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Chapter 2

Lex

Aria was alive! I couldn’t think of anything else, just the fact that she had survived the impossible. She’d jumped into a pit of molten lava, and come out moments later looking more radiant and beautiful than she ever had. I wasn’t thinking of Sire Vanoire or Polonius watching us, nor was I considering that my brother was right there beside me; I knew Cheyenne would be thrilled for our reunion. I’d kissed Aria with reckless abandon, grateful to see her alive. Now, we faced a sea of angry expressions and had to contend with the fact that we were actually on the run from Polonius and his men.

At the moment, I didn’t care. I had Aria back, yet she was different. Not only was she more radiant, but her aura and light seemed brighter, like she was becoming a beacon for her people. She exuded such an immense amount of power, I could feel it electrifying the air.

She had changed. While I didn’t doubt she still loved me, I couldn’t help but wonder if things going forward would be different between us. While it wasn’t a consideration for the moment, with Polonius about to charge at us, it was something for us to discuss at a later time.

Moments of Aria’s life and the times people had risked it flashed before my eyes as I looked at all the scowling, disgruntled faces. Polonius had tried to electrocute her and left her weak and disoriented. Sire Vanoire attempted to drown her and would have succeeded had I not intervened in time. And I’d just freed her from the trap that Polonius had set in Harlance Varian’s workshop in the Onyx Rah castle. There, he’d tried to bury her alive. Yet, none of those attempts to end Aria’s life had freed her mage. It had taken her diving into the very pit that had destroyed her ancestors to finally transform her.

“Magnificent,” Polonius said, biting back his rage. He turned to his soldiers. “Everyone, please leave us. Lex, Sire Vanoire, and Cheyenne, you will stay. I’m releasing my soldiers because I’m not going to fight you. I ask that you give me the same courtesy.”

Immediately, the Crypt Claw soldiers drew back and retreated.

“Royal Guards,” I addressed the small troop we had gathered. “Fall back. Cheyenne or I will let you know if there is any danger.”

While they grumbled and protested under their breath, they retreated into the shadows, ready to reemerge at the first sign of trouble.

Polonius bowed his head to me, then looked at Aria. “Impressive,” he said to her. “You survived.” His words were full of awe.

Amadeus, looking older than his years, came forward. His body was weak, and he could hardly take the few steps needed to stand by Polonius’ side. I heard Aria gasp beside me, but Polonius didn’t even flinch, nor did he regard Amadeus in any way. Clearly, he had power over Amadeus and didn’t care what was done to him. Amadeus was a servant to his master and had no value beyond the use his magic served.

“I not only survived, but I’ve unlocked my mage, and we have magic beyond my wildest imaginings,” Aria said before she transformed into her wolf.

Her wolf was massive and strikingly beautiful with a trail of diamond patches from her ears to her tail and on the tips of her paws. She stood before me, a magnificent creature. Polonius was visibly impressed, and for one moment, forgot his hold on Amadeus. Amadeus, too, was inspired seeing his own daughter’s massive wolf. He looked like he might rebel against Polonius and attack him, but as Aria put her wolf away, Amadeus slunk back into an exhausted depression. The hands he had lifted to attack drifted softly down to his sides.

The moment she was herself again, Amadeus’ power and will to fight evaporated. It was as if Aria’s wolf had given him the strength he needed, and without it, his power was almost completely depleted.

“I see you’ve unlocked your mage,” Polonius said with excitement. “Come back to Brahman’s Peak, and we’ll continue our work raising Onyx Rah.”

The way Polonius spoke to Aria sent bolts of rage through me. How dare he command her! She wasn’t his, and she had no intention of helping him steal what was rightfully hers.

I almost spoke up to defend her legacy, but Sire Vanoire interrupted me. “She needs endurance training and instruction. Wild, unrefined power will likely destroy all you want to rebuild,” Sire Vanoire warned.

Amadeus also spoke, though he was hardly able to form words. “Whatever mage trains her, they must be as powerful, or her magic will overrule them.” All the while, he coughed and sputtered from the effort to speak.

Watching Amadeus, I saw how much his body and magic had deteriorated under Polonius’ poisoning. I wasn’t sure if mages could even be restored to health from such a state. We had to rescue Amadeus from Polonius.

“Aria doesn’t have to go anywhere with you.” It took incredible strength to hold back my venom as I addressed Polonius. “Her transformation proves that she’s an Onyx Rah royal. Any rights you hold her are null and void. She is free to choose who she wants to marry.

“I can do what I want with her,” Polonius boomed, not listening to reason. “She is my betrothed. Servant or sovereign, nothing changes the fact that she is promised to me in marriage and she’s already agreed to it.”

“I have not,” Aria interrupted. “I was forced to accept your proposal of marriage, but I have never chosen you willingly.” She stood tall and proud before him.

“This is absurd,” Polonius fumed. “I have a contract that says you have. Come, Aria, I’ve had enough.” He outstretched his hand. “I’ll not entertain this nonsense any longer. You’re mine—legally, illegally, I really don’t care. You belong with me. I have ways to force you back I’d rather not use.” He took a step toward Aria, who was a quiet storm. There was no way she’d go without a fight.

“If you want to marry Aria, you will have to court her like everyone else,” I said. “Let her choose you.” I knew the idea would incense Polonius, because Aria would never pick him over me.

“I don’t need to woo what is already mine!” Polonius yelled and continued to stride toward Aria, who centered herself, prepared to fight him.

Sire also poised his arms, readying himself to flail magic to protect her. My wolf and Cheyenne’s were positioned to shift and attack. No one was going to take Aria from us, least of all a brutal tyrant who’d likely find a way to usurp her magic and incarcerate her.

“You told me I was a royal,” Aria said. “You knew it even before I did. Our contract was forfeit the moment my royalty was revealed.” She squared her stance to defend herself.

When Polonius stopped in front of Aria, he reached out to touch her cheek, a disgustingly tender gesture. “You and I both know that’s not true. You’re mine, you’ve been mine since the moment I first saw your wolf.”

His seductive tone was enough to make me sick. I stayed poised, ready to destroy the monster.

“I belong to no one!” she shouted, throwing a ball of fire from her fists that burst onto his chest and singed his cloak as the embers died away.

“Good!” Polonius exclaimed, his eyes glinting with glee. “Very good, my dear. We can work with your magic to make it stronger and more precise.” He shook off the last of the smoldering ashes. “That blast should have penetrated my armor.” He knocked his chest, showing that he wore something stiff underneath his cloak and tunic. “I can make you stronger. Together, we could be the most powerful rulers in all of Voltaire.”

“Never!” Aria gritted her teeth and threw another fireball at him. This one bounced off of his arm and burned a hole in the cloak.

The magic must have touched his skin because he flinched a little before shaking the burning embers off his arm. Polonius looked at Aria with a strange kind of admiration. “You’re a fast learner. Perhaps all you need to do is practice your aim.” A wry smile spread across his face.

She lifted her arms to throw her entire being into another blast, but he caught them in mid-air and held her back.

“You have nothing to teach me!” she screamed as she tried to wrangle her hands out of his.

“Restraint comes to mind,” he laughed as he held her steadfast.

“Aria has the full force of Navarrah’s Armada and armed forces behind her,” I threatened Polonius as I took a step toward him, unsure of what he planned to do with her.