Of Blood And Shadows

Chapter Thirteen

ORAYON

Try as he might, Orayon couldn't forget the absolute look of wanting on Ondina's face. The way her long lashes fluttered and her breath hitched when he touched her. Orayon's heart swelled with joy. He would recognize that look anywhere. With her fever raging, she gazed at him as if he were her everything. Orayon knew she was hatching; the relink cycle was over, and her powers were manifesting.

Hatching occurred at the manifestation of your powers. It was simple, really. When your powers began to manifest, they needed a lifeline, a thread to hang onto. The person you hatched on would be that thread for a week or two. Hatching occurred randomly. When the thread snapped, the person you were with became your hook.

Orayon briefly remembered his sister, Ombra, running to him with tears in her eyes because she had hatched on a boy she loathed with her entire being. Those two weeks had been hell for her as she couldn't help but give him swoony eyes and seductive smiles. Orayon had kept a steady watch over them because the hatching process could be dangerous for one's sanity and feelings. Now she was gone—dead like the rest of his family. With Ondina's cycle ending, they'd finally break that forsaken barrier, and he would kill the witch who had hurt him and his family.

As Orayon walked toward the Royal Library, he felt a mix of urgency and determination. Though he had a fair idea of how hatching worked with Raelians, he wanted to know more about how it worked with witches. Did the relink cycle affect each hatching stage for them? There was so little they knew about their greatest foe. He spotted a secluded section of the library containing scrolls and books written by scholars, as well as Ondina herself.

He searched through the shelves and picked five books he thought would be useful. Ondina's diary was the first he opened. He had read it a million times, and the familiar scent of pine filled his nose. He loved how she expressed her feelings, her delicate strokes of the pen drawing him into her world. He read about how she had been treated unfairly by her older sister, Queen Riya, and her journey through a series of relinkings that almost led to her death, up to the point where she ran away and joined forces with them. As always, the rest of the pages were torn, leaving a chasm of unanswered questions.

He checked the scrolls by scholars, but they all seemed to present answers cobbled together by speculation rather than concrete knowledge.

Rubbing his temples, Orayon tried to push aside his concerns. He should be afraid of being Ondina's hook; he had never been a hook before. Though he dreaded the thought of being ogled by her for more than a second, he couldn't deny the thrill of being connected to one of the most powerful mages.

The sound of footsteps broke his reverie. "I knew I'd find you here," Laudian said, inching closer to where Orayon sat. Laudian glanced at Ondina's diary, his eyebrows raised, and Orayon felt as though he'd been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to.

"Do you need me for something?" Orayon asked, trying to sound casual.

Laudian chuckled at his dismissal. "The king summons us."

Orayon's jaw ticked at the thought. He still remembered how the king had been useless regarding their attacks. He knew the witches were planning a strike, yet the king did nothing. An incompetent fool, he thought. No wonder the staff rejected him; it would rather have no one inherit its powers than let this inept sole heir take command.

Neatly folding the books and scrolls back onto the shelf, Orayon nodded for Laudian to lead the way.
He glanced sideways at Laudian, who wore an expression of mild annoyance. "What do you think he wants?" Orayon asked, breaking the silence.

"Probably to discuss strategies he hasn't bothered to consider until now," Laudian replied, his tone dry. "Or maybe he's found another excuse to blame us for his failures."