Page 134 of Stars in Mist

The older Katánian grinned. ‘I? Slit my daughter’s throat? Never.’

She narrowed her eyes. ‘We both know that is untrue. You’ve always wanted the hawkstone’s potency for yourself to justify your position with longevity and guile, not wisdom or sense. You lost the ultimate lodestone because you ruled by fear and division, abusing the tenets of our heritage and poisoning the minds of your citizens with your vile, marauding greed.’

The Katánian emperor demurred with a series of rumbles under his breath. ‘You know not what you speak of. My search for you and that jewel was intended to bring unity back to Katáne. We are broken, disparate, lost in feudalism, and falling into the darkness. I need the hawkstone to unite us, and nothing will hinder my goal.’

Élisa shook her head. ‘It’s not yours to command anymore. It passed on to me and now to my son. You cannot subvert the hawkstone’s will. It only and always passes on to the most deserving ruler of the Katáne. It made the obvious choice not to remain on your brow, meaning it did not deem you the rightfulKíríga. You’re not the King that it desires to unite Katáne.’

The Tempest scoffed. ‘Who then shall take on this mantle?’

Killen stepped forward and aimed his silver gaze at his grandfather. ‘I will.’

The Katánian King started for a moment, then threw his head back in a screech of laughter. ‘You’re barely a man. You’ve never soared with the K?str?l Sab?r Hawks, nor trained with the crests of warriors, nor learned from the Elders. You’re also a half-breed. How thefokkdo you think you’re going to rule a complex Kingdom such as ours?’

Killen stayed silent, his face calm against the rush of vitriol from his fore-bearer.

TheKírígaleaned in with a curl to his slashed lips. ‘You will never rule Katáne. I might have tolerated your mother, but you? Never. I will rip that hawkstone from your brow before I let you take my throne.’

His crushing fury perfused the command room.

Still, Killen was unmoved. ‘If it were up to me, I’d rather spend my days in peace, reading, wandering through nature, soaring the blue skies. But such as it may be, the hawkstone has chosen me to lead people I haven’t even met. It refuses to let go of me and its purpose. You will need to rip it off me, so to clarify, are you saying you want to challenge me for the hawkstone?’

Élisa’s head whipped around to her son. ‘Killen, no!’

It was too late. The older Katánian on-screen moved back with a grin on his face. ‘The gauntlet has been thrown. Meet me on that white salt plain below our ships. It will be an honor to pluck that jewel from your bleeding scalp and witness your death.’

Élisa swiveled to stab at her father with her flaming gaze. ‘You would fight your blood for power? Are you that vicious and venal?’

Her father ignored her outrage. Instead, he inclined back with a smile. ‘Today, I will rendezvous with victory and triumph, having secured what my people have searched for all these years. The glory of the potent stone is mine.’

The defiant King lifted a bronzed talon and clenched it into a fist. His eyes blazed, but they shone with a fleeting emotion that Riv could not explain.

The feed cut off to the sounds of screeched cheers from the Katánian contingent in the background.

Élisa moved to Killen’s side. ‘Even though you’ve been honing your skills for years, his K?str?l Hawk mastery in battle far surpasses yours. You cannot fight him.’

‘Can’t I?’ her son countered with a smile, a quiet confidence oozing from him.

‘You also don’t have his untapped greed. He’s a genocidal gerontocrat who won’t hesitate to end your life to get what he wants.’

Killen crossed his hands over his chest. ‘Mother, did you take a good look at him? He looked worn. His crest did not have the shine mine does. He is aging, befuddled by myopic misjudgment, old ideas, and fat with power slipping from his talons. I noted flashes of agitation in his eyes. I sense he has to fight me for the sake of his sycophants, but he doubts he’ll win, given that I am an unknown factor. So while he congratulates himself on winning, he does not know what I’m capable of and fears it.’

Élisa bucked. ‘You saw all that?’

‘And more,’ Killen murmured, leaning in to buss her on the cheek. ‘Worry not, Mother of mine. The hawkstone is on my side.’

Élisa kept on. ‘Are you certain you’re battle-ready?’

Killen smiled. ‘While I still struggle with taking on this mantle, I’ve studied the K?str?l ways from the lessons you gave me. I’ve practiced and soared across Devansi, sparred with wild tribes, and used the hawkstone to gain as much insight into Katánian fighting and combat styles as possible. I’m as primed as I’ll ever be.’

Riv raked his eyes over his son. ‘Killen, I trust you. I’ve seen some of what you can do and believe in all you are. I’ll also be on hand, as shall all the Riders when and if you need us.’

Killen gave his father a long embrace. ‘Your support is appreciated.’

Élisa grabbed her son by the shoulders, looking into his silver eyes. ‘What else does the hawkstone say?’

‘It says the presentKíríga’stime has passed.’

Élisa took a breath. ‘Which means his demise is imminent.’

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