Page 56 of Draekora

He looked at her incredulously. “No harm done? How can you say that when I found you standing at the entrance to the palace with one of Meya’s most notorious criminals?”

Zain, a criminal? Alex couldn’t help it, she burst out laughing.

Roka looked at her in concern. “Come, let’s get you inside. I can’t imagine how you ended up atNarsae de Trigonbut you’ve clearly had a traumatic evening. You should rest.”

“Could this place getanyweirder?” Alex asked between guffaws as theValispathzoomed them straight to her bedroom. When they came to a stop in the hallway next to her door, she laughingly added, “Next you’ll be telling me that you and Kyia hate each other.”

Roka’s brow furrowed. “Hate is a very strong word. But I’m surprised you picked up on that—usually we try to hide how we feel about each other when we’re around others.”

That brought Alex up short and she immediately sobered. “Wait, what?” At Roka’s questioning look, she added, “Aren’t you two betrothed?”

It was the prince’s turn to burst out laughing. His head fell back and everything, so great was his mirth. “By all the stars in the sky, where did you hearthat?”

Alex felt like everything she knew was crumbling around her. “But you’re… You’re…” She paused, gathered her thoughts, and tried again. “You’re Roka and Kyia. That’s who you are.”

Roka was still laughing as he shook his head. “We put on a good front in public, since both of us grew up in court and know how to play the political game. But we can barely stand each other, Aeylia.”

Seeing the truth all over his features, Alex wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or hit something.The past sucks, she thought, wondering how everything could be so wrong. How could Zain, Roka’s right-hand man, leader of theZeltora, be a criminal? And a notorious one, at that? How could the almost sickeningly in-love Kyia and Roka not be a couple, let alone not be able to stand one another? How were both Aven and Niyx—Rebel Leader and Rebel Underling of the future—what Alex would almost considernice?

When her thoughts lingered on Aven, Alex knew she didn’t want to ask. Really, she didn’t. But she had to know what she was dealing with, so she sucked up the courage to enquire, “Is your brother all right?”

When Roka’s jaw tightened, she knew the answer wasn’t good, even if all he did was repeat, “He never should have left you.”

Alex waved her hand. “Let’s move on from that. Is he okay after whatever caused him to take off in such a hurry?”

Roka gave a short shake of his head. “My brother is many things. Disillusioned is now perhaps one of them. His eyes have been opened to some truths he was not prepared to discover and he has yet to accept the way things are. But don’t trouble yourself, Aeylia. He will be fine.”

Alex could read Roka’s body language enough to know he was not at all pleased with whatever happened in the wake of his brother storming back to the palace.

“What about Zain?” Alex asked, jumping topics so swiftly she was surprised Roka didn’t get whiplash. “If he’s a criminal, why didn’t you arrest him?”

Roka’s tightened jaw locked even further. He only unclenched it to say, “One good deed deserves another. I’d been searching for you all night, but he returned you to the palace unharmed. I could not in good conscience call the guards upon him.”

“He didn’t just return me unharmed, Roka,” Alex said carefully. “Zain saved my life tonight.”

“I’m sure you’re overreacting,” Roka said, smiling slightly as if to take the dismissive sting out of his words. “Narsae de Trigonis not a place I would ever wish you to visit, but that doesn’t mean—”

“Do you know a Meyarin called Skraegon?” Alex interrupted.

The fire that lit behind Roka’s golden eyes and the air that hissed from between his teeth was all the confirmation she needed.

“Trust me, Roka. I’m not overreacting,” she promised quietly, her voice full of meaning. “Zaindidsave my life tonight. Or he at least saved me from a broken life no one should have to endure. Criminal or not, I now owe him.”

Eyes boring into her own, Roka asked, “What would you have me do, Aeylia?”

Alex didn’t understand his response. “Do about what?”

“You’re meant to be under the protection of House Dalmarta,myprotection,” Roka said. “Another member of my House let you down, thereforeIlet you down, so I owe you reparation for that. If you owe Zain, and I owe you, then it leads to the conclusion thatIowe Zain. So tell me, Aeylia, what would you have me do?”

Alex suddenly realised the position of power she was in. And she wasn’t going to waste it, even if she was taking advantage of the situation. “I want you to let Zain try out for theZeltora.”

Roka threw back his head again, laughing uproariously once more.

Alex stood with her arms crossed, waiting for him to compose himself. “I’m not kidding, Roka.”

“Zain Erraeya would sooner die than be a part of my elite guard,” Roka said, humour still in his eyes as he looked back at Alex. “TheZeltorastands for everything he’s against. Truth, justice and moral decency.”

Alex was shaking her head. “You’re wrong. They meaneverythingto him.” At Roka’s probing look, she winced mentally at her appalling lack of care and quickly added, “From, uh, what I gathered in the few minutes I was with him.” She hurried on to cover further by saying, “And just so you know, he’s of the opinion that it’syouwho would sooner imprison him than allow him into theZeltora.”

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