The Crystal Mines

42 Rion

The next day was welcomed with a noisy castle and with staff rushing around to bring fresh clothes, sheets, and food to all the new guests. Though I was brought up in a household of wealth and luxury, the idea of someone waiting on me hand and foot, made me uncomfortable. Jakota, a male I had only spoken to in passing on the ship or the palace, woke earlier than anyone, forgoing breakfast to be by his prince's side. The staff spoke highly of Jakota as they brought in food for Alden and I. Whispering of the man's good looks.

Alden remained quiet, a storm brewing behind his eyes. Though Dath was well secured below in the castle dungeons, he still looked in the dark corners of the room for the man. He grabbed a piece of fruit and chewed slowly, looking out the window to the morning light passing through the high mountains. I wasn't sure if he remembered, but last night he slept fitfully. Tossing and turning violently at the nightmare that existed in his mind.

I also knew seeing Nik again was eating at him. The last time he had seen her, Erix had declared he possessed his loyalty and that he had betrayed Nik all along. But I knew my brother. Nik was the first girl he had ever openly sought out. I had watched last year as he pushed her boundaries, just wanting to know her. I hated that I had missed my father working their relationship in the background, manipulating both of their feelings. I should have expected it. He had done it to me with Sharin. I fought a shudder at the idea of the nasty woman.

My brother took a sip of water and peer over his glass at me. He still didn't trust me. That was ok. I didn't need him to trust or even like me. I needed him to live. To be free of our father's grasp.

"Taury mentioned there was a giant library here. We should research how to remove the tattoo off Dath."

"Fine," he huffed and placed the glass down firmly.

"Well as soon as you're­–"

"I'm finished. Let's go."

Alden stood up and shoved his feet into some shoes. He was looking better than I had seen him. We all did. In our fresh new clothes of robed tops and flowing pants. The style in Ashburn was of fine comfort. Practical, but not without evidence of visual hierarchy. When Alden caught me checking on his wellbeing, he looked past me to the door and marched forward.

The library was as large as Taury had said. And it was no surprise to anyone that she was already at work, her nose in a book, laying on the floor next to Garren. Her legs were in the air, toes flicking as she fidgeted reading the book in front of her. When she noticed us, she stood excitedly and handed us a few books. Their titles varied from blood spells, conjuring magic, mind control, and more. Alden ignored them, staring forward as anger poured off him in waves. I thanked them, feeling weird about how the tables had turned. Alden was always the nicest of the three of us. Even Evander had a mean streak. Me, I wasn't nice. Even if Eliza demanded differently.

My brother and I walked to a small table on the first floor past the stairs. Stacks of books all around threatened to fall over. We cleared off the table and I handed Alden a title to begin looking through. He begrudgingly flipped it open and read to himself. I fought the urge to punch the table in anger. He had to understand that this was for him, not Dath. Though, the kid didn't deserve to be under our father's control any longer. Well, Alden had come with me, and that was a start.

I picked a rather thin floppy book on mind control, deciding that it made the most sense to begin there. The words were tiny, and the corners worn, as if someone desperately had come to this book looking for their own answers. The book spoke on silly things like simple manipulation, gaslighting, and narcissism. All things my father was a master at. A chapter at the end of the book mention those that had been subject to people with such qualities may either begin displaying them themselves or may have symptoms of sever trauma. I blinked. And shut the book quickly. Alden looked up curiously and I waved his attention away. It was nothing he needed to see.