Page 127 of Veinblood
A chill goes through me. I remember that day well. We had to inch our way across the face of a mountain, with wind and rain whipping at us. I’d been frozen with fear, and Sacha had come up behind me, and held me close against him while we inched across to safety. As soon as we were out of reach, the mountainside had collapsed.
“That was me?” I whisper.
“That was the first clear indication that there was more to you than a woman who was lost.”
His finger touches my chin, gently closing my mouth. “Don’t look so shocked,Mel’shira.”
“Don’t …” I shake my head. “You let me think it was just a storm!”
“You were scared and confused. Telling you that you were the cause would not have helped.” He strokes a finger across my lips. “We survived, and you have control. It is not worth dwelling on.” He touches my arm. “Come. This way. The city streets are arranged in circles, so if you continue to follow one, you will eventually end up back where you started. There are intersections, and small courtyards, which keep all the streets connected. It’s actually difficult to become truly lost in Ashenvale, but when you’re young and frightened, you don’t consider that.” His voice is wry.
He leads me through a courtyard, and along another street. From here, I can see the walls where Earthveins forced gaps, but repairs are already underway. We stop at the edge of a crowd, while Earthveins work to move the rubble and fix the wall.
“How long do you think it will take? To rebuild everything that’s been damaged?”
“Not long for the physical damage. But to reestablish how things work, and make sure people understand they don’t have to live in fear any more … that will take longer.”
Our next turn brings us back into the main plaza. There are more people there now than when we left, and Sacha keeps his face hidden inside the hood of his cloak. He stops near the fountain again, and looks around—at the people, the buildings, the banners flying Shadowvein colors from the Lirien Spire.
“What are you thinking?”
He’s quiet for a long moment, then he turns to me. “That I will never be able to repay you for what you have done. You have given me something I never thought would be possible. You have given me back my home.”
My throat closes up. Pressing my lips together, I lift a hand to curve it over his cheek, and his comes up to cover it.
“I never thought my life would have meaning. Who knew that almost dying in a desert would end up giving me so much.” I rise up on my toes and press a kiss to his lips.
When we separate, his thumb brushes over my cheek. “We should go back inside.”
When we return to the study, Sacha places the circlet back on his head and pulls on the formal coat. The transformation is immediate—from the man who walked quietly through his city unnoticed to a prince ready to address his people.
“How do you feel?”
“Ready.” His voice is firm, but I know him well enough now to hear the uncertainty beneath. “It’s been a long time. Some of these people have never known anything but Authority rule.”
“But a lot of themdoremember what it was like before, and they will spread the word.”
We walk down to the throne room, where Varam, Mira, and the three Veinblood masters are waiting. Varam moves to the balcony and throws open the doors when we enter. Through it, I can see crowds gathering below.
Sacha pauses by the doors. “Will you stand with me?”
“Always.”
The doors open, and we step onto the balcony. The crowd below falls silent when we appear. Sacha steps forward to the balcony's edge and looks out over his people.
“People of Ashenvale.”
Vorith lifts a hand, her Windvein abilities carrying his voice to every corner of the city.
“I am Sacha Torran, son of High Prince Aldric Torran, rightful heir to the throne of Meridian. Thirty years ago, my brother Sereven betrayed our family and our people. First he murdered our mother, then our father. He drove out the Veinbloods from Ashenvale, and handed this city to the Authority. For years, you have lived under their rule. You have been told that Veinbloods are monsters, that magic is corruption, that the old ways are evil.”
His voice grows stronger with every word. “Those are lies. The Authority ruled through fear because they knew that given a choice, you would choose freedom. They told you Veinbloods were dead because they knew that given hope, you would fight for a better future. Two days ago, you proved them wrong.”
Murmurs begin to rise from the crowd, scattered at first, then gaining momentum.
“Veinwardens throughout this city revealed themselves and fought alongside Veinbloods who had remained hidden in the surrounding lands. And then something wonderful happened. The people of Ashenvale chose to reclaim our city. You chose freedom over oppression. And today, we begin the work of rebuilding what was lost.”
He pauses, letting his words settle.
