Page 105 of Jeweler to the Blessed
His hand pressed lightly to my lower back as he ushered me back to the road. As he did, he leaned in close to whisper in my ear: “That was you, Chaos.”
I couldn’t process that statement as the prince approached. No enemies remained alive. Any scattered Blessed slowly returned to the path. One limped, another sobbed, and with so many having sprinted for the gates, it was impossible to tell how many died in the ambush. The limping man’s ring glowed orange. With each step, the prominence of his limp depleted. He was healing himself with stored energy from lust.
Now that the fear was gone, the Blessed thought to heal themselves. Orange glows spread through the slowly darkening forest. Minor scrapes and bruises alongside stab wounds closed before their eyes.
The prince reached for my gloved hands. “Are you alright, Emberline?”
I nodded as he took one, squeezing.
He gestured at Hart. “I see your guard is as good as he claims.”
Hart wiped his blade on a body sprawled at our feet. “Only doing my duty.”
“The Feared will stop at nothing,” Vaddon said.
He looked strangely unrumpled comparatively. The prince nodded.
“If that was the Feared, where was their king?” I asked.
I could already tell by the way Hart searched the bodies that he didn’t recognize any of them. In the same way, he hadn’t recognized those who lay in wait outside Alaric’s workshop. I couldn’t precisely tell Elias and Vaddon that Hart was known to work with the Feared and didn’t recognize these men and women, but I’d at least make them think twice about their assumptions.
The prince tilted his head. “What are you saying, Emberline?We know the Feared want to take you—to stop the sourcing of adamas.”
Hart kicked over a body with his foot. “The Cursed King would have made this attack a lot easier. If he’s proven to work with the Feared, why wouldn’t he be here?”
Vaddon sneered. “Who else would they be?”
“I’m not sure. But it seems like something to look into. I’d bet a lot of coin that whoever they were, they were the same group that attacked Emberline outside Alaric’s workshop.”
I shivered at the use of my full name. I knew the words showed distance between us before Vaddon and the prince, but I didn’t care for it. Maybe Chaos was growing on me.
“We’ll look into it,” the prince said. “Good work … Hart, was it?” Hart nodded, and the prince returned his attention to me. “You’re sure you’re alright?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
It was mostly a lie, but what else could I say? Hart had just called me the Cursed King. We needed to discuss that more than I needed to reassure the prince after his stupidity.
The captive’s statement flared to life in my head. He’d said,“This Presentation is a mockery of what you are.”
Who was I? Was Hart right?
Prince Elias was still speaking, not noticing my world collapsing behind a face void of emotions. “Good. I wouldn’t want anything to stand in the way of you enjoying the Masquerade.”
His comment brought me up short. “The … Masquerade?” My question was inappropriate, given the bodies littering the ground around us. But I didn’t understand. “I didn’t think I was needed for the …”
The prince waved his hand. “Nonsense, Emberline. Of course you’ll join me at the Masquerade. I wouldn’t hear otherwise.”
I dipped my chin.
“We should get you back to the city,” Hart murmured. “The sun sets.”
“Of course,” the prince said. “I’m sure we should follow.”
He glanced at the guards over his shoulder. “Go ahead. We’ll be right behind you.”
I swallowed down my objections about the Masquerade. There was nothing I could do about it now. We’d revise our plan accordingly. Hart guided us to the trickle of folk returning to the city. The Presentation had extracted a heavy price. I shuddered to think what King Rodric would do about it.
I wasn’t sure where it was safe to talk. Hart kept close until we were in the city, and as we passed Alaric’s workshop, I shoved Hart toward it. He grunted and changed course, watching my back while I unlocked the door, ushered him in, and locked it securely behind us.
