Chapter Twelve
NADIR
adir held the invitation in his hands, the golden paper scrawled withN shiny gold ink invoking an ostentatious contrast to the somber blacks and greys of his study.
“What’s that?” Mael asked, dropping onto the black velvet couch in the
center of the room, his feet kicking up on the low table in front of him.
Nadir scoffed, rereading the missive. “It’s from Atlas. Aphelion is holding their ridiculous Sun Queen Trials again, and I’m invited to a ball in the Tributes’ honor before the final challenge to celebrate whatever wretched females are still alive after Atlas has done his best to torture them. Barbaric
tradition.”
Mael cocked his head, a dark eyebrow arching. “And he invited you?”
Nadir responded with a low chuckle. “Probably one of his lackeys who didn’t know any better. I’m sure he’s not actually expecting me to show.” He
tossed the card on his desk and then kicked Mael’s feet.
“Get your filthy boots off my table.”
Nadir walked to the bar situated under the long bank of windows, pouring himself a shot of brandy. He tossed the contents back in one gulp, the smooth liquid burning down his throat and warming his chest, but it did nothing to soothe his agitation.
He glanced over at his beloved pair of ice hounds, Morana and Khione, lounging in front of the fire. They bore the stature of small wolves and could tear out a man's throat on command. Their faces rested on their paws, the tips of their thick, white fur glowing from the light of the flames.
“So you have no idea who took this girl?” Mael asked, getting back to the previous subject of their conversation.
“They were Fae,” he replied. “That’s all I could tell. The scent was faint.”
“And there’s no hint of which court might have taken this mysterious prisoner?”
“If I knew that, don’t you think I’d already be there?”
Mael leaned back, folding his hands behind his head. He wore black
leather armor polished to a shine, and his black curls were cropped short. His deep brown eyes and skin gleamed with tinted reflections of the violet and crimson aurora rippling in the sky, offering the only source of illumination in
Nadir’s study.
“What did you tell your father?”
“That I found no trace, other than evidence the ozziller did, in fact, get
her.”
“And you’re sure it didn’t.”
Nadir poured himself another glass, the first one going down a little too easily. “I tracked the one that was lurking around the area and found its nest.
There were no signs any mortal was ever there. She was taken. Flown out if the lack of a scent beyond the Hollow is any indication.”
“So it could be Tor or The Woodlands or Aphelion,” Mael answered.
“Likely not Alluvion.” He paused, and Nadir turned to look at his lifelong friend and captain of his personal guard.
“When’s the last time we did surveillance inside Heart?” Nadir asked,
peering out the window. The sky was black and cloudless, ribbons of purple and pink and teal running in blazing streaks of color.
Mael leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands. “Heart? Why? You think Heart is involved in this?”
Nadir shrugged. “Stranger things have happened.”
“It’s been a few months,” Mael answered. “But I can send some scouts.
Ensure things have remained…quiet.”
Nadir nodded. “Yes, do that. And set up a regular schedule. Something about all this feels off.”
He looked back at Mael. “Where the fuck is Amya?”
Mael rolled his eyes. “She’ll be here. Zerra’s blessed, you’re in a shitty
mood.”
Nadir smirked into his glass. “Can you tell the difference?”
“I really can’t. Give me a glass of that.”
Nadir turned back to the bar and poured a second drink. He walked over and handed it to Mael when both their attentions were drawn to a thud at the
window. Nadir turned to find Amya hovering outside, whips of colored light forming wings on her back, keeping her aloft.
Casting out a thin tendril of cobalt light, she flicked the latch on the
window before it opened. She shot through and landed on the carpet in a crouch, as light as a feather. Like Nadir, her eyes reflected the colors of the
aurora backdropped against midnight irises.
She wore black leather leggings and a fitted corset, her brown shoulders bare. Streaks of crimson, violet, and emerald ran through the twin braids that hung down her back. Another flick of light slammed the window shut with such force it rattled every pane along the wall.
“Will you be careful?” Nadir snapped. “If I have to replace those windows
again…”
Amya grinned and Nadir rolled his eyes as she took the glass from his hand, polishing off the remaining brandy before she handed it back.
Addressing Mael, she planted a hand on her hip, cocked her head in Nadir’s direction, and asked, “Why is he so pissy?”
Nadir let out a low growl from his throat.
“He’s mad your dear old dad is keeping something from him,” Mael stage- whispered across the room, and they both burst into laughter.
“If you two are quite done,” Nadir said, folding his arms over his broad chest. Mael and Amya exchanged conspiratorial smiles right before she dropped onto the sofa next to him. She propped her boots up on the low table
in front of her and leaned back.
It was then Morana and Khione both roused from their places in front of the fire and padded over, resting their heads on Amya's lap, both of them begging for her attention.
“What’s up, big brother?” she asked, scratching Morana behind the ear,
while Khione let out a plaintive whine.
Nadir’s eyes dropped to her feet, but he said nothing, wanting to get on with things. He filled Amya in on what he’d already told Mael about what
he’d learned regarding prisoner 3452.
“And you don’t know who she is? Or who took her?” Amya asked, leaning
forward with her elbows braced on her knees.
“Is there a fucking echo in here?” Nadir asked, and Amya narrowed her eyes.
“Why are you so sure this is important?” she asked. “Has Father said anything else about this prisoner? Ever?”
Nadir shook his head. “When I told him there was no sign she’d survived,
he seemed relieved, though I got the sense he was trying to downplay her existence. It makes no sense that he’d care about the fate of a single girl. Why does she matter, and why did he have Kelava watching over her?”
“Those are all good questions, but it could mean anything,” Amya said.
“What makes you so sure this is worth pursuing? This girl could be anyone.
Maybe she’s an illegitimate sister he disposed of in Nostraza and is just relieved she’s gone.”
Nadir scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. Father wouldn’t care that much about any of his children, bastard-born or not.” He gritted his teeth, squeezing the empty glass in his hand.
“You have a point,” Amya said, and their gazes met, a lifetime of pain
filling the hollow between them.
Mael rolled his eyes. “Zerra, you two are so damaged.”
Nadir and Amya pinned him with their unsettling twin gazes. “Shut up,” they chorused, and Mael snorted out a laugh.
“You know, therapy would be a lot more beneficial, and decidedly less
dangerous, than these revenge schemes you two are always hatching.”
Amya looked back at Nadir, ignoring Mael. “What do you want me to do?”
“Sniff around the other courts. See if you can uncover anything about a
mysterious girl who’s appeared. She might be hidden or out in plain sight.”
Amya nodded. “I’ve got reliable spies in Tor, Alluvion, and The
Woodlands. My Celestria contact was just captured, so I’ll need to find a replacement. Shame. She was good.” She bit her bottom lip. “And of course, I still haven’t managed to sneak anyone into Aphelion.”
Nadir nodded. “Start with the rest. With any luck, Aphelion has nothing to do with this. I’m sure Atlas is far too busy fucking a stable of eager young females under the guise of finding a bonding partner. He’ll have his hands
quite full.”
Amya wrinkled her nose. “Not the Trials again. You’d think after what happened last time, they’d put an end to this.”
“We need to find that file,” Nadir replied, dismissing Amya’s comment, not giving a shit about Aphelion, Atlas, or the future Sun Queen. “It went missing for a reason. I just hope it hasn’t been destroyed.”
“Where are you going to look?” Mael asked.
“My father’s study, to start.”
Mael and Amya exchanged a wary glance. “That’s a little risky,” she said.
Nadir made a noncommittal sound as he turned back to the window. “With risk comes reward. I hope.”
“Nadir?” Amya asked, and he looked over to where she sat. “You really think this could take Father down? Is that what this is about?”
He shrugged, running a hand through his loose dark waves as he let out a deep sigh weighed down with centuries of grief.
“I don’t know, Am, but there’s only one way to be sure, and every option
we have is worth exploring.”
