CHAPTER NINE

The ten Elite Royal Guards were already lined up in the high-ceilinged concourse training hall when Eadric arrived. They snapped their heels and saluted, a synchronous thump of hands on shoulders. All were in full dress uniform, save Quinlan, who had yet to receive his cloak. Its absence from his shoulders left him looking strangely exposed—all the same, he stood just as tall as the rest.

“At ease,” Eadric said and pulled the doors shut. The lamps flared brighter, the sole light source since there were no windows. “What I’m about to share with you is for your ears only: A beast of unknown origins has been terrorizing the people living near the Aswiyre Forest. The Queen of Axaria has allowed Princess Asterin the task of killing it, and as such, her Royal Guardian and I will be accompanying her. However, the queen has required that we choose three more of you to join us.”

The Elites shuffled eagerly, but Alicia was the first to step forward.

“Sir!” Her ponytail swung as she saluted. Ah, Eadric thought distantly. The boldness of youth. “Captain, sir, I volunteer—”

“As do I,” Gino cut in, and the floodgates opened.

Laurel and Hayley spoke at the same time, though neither backed down as their words overlapped, merely glancing apologetically at one another. The rest of them burst into clamor, even quiet Nicole, adding their voices to the chorus at double the volume in an effort to be heard. Only Rose and Quinlan did not make any move to speak.

“Silence,” Eadric ordered, and immediately they stopped. “While I appreciate your enthusiasm, I ask that you wait until I have said all there is to say. Queen Priscilla has sent three dozen soldiers of Garringsford’s choosing to slay this demon, and not one has returned.” Even Hayley’s impassive expression wavered at that. “We know almost nothing about the demon, other than its appearance and apparently unquenchable bloodthirst.” He looked at each one of them in turn. “By volunteering, you are prepared to set down your life. You have until tonight to decide amongst yourselves which three will—”

“Two,” Asterin interrupted, striding over.

Eadric hadn’t even noticed her enter the hall. He frowned. “Who?”

She avoided his eyes. “Luna.”

He blinked, certain he had misheard. “Pardon?”

“Luna. She wanted to come.”

It took him several moments to recover. “And … you told her no, of course,” he said. Asterin shifted uncomfortably. His breathing quickened, each inhale shallower than the last. “You have to tell her no,” he said. His fingers had gone numb. “She’ll die.”

“There’s a chance we’ll all die,” Asterin snapped, and then cringed. She exhaled, turning to the Elites. “And as such, I understand completely if none of you choose to volunteer.”

“We all will,” Quinlan spoke up quietly. “It’s our duty.” There were noises of agreement. “But the question is … how will you choose between us?”

Asterin seemed taken aback. “I …”

“Don’t speak on the behalf of others, Holloway,” Eadric interjected, and then added, “even if it’s true,” at the defiant expressions and protests. “Think this over, all of you. But know that if you feel obligated to volunteer simply because it is your duty, rethink everything. You must understand what is at stake, what the kingdom stands to lose if we fail.”

“You’re counting on power, aren’t you?” Quinlan asked.

“Yes,” he admitted. “But—”

A wall of scorching flame exploded from the ground, surging thirty feet into the air, separating Rose and Quinlan from the rest of the Elites.

Eadric staggered toward the flames, but the heat was unbearable. He could hear the others shouting behind it. “Holloway, what are you—”

“Hold on,” Asterin said with her hand raised. “Let him.”

“This is madness,” Eadric exclaimed, sweat rolling down his forehead. The fire had no smoke, but each inhale burned his throat.

Asterin shook her head. “No. It’s a test.”

As if on cue, a cyclone of wind blasted through a section of flame, and Eadric caught sight of Laurel through the opening for less than a second before the inferno swallowed her back up. The flames at the far left of the wall hissed as Gino spewed a flood of water from his palms, but Quinlan merely narrowed his eyes and the flames roared hotter. The water gurgled and turned to steam. There came earth attacks and the rumble of a storm, but nothing could penetrate the wall. And Quinlan—Quinlan hasn’t even broken a sweat, Eadric realized, stunned. What kind of power was this?

Just when Asterin raised her hand again to call Quinlan off, the middle section of the wall smothered out and Nicole came barging through. She must have removed the oxygen with her air affinity, Eadric thought to himself. Casper, too, had an air affinity, but nowhere near as powerful—and sure enough, Eadric caught sight of pockets of flame choking out, though never large or quickly enough for Casper to pass.

“Get back,” Quinlan said, and before Eadric could argue, Asterin grabbed his arm and hauled him out of range.

Nicole let her makeshift door ignite behind her as quickly as she had extinguished it. Every Elite for themselves. Without wasting a precious second, she shoved her hand forward, the other clutching her affinity stone. Quinlan wheezed as she drew out the air from his lungs, but just as quickly, he recovered and mirrored the motion, drawing the air out of her lungs, the fire beside him still going strong.

“He’s a bifinate,” Eadric said. But he’s not the only one.

Nicole strained, the veins in her neck bulging from asphyxiation. Teeth gritted, she threw herself forward. A crack split the floor and a hunk of marble rose into the air, with her crouched upon it, as she combined her earth and air affinities. She zoomed toward Quinlan at breakneck speed, but just as Eadric braced himself for the impact, the marble blasted apart to reveal the Eradorian safe and sound, his fingers splayed with casual grace. Nicole plummeted to the ground, barely managing to absorb the fall with a roll.

Eadric looked over to Rose, but she leaned against the wall, hands empty. “Quinlan is trifinitied, then?”

Quinlan stomped his foot into the ground and a slab of marble twice the size of Nicole’s floated upward, taking her with it. The Eradorian flicked his wrist and the inferno parted to let her swoop through, tongues of crackling electricity lashing out at her legs when she tried to leap away.

By now, even Asterin’s mouth had fallen agape.

Eadric swallowed. “So … he’s multifinitied. Great.”

Asterin nodded. “That’s enough!”

Quinlan gave her a little finger salute and quenched his flames.

Rose still leaned against the wall, gaze calculating but otherwise unreadable.

The other Elites sprinted over to them as the last of the wall’s smoldering embers drifted up to the ceiling, affinity stones at the ready even though most looked on the brink of passing out. A range of emotions played out across their faces—astonishment, shame, awe.

Eadric felt the sharp jab of Asterin’s elbow in his side. “All of you, five laps around the garden,” he commanded. “Take your time and walk it off. Quinlan, Nicole. You two stay behind. Fall out.”

“Yes, Captain,” they shouted back and dispersed—all but Nicole and the two Eradorians—before filing dutifully out of the hall.

Eadric raised an eyebrow at Rose. “What is it? I asked for five laps.”

Rose exchanged a glance with Quinlan, mouth parting to speak, but her cousin shook his head and she merely saluted before jogging off.

Once they had cleared, Eadric whirled on Quinlan, seething. “What in hell were you thinking? What if you had lost control? You could have killed someone.”

Quinlan met his glare without the slightest waver. “Control was beaten into me, Captain Covington,” he said, voice soft. “Until the day I die, my magic will always obey.”

“That’s not the issue here—”

“The issue is who we’re choosing,” Asterin cut in.

Quinlan cleared his throat, eyes flicking to Nicole and then to the princess. “Listen, about that … could I have a word with you? In private?”

“There isn’t time for that,” Eadric snapped. “We have to leave before dawn.”

“Actually,” said Asterin, cocking her head. “I kind of want to hear what he has to say. Not to mention the reason why he never mentioned he’s multifinitied.”

Quinlan ran a hand down the back of his neck. “The truth is … I’m not multifinitied.” He slipped a familiar silk pouch out of his pocket. “This omnistone is untouchable to those who aren’t omnifinitied. For example,” he said, sliding it out and bringing it near Eadric’s body in demonstration. “Take Captain Covington.” About an inch away from his chest, it wrenched out of Quinlan’s fingers and flew backward, clattering to the floor.

Asterin frowned. “But … you just touched it.”

Quinlan bent down to pick the omnistone up, before rising slowly and meeting her stare. “I know.”

Before his words could properly sink in, Rose came jogging back around the corner, her expression conflicted.

Eadric rubbed his temple. “What now, Fletcher?”

She ignored him and spoke to Asterin instead. “I have something important to tell you. About the demon. And … myself.” Eadric almost sent her back to the barracks, but the clear urgency of her tone made him hesitate.

The air grew tense. Rose refused to drop her unsettling stare, and finally, Asterin relented. “Fine. I’ll give you ten minutes of my time.” She cast an apologetic glance at Nicole. “Pack your things. I’ll send for you later tonight.”

The gray-eyed Elite gave the princess a dutiful nod and slipped away on silent feet.

Asterin sighed and turned away, her eyes lingering on the omnistone in Quinlan’s hand. “Follow me.”

Asterin brought Eadric and the Eradorians to her sitting parlor, where they found Luna and Orion already conferring in low voices. Luna threw herself at Eadric when he walked in, embracing him tightly—but while she smiled, his face had gone slack. Asterin swallowed her guilt, gesturing for Rose and Quinlan to seat themselves, and rang for tea.

Orion’s eyes landed on Quinlan. “Oh, hell no.”

Asterin glared at her Guardian. “Just shut up, Orion.”

No one spoke—not even the maids as they poured out the cups.

Asterin’s teacup rattled as she set it back onto its saucer, regretting the two spoonfuls of sugar she had dumped inside. Her eyes went to where Luna sat, curled up beneath Eadric’s protective arm. “Luna, perhaps … I think it might be best if—”

“Don’t even think about it,” the girl growled.

“Fine.” Asterin put her saucer down and turned to Rose. “Well? What do you have to tell me?”

“I was expecting less of an audience,” the Eradorian replied.

Orion snorted. “And I was expecting to see Casper or Nicole or Laurel.” He jabbed his thumb at Quinlan. “What is fireface doing here?”

Asterin chose her words carefully. “He proved himself worthy.”

Her Guardian’s glacial gaze narrowed. “Worthy … as in trustworthy? Like the eight other Elites we’ve known for years?” Asterin bit her lip. Orion sat back, arms crossed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“We are trustworthy,” Quinlan said. “Both of us. We understand what is at stake. And we have far more to lose than your other Elites do.”

“Quinlan,” Rose barked, a clear warning in her voice.

“What do you mean?” Eadric demanded.

“Rose is—”

“Quinlan Holloway,” Rose snarled, standing up. “That is enough.”

Quinlan stood too. “Then tell them yourself. You said you would.”

Orion sipped his tea, legs crossed. “Tell us what?”

“How can you ask them to trust us when you can’t even trust them?” Quinlan hissed.

“Both of you. Sit down at once,” Asterin commanded. They sat, still glaring at one another. “I haven’t the patience nor the time for your bickering. Whatever it is you wish to say, speak it, or don’t. It’s entirely your decision. But if you don’t, we’ll take Nicole and Silas instead.”

After a beat of silence, Rose grudgingly began to explain.

“The queen—of Eradore, I mean—didn’t send soldiers to every kingdom,” she admitted. “Only to one. She had a vision. Of a great and vast darkness, descending not only upon Axaria, but the entire world, destroying each and every kingdom, one by one. Ibreseos. Lethos. Eradore.”

Orion scoffed. “That’s it? A nightmare?”

Rose sent him a cold glare. “We wouldn’t be here if we weren’t absolutely certain.”

“And how can you possibly be certain?” Eadric asked.

Those golden eyes turned away. “Because the queen also foresaw the attacks of the demon you learned of today. She saw you, Princess Asterin. That’s why we came to Axaria, and not Oprehvar, or Galanz, or Morova, or any other kingdom. Whether you believe us or not, that’s the truth.”

Asterin’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve been here a whole month, and never have I heard a word from you about the demon.”

“We didn’t anticipate the attacks to happen so soon,” said Rose, biting her lip. “We didn’t even know that they had happened until Captain Covington told all of us.”

Asterin mulled over her reasoning. “So what are you, then? Are you really the queen’s soldiers? Or perhaps I was right from the very beginning and you are her spies?”

Rose straightened. “Not quite, Princess Asterin. Fletcher isn’t actually my true surname. It was a moniker given to me when I displayed a particular aptitude in archery at the Academia Principalis.”

“Your name doesn’t matter to us,” Eadric interjected. “Just explain why Princess Asterin shouldn’t send your heads back to your queen on spikes.”

Quinlan growled, but Rose only smiled, a crooked tilt of her lips. “I fear that would be most unwise, Captain Covington.” Her expression grew grim. “You can trust us. All of you. Because other than our lives, I stand to lose my kingdom and the lives of my people if this darkness falls and the demon is not defeated—and I cannot let that happen, no matter the cost.”

Asterin felt those words resound with something deep inside her. “You speak as though the fate of your kingdom and its people rests on your shoulders.”

The smile returned. “Why, Your Highness, that’s because it does. For you see … my real name is Orozalia Saville.”

A chorus of gasps, Asterin’s loudest of all.

Saville. The royal bloodline of the House of the Serpent.

“And I,” Rose continued, “am the Queen of Eradore.”