Page 120 of Raelia

Alex clamped her mouth down on a scream when the ground took off from underneath them. Only Zain’s firm grasp around her elbow kept her from being propelled back into the transparent barrier of theValispathas it flew them through the wall of her dorm building and up into the night sky.

“Noway!” she gasped, as the scenery blurred past them at an alarming speed. When she’d travelled by the Eternal Path in Meya, it hadn’t moved anywhere near as fast. They sailed over treetops and rivers, skirted around and above glowingvillages and larger towns, and cut straight through the middle of a mountain. And all within seconds.

“This isinsane,” she whispered, taking in their journey with wide eyes.

TheValispathseemed to increase in speed until the scenery blurred into unidentifiable shadows. After a minute of what seemed like faster-than-light travel, their transport began to slow, and Alex saw they were soaring through an ethereal—and familiar—forest.

“We’ve just entered the Silverwood,” Zain said.

When the trees turned golden—and their radiance was breathtaking even at night—Alex knew they were almost at the city. TheValispathcontinued to slow to the speed she’d experienced during her first time in Meya—still ridiculously fast, but much less heart-stoppingly terrifying.

When they breached the Golden Cliffs, Alex was again mesmerised by the sight before her.

Meya was a place of dreams during the day, but that was nothing compared to what it was like at night, when moonbeams bounced off the Myrox in diamond-like streams around the entire city. The palace was surrounded by wisps of moving colour that flowed across the valley, to the point where the waterfalls glowed with a pearlescent sheen. Its beauty and majesty were beyond anything Alex could have ever imagined.

“Am I dreaming?” she whispered.

Zain turned his head to smile at her. “No, little human. Behold, the glory that is Meya.”

She was too overcome for words, so she nodded dumbly as they flew through the city. Much like the first time, it didn’t take long to reach the magnificent palace, but this time theValispathtransported them straight through the outer walls and continued until they reached their destination somewhere in the middle of the impressive building.

“I don’t understand,” she said to Zain when they came to a halt in front of an intricately decorated doorway. “I had no idea theValispathcould go beyond Meya—and I guess its surrounding forests, too. But since it clearly can, why doesn’t Aven just access it to get back here?”

“TheValispathcan only be controlled by a Meyarin,” Zain answered. “Aven may be one of our race, but the authority of his blood was invalidated with his disinheritance. He lost his rights as a denizen of our city the moment he was stripped of his title and banished. The Eternal Path is one of the many privileges Aven forfeited with his rebellion.”

“The Library too, right?” Alex asked. “That’s why he needs me?”

Zain nodded.

“What would it take for him to regain those privileges?” Alex asked. “To be able to use theValispathand everything else again?”

“That’s never going to happen, Alex.”

“But, if itdid?” she pressed. “What would it take? Hypothetically

“For Aven to regain his inheritance, his father and brother would have to be dead,” Zain told her bluntly. “If King Astophe and Prince Roka were eliminated, Aven would automatically regain his birthright.”

“What about his mother? Couldn’t she take the throne?”

“Traditionally, only a king can rule Meya,” Zain said. “Queen Niida wouldn’t be allowed to hold the position indefinitely so long as she still had a living heir—regardless of his state of banishment. Our laws would defend the right of rulership as belonging to Aven, and we would have no choice but to pledge our allegiance to him or become traitors to the crown.”

Alex wasn’t sure what her expression must have shown, but Zain squeezed her arm and sent her a comforting smile.

“Don’t worry, little human. Like I said, that will never happen.” With those confident words, he stepped up to the door.

“One last thing,” Alex said. “CouldIuse theValispath? You know, because I apparently have Meyarin blood in my veins?”

She hated the idea, but if there was the potential perk of using the Eternal Path anytime she wanted, then admittedly that would be pretty awesome.

Zain laughed at the eager look on her face. “I’m afraid not, as it’s Aven’s blood you possess. His disinheritance technically means your disinheritance.”

The Meyarin was clearly amused by her disappointed pout, but he was also intent on keeping them moving. After knocking and waiting for a response too quiet for Alex to hear with her human ears, Zain opened the door and beckoned for her to step through first.

“I was wondering when you two would stop chatting,” Roka said, rising from behind his desk and walking over to them.

He was just as intimidatingly beautiful as the first time Alex had seen him—more so, perhaps, since he was wearing some kind of dark outfit with gold trimming that brought out the unique colour of his eyes. He also wore a swirling black and gold cape, which added to his impressive—not to mention, princely— appearance. But the grin on his face was warm and welcoming, and Alex found herself smiling back at him in response.

“It’s good to see you again, Alex,” Roka said, reaching out to place his hands on her shoulders. “I hope you’ve been well?” Before she could answer, he frowned slightly and added, “You’re frozen stiff. Zain, please tell me you shielded theValispath?”

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