AERYN'S POV
There was a solid chance I would be dead before graduation.
In fact, if I lived to see another day after tonight's challenge, I could guarantee my dreams of becoming a bonded Champion in the Fire Force would never happen - not that Draconians lived very long in the Force anyway. The current war made sure of it.
And it was no secret we were on the losing side.
Wringing my hands together, I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart. It did nothing to ease my nerves as I climbed the winding staircase of the emperor's castle. The extravagant chandelier brimming with shining crystals hung in the center of the entranceway to illuminate the area at night when sunlight no longer streamed through the glass domed ceiling. Each footstep I made echoed in the spacious chamber, announcing my arrival to the entire castle.
It was all a bit too much for my taste. The double staircases leading to the same levels of the castle were excessive, as were the gaudy paintings lining the walls of past noble Draconians whose achievements and contributions to the empire remained a mystery to me. The blazing sun created a glare on the marble steps as I passed the first level, then the second, and the third. By the time I reached the fourth floor, my thighs were burning, and I was out of breath.
So much for all the training I've done in the past year at Insignia Academy, I thought.
At the top of the stairs, I paused to catch my breath and behold the hallway before me. Resembling the arched halls of the academy, this one was wide enough to fit three dragons standing next to each other and the ceiling reached over twenty feet high. To say the entire castle was massive was an understatement. I clenched my hands into fists and lifted my chin, mustering the courage to navigate the expansive hall until I reached the destination I'd been summoned.
Emperor Nepheus Glastos' office.
I swiped the bead of sweat perspiring on my forehead and lifted my hand to the gold door knocker on the double mahogany doors. The dragon's mouth was wide open in a silent roar and razor-sharp teeth were engraved into the menacing knocker. Wrapping my fingers around the ring dangling from the dragon's jaw, I picked it up and just as I was about to bring it back down to sound my presence, the door blew open.
My hand was suspended in the air and my lips parted as I took in the immaculate office. A bookshelf dominated the entire wall to the right, filled with over a dozen shelves of books. A velvet maroon couch lounged in front of it, and I found myself itching to grab a book and lay on the sofa until I'd gone through each one. The wall to my left was decorated with the emperor's achievements. Medals from when he was my age fighting in the Wind Force during the Battle of Fear and Flame to those he has earned since coming into power and being the Commander of the Elemental Forces were on display. I was impressed.
Forgetting I was in the presence of the emperor, I startled when the draconian cleared his throat and hitched a dark brow as he gave me a pointed look with his cold blue eyes from where he sat at his desk. The structure was the same color and material as the double doors and was loaded with stacks of paper, several more books, and a map in the center. Floor to ceiling windows formed the wall at his back, overlooking the entire empire from the tip of the Wrexial Mountain.
I couldn't help the shiver that coursed down my spine at his frigidity.
Feet still rooted in the same spot just outside the entrance of the room, I opened my hand and gave him a wave. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to bow before him, but I'd never done it before. I'd also never been in his office prior to this moment.
"Hey, Dad," I said with a sheepish smile, hurrying to take a seat in one of the black leather chairs positioned in front of his desk. His stern eye caught me tightening the fingerless gloves on my hands and his eyebrows narrowed. He didn't even try to hide his disdain for me as he frowned and scratched the stubble along his chin. Adjusting the obsidian crown encrusted with one blue, one red, one silver, and one yellow gem to represent the four Elemental Forces, he leaned back in his velvet seat.
"Aeryn," he clipped with a curt nod, pushing the documents he'd been reading aside. There was no warmth in his expression, and I bit my lip as I crossed my legs and clasped my hands in my lap to keep from fidgeting.
"So..." I trailed off, gazing at the ceiling instead of my disappointed father. "How's the weather up here?"
Disregarding my question, the emperor straightened and commanded, "You are to attend the Consul meeting."
"Me?" I asked, pointing at my chest.
He gave another stiff nod. He gave another stiff nod. "Yes. Put your crown on and fix that unruly hair of yours. We have important matters concerning you to discuss. You must also keep those gloves on your hands and not say a word. No one needs to know my daughter is a dud."
That stung. My lips thinned and I couldn't help the slight waver to my voice as I agreed, "I will – won't. I won't. I mean, I will keep the gloves on, and I won't say anything."
He seemed to already regret his decision to grant me permission into the Consul meeting, but he just stood and walked over to the door in the corner of the room behind the bookshelf without saying a word. Stepping through the door, he waved me over and I snatched the small, obsidian crown off his desk. Placing it haphazardly on my head, I followed him into the next room.
This one was twice the size of my father's office to fit the long conference table in the middle of the room. There were already eleven silent Consul members wearing white robes with gold embroidery, and one fellow pupil from the academy seated in the windowless room. I recognized Bastion Washburne, a pupil in my year who had the same strawberry blonde hair and navy-blue eyes as his mother; my father's Second in Command and most trusted Consul member. Bastion was one of the top pupils in the class and everyone knew his Duty would be as a Consul once we graduated next semester. His mother occupied the seat to my father's left, keeping a watchful eye on the demons. Talyse Washburne stared down her sharp nose and Bastion followed suit across from her.
The candles lined up across the center of the table and bolted into the wall offered the only source of light. A fireplace blazed behind the throne my father stood beside. The garish seat looked out of place in the warm room outfitted with wooden furniture and minimal decorations. It was too large for the table and was lined with black dragon scales. The emperor took his place in the throne and gestured for me to stand next to him.
That was when I felt it; the uncanny whispers of death.
My eyes clashed with King Kristos Cross, the ruler of the Ravos Kingdom, at the opposite end of the table and my heart plummeted to the pit of my stomach. The hood of his dark robe rested on his shoulders, exposing his face adorned with a mask of bone. His entire face was covered with bone, save for his black eyes that shone through the hollow eye sockets of the mask that resembled the skull of a deceased animal with a pointed snout. Both of his black irises were outlined in red, and dark veins met the corners of his eyes, disappearing beneath the mask. Two ivory horns spiraled at the top of the mask where his long, white hair flowed, and a crown gilded in silver rested. The hands he folded on the table in front of him had a layer of bone over the opaque skin. He adjusted his posture, meeting my father's intense scrutiny with his own unwavering stare as he tapped his talons on the table in a show of nonchalance.
What was the Demon King doing here? We were in the middle of a war!
My skin crawled as if a horde of insects were scampering inside of me, and I itched to scratch at the disturbing sensation. The suffocating, heavy atmosphere added to the severe feeling of discomfort, but King Kristos was not the one exuding the unsettling aura in the room.
It was the man seated to his right; face hidden in the shadows casted by the raised hood of his robe as he kept his gaze lowered on the table. The ominous air surrounding him made goosebumps flare along my arms and it took all my effort not to rub them as my eyes retreated to the carpeted floor in front of my feet.
The vaulted ceiling made my father's voice boom as he stated, "Your presence in the Nyrial Empire is appreciated, as is the...temporary cessation of battle."
Well, this was news to me. The last I knew, our nations were warring on the Voltant Isles just off the coast of the Ravos Kingdom's shore where it was far enough away to not cause any destruction to either nation in Traeveria.
Emperor Nepheus raised his head with pride, staring down at the Demon King across the table whose lips thinned.
"Cut the niceties and get to the reason you've requested our presence," King Kristos commanded, dragging a talon across the table.
My eyes shot to the emperor to gauge his reaction. My father's stoic expression remained cool as he said, "We both know my empire is suffering greatly in the war, but you are not escaping without any causalities, either. Armaeda, my dragon you captured to amplify your demonic powers, is the only reason you are holding your own against our Elemental Forces. Without her, your powers would continue to weaken just as what is happening to ours without Armaeda here to fuel her essence of power into each of us. If you do not return Armaeda to us, we will invade Ravos and take her back ourselves. You know you don't stand a chance if we invade, gaining us proximity to Armaeda, and have access to her essence to amplify our powers."
The only indication of King Kristos' fury were the reddened tips of his ears poking between the white strands of his hair and the fists he curled on the table.
"Your forces are dwindling. You do not have enough Draconians to carry out a successful invasion. It's a waste of my breath to even try to stop you. Is that all you wanted to say?" he asked, planting his palms on the table as he stood up.
The Demon King was right, and he knew it. There was no way our forces could survive an invasion.
My father gripped the arm of his throne. As if it pained him to say it, he gritted his teeth and said, "Then I would like to put an end to this war. We've been fighting this futile conflict for years, losing staggering numbers in both of our armies. There is no end if we do not initiate one."
"What are you suggesting?"
"An armistice. I propose a treaty."
King Kristos assessed the emperor with skepticism. "Under what conditions?"
"Both nations withdraw our forces from the Volton Isles, and you hand over Armaeda. In return, I give you my daughter's hand in marriage to your heir."
———————
Hey everyone! I've decided to start writing a new fantasy/paranormal romance story. Please let me know what you think so far by leaving a vote and a comment! Thank you for choosing to read this book!
I apologize if it starts off slow and confusing. It will pick up and become less ambiguous as the story continues. Ask any questions in the comments and I will answer them.
I should be updating this story frequently, so stay tuned! :)