COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 29: The White Flowers (Part 1/3)

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          Vera was surging with triumph. Her feet quick, side by side with Ariabella Augebelle, and one step behind Elisious Aeric - the most powerful man in the world. 

          And she'd stuck him under her boot. 

          Káel didn't exist. The emperor had no successors, as did his sister, Mystral Aeric, who had worn the crown of Alta Staar till the end of the war. Formally unwed up until her death days after the march on Shakri'gurn. Since Káel didn't exist, she knew he wanted to keep it that way. 

          She wasn't going to be cheated of the treat. The labour of her efforts picking up the wreckage Káel left in his ignorant strides. He was going to another freaking planet, and she was coming. Everyone that had to eat grass in blistering starlight was coming.

           "What do you think their houses look like?" Truvius' whispered, his breath brushing her ear, spurring her lips to curve.

          Ugly. Obviously. 

          "You think they all dress like Káel did?" Vera snickered, catching the smallest snort from Elisious. 

          "Y-you think they're. They're dangerous?"

          Vera laughed at Talli, the answer clear in her tone. "Without lumience or magic?"

          The walk carved mostly downwards, winding stairs turned to bleak, carved stone. Doors turned to hidden hatches. Straight paths now too complex to memorise with their twists and turnarounds. At the end of their journey, they found themselves nestled deep into the rocks, a room barely decorated with white paint and a few permanent light enchantments. 

          Light enough to show an intricate ritual on the floor, carved into the stones with powdered lumience crystals to fill the cracks. The runes running through it didn't translate, Vera's eyes immediately narrowing at the emperor. "This is ancient lumience."

          He eyed the runes. Careless. "Really? Everyone that likes their head on their shoulders has said otherwise."

          No one laughed. His tone didn't play well to a joke, and Vera felt a strange conviction to seal her lips. She had never spoken directly to him, always at her father's side when the man publicly greeted their arrival and never uttering a word short of hello. Something told her being Káel's friend and Cilvren Acadrius' prized daughter wouldn't matter if she crossed his lines.

         Elisious pulled a slew of silver medalions from an ebony chest, counting them out as he walked and handing each of them one. "This is a paravelt. It works best with magic. But the way I've reworked the ritual with lumience gives you a little under ten hours... for one person. There's four of you, so I wouldn't hope for more than two hours."

          "Five, actually," Káel muttered.

          Vera watched Elisious scoop Puff out of his arms, the drake grunting in protest as he squirmed in his arms.  

          "Guardians stay here." His cold tone warmed as he twisted Puff to face him. "With more yukkla fruits than they can ever eat." 

          Puff relaxed at the bribe as he was placed on the ground, but Vera didn't, feeling Cinder shift in her jacket. The phoenix practically lived in there, and was anxious to say the least when she vanished for more than five seconds. "I need another paravelt your majesty." she breathed in some calm as the emperor glared her down. "my phoenix is a chick, she'll combust the room if I disappear."