Balam: Virgo the Pure (Trials of the Zodiac Book 2)

A SINISTER PROPOSAL

BALAM

Warmth surrounded me as my eyes fluttered open. Something shifted behind me, casting the scent of cedar into the air, lulling me into the waking world. I looked around and saw an expanse of brown fur and a sea of silk nestled around me. Zakhar's bed, of course. The last thing I remembered was poring over scrolls, tracing my fingers along the words of wisdom left by Zakhar's ancestors.

Though I didn't need sleep, it had been four days since my last night's rest. I had worked tirelessly on helping him get through the stack of scrolls in the three days since the meeting with the generals. Each new volume came with edits to the grand plan. We had spent the night trying to figure out how to seal away the demons appearing on our enemy's side. I must have dozed off, dreaming about when a tribesman taught me how to hunt caiman.

"You're awake," Zakhar's voice rumbled. I turned around to face him. He had shrunken several feet, still taller than a human but not so big that he would have crushed me under him.

"Why didn't you wake me up? I could have slept in my chambers." I shuffled to sit up, my sore muscles from combat training with Rashid, and pulled my legs to my chest.

Zakhar shrugged his shoulders, "I'm okay with having you here. It felt nice not to sleep alone. I've been having so many dreams lately." He said the word dreams like it was a curse. He still had bags under his eyes, and his scruff was growing into more of a beard. The fur made him look more like his father.

"Jalen is probably causing them. He's still learning how to use dream magic, and it's been helpful with our memories. I can tell him to try to keep you from experiencing them if you want?" I tested placing a hand on his shoulder. He put his hand on top of mine.

"It's fine. I'm just not used to dreaming. I keep reliving some of my choices when living under Sebastian. I'm not proud of the majority of it," he admitted.

"I've done quite a few things I'm not proud of as well," I said. We sat in a comfortable silence, Zakhar's hand running up and down my arm. My body was electric, tingling as he touched me.

"Zakhar." I couldn't finish my thought as the doors to Zakhar's bedroom opened. Before I could gather my thoughts, the towering figure of Priest Alvis entered the room. His gray robes rustled softly as he moved with an air of authority. His presence usually had a calming effect, but his face was etched with worry.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, for coming in without permission, but there is an urgent matter that needs you and the Honorable Balam's attention," The priest explained with a bowed head. Zakhar raised his hand, allowing the priest to raise his head. Priest Alvis looked between his king and me but said nothing.

"What is the issue, Alvis?" Zakhar got out of bed, only wearing a pair of black cotton trousers.

"A message has reached us from the front lines. A goblin has asked for the Zodiacs to come to him," the priest spoke in his deep, resonant voice. I stood and watched as my friends entered the room. They wore black robes and exhausted expressions.

"Sebastian, he's trying something," Zakhar said. I looked at my fellow Zodiacs, who stared back at me with concerned expressions. We were immortal; going in headfirst was a symptom of that.

We had a silent conversation; gestures and made-up hand signs replaced words. Jalen was against it. He made waves with his hands. He had been trying to get to the sea since he learned of the krakens. I had told him no; he was getting better with his magic but wasn't at the point where he could face twenty krakens alone. He was to wait for the giants who could use water magic to reach the front lines.

Kai shrugged his shoulders. The dwarves would be at the palace in a few days, and he would lead them in creating fortifications for our defenses. Rashid's face was blank, completely unreadable. In the end, they seemed to wait for my decision as the leader of this quest.