Page 110 of The Storm of the Empire

“We don’t know,” I admitted, knowing how strange it was. “He doesn’t seem to be any different.”

“How can you be sure you’re melded then?” Jaxus asked, seeming as confused as his mate.

“We can exchange power. The flow was immediate,” I said honestly. “Which means he has magic to give.”

“Seems suspect,” Kiera muttered. “Nothing is that easy.”

Jaxus wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. “It’s okay, Firefly. We got there in time.”

“I blame Casimir.”

Jaxus laughed and kissed her temple. “Me, too.”

“Shouldn’t your magic be similar to Zaria’s?” Kiera asked after some thought. “Since you come from the same village?”

“Our village was a mix of fae who wanted to escape the sinful life of magic. They came from all over, and my parents never even told me where they were from. So it could be the same as Zaria’s, but it’s probably not.”

“Hmmm.” Kiera pursed her lips. “Have you been tested?”

“In what time?” Luka laughed. “We are up to our eyeballs helping Jaxus while Nyx is out of commission. Our magic is flowing together, so for now, that needs to be enough. Maybe in time they’ll be able to spare me to spend a few days with that weird old dragon who tests for magic types.”

Jaxus grunted. “It depends on how Kol is. Nyx is not doing well, and with any bad news, he’s worse.”

“Like he was when Kol first disappeared?” I asked.

Kiera shook her head. “No, it’s different. He’s withering away, not losing his mind. Grief and guilt are eating him alive. Then, on top of all that, the King won’t leave him alone. Gran stuck around to take over Kol’s care, and she said he’s there at all hours.”

“Is that normal?” I asked, confused. It was my understanding the King had always let Nyx do what he needed to. This micromanaging wasn’t like him.

“No, not at all,” Jaxus answered for her.

Jaxus and Kiera excused themselves to have an early night while Luka and I hung out for a while longer, and it was good for us. We’d needed the night off. We’d all been too stressed, and it all came flooding right back the minute we left the tavern. Even warm with drink, I couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong.

“What could all of this mean?” I mused on our walk back to the palace. The night was lovely, so we took our time. “All of it. The Dragon’s Bane, the eggs, Octavian, the priests and what they all have to do with each other, Kol, how the King is behaving I hate not being able to make sense of any of it.” I wanted to include how Luka was doing but I didn’t dare. Asking Kiera to examine him was already pushing my luck, and I knew he only let her to indulge me.

Suddenly, Luka stumbled, falling to one knee.

“Are you okay?” I bent to help him.

“I must have stepped in a hole or found an uneven cobble stone.” He waved me off, starting to get up, but fell forward again.

He stayed on all fours for a long moment, not moving.

“Luka, are you okay?”

His head jerked back, and in the light of the street lamps, I could see his irises were a ghostly silver. He slowly got to his feet but still didn’t speak.

I moved in front of him, grabbing his tunic. “Luka? Look at me!”

He stared right at me, but it was like he was looking through me.

He said nothing, and yet, my head filled with his voice. I could not make sense of the words, but the delivery chilled me to the bone.

“Life is being lost, but it’s being given not taken.

“More comes and the tide of empires turns.

“The waves crash, and all fall under the crumbling.

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