Chapter 222 Power

AYLETH

"Mother! What—how did you get here?!"

"Oh, hush, Ayleth. You know I can conceal myself if needed. And I knew you would be here eventually, I knew I could draw you. I just hadn't expected it to be quite so effective. You truly have a strong gift. When this is all said and done, I will insist that you bring yourself to the Goddess's feet to embrace what you are. You will be even stronger than me."

"What—what gift? What are you talking about?"

"Don't play coy, Ayleth. I drew you here as surely as if I'd had a leash tied to your neck. I barely had time to finish my prayers before you arrived."

"But that's... mother! What are you doing here! And why did you kill Etan's parents?!"

Her mother's beautiful face was marred by a frown then and she shook her head. "Your father truly did shelter you far too much," she said dryly, while Ayleth gaped. "Stop staring at me like a fish drawn out of water, Ayleth. You clearly felt my call and came. That's good. I can free you from this hellhole and bring you home. We will defeat this disgusting Kingdom once and for all, then send our people to inhabit it. It will soon be a part of Zenithra."

Ayleth could barely take her mothers' words in, but she registered the sink in her heart at those words. She didn't want to see this beautiful city, these people who loved Etan so much—and were loved by him—destroyed. But neither did she want her parents murdered...

Ayleth blinked.

Oh no.

"Mother, you have to leave. Now. If they find you they'll kill you." Ayleth rushed forward to take her arm and begin pulling her towards the door. "I will not betray you, but I do not have the resources to hide you, however you came, you must leave—"

Her mother arched a single brow and resisted Ayleth's pull. "Calm down, Ayleth. You felt the pull here because you belong here, with the Goddess. But those fools will not. They cannot even sense this place. Their pathetic Father turns a blind eye to our power—because he is a fool leading fools to death."

"Mother, you don't understand. They have a wizard—"

"Emasculated and deaf. The man cannot even draw the power anymore. Fear not, Ayleth, I will protect you if any of them stumble upon us. But I anticipate that we will be uninterrupted. So... let us talk."

"Talk? Mother, please! They are in there plotting your death! You have to leave! How far away is father, with the army? We have to go—now!" Ayleth pulled at her mother's sleeve, and the button under her chin popped, pulling the cloak half-open, revealing her mother's beautiful body, hugged in the bodice by a midnight blue gown with skirts that flared wide.

But hanging at her neck was a long, gold chain—the longest she'd ever seen her mother wear. And at it's end dangled what Ayleth first took as a massive, tear-drop shaped jewel.

But as she grasped her mother's ahnd again, protesting that they had to move, the necklace swung and something within it.... moved.

Ayleth stopped, gaping and made herself focus.

As her mother took her arm back and began to lecture Ayleth on her haste, Ayleth barely heard the words.

That was no jewel on the end of her mother's necklace.

It was a tiny vial.

And within it, Ayleth knew, was her own blood, and a tiny lock of her hair.

*****

ETAN

Etan sat at the table in the Council room, his heart thrumming uncomfortably in his chest. He kept checking the bond, but Ayleth seemed fine. There was no fear or darkness coming to him. Only her grief and love. He prayed that she spent the time praying and found her peace with the decision so that he wouldn't have to call the order without her blessing.

"...have the spies in place within their ranks, but we cannot be certain they are close enough to reach the King and Queen directly. We'll need to get word to them immediately. It may take time to arrange contact—"

"Prepare, I said," Etan growled. Prepare, but do not take action. Not yet."

"Sire, you must see that we can't delay—"

"One hour will not change the course of this day."

"One hour at a time like this could change the course of history! Have you forgotten The council, flustered, but silenced by his rage all sat back in their chairs. Etan, that they killed your parents? Our King was ambushed and assassinated and you would not avenge him?!"

"I do not refuse to avenge my father—and I will take the darkness down that is the current Zenithran Ruler. But I will not risk my wife for the sake of a few hours. I am the King, and I am the son of those who were lost. Give me rest to make this right!"

The council, flustered, but silenced by his rage all sat back in their chairs. Etan, grinding his teeth, shoved to his feet. "Prepare it. All of it. Have the men on horse and ready to ride. Have the resources in place and the messages written for my signature. But do not step into this without my order, am I heard?"

"Yes, Sire." The response, grumbling and reluctant, echoed from every corner of the table. Then Etan stalked away from them and out into the hall, storming through the castle, back to his chambers. historical

He needed to find her. He needed to talk to her. He needed her release, dammit!

When he reached the rooms and she wasn't in the living area, his frustration only grew—then peaked when Borsche stepped out of the bedchamber with his brows up in question.

"She isn't here?" Etan muttered.

Borsche shook his head. "I'm sure Falek is keeping an eye on her. I do hope you made up with him though or he might steal her back to her mother's ice-cold bosom." Borsche's eyes twinkled with the joke, but Etan wanted to chew rocks.

"This isn't the time for your jokes."

Borsche's face sobered, but his brows rose. "Etan, there's no better time for some levity than when things are this heavy," he said quietly. "I mean no disrespect to Ayleth at all. She is facing the upheaval of everything she ever believed about her family—

which is really, what she believed about herself. I give her applause that she hasn't denied you outright."

"There's still time," Etan muttered, but then turned on the spot. Where was he going to go? What was he going to do? He was going to find her.

He closed his eyes and let himself feel the bond, analyze it. He could tell which direction she lay in—to the south-east.

She wasn't sending to him, but he could sense her there. He prayed if anything bad were happening that she hadn't blocked the bond and he'd know it.

"She's that way," he said a moment later, pointing towards the windows.

"Outside, then," Borsche said.

"Must be, we'll—"

The door from the hallway opened and Falek swept in, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw Etan there. "Oh! Has your council finished already? Where is Ayleth? I need to—"

Etan blinked, then barked, "She left the council half an hour ago. She wasn't with you? Who is watching over her?"

All three of them stared at each other, the horror dawning on them. "She's outside!" Etan said, leaping for the door. "I can find her—"

But as he rushed into the hall, the other two at his heels, he found Quwan sprinting towards them, his frnatic strides belying the man's age.

"Etan! Etan! Where is Ayleth? I can feel the power being wielded!"

With a groan of despair, Etan called for all of them to follow him and they ran together down the hall, calling for the guard.