Page 65 of #Resort Love
“She defied his command,” I admitted softly. I eyed the bands cuffing Sybil’s wrists.
Aster followed my gaze, her brows bunching. “I knew something was odd about them,” she said, carefully picking up Sybil’s wrist. “They’re not fully connected like other markings I’ve seen.”
I wondered about that too when I noticed the sliver of skin unmarked. “Do you know what it could mean?”
Aster frowned, shaking her head. She gently set Sybil’s hand back down. “I don’t, but I have a feeling it’s tied to her blood. Maybe it’s something the queen would know about?”
I considered her words. I had been wanting to ask the queen myself, but part of me was too afraid to ask. “She may, though?—”
Sybil lurched forward, gasping for air, her frantic eyes widening as she slammed herself back into the wall behind her. I stayed still, holding out my hand, gesturing for Aster to do the same. Sybil’s eyes wildly searched the room as the realization slowly set in that she wasn’t in the cell. Sybil’s chest was rising and falling too fast, and her magic began to hum. Her hands started glowing with a warm light, but she cried out, the light ebbing when she doubled over.
I cursed quietly, taking a step closer to Sybil. “You’re okay,” I said gently, raising my hands to show her we meant her no harm. “You’re safe here. We’re not going to hurt you, I promise. Aster healed your wounds.” Sybil’s eyes met mine, her breathing still too fast. I motioned this to Aster, and she gave Sybil a small wave.
“Where’s Ezra?” Sybil asked, her voice timid and skeptical.
My heart clenched at the sound, wanting nothing more than to wrap her in my arms. But I shut that thought down. It was too soon after what she had gone through. “He is still in the dungeons,” I said carefully. “But I’ll make sure he is safe.”
“You will?” Sybil’s voice was cold, edged. Her wary eyes narrowed on me. “Don’t you work for Ambrose? Have a bond with him?”
I swallowed at her tone, at what she was implying. My jaw clenched tight, my teeth feeling like they were ready to break. “No, I don’t,” I growled. Aster snorted and I cut her a glare, but sighed and looked back to Sybil. “I may have formed a bond with him, but that was under the queen’s orders,notbecause I wanted to. The queen needed me to keep an eye on him while she was gone and that was the only way to gain his trust. I did it forher.”
“Not that it stopped anything from happening,” Aster muttered under her breath, looking at a spot on the wall.
I sent another glare her way, though she didn’t see it. “No, it didn’t. But I have a plan to get Ezra outwithoutAmbrose knowing.”
Sybil studied me, looking for any hint of deception, her hands curled in tight fists to keep the slight tremble in them hidden.
“I’ll join you, then.” Sybil’s eyes were narrowed, daring me tosay no. I wanted to. My body demanded it, demanded for her to stay here where it was safe.
“I’ll join too,” Aster added with a shrug, watching me with the same warning.
I watched them both, my eyes shifting from one to the other. Finally, I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Fine,” I huffed. “There’s someone I want you both to meet anyway. But we have to wait until tomorrow night, so rest and replenish your magic.”
Rolling her eyes, Sybil scoffed but stayed quiet, pressing her back to the wall. Her face was blank, and her eyes trailed across the room, stopping at the screens lining the wall. “You have computers here?” she asked slowly.
I sat on the edge of the bed, following her gaze to the bright screens. “There’s a lot that I haven’t told you about this world. This is one of them. You may not believe what I say, but please trust me when I tell you that I will give you nothing but the truth.” Pausing, I glanced to Sybil, who reluctantly nodded, urging me to continue.
“A few centuries ago, this world was different. We built up our technology in a way similar to humans in Mide, just less wasteful. We allowed everyone access to it and it helped our world thrive. The farmers used it to learn more about the soil for better food growth. Healers used it to provide medicine to villages and towns without healers. We used it in schools here and in other places, setting up new schools to help children and adults become educated. It gave people more opportunities to grow and it leveled the playing field between them and the nobility across Nemos.
As you can imagine, it didn’t sit well with some of the lords. However, the queen ignored their complaints. She remainedsteadfast in paving the way to allow commoners into her court and council room. This continued until Ambrose’s father’s sudden death. As his heir, Ambrose took over as the queen’s advisor, though there were rumors that another was being prepared to take his place. However, Ambrose swiftly put an end to those whispers.
Then, the queen decided to go on a trip. A trip that has lasted for over 100 years. During that time, Ambrose gathered allies among the lords in Nemos, making changes to how the realm was to be ruled. In Ambrose’s terms, it was to ‘return us to the time of greatness.’ Ambrose rolled back the changes made by the queen that helped the towns and villages. He took away their technology, with exception of the palace medical wing after Aster’s insistent daily protests, as it got in the way of our ‘connection’ to the land. He raised the taxes and tributes throughout the realm and blocked access to Volmire, unless one was invited.”
“Why did he make an exception for the palace healers?” Sybil asked, still eyeing the screens.
“The official reason is so we can study the powers of the High Fae and use our research to create more powerful offspring,” Aster replied. “With this information, they can force arranged marriages focused solely on strength and magic of their future partners. But I wanted to keep it for other reasons.”
I gave Aster a weak smile. The medicines she had created in secret have helped so many already. Even though she knew of the dangers, knew personally what Ambrose was capable of, she still gave everything to stop countless deaths.
“Is that the real reason he made me do the blood tests?”
“You’re quick.” Aster smirked. Grimacing, Sybil looked at Aster, her face still unreadable while Aster continued. “That’spartly why he wanted them done, but as far as Ambrose knows, the percentage of your fae blood and power are too low for him to waste on a marriage match.”
Sybil narrowed her eyes, wariness rippling across her face. “What does that mean?”
Aster jerked her chin at me, which was my cue to continue. Swallowing down my annoyance, I sighed. “It means that your blood is different.”
Hesitating, I rubbed the back of my neck, my face pinching, not knowing how much I should tell her or Aster. Though I told Ezra and Kieran of Sybil’s relation to Dryden, I haven’t had the chance to tell Aster of what I learned about Sybil’s bloodline and knowing Aster, she was going to give me hell for keeping it from her. I felt Aster’s pointed glare and I didn’t dare meet it.
