Page 50 of A War of Embers

“Ah, yes,” Calix smiles. “He’s a good young man.”

Words I don’t think anyone else in the realms would use to describe Zeke. Maybe it’s a dragon thing, they all believe in the best of one another. Narrowing my eyes at the two in front of me, I realize something peculiar. “Zeke is a dragon and his eyes look like that of a reptile. Yet both of yours and your sons look normal.”

Verity nods her head. “Yes, Zeke’s dragon lives in the same soul as him. Typically our souls are divided, we share control of our body with our dragons. Our wants and needs might be different, but we are able to coexist. Zeke has one soul, and it is both.”

For several long moments, I simply stare at her. I didn’t realize creatures often held two souls. “Is that unheard of? To only have one soul when you house a creature?”

“No. Some dragons are born that way. Depending on your lineage will determine if two souls are created during conception or not. There’s nothing unusual about it,” Calix informs me. “I take it you’re not a creature?”

“No. I’m not.” Telling them I come from Tellus as an immortal wanting to die seems like a bad idea, so I offer a half-truth instead. “I came from the Blood Sea. It wasn’t my time yet, so I was able to pass and seek out an alternative, better future for myself than what I had before.”

“Oh you poor thing,” Verity sighs. “You carry your sword because of what life is like over in that wretched land.”

Well, that’s one way to think about it. “It feels weird to not carry it.” At least it’s the truth. Somehow I feel better having it strapped to me, similar to a security blanket a babe might carry with them. “You never know who you’ll run into in the Wraithlands.”

“We tell the boys to be careful of the immortals,” Verity claims. “They live further out towards the Cliff of Embers, but you never know who may wander this way in their bloodlust.”

“Why do you live here if it’s so dangerous? Why not push for the creatures of the Wraithlands to be integrated into the cities? Surely people would accept it.” From what I can tell, people in the Blood City wouldn’t seem to mind. Though the only creature I know that comes there is Zeke.

Verity’s eyes mist over as she reaches out to clutch Calix’s hand in hers. “Our daughter, we visit her.” She swallows roughly. “The reason the Haze is heavily guarded is because of the stolen babes. She was taken when she was an infant. No one has ever come forward with knowledge of her whereabouts, so we wait. We hope if she’s not already at the Cliff of Embers, that she will find us there in the afterlife when it is our time to pass.”

Shock keeps me from speaking for several moments. “Are children regularly stolen from here?” Seems like an awful lot of infants must go missing to warrant guards patrolling the area each time a Haze occurs.

“No. Nothing like that. It’s only happened once every few decades and it’s worrisome. Lord Rowan comes here to protect us and our children during it,” Verity sniffles. “He’s an amazing leader.”

Of course he is.

Calix raises an eyebrow at me. “You don’t agree?”

I shrug. Apparently I'm not keeping my face as indifferent as I thought. “It shouldn’t matter what I think.”

Verity quiets. “You don’t know him well.”

True, I don’t know him well at all. My entire goal here isn’t to make friends or relationships with people. Yet I seem to be doing the exact opposite of my goal unintentionally. “We have our differences.”

Calix snorts. “Everyone does. But he marked you. It’s plain as day to see you mean something. Perhaps he’s just as baffled as you appear to be in not understanding what it means.”

Considering Rowan had no idea about the mark, I doubt it. Still, it’s easier to let these people believe in their leader even when I don’t. Pressing my lips together for a moment, I pretend to concede his idea on the matter. “Maybe.” Tilting my head at the couple, I watch their closeness and the way they lean into each other. “Do you often take in strangers?”

“Not usually,” Verity says, amusement lighting her eyes. “I saw the mark, same as the boys did, I imagine. It’s considered hospitable to welcome someone of your status in our home, even if it’s brief. Though you seem to not understand the status, talking to you proves quite amusing.”

Narrowing my eyes, I watch her as a sense of unease takes hold. Typically people aren’t this trusting, though in my state of mind I should have still known better than to fall into a trap, which this is beginning to feel like. Though they don’t appear to be trying to keep me prisoner, the amount in which they talk about Rowan is disconcerting.

As a trained warrior, I feel foolish sitting here. My instincts rarely lead me wrong. It’s doubtful they actually are creating a coup against Rowan since everyone here seems to be under his spell. He’s not a bad leader at all, but he’s not my leader. I’m finally free of the shackles my prior Lady clamped around my limbs.

“Your sons went to inform him where I am,” I say evenly, hiding the fact it’s a guess. As the words leave my mouth, I feel the puzzle pieces in my gut clicking into place. This is the reason they left me with their parents. Since they were heading towards the main village anyway, it gave them an opportunity to tame the wild, feral emotions that had been raging through my body.

Calix licks his front teeth. “You shouldn’t be out this far unprotected.”

I snort. “I’m hardly vulnerable.”

“Still, we can’t keep your whereabouts hidden,” Verity sighs. “We could face punishment for doing such a thing.”

I wonder what kind of punishment Rowan deems fit for hiding an immortal in their home. Doubtful it’s anything as drastic as Lady Gwenyth would request. The memory of the family I slaughtered before jumping into the Blood Sea immediately comes to mind. Over a fucking place for a visiting friend to stay, nothing justifiable in her logic at all.

“Keres–” Verity starts but I hold up my palm to stop her from continuing.

“Thank you for your honesty.” Standing up, I turn towards the front door where my sword lays and grab it tightly in my hand. Turning around, both Verity and Calix are now standing in front of their couch, holding hands. “Thank you for the hospitality as well. I think I’ll go outside and wait in peace if you don’t mind.”

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