Page 3 of A World of Ruins

‘You’re twenty-six, Darius.’

No kidding.

‘Sooner or later, you’ll be of age to become a full-fledged shifter. Maybe you should think about settling down and . . . finding someone to spend your life with.’

‘Is this another way of saying I need to stop stealing people’s clothes after I bed them?’

He glowers. ‘I’m serious.’

I grin. ‘And when am I not?’

Gus is clearly annoyed, meaning I have done my job here and can leave. I turn to walk away and smile as I quickly assess what I can steal away from him.

‘You do realise that relying on thievery has its limits,’ he remarks, stating the obvious. ‘But if you joined . . .’

The implication has me shaking my head. Fists clenching at my side, I twist around to confront him.

‘Darius, I—’

‘I accepted your friendship because I thought you understood me,’ I assert, my tone cutting through the warm air like a warning. ‘You didn’t ask questions, and I didn’t care whether you attacked Sarilyn’s castle or her people. I may have helped you and the rest of your group on a few occasions, but that’s it.’

He tries to talk, but I don’t give him that chance.

‘So, if you want to see me around here again, stop asking me to join you. You stay on your path, and I’ll stay on mine.’ I back away, watching as his expression sours. My hand slips into my pocket, fingers wrapping around the ring. I pull it out, casting it a lingering look before my gaze rises once more.

Solaris, I despise you.

I know. But do you despise me that much to take me down with you . . . Naralía?

My mind replays that memory as I flip the ring between my thumb and forefinger. A smile lifts the corner of my lips, envisioning Goldie’s face, the anger reddening her cheeks, and the way she was still beautiful, even while hating me.

Without another thought, I hand the piece of jewellery over to Gus. ‘Here, before I go, I need you to take this,’ I say.

Gus takes a long look at it, his eyes widening when he realises what the ring means. ‘A scale ring?’

I nod, taking a deep breath. ‘I want you to throw it away.’

He starts to shake his head, but I firmly plant the ring in his hands. ‘Darius—’

‘I’ll be seeing you, Gus,’ I dismiss him, not even sparing the ring a final glance as I turn my back on him and stride off.

Tibith follows beside me, leaping to catch up. ‘Why do you want to throw that ring away, Darius? You said it was special!’

‘I’ve said a lot of things, Tibith,’ I respond, my eyes fixed on the pathway leading into the woods. ‘I guess I was wrong this time.’

CHAPTERONE

NARA

‘You need to concentrate, Nara. You’re overthinking it.’

I squeeze my eyes shut, then open them and turn to face Gus, who is standing a few metres away from me in the Aerian training fields. He has his arms crossed over his chest as he analyses my stance, sensing how discouraged I am that I don’t seem to possess any source of power, despite what I thought after we found out three months ago that I was the reincarnation of Solaris.

‘I’m starting to believe I am no Solaris,’ I huff, flexing my gloved hands in front of me as if that will conjure up my power, or at least summon an animal like I have done in the past.

Gus cocks his head to the side and smiles through his thick beard. ‘And yet only yesterday you were grinning at the fact you beat a shifter – one who has never trained in combat before – in a sword fight.’ My silence makes him breathe out a sigh. ‘Have you considered that perhaps you do not want to accept this change?’

I shrug, even though I know he is not entirely wrong. Changing means that I am no longer who I once was. It’s too much pressure, too much of a burden, to see others place their hopes in me.

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