Page 44 of Storms of Allegiance

Amara hesitated. “I think only the royal family and the Triumvirate know the truth of how and why the change in succession happened as it did. If you want that story, I think you’ll have to hear it from your new protector.”

I flushed. “I can hardly ask him why he isn’t the heir!”

“Why not?”

“What…But…” I spluttered, trying to put into words what seemed obvious. “He’s a royal prince. And he’s Nik!” I rolled my eyes. “He’s not exactly what you would call open.”

“You said he seems changed at times—I can only assume you mean when he’s alone with you. So next time you have the chance, ask him about his history. I don’t think you’ll be able to make sense of him until you know it. And if he’s not willing to share it with you…Well, that will tell you something important about him and your relationship as well.”

“Relationship…” I muttered under my breath. “What relationship?” But I couldn’t get her words out of my head. Could I really just come out and ask Nik about his history as a prince? Usually when it was just us I tried to forget about his royal status, and the one time I’d asked, his answer hadn’t exactly been forthcoming. But Amara was right. It was better to be direct and know the truth of where I stood with him.

“All right,” I said at last. “I will.”

* * *

True to his word, after we stopped to make camp in the dusk of evening, Nik appeared from out of the shadows. He silently greeted Phoenix and helped gather water and firewood, keeping his distance from the road until true darkness fell.

“Tomorrow we’ll look for a more secluded spot a little further back from the road,” Amara said, and Nik nodded his thanks.

My earlier conversation with Amara was ringing in my ears, but Nik was obedient to her instructions and made no attempt to separate me from her. I wanted to respect my master’s instructions, but I couldn’t help a pang of disappointment. If I was going to bring myself to ask Nik questions, it would only be if I could talk to him without an audience.

When I woke in the morning, sometime after dawn, Nik had already disappeared. But after that, he joined us every night we were on the road, sometimes even appearing for the midday meal if we’d stopped in an out-of-the-way location.

We continued northeast across the kingdom, and I began to look forward to our makeshift camps more than the proper beds we were sometimes offered in the small villages we passed. And as my preference for days on the road grew, so did my impatience at our meandering route through every nearby village.

It was one thing to respond to any immediate need we encountered, but it seemed unnecessary to go out of our way, detouring to villages just so Amara could conduct training sessions for those with an elements affinity. It galled me not to move more quickly when Miranda needed us.

Eventually Amara lost patience and remonstrated with me. “I realize it’s disconcerting that Miranda seems to have fallen for Grey’s charm. But that’s exactly what will keep her safe until we can extricate her.”

“And what about the blight?” I asked. “If Grey knows something about that…”

“The blight is a matter of serious concern,” she said with her usual unflappable and slightly infuriating calm. “But harvest is underway now. If we haven’t discovered the root of the problem by the next planting season, then Tartora will have a significant issue. But for right now, these particular villagers will be without clean water soon if I don’t show them how to keep contamination out of their dam.”

When she put it like that, I couldn’t protest further. I might have preferred to be sleeping by the fire with Nik in the next bedroll, Ember patrolling outside the firelight, and Phoenix only a foot away, but I couldn’t deny that these people were isolated and in need of assistance.

And once I began to pay attention, I found the variety of problems we encountered fascinating. It was a pity Nik couldn’t travel openly at our side since many of the farmers we encountered would have benefited more from a plants mage than an elements or healing one. And I especially wished for his assistance when we came upon the blackened stretches of burned fields.

One night on the road, I finally asked him if he had examined any of the blighted fields. He shrugged and said there was nothing left to examine.

“The fire completely destroys the blight—that’s the point of it. What I need is to find a contaminated field before it’s burned. But I always arrive too late.”

The topic put him in a silent mood all evening, so I didn’t bring it up again. I could only imagine his feeling of helplessness in the face of the growing crisis. For a plants mage, it had to be similar to my emotions when I failed to heal the eagle.

As both the days and the miles passed, Nik seemed to relax around Amara, losing some of his stiff coldness in her presence.

“You truly care about all these people,” he said to her one night as we sat together around the fire after our evening meal. “I could see it out in the field today. How do you do it?”

“You were there?” I stared at him, wondering where he’d been concealed. I hadn’t seen any sign of him.

He gave me a single, piercing look, his expression reminding me that he’d promised to always watch over me. I flushed and looked away, falling silent.

Amara replied, seeming oblivious to the short moment between us.

“It isn’t something I have to consciously do. Caring is easy for me.”

Nik snorted. “Criticism duly noted.”

I gave him a light shove, but he didn’t take back the words.

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