The Stains of the Crown

Vix and Cinder

This is not technically a chapter. In my attempts to figure out who Cinder is, I decided to write a few scenes from Vix's time away. If you have any interest in a chapter where they capture Mazus, leave a comment. I'll do my best to get out a new regular chapter soon.

A group of ten or so people sit in the corner of the dingy bar, having a hushed conversation that sets me on edge. Their secretive whispers give me a feeling of unease as I walk past them to the counter. I take my apron from Tirry, an aged woman that could still take a giant in a fight.

"What are they talking about?" I ask her, glancing at the large group.

"Don't know," she says in her gruff voice. "Every time I walk past, they stop talking." I hum, tying the strings of the apron tightly around my waist. "Help me carry these drinks over, will you?" I nod, taking one of the trays. We walk over, the group going silent. They eye us suspiciously as Tirry passes out their drinks, all except for one of them, whose golden eyes haven't left mine since we walked over. The word, 'mate,' dances through my brain as I take in her face. Her features are dainty, but there's a certain harshness in the set of her jaw, in the furrow of her eyebrows, and there's pain in her eyes. The golden-haired woman grabs my wrist and goes to pull me outside, but Tirry's got a gun aimed at her before we're even three steps away. "Let her go," her rough voice commands.

"Relax, Tirry, it's okay," I say softly. She glances at me in uncertainty before putting the gun away.

"If you're not back in five minutes, I'm finding a guard." I nod at her, feeling my mate begin pulling me outside again. She leads me into the alleyway before facing me. Neither of us says anything. I watch her eyes trail my body. She chews her lip as her eyes meet mine again.

"Cinder Frost," I say, feigning a level of confidence I currently didn't have. The tense set of her shoulders and the frustration that radiates off of her makes me nervous.

"Vix," she mutters before clearing her throat. "Haphael. We... should probably talk," she mumbles, toeing at the dirt with her boot. I fold my arms over my chest, waiting for her to continue. But then she pauses, her whole body tensing as she glowers up at me. "Wait, Frost as in-" Fuck.

"Mazus Frost, yes." I nearly flinch at the look she gives me.

"How are you related?" she barks.

"He's my father. I haven't seen him in years. We have no relationship and I don't claim him." I want to say more, but she has a distant, pained look in her eyes that takes my attention.

"Mazus has a kid," she whispers. "But Echo-"

"I know what he did to Echo," I say softly. Her eyes snap to mine, so full of hatred I'm tempted to cower. Instead, I force myself to stand straighter. But then her forearm is pressed to my throat, pinning me against the wall.

"How?" she growls. I push her off of me, glaring at her.

"Because it doesn't take a fucking genius to figure out that it's his baby. I saw her in the papers after she was rescued. I know about the drugs he put in her system and there's no way a baby could've survived what he did to her if it'd been conceived before then. Honestly, I'm not even sure how this one survived. But she's too far along for it to have been anyone else's baby, that much I'm sure of."

"How do you know she's pregnant?" she asks, glaring me down in a way that tells me she doesn't trust me. Still, I can't help but roll my eyes again.

"Because the Adrunait Kingdom has papers too. I was there a few weeks ago getting a wine shipment. Now, who is Echo to you to have you this pissed at me?" She looks down at the ground in what seems like shame. Shame for what?