The Touch of Salvation

32: The Regent Consort

GOLIATH

Adalind stands still on the balcony I had found her on so often before Ophir had come once again. House Dae, as usual, is warm, and bright, and smells of sunlight and flowers. It's the scent of Adalind, and underneath is the scent of kindness that has been used for selfishness.

Her eyes are closed and her head is tilted to the sky. The sun finds her and the silver dress she wears. Her hair shines almost as brightly as those eyes.

I hear them before I see them. Daario, Lux, and Lucian come from the wide double doors. Their eyes immediately jump to their queen before landing on me. Lucian immediately goes to Adalind while the others remain behind.

"How is she," Daario asks. He knows already judging by his expression.

"She's trying."

"And you?"

My eyes land on Lux. Her silver hair glistens brighter than Adalind's. "Do you care?"

She shrugs and Lucian returns, shaking his head at the others. Someone comes in and goes to Lucian, hesitantly stopping once he sees Adalind's back. Lucian shakes his head and takes the file from the soldier before he retreats again.

"What is going on, Lucian?"

He sighs and runs hand through his hair. The scar on his face seems to be the only thing I can focus on as he walks into the room from which he came. We all follow, except for Adalind who remains on the balcony.

"Things are devolving," the grandrider begins, throwing the file on the desk of the library. "The Wolf Kingdom is suffering through a drought, House of Pisces is flooding. And Daario..." He sighs, throwing his body into a chair.

Daario stiffens as he looks at me. "I keep seeing a war."

"A war," I ask, turning to the bloodrider. "I thought you couldn't see visions in the distant future."

"I can't," he says, chillingly. "So it means it's close enough. I can't see much before or after and the vision does not last for long."

"When you say drought?" I round the small desk and sit behind it. "How long since the last rainfall and how many basins are filled?"

"Demise won't say, but our emissaries say that it's been four months since last fall, and only twenty-three of forty are filled."

I run a forefinger across my lip as I gaze at Lux. "Emissaries? You have multiple?" I was the royal segundas, I ran the militia, and I was always certain that the emissaries were kept from integral information. Now, I wonder just how much House Dae knew. How much did all the Houses know? How close were they to the kingdom? Did they all know more than we thought and they simply let us continue on, thinking we were the strongest of the strong?

A sly grin crosses her face. "I guess I'm the better spymaster."

I huff a chuckle. "I'm not a spymaster anymore."

Silene ensues as Lux crosses her arms, a frozen, clipped gaze on me. "Then what are you?"

My eyes linger on her for a second before going to my scarred hands which no longer held the rings of Graceland. My sight goes to the door we came through, knowing my mate remained outside. I was her's before I was anyone else's, even myself. The air quickens around me. The shadows crawl toward me. I stand. "The Regent Consort." Before anyone can say anything else, I continue. "Demise filters water and procures it to insure against issues like these. That's not our first priority. The war? The war is second considering we have no fucking idea what it would even be about."

"You don't trust me," Daario says.

"I do," I say. "Your visions were right before and by saying there's a war you'd only be hurting Adalind. You love Adalind. If you didn't Lux would have known."