Page 21 of Oath-Maker

The doors to the throne room opened again and two demonic guards walked in flanking an obviously celestial-kin man Lucius’s height. He had closely cropped blond hair and eyes that seemed to shimmer with a faint layer of glowing, golden light. Gold and white robes adorned his person, and he wore a heavy golden chain outfitted with an emblem of flame and radiant sunbeams. The celestial court mixed with a symbol for the Light.

The Guardian’smessengerwas dressed like an Order elder or leader. Not like someone sent to simply give a message or come to potentially collect me. He looked like clergy.

And not like anyone I’d ever met in the Order.

I shifted in my seat, sitting up straighter, as if that’d allow me a better chance of figuring out whythisman was here.

Lucius’s body stiffened, as did Commander Garnet’s. The court had grown silent. I hated the way this man commanded this entire room with a single step inside the space. As he drew closer, still flanked by guards, I couldn’t help but think back to how differently we’d been treated. I’d been dragged up the same path through the doors and toward the throne.

“Welcome to Alastia’s palace,” Lucius said, although the welcoming tone in his voice was thin. I understood his caution, but I also couldn’t help a tiny bit of hope from sparking within my chest.

What if this man, this celestial, really did offer Lucius a cure? Lucius would hate me for accepting it along with whatever terms that cure came with. But how could Inotagree to them? I’d do anything to save Lucius.

The celestial representative bowed to Lucius and then to me. “Thank you for welcoming me peacefully. I am Cornelius Starborn, here on the Guardian’s behalf.”

The court murmured amongst themselves. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Ian straighten. His hand drifted closer to the celestial sword at his side with every passing second. I willed him not to draw it but knew there would be nothing stopping him should he choose to do so.

“I would say it is a pleasure to have you here with us,” Lucius said mildly, “but it may be best to skip further pleasantries, given the situation outside my city.”

Situation. To me, the tear in the Veil over the Singing Hills was a bit more than a “situation,” but who was I to clarify Lucius’s words? He was trying to be amicable, but his demeanor was strained. As it should have been, given his light sickness.

Tears pricked my eyes. How was Lucius doing such a better job of holding it together? Anxiety clung to my throat and squeezed. I breathed through it. We couldn’t fight a war if this went south, not right away. We needed time to collect forces. To outfit soldiers. Most of all, we needed Lucius to be here to help us.

I blinked down the building tears and lifted my chin.Keep it together, Ayla.

Cornelius Starborn partially bowed his head once more—an acknowledgement more than a deference. “As you wish. I am merely here to offer once more the trade promised to you by the Guardian. I will heal your light sickness, Angel of Death, in exchange for Ayla’s willing return to Lightport and the celestial court.”

I swallowed hard. There it was. The promised cure. The same proposal from yesterday. Merek needed me for something—that much was clear. But I had no idea what. All I knew was he wasn’t just asking me to return to Lightport in the hope that I still had feelings for him. He’d moved beyond that now. Just as I had.

I inhaled sharply and went to speak, but Lucius raised his hand. “We’re not trading.”

“Lucius,” I hissed quietly.

He shot me a stern, dark look. Lucius didn’t need to speak for me to understand. We’d been over it a hundred times. I’d promised not to go. But it wouldn’t be the first time I’d told him I wouldn’t leave the palace and then left anyway.

“We arenottrading,” Lucius repeated as he returned his focus to Cornelius. “We do not make exchanges with the enemy.”

Cornelius studied Lucius, looking him up and down with a rather obvious smile growing on his lips. “You will die before the first battle of this war is held if you do not make this exchange.”

My chest squeezed. I’d known Lucius was in a bad way, but hearing it confirmed by another celestial felt as though I were being split in half. As though Cornelius had cut right into our mate bond itself and shorn us apart.

The court didn’t seem any more thrilled with the idea than Lucius was. Their previously muted worry chorused to dissent and voiced concern.

“Silence!” Lucius bellowed, but his voice shook, and it altogether did not have the effect he’d likely wanted. Whatever tenuous control of this put-together facade that Lucius might’ve had before was gone now at Cornelius’s words.

It might have actually been gone yesterday as soon as the tear in the Veil had appeared over the Singing Hills.

“It is your choice,” Cornelius said over the din, his voice more commanding. “Know that it brings war.”

Lucius seethed and lunged out of his throne. I rose with him, but he tore down the dais steps on uneasy legs before I could beckon him back. “You do not come into my court and threaten me. We welcomed you for talks.”

Commander Garnet moved to mirror Lucius, not quite standing between him and Cornelius, but close enough to jump in if needed. The court’s evident dissent flittered around the room in a wave.

Cornelius stood there unfazed. It dawned on me that maybe he’d earned that stoic appearance, given the Fallen could apparently bring people back from the dead. So it didn’t really matter if this turned violent.

Except it did. Because if Cornelius didn’t return, it’d be the first act of real war. I knew the Fallen would act swiftly, because that was exactly how Merek would’ve handled things before. It was why we’d moved quickly when Jessa had been stuck in Alastia. It was why we’d nearly plunged into war with Alastia when Merek had fallen save for the pure shock of his loss.

Cornelius inclined his head ever-so-slightly. “You invited me in to hear an offer with which you already had been presented, so you are either taking it or you are inviting war, and you do so willingly, whichever it is you choose.”

---