Chapter 59

Crissy bounced back into the room. “I brought help.”

Everyone turned to see Capri standing behind her. The expression on her face said she didn’t want to be there but was anyway. Nova wasn’t sure what Crissy said to get her to come, but she was thankful. Capri looked around the room, taking in everything and everyone. She paused on Bastian’s father for a moment more than the rest.

“Can you help my son?” his mother asked.

Sedric came out of the kitchen, a tray in his hand. “I made tea.” He looked bashful and so unlike the overconfident boy that was hiding in the filth.

Carpi looked him over slowly.

“Sedric...” Bastian’s voice was hoarse. “...is a ward of Alterealm and Solrelm.”

Nova watched the look of surprise on Capri’s face as she looked down at him. “Working on redemption, soul sucker?”

Bastian looked at her for a moment and then closed his eyes without answering.

“Thank you, Sedric.” Bastian’s mother got up and took the tray from him. She set it down on the table and then turned to Capri. “Will you help my son?” The king started to move over toward her, and she held up her hand stopping him where he stood. “You may not like him, but he’s the future king of our realm and very necessary.”

“What?” Nova looked from his mother to see Bastian wince.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her. “I just found out.”

She gave him a blank look. “We’ll talk about it when you’re on your feet again.”

“That doesn’t sound promising,” he said quietly.

Capri still hadn’t answered or moved from where she stood.

“I will owe you one ask in the future,” his mother added.

Capri’s expression changed to surprise as she sized up his mother. Nova noticed her gaze move to her stomach briefly before she nodded her head once. “If it weren’t for the Gemini soul you carry inside you, I would walk away.” She sent Nova a brief apologetic look. She stopped behind the couch and looked down at Bastian. “She is to be of great importance in the future and will need her brother.” Nova saw Capri look at Crissy briefly before she looked down at Bastian. “You may want to move back for a moment.”

Nova gave Bastian’s hand a light squeeze and then shuffled back from the couch, but continued to sit on the floor, her face level with his.

Capri closed her eyes, and she slowly moved her hands up toward her face. Her hair began moving as if it were being blown back from her face. When she opened her eyes, Nova’s heart stuttered, they were a pale violet shade. Her lips were moving in a silent chant as she held her hands over Bastian and slowly moved them away from each other.

Bastian hissed out a breath and then groaned.

Nova watched his body shake, then he clutched the cushion and his knuckles turned white as he gripped it hard.

Capri lowered her hands and looked down at him.

“Nothing like mild electrocution to get the heart pumping.” He gave her a cheeky grin. “Thank you. I owe you as well.”

“You can repay me by stopping those harvesting the souls of the innocent.”

“That’s the plan.” He turned his head and looked at Nova and then held out his hand again. “I’m going to lie here a bit longer until my muscles stop quaking.”

Nova moved over and took his hand. She looked up at Capri. “Thank you.”

Capri offered her a brief smile and then looked over at Liri who she stood in the hallway. “Visit anytime, Liri.”

Liri nodded but didn’t reply.

“Crissy.” Capri acknowledged her and then walked down the hall to the ladder.

“Bastian is healed,” Troy announced with the call on speaker. “Anything happening there, Leone?”

“No, but they’ve been camped out here a while. We’ve been looking through their stash of supplies.”

Troy nodded. “We’ll leave someone there for now.”

“Victor just sent some guy that was invisible to the cells,” Arius shared.

Nova frowned wondering if they were invisible how had he known they were there?

Bastian and Trendan exchanged a look before they turned to their father.

His father shook his head. “So many traitors hiding in our midst.”

Troy moved over and stood in front of him. “This shouldn’t have gotten this far, Osbert.”

Bastian’s father nodded. “We need to call all the realm’s council and change many things.”

Troy nodded. “We’re going to have to hold off on that until we shut down what’s been in motion for so long. We don’t know who is involved.”

The king nodded his agreement. “I will document it when we’re back, but going forward, Alterealm’s policing rights are reinstated in Solrelm.”

Bastian grinned and then looked at Trendan.

Nova wasn’t sure what that meant, but for the brothers to be so happy about it, the change had to be a good thing.

“I’ll be in touch with your guard captain,” Rafael said over the phone.

“I as well,” Michael said.

“Would you like to come to visit yours that are in our cells?” Troy asked the king.

Osbert smiled in a way that reminded Nova of Bastian. “I’d be delighted.” He turned and looked at his wife.

She shook her head. “I know my limits and the ghastly reaction to Alterealm climate I would not do gracefully right now.”

He inclined his head to her and then looked over at the other guard standing with Tor. “Ulric, escort our queen home when she’s finished visiting.”

Ulric bowed his head to him.

His father looked down at Bastian.

Bastian shook his head. “I’m going to catch my breath and get cleaned up.”

“Very well. I’ll see you later.” He then turned and looked at Nova, his expression softened. “You as well, daughter.” He touched Troy’s shoulder and then both disappeared.

“Braggart,” Bastian’s mother mumbled. “Alterealm barely affects him, yet I spend two hours in the chamber to acclimate.” She shook her head, and then smiled. “Bastian, I realize you can’t complete your bond with Nova, but we are sneaking her to the chamber of truth.”

Trendan straightened away from the end of the couch.

His mother made a hissing sound. “I want no back talk about this. Nova is your future queen, and she will have the respect of wearing the Solrelm sigil at least until you boys have caught our traitor and Bastian can share his soul with her.”

The two brothers exchanged a look. She had no idea what any of this was about, but the boys looked like thoroughly chastised children.

“I’m going to be living over here,” Bastian said to his mother but was looking at Nova as he said it.

“I imagined you would for the time being,” his mother chuckled. “It’s not like you’re home much as it is.”

Bastian smirked but held Nova’s look. It was asking forgiveness; he was looking for her agreement in all of this. The other half of our soul. A soft voice whispered inside her. She gave him an uncertain nod.

“You do know you probably can’t have sex until this is over, right?” Trendan scoffed out loud at the lethal look Bastian gave him. He lifted his hands. “Just pointing out the facts in case you missed it in your never-ending thought process.”

Bastian kissed Nova’s hand and then released it and shoved himself up into a sitting position. “Right now, I’m thinking you—” He motioned to Tor. “—and him needs to go figure out how we’re getting Nova to and from the chamber of truth without being seen.”

Liri held up her hand. “Oh, I have ways.”

Bastian winked at her. “Of course you do.”