Chapter 158 False Prophecies

Chapter 158 False Prophecies
Elyndra

There were only two kinds of people in this world.

Those who waited for fate...

And those who seized it.

My brother had always believed power belonged to the strongest. Serafina believed it belonged to the righteous.

They were both wrong.

Power belonged to the one who reached for it while everyone else mourned.

The Penitentiary stood behind the Imperial Palace, separated only by the military barracks and a narrow service corridor used to move prisoners and supplies unseen. It was the route servants, guards, and quartermasters favored—a place where few lingered and fewer asked questions.

Perfect.

The haze that had smothered Aetheria was beginning to lift, though the scent of smoke still clung stubbornly to the stone walls. Hammer blows rang from the barracks as armorers repaired damaged weapons. Engineers hurried past with carts piled high with timber, gears, and shattered ballista parts destined for the foundries. Every soul seemed consumed by the work of rebuilding.

No one was looking for two fugitives, a steward, the Emperor's sister, and her shadow turned mortal.

I raised my hand, tracing a quiet sigil through the air.

Shadows gathered around Magnus and Warden Voss, clinging to their bodies like drifting smoke. Their clothes dissolved into plain servant's uniforms. The binding collars around their necks remained, but another ripple of magic wrapped around them, disguising the metal as simple leather work collars worn by palace laborers.

Magnus stared at his sleeves. "I never imagined I'd make such a convincing servant," he murmured.

"For the first time in your life, you actually look useful," Warden Voss replied dryly.

I allowed myself the faintest smile.

"Keep your heads down. Walk as though you belong here. Servants are invisible because no one chooses to see them."

With a flick of Florian's fingers, a bundle of blankets appeared across Magnus's shoulder. He became just another porter burdened with supplies. Kier fell into step beside Warden Voss, completing the illusion of palace servants returning from their duties.

Together, we slipped into the service corridor.

A squad of Imperial soldiers marched across the intersection ahead of us.

We stopped behind stacked crates while they passed.

One soldier glanced in our direction.

My magic answered before suspicion could.

His gaze slid over us without a second thought.

We were just servants. Nothing more.

When the patrol disappeared around the corner, we continued toward the palace.

A lone Arcanis engineer emerged from a side passage, his soot-blackened hands clutching a bundle of blueprints.

"Florian," I said quietly.

He needed no further instruction.

He drifted into the engineer's path while the rest of us continued walking at the unhurried pace expected of palace servants.

As we crossed beneath the palace archway, I felt the familiar tug at the back of my mind.

Vaelric.

My brother's summons pressed against my thoughts like a hand around my throat.

He was calling.

He rarely summoned me unless he was furious.

That was... inconvenient.

A few moments later, Florian caught up with us.

"I spoke with him," Florian whispered as he fell into step beside me. "We need not leave the palace... yet."

I lifted a brow.

So...

Serafina and Azerath were being brought here.

"I beg your pardon?" Magnus asked, straining to catch our hushed conversation.

I glanced at him, then at Warden Voss. Both waited expectantly for Florian to reveal what he had learned.

"Not here," I said. "We'll talk once we're somewhere private." I turned toward the northern tower. "Follow me."

Neither questioned me.

Before answering my brother's summons, I had to hide Magnus and Warden Voss. No one could know they had escaped.

Least of all my brother.

We climbed the winding staircase leading to the northern tower. Servants passed us without a glance, seeing only fellow workers climbing toward the upper levels. Those who recognized me lowered their heads immediately, assuming the others belonged to my household.

Only when we reached the corridor leading to my chambers did Magnus finally speak. "You never mentioned you were the Dark Prince's sister."

"I wasn't asked."

He studied me with narrowed eyes. "All this time... I knew you only as the Imperial Seer."

Warden Voss folded her arms. "So that was your way of getting close to the Emperor?"

I shrugged. "I became the Imperial Seer to watch the dragon."

Magnus blinked. "You knew all along?"

I let out a quiet snort. "I was the one who placed Elias's journal into Godwin and Helena's hands."

His brows shot upward. "You had his journal?"

"They were clever enough to discover Azerath slept in the mountain." My smile faded. "Unfortunately, they were arrested before they could awaken him."

"And the journal?" Magnus asked.

"Lost."

"And what was in the journal?" he pressed. "Anything about where we may find his sword?"

"There was something about his sword," I said. "But it was an odd passage."

"Odd?" he asked, confused. "What did it say exactly?"

"That the sword was in an old satchel," I replied.

He opened his mouth and stopped, looking more confused than a moment ago.

At last we reached my chambers.

Magnus looked around with obvious disappointment. "I imagined a princess would have... larger accommodations."

I ignored the remark.

Walking to the far wall, I knocked three times. The stone rippled like disturbed water. A doorway slowly appeared where solid masonry had stood moments before.

I pushed it open.

Magnus stopped walking.

Beyond the doorway stretched an apartment large enough to house visiting royalty. Rich carpets covered polished floors. A fire crackled in a marble hearth. Shelves overflowed with books while an enormous dining table stood laden with fruit, fresh bread, roasted meats, and chilled water.

A bed large enough for four people occupied the adjoining chamber.

Magnus let out a low whistle. "Now that," he said, "is more appropriate."

I stepped aside. "In."

They entered cautiously.

Warden Voss didn't bother admiring the room for long. She collapsed onto the nearest sofa, snatched an apple from the table, and bit into it with obvious relief.

"I was beginning to think prison food would be the last thing I'd ever taste."

Magnus settled into an armchair with an equally contented sigh. He plucked a grape from its stem before looking toward me.

"Now," he said, tapping the collar around his neck, "perhaps you could remove this?"

I smiled pleasantly. "You have food." I counted on one finger. "You have water." A second. "You have beds." A third. "I suggest you enjoy them while I make the necessary arrangements."

Warden Voss immediately rose. "No. I am not staying imprisoned with—"

I stepped backward and pulled the hidden door shut.

The stone flowed together until no trace of the entrance remained. Her protest became little more than a muffled thud.

"There," I said. "They'll be safe until we return."

Florian folded his hands behind his back. "I suspect they would disagree."

"They'll forgive me later," I answered with a grin.

The dull pressure in the back of my mind sharpened.

Vaelric.

The summons was no longer a gentle tug. It clawed insistently at my thoughts, demanding to be answered. He was losing patience.

I closed my eyes for a heartbeat, pushing against the magical pull. Not yet.

If I answered now, he would hear every distraction in my mind. Every secret I was trying to bury.
I would face him only after every loose end had been secured.

When I opened my eyes again, Florian was studying me.

"He's called you?"

I nodded.

"He summoned me while we were making our way here," Florian said.

I glanced at him. "Me as well."

Florian's eyes widened. "And you've ignored him?"

"I've postponed him."

His brow arched, though he wisely chose not to argue over the distinction.

"So," I said, changing the subject, "what did the engineer tell you?"

Florian hesitated. "It concerns Ashwood. The dragon has fallen."

For an instant, my heart seemed to stop. "Is he dead?"

Florian shook his head. "No, my lady. He lives. As we speak, he is being brought here in chains, captured by Emperor Vaelric himself."

Relief escaped me before I could hide it. "He's alive."

Beside me, Kier let out a low, jealous grunt. I rolled my eyes.

"And Serafina?" I asked. "Are they to be married as planned? Is that why my brother summoned me? To prepare for the wedding?"

Florian's expression darkened. "The official report states that the Celestial is dead."

Silence stretched between us.

"And?" I prompted.

"They have declared Azerath responsible."

A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

The new Empire believed its greatest enemy had murdered its greatest hope.

How... convenient.

"And my brother?"

"He has ordered the dragon brought to the palace." Florian met my gaze. "The execution will be public."

"When?"

"Tomorrow," Florian replied. "At first light."

At last, I allowed myself the smallest smile before lowering my eyes to hide it.

Serafina was dead.

One obstacle had removed itself from the board.

The game had just become far more interesting.

The summons slammed into my mind again. This time, I did not resist.

"I suppose," I murmured, turning toward the throne wing, "I'd better see what my dear brother wants."

We left my chambers and headed down the corridor. Halfway to the stairs, I stopped.

Soft laughter drifted through the silence.

A man and a woman.

I raised a hand, and Florian and Kier halted without a word. The laughter came from the neighboring chamber.

Nerissa's room.

I frowned.

Nerissa was another Imperial Seer, though far less gifted than she believed herself to be.

The man's laugh reached my ears again. Recognition settled over me.

Cedric.

Slowly, I turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Unlike my chambers, Nerissa's suite overflowed with embroidered silks, fragrant candles, and polished mirrors. Incense lingered heavily in the air.

The room fell silent.

Nerissa scrambled for the bedcovers with a startled gasp while old Cedric merely looked over his shoulder where he sat at the edge of the bed.

Neither wore a stitch of clothing.

On the table beside them rested a shallow bronze bowl filled with the silver silt of Sunless Creek.

My eyes narrowed. "Cedric," I said, my voice cold. "What are you doing here?"

A slow grin spread across the blind seer's face. "I did exactly as Aurelion Kade asked." He chuckled. "I gave him the future he wanted to hear. Vaelric Valcor had me memorize a prophecy, then all I had to do was darken the white of my blind eyes to black. Kade believed I had truly seen his future."

My expression hardened. "And what future did you tell him?"

Cedric rose from the bed without the slightest hint of shame and sauntered toward me, utterly unconcerned with his nakedness.

"I told him he would defeat the Dark Prince..." he said with a smug smile. "The World-End Dragon... and the Celestial." He spread his hands. "He believed every word."

"And now?" I asked.

"Now he is dead." His chin lifted proudly. "And the Dark Prince has taken his place. Hail, Emperor Vaelric."

My patience ended.

I crossed the room in a single stride, seized Cedric by the throat, and slammed his face into the bowl of silver silt. The powder exploded into the air.

He coughed violently as the enchanted dust filled his lungs.

"Breathe," I commanded. "And tell me what fate truly holds."

Cedric inhaled. The silver silt shimmered..His clouded white eyes flooded with emerald light.

Then he spoke.

A king long forgotten shall rise from the deep,

When blood wakes the curse that was buried in sleep.

No hand shall undo what fate has decreed;

The man shall be lost... and the Beast shall be freed.

Silence swallowed the room.

Kier was the first to find his voice. "Beast?"

The emerald glow faded from Cedric's eyes.

A chill settled over me.

That... did not sound good.