Soul Bound

Chapter 19

Eva and Anna were getting ready for the next day when they were interrupted by a heavy pounding on the door. With a curious look, Annaliese opened the door--then stepped back, shoulders straight. "Commander! What do we owe the surprise?"

The Commander welcomed herself in, slipping past her daughter with a cold, dispassionate gaze raking over their dwelling. She sat in the armchair, hands braced on either armrest and legs crossed at the knee. They might as well be sitting in her office with the way she held herself in their apartment.

Her hair wasn't pulled back into a tight braid today and was allowed to cascade down her back, almost to her waist. She peered around the room, as if every piece of furniture was foreign to her. It made Eva wonder how often she visited her daughter, if at all.

When she reached for her breast pocket in her dragon scale jacket, the reason for her visit became clear: she pulled out a slender envelope.

Eva's stomach roiled. Guess having an intimidating woman holding a secret envelope will do that to a person.

She sat next to Annaliese on the couch, who was suddenly tense now that her mother was here. Eva didn't blame her. She could feel the power coming from the woman sitting across from them. From those sharp eyebrows to her pointed boots, she demanded respect--and possibly fear.

"What can we do for you, Commander?" The silence was getting to her, like spiders crawling over her skin on the darkest night. Hargin made her feel like she'd done something wrong, even though she was a hundred percent certain she hadn't done anything to piss her off. She hadn't been here long enough to do anything stupid.

Her brown eyes moved to Annaliese then to Eva. She tossed the envelope onto the table; it slid across the polished surface, landing perfectly in front of her. "You've been invited to dinner."

Dinner? Who would invite me to dinner? Eva didn't know anyone fancy enough to send her an embossed invitation.

Curious, she opened the envelope.

Eva Greene,

It is our pleasure to invite you to Kain Castle this weekend for dinner with our family. Your circumstances have not gone unnoticed. We are looking forward to meeting with you.

Pleasant regards,

King Renkon Kain

Eva stared at the elaborate signature at the bottom that could only belong to a king, dumbfounded. "This is a joke, right?"

The Commander shook her head. "King Renkon wants to meet you. It's not everyday a storm dragon appears--especially since we had considered them extinct until recently. He's not going to let you slip through his fingers."

Annaliese remained calm, keeping this strictly a business transaction, but Eva caught the glimmer of excitement in her partner's eyes. "We won't be going alone, will we? Lexxis will be a long flight--anything could happen."

Eva was yet again reminded that she knew absolutely nothing about what was going on outside of the canyon. This invitation was a blessing in disguise. Not only was she going to Lexxis, the oldest and biggest city in all of Aboria, she and Arkon would finally be allowed to spread their wings. An adventurous thrill chased down her spine and nestled in her stomach at the mere thought.

The Commander nodded in agreement. "You'll form a squad with Corporal Smith and Private Greene. You and Smith will be there for protection, while the Greenes attend the dinner."

Anna squeezed her palms into tight fists in her lap, fighting a smile. "Thank you, Commander."

Hargin cut a glare into her daughter, wiping any semblance--despite how little there already was--of joy from her face. "I am not joining your pairs out of favouritism. Whenever you three work together, you get shit done, and Eva's protection is top priority. And you," the look she pinned on Eva was sharper than a dragon's claw, "don't fuck it up. I have a feeling you will be making many trips to the castle, so you make sure the royal family likes it when you visit." She rose to her feet, shoulders set. "I'll send you the details for this weekend later tonight. I'll leave the rest of the day up to you, Sergeant."