Page 46 of A Baron of Bonds
“It was a swamp land. A forest of infested puddles and overgrown fungus. There was one creature…” I trailed off remembering the trees that came to life and their earth-shattering roars as they chased me on the back of Parvus.
“Yes? What was it? How did you escape?”
She leaned in closer to me now, and I narrowed my eyes. “What do you know? Why do you assume I was in danger?”
She replied, “I know of the syphoners, Karus. Many channeler souls of Hyrithia have fallen to them. She keeps the channelers alive and takes their magic to fuel her own.”
Syphoners. I shuddered to think of what that creature would have done to me had Parvus not shown up just in time.
“Have you heard enough for one morning, Your Majesty?” Rev spoke quietly, turning his gaze to the Queen.
She scoffed. “Not nearly enough, Baron, and I should think you’d feel the same.” She turned back to me. “What did the Blightress tell you of your parents?”
“She—she said they had come to steal her power. She said you funded them to travel into her land.” I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “She said she tore out my father’s heart in front of my mother.”
Rev let his grief for me fly in the space between us, and I looked his way with a small smile.
“He is dead then.” The Queen spoke slowly, looking just past me in a daze. “I did not know that at least, Karus. I did not know your father’s fate, and your mother was too delirious to tell us anything. She didn’t know about you before they left. Arah never would have gone.”
A cold sadness welled in my heart hearing those words from the mother who raised me about the mother who bore me. I had gone all my life knowing very little of my parents, and I had accepted that a long time ago. “I would like to know more about my parents, but not now, Queen Rina.”
She nodded solemnly.
“Why didn’t the Blightress kill Arah as well?” Revich asked. “Why did she leave Karus’s mother alive? What are these excursions you’ve been funding and why?”
“I will explain, Baron Revich. I will wait, however, until my fellow leaders arrive. There is much to discuss, and all of the rulers of the isle should be there.”
She looked up at him as he rose from his chair to pace then turned back to me, pressing for more answers. “How did you escape her? How did you leave her lands?”
I stood as well, ready to leave. I needed to speak to Rev alone. “She let me go. That was our deal when I followed her underground. I would listen to what she had to say, and she would let me and the lumens leave safely. She promised not harm us and would let us go as soon as I asked her to, which I did when I realized how long I’d been gone.” I grimaced and glanced at Revich. “I just didn’t think to specify where.”
He shook his head, his hands shoved in his pockets, radiating anger and more prominently, fear. We both stood with the table between us and did not speak.
Another one of our wordless conversations passed through our gaze until finally, the Queen cleared her throat. “I believe that is enough for this morning. Karus, Baron Revich, I request you do not leave the city until the Lady of the Spire and the Madame of the Mountains arrive. They are due here tomorrow evening, and we will continue this discussion then.” She rose and stepped closer to me. “It is good to have you back here, Karus. We all have missed you. Philius has missed you.” Shetook my hand in hers and patted it gently. “I have missed you, my daughter.” She embraced me, and I patted her back, still unsure of how to feel in her presence.
Rev held a hand out to me across the table, and I moved to it eagerly. I wanted to get through the harsh words he undoubtedly had to say so that we could begin to move past what I had done.
The Queen gestured toward the door. “The Prince will be awake soon, and I have some things to discuss with him before you speak to him again. Why don’t you show Baron Revich the market, Karus? He would enjoy seeing Hyrithia in all its beauty. You have not walked our streets before, I believe?”
Rev wound his fingers through mine and my heart jumped in elation. He couldn’t be too upset with me if he was willing to still hold my hand. “Actually, I have, Queen Rina. But I was not able to truly admire your city at the time. There was something to distract me.” His smile lifted to one side but did not last long.
We left the study, and he led the way back down the stairs. Instead of heading toward the room we shared, however, he walked us right out of the castle doors, nodding to the guards posted there as if he knew them.
I was surprised to see they nodded back and addressed him respectfully. “Baron.”
“Just how many friends have you made here in two weeks?” I inquired, remembering Rev’s charm never did fall solely on me.
He pulled me into the dusty cobbled streets, loud and busy with the mid-morning hustle of merchants and traders coming from all over the isle. The air was filled with shouts and laughter and an autumn chill that made me wish we had stopped for our cloaks. The copper dress I had chosen to wear for our companion binding was not meant for walks through the open marketplace, and the laced bodice was a bit too formal for such a casual stroll.
But casual was not at all Rev’s pace. He seemed to have an idea of where he was going, his long legs and stride dashingunder the two bridges that connected the most prominent inns in the city.
The inns of Hyrithia were always full, packed with traders and inventors, people who came to the hub to let their ideas be heard and their plans be seen to light.
“Are you going to speak to me at all, or are you going to lead me silently along until you think I’ve had enough?” I huffed, my breath billowing in a white cloud in front of me as I rubbed my arm for warmth with my free hand.
He turned his head back to me at that, his black waves threatening to unbind from the piece of gold ribbon tying back his hair. At least he wore the clothes of a Baron: long pants, boots, a cream shirt, and black vest.Hewas layered. Raising a single brow, I got the sense of annoyance from his face, so I shut my mouth and remained silent.
Fine. If this was what he wanted, I’d give it to him. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t get to choose how he felt about my leaving with a woman who wasn’t supposed to exist, let alone still be living after centuries. Not to mention a woman who had murdered my father, captured my mother, and was legendary in her wrath.
