These Ivory Swords

| Chapter One |

Peace was not preparation for a haunted soul.

The light of Solstice had left many eyes, leaving nothing more than the hardened glaze Sorein held as Rhydian entered the Estate, drenched in sweat and rain. The black ink of Taqrias blood stained what was left of his riding leathers, smudging both his hope and the Captain's pride.

Stains that might never come out if their bad luck continued.

"Have you found anything?" Sorein asked.

Rhydian shook his head dismissively, using a hand to swipe the water out of his hair.

He could've guessed as much from the dark aura and taut muscles. The Captain of the Guard had repressed even the smallest hint of emotion, his actions mechanical and calculated since Iliya's disappearance.

Nothing reminiscent of his usual bravado.

The sight only made Sorein more restless as he closed the distance between them. "Nothing at all?"

Rhydian's face turned to stone, his eyes lifting to level his hope.

"Perhaps she left something at the docks—"

"She's gone."

He made to pass the Prince, but Sorein stepped into his path. "There must be some way to track her movements, someone who's seen her..."

Frustration simmered beneath Rhydian's skin, so predatory it reminded him of the Fae. Sorein could only imagine the thoughts lurking within his mind, knowing full well the more pressure he applied, the more he risked.

As his lips parted again, the Captain growled.

"Do you not think I've done what I can?"

Sorein lost control, grappling for the leash to his panic.

"You speak as if she's dead, like you've given up completely and—"

"Stop," he warned, his jaw working tight. "Return to your rooms, Chakrine."

Without another glance, he watched as Rhydian stormed through an unfamiliar corridor and vanished.

No one would speak with him about her absence. Rumors were beginning to spread of her treacherous actions, feuds breaking out among the Royal houses. No one knew what to make of the girl who shattered the Aphyre.

Iliya had fed into the worst images of herself, serving those who scorned her proof.

He felt sick even thinking about it.

Sorein's skin crawled inside the eerie silence, begging to be free of the Estate if only for a moment. He'd stolen away into the gardens a few times, never chancing the Guards. The idea of severing his tie to information nearly as critical.

He continued out the doors, slipping through the soft spot in their gate. Two silver panels had been torn from the fencing and left in the grass to rust.

No one had time for repairs while spirits roamed the streets.

With each passing day, the briny air thickened. Dark clouds plagued the vibrant blue skies, allowing the fog to linger through the streets and chasing the children indoors.

Sorein counted their blessings as he passed an apparition in the town square. Chiori Faire's civilization was youthful and new, preventing the island from looking as he imagined many other countries did.

He didn't know much, only what he'd overheard in the halls. When Iliya broke into the Grand Archive and severed the final seal, cracks formed in the surrounding crystals.