Page 67 of Raelia

He turned to look at her as they walked. “It’s notmycompanions I don’t trust.”

Reading the implication in his words, Alex opened her mouth to defend her friends, but he continued talking.

“I know I don’t have any input over what you say and do, Alex, but I strongly advise against telling anyone what we just discovered. If Aven learns about the abilities he’s inadvertently given you, he’ll stop at nothing to get to you.”

“He’s already pretty desperate to get his hands on me,” Alex said. “It’s no secret that he wants me dead.”

“True as that may be,” the Meyarin said, reaching out and bringing her to a halt, “if he learns the full threat you pose to him, he’ll be more desperate than ever to keep you from ruining his plans.”

“Me? A threat to him?” Alex released an incredulous laugh. “Are you mad?”

“The blood in your veins allows you to usehisimmortal abilities—not general Meyarin characteristics, but Aven’spersonalgenetic traits,” the Meyarin said, his face solemn enough to instantly erase Alex’s disbelief. “Your strength, your speed, your heightened senses; you draw from the essence of Aven’s blood when you access those characteristics inherent to the Meyarin race. The connection between you two, even with the bond severed…” He trailed off and shook his head, looking at her with compassionate eyes. “Alex, you’re not like his other Claimed victims. Yousharehis power. How much of it, only time will tell. But the potential you possess will paint you as a threat, of that there is no doubt.”

Alex once again felt like she was going to throw up. “But I’m not—I’m not powerful. I’m nothing like Aven—I’m just me.”

“I’m sorry, Alex,” he said, his voice gentle. “But it was definitely his power I felt leaking out of you when we fought. That much is true.”

“But—But I’m not Claimed anymore!” she said, almost hysterically. Then she gasped. “Wait—does that mean I’m like you now? That I’m immortal? That I’m nothumananymore?” Heart pounding, she continued blurting out her spiralling fears. “You said I can access the Meyarin characteristics, but that doesn’t mean I’m, like, doing it all the time, right? You said the power is dormant in me… right?”

“Alex, breathe.” He sent her a comforting look. “You’re definitely not Claimed, and you’re definitely human. You could choose to never tap into Aven’s power and live a perfectly normal life. If you do decide to test the limits of the blood in your veins, you’ll still remain mortal because you are no longer bound to Aven’s life force. But if Aven learns that his power lingers in your veins, he’ll either want to kill you more than he already does, or he’ll want to find a way to manipulate you to further his own plans. That’s why I believe the knowledge of your blood should be kept between as few people as possible. To keep you safe… or at least, safer.”

Alex took a moment to let his words wash over her until she forced herself to be calm again. Only then did she say, “But I trust my friends. I don’t keep secrets from them.”

“Please, Alex,” he said, his expressive eyes begging her to understand. “Don’t let them know about your blood. At least not until we know more.”

Alex could see nothing but genuine concern in his gaze— concern for her. So, despite how difficult it was, she nodded her agreement. “I won’t tell them for now. But I reserve the right to do so in the future.”

He released the breath he’d been holding and smiled. “I can accept that compromise.”

And with their agreement, the Meyarin resumed walking.

They were almost back to their companions when Alex said, “After all that, are you still not going to tell me your name? You did nearly decapitate me, you know. Surely that earns me something.”

The Meyarin chuckled and glanced sideways at her. “It’s Roka.”

Roka. Cool name.

… And one that Alex had heard before.

She strained her thoughts for some kind of recognition, and finally a hazy memory came back to her.

“PrinceRoka?” she choked out. “You’re Aven’sbrother?”

He laughed at her reaction but didn’t have a chance to respond before they reached the others. Her friends must have heard her exclamation, since the three of them were staring at the Meyarin with wide eyes.

“Is everything all right?” the king asked.

Alex couldn’t help but stare at Astophe, searching for the similarities between him, Roka and Aven and finding few. Roka had his father’s bearing and kingly stature, but his dark hair must have come from his mother, while Aven shared the king’s golden locks. As far as Alex could tell, the only thing both Aven and Roka had in common were their eyes, but they didn’t inherit those from the king, either. The remarkable colour should have clued Alex in much earlier to Roka’s identity, but she’d been a tad overwhelmed by everything else to note the minor resemblance between him and his brother. For all she’d known, golden eyes were the norm in Meya. And there was little else in Roka’s appearance—or character— that was mimicked in his evil sibling, at least from Alex’s perspective.

“Everything is fine,” Roka assured his father, and Alex wondered why they’d been asked the question in the first place.But then D.C. walked over and prodded her arm where the Meyarin’s blade had bit into her flesh, causing Alex to wince.

“You’re bleeding,” D.C. stated. “Why are you bleeding?”

“More interestingly,” Jordan said, “why ishebleeding?”

Alex followed his gaze and was surprised to see a few small cuts along Roka’s arms that glittered silver. She must have nicked him with her blade, as unfathomable as the idea was. She glanced at him apologetically and wondered what the punishment was for drawing blood from the crown prince of Meya.

Roka’s face lit with humour when he saw her expression, probably figuring out where her thoughts were leading her. He tried to reassure her with a smile, but it did little good since the other Meyarins were also staring at the wounds on their prince.

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