The Crystal Mines

71 Taury

My fingers glided through Eliza's silky blonde strands. I had a design in mind that was practical but would add to her beauty. At some point she had closed her eyes, relaxing into the tugging, and brushing my fingers. Rion and Garren had taken the time to explore what they could of the Emerald Palace and likely took Jakota and Reed with them. They had wanted to bring Dath, but we all knew he would leave Nik's side. Hopeless male. I watched my reflection roll her eyes back at me at the thought.

I couldn't bring myself to understand why so many males sought my cousin's affection an attention. She was gorgeous, there was no doubt about that. All the women in our family were. And though she was special to me, more than just a cousin, I couldn't wrap my mind around the undeniable loyalty. I knew everyone thought I was jealous of her. I didn't give a fuck. I was more concerned with the why. Why everyone was drawn to her like flowers reaching for the sun. Was there something in her blood? Did Erix do something to her? Was her power a new thing to this world?

So many questions and no one to ask them. Why was Nik so powerful? Why was no one else concerned that she thought she owed us all something? Well, Dath was. He understood. It was why he made that bargain with Erix in the first place. I had been thinking about it a lot since we helped him break free of the brainwashing. His motivation had been genuine and turned against him to be used as a weapon. I just couldn't help the feeling that he may have been right. Nik felt obligated to be everyone's protector, taking on a role assumed by her level of power.

All nineteen of us took down those rotting hounds together. She helped, yes. But we all held our own just fine. Even before that, we helped fight off many enemies without her help. Each one of us had our own gifts. Emyr and Syphor were the best at Pyromancy. I had an affinity for water and healing. Faolan was a master of Terramancy, though he hadn't used it since escaping the prison. Rayze was a genius with lightning. The list went on. The part that bothered me, was that Nik was the best of us all. The test into the university even said as much. Tens across the board. Later, Ameer had confided he had straight tens too. And I can only imagine that Callion did as well if he could snatch Nik's raw magic out of the air. Even then, Nik trumped her mates in power.

I was just tying off Eliza's hair when Garren gave single knock at the door before entering, a warning in case we were indecent. He had begun doing that since learning of my dark past. It was a small token that made me feel safe and taken care of. Rion trailed behind him, and his entire face changed as he met Eliza's eyes in the mirror. I had outfitted her in a crown of braids with a few asymmetrically laying across the rest of her soft waves. Rion's eyes blazed with a hunger I had seen in Garren's when he looked at me, and Eliza only returned it.

"Did you find anything interesting?" She asked him.

"The Palace runs right up to the beach protected with a high retaining wall. Probably to protect against armies and weather. Not much is closed off, so it was easy to get around. The staff seemed to know exactly who we were, and they were friendly enough. Aegran is possibly the most secure kingdom I've been in. With militia maintaining crime among the citizens and soldiers manning the walls, the organization is unlike anything I've seen." Rion was always looking for holes and weakness in defenses, I found. It seemed to ease some anxiety that he harbored, and I could only imagine why with a father like Erix.

Garren took a seat at a small table and popped some grapes in his mouth a couple staff members brought earlier. "Ameer and his brother have been with their father since we arrived. But we passed them in our exploration. Dinner will be in an hour or so."

I thought for a second and voiced what I had realized during our travels here. "Don't you think it odd that we have three royals in our group. The rest are nobles except Nik, Dath, and I."

"Your point?" Rion asked with a shrug.

"Faolan is technically a royal too." Eliza turned around in her chair at the vanity. "I overheard Nik talking to Callion. He's the son of the Alpha and Omega of Sieghild."

Though I wasn't too surprised, I still reeled that it was the Alpha and Omega's lives we saved on the road to the university. If they were indeed wolf royalty, why didn't defend themselves better? Unless they were trying to hide their identity. That had to be it because Faolan never once spoke up about his heritage.

"Well, Erix opened the university to the general population of Tarsen, not just royals and nobles. If those of higher status are usually more powerful because of their bloodline, why would he allow those of lower status to test?"

Garren's eyes went wide at my question. "I hadn't thought of that before. Everything happened so fast, I never considered why he would do that."

Rion stood and began pacing the room. "Callion and Ameer mentioned that Erix was looking for something and already confirmed that it was whatever was their blood."

I looked at the tall male and I could see his mind turning everything over. "But why Faolan and Sorin? They don't possess the same power as the other three."

"How can it be blood though if Nik isn't a royal or a noble?"

Eliza's question rang through the air as it hit home. Again, I was brought back to my thoughts from earlier. What made my cousin so godsdammed special and why was Erix after it if it wasn't power or blood? But more than that, how could we all make sure he didn't get to her. Or worse, stopping her from sacrificing herself to his whims to save the rest of us. The same thoughts echoed around the room as I met their eyes.

I spoke, barley louder than a whisper as shock bit at my heart. "We have to tell the others. Erix is after something else."