The Touch of Salvation

32: The Kiss

There are 12 full moons in one year.

12 Moons Left

The way a regent feels directly affects the environment of their house and of the area around them. Because Daylight felt sorrowful, the sun remained at half mass most days, and the warmth that had usually come from the Earth was muted into a chilled summer day. Everything still bloomed and the fauna explored, but the flowers weren't as bright or perky and the animals wouldn't near anyone, not even her.

"Goliath."

Lucian's voice is hard as he nears me in the grand foyer. Turning to him, his scarred face comes into view. "What is it?"

"Asha is unwell."

"Asha?" The moment the words leave my lips I remember the white dragon that roamed in the pit nearly meters away from the palace. The creature that had interrupted Adalind and I in her office weeks ago. "What do you mean?"

"I care for the dragons," he says. "But Asha and Adalind are bonded; when Adalind is upset, Asha is as well. If their connection is weak for some time, then Asha feels it."

"Adalyndra hasn't seen Asha in weeks. Is that what is happening?"

"Yes, and the connection between them is transferring Adalind's emotions to the dragon. Has Adalind not asked to see Asha?"

"No, she hasn't. Perhaps they aren't as close as you may think."

His brows furrow and I can tell he disagrees. His hands are carefully clasped behind his back as he says: "Adalind has never gone longer than a week without seeing Asha since she hatched. If she doesn't want to see her then," he stops, looks away, and then continues. "Then that means she wants the bond to weaken so that when it is severed it won't kill Asha."

"Bonded riders are like mated pairs? If one dies, the other is likely to as well?"

Lucian grimaces and nods. "But if the bond is weakened over a period of time through lack of time spent together, often the dragon survives and at times can bond with another rider. Goliath - she can't..."

I nod as he trails off. "I know."

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

As we land in House Libra, Kallum immediately greats Adalind as Regents do. She places her hand on her heart and bows as he does the same. That is all she does before she retreats back into herself. I shake Kallum's hand, and he pretends to not notice the shift in Adalind's presence. It doesn't shock him much; even before she pretended to be demure and submissive.

"Royal Segundas Goliath," the Regent greets. His blonde hair is short and falls into his purple eyes, but he does nothing to move it out. His soft features present a smile at me and I know he's doing what Caspian had; testing me. Asking me what my rank was. "Or is it Regent Goliath, now?"

I can feel the others that have traveled with me stiffen. My eyes investigate the other male for a moment before I turn to look at the others. Daario is angry, I can tell by the way his fists are balled at his sides. Lux looks like she could kill and wish she could with her stare. Lucian looks diplomatic as usual. Calm. Collected.

I quickly think back to what I know about fae. In all of their long history, mated royal pairs always had a hierarchy. Unlike wolves, the mates of Regents did not share the same breadth of power. The Regent's mate was named the Regent Consort. The Regent was the individual born into the royal bloodline and thus had more power. The Regent Consort is a step below the Regent and almost had the same power, but people would always default to the Regent if they were at odds. It's clear that Adalind was the Regent and I was not, and from my knowledge, the mate of the Regent was never also called Regent.