crackling of fire on my skin as I struggled to keep myself from exploding.

The sound of Colin and King Ronan talking dulled, as though I was underwater, and I couldn’t make out their words any longer as I fought tooth and nail to keep my power contained. Taking a couple of deep breaths, I felt the fire in my veins cool and slowly slink back to the well in my chest meant to contain it.

Sound returned to me in a flood as the King nodded at Colin and turned his attention back to me.

“Is there anything we can do to make your transition here any easier?” He asked. He was only asking because he had to, because it was good for his image. There was no way he truly cared how I was settling in or wanted to help. That didn’t mean I couldn’t take advantage of the question, though, right?

Before I’d even thought about what I was about to do, the words tumbled from my mouth. “The human communities are struggling, Majesty. They cannot grow enough food, and many go hungry every day. Whilst I understand now that exposure to magic is a risk to them, I feel there is more that your kind can do. You promised to heal the world after all.”

Colin shot me a look of disapproval, his shock and displeasure written in the furrow of his brow and the thin set of his lips. He wasn’t happy I’d made a request of the King. But why not? Why shouldn’t I? They hadn’t lived up to the promises they made when control of our lands was handed over to them. People were suffering. I had been one of those people.

It was the right thing to do.

“Our kind, you mean? You are one of us, Riley Emmett. In some way or another. There has never been any kind of power in this realm other than the arrogance of ordinary human beings. You are not from here. You are not one of them. You are one of us.”

I lifted my chin, defiantly holding his gaze. He wanted me to break, to back down. I was not going to. His words held some semblance of truth. Deep down I knew that. But that didn’t mean he could get away with letting innocent people struggle and hurt.

“That may be so,” I was proud of how little my voice wavered as I held the King’s steely stare. “But those people are hungry. They are scared and they need help. You have an abundance here. Surely there is some way to share that wealth without affecting their health.”

He stared at me; the silence stretching between us until I was almost about to drop my eyes. Just before I did, he inclined his head ever so slightly. “Make a proposal through the official channels and I will consider it. Hold on to that fortitude, girl, you’ll need it.” He spun on his heel and strode quickly out of the room, Colonel Stubbe on his heels, shooting us what could only be a triumphant look.

I had to bite down on my tongue to hold my retort. He’d given me an opportunity at the very least—even if he’d called me girl again. What was that about, anyway? What did he mean when he told me to hold on to my fortitude?

“What was that?” I asked, turning to Colin as the door clicked shut behind the Colonel. “Hold on to your fortitude, you’ll need it is an almost… threatening thing to say.”

“I’m not sure, Riley.” He said, scrubbing his face with one hand. “I don’t know what to make of that whole interaction. Did you really have to taunt him on your first meeting?

“I wasn’t taunting him.” Colin wiggled an eyebrow at me. “Okay, maybe I did. It wasn’t intentional. I just get so worked up over the inequality of it. Something needs to be done.” I would fight tooth and nail to help my community.

“I’m not saying I disagree with you. Things need to change. We need to do more. It would probably be more effective if you followed the proper channels, though. Pushing him any more may make you an enemy of the King. He is pushing back against the elders on your behalf.”

“It sounds like he just hand-balled that responsibility to you.” I stepped into him, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head on his muscular chest, his body molding around my own as he embraced me back. I would take any comfort I could get right now. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was unsettled by the King’s words. It felt like a warning and a threat rolled into one.

“He did,” Colin agreed, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. “I’ll have to go see them this afternoon. But first, I’ll take you back to the Academy.”

Chapter twenty-eight

Riley

“WhatamIsupposedto do?” I asked, examining the sword I held in my outstretched hands. I looked up at Professor Flo from where I sat in a small armchair. She was perched on the edge of her desk in front of me, her foot tapping impatiently against the hardwood floor.

She’d been waiting for me when I’d returned to the academy, frantic and buzzing with an excited energy I couldn’t quite decipher, and insisting I join her in her office. Resisting her had been futile. She’d all but dragged me back here. Colin had let her, too, just shaking his head, laughter dancing on his lips as he waved goodbye, off to deal with the Elders.

To convince them I was not a threat…

I sighed heavily. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. Was I a threat? Finding James was my highest priority. The power I held would only help me achieve that goal, and I’d use it if I had to. Hurting others was not something I strived to do; it went against everything I stood for. But I’d already hurt others when I’d lost control.

No one really seemed worried about that—they treated it like it was a normal part of discovering your magic and your limitations. And maybe it was. I wouldn’t know any better.

“Connect with it, Riley. Create a door in your mind and let it through. Strengthen the bond that started in class the other day.”

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