Soul Bound

Chapter 15

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, getting comfortable on the couch. 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, 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 freaking her out. 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 squealed in excitement. "We're going to a royal dinner! Right? I can go too? I'll be a protection detail if I have to. Please, Commander? I haven't been to the castle in so long."

She nodded thoughtfully, choosing to ignore Anna's enthusiasm. "Yes. You and Smith will be back up while the Greenes attend the dinner."

Annaliese whooped in her excitement. "Yes! Thank you!"

Hargin glared at her daughter, sobering her up instantly. "I did not give you this task out of favouritism. You three are the best candidates for this mission. And you," she looked at Eva like she was expecting her to say anything out of turn--joke's on her, Eva's not that stupid-- "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."

With that, she stood up. "I'll send you the details for this weekend later tonight. I'll leave the rest of the day up to you, Sergeant."

As soon as the door closed behind her, Annaliese jumped in joy. "Yes! I love diplomatic missions. Hargin always buys me the most gorgeous gowns whenever we go. . . though, I suppose I'll be wearing a uniform, but you'll surely be wearing one! Oh, we'll have some great fun, Eva!"