Chains of Fate

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"I feel like dying," I told Titus after the council meeting ended. We stood side by side beneath the spiral staircase on the ground floor of the tower. The alcove was conveniently hidden from the view of the council members exiting the atrium. Hadrian left earlier, saying he had something to do, but I wagered he was exiting the city to see his caravan. There was something about this city—the centaurs, Laxen—that Hadrian shied away from. I didn't blame him.

Titus smiled at me. "You did well."

I snorted. "No, I didn't. I blubbered about like a baboon." I kicked at the glass beneath my feet. The air was only faintly colorful now that the sun was starting to set. "I was a fool. If I had thought about all the possible ramifications beforehand, then they would have accepted."

"They did accept, Lannie."

I lowered myself on the floor. "I know, but it took a while." Hadrian and Titus had taken complete hold of the situation. If I had been there alone, the council would have rejected my offer immediately. What use was I as a Harbinger if I couldn't even make peace? Wasn't that what I was meant to do?

He chuckled, sliding down next to me. "Just think of it as practice. And at least you didn't have to sit next to a banshee," he added.

I turned to him in horror, thinking of that pale, beautiful woman. "That's what she is?"

He nodded. "I talked to Dhiren afterward, and he called her Deirdre. She rules the Sidhe who live in the far northern part of the forest." Titus visibly shivered. "She is a good asset to the council, seeing as she respects the rules. Unlike that fairy."

I nodded warily. The council was a mesh of creatures with every race, culture, and personality. I heard someone call the fairy Lilith—and it turned out that she was a fairy. It made me wonder what the tattle tale creature from before was. Maybe she was a pixie.

"But things worked out," Titus said, interrupting my thoughts. "And now you have room to plan for the next time you approach the council."

"The next time?" I groaned, leaning my head against the glass wall with a thunk. "I hope I get eaten or something before then."

"Don't joke around like that," he said in a grave tone. "That can actually happen here."

Silence followed. I rubbed my arm. "Sorry."

He sighed and draped his arms over his knees. "It's just that this world is entirely different. I realize you were right when you said this world was dangerous."

He remembered when I said that in Aria? How embarrassing. Especially since we fought after that. "I was actually talking about the world of Aria being dangerous," I said. "I hadn't even thought of this one. Well, I had, but..." I trailed off, staring at a fading shaft of red light. "This seems like it isn't real," I murmured. I reached my hand to grasp the ray of light, then lowered it. "I mean, gosh. There's a pegasus here, Titus."

He laughed, creating an echo that felt like it reached to the ceiling hundreds of feet above.

"I'm not joking!" I said, though I couldn't help the smile that came over my face. "Weren't they supposed to be extinct?"

But he only shrugged. "A lot of things I thought to be extinct are real in Nor."

"Well, aren't you two having fun in your little hideout."

I started at the musical voice. Mayra leaned down and peered at us in the alcove.

I frowned. "It's better than being stared at by all the council members in the meeting room," I pointed out. "And where were you? We could have used your influence."