Tale of the Heart Queen (Artefacts of Ouranos #4)

Chapter 8

C HAPTER 8

LOR

A LLUVION —T HE C RYSTAL P ALACE

L inden continues to glare at me throughout dinner, alternating between stony silence and the occasional verbal jab to remind me she doesn’t buy a word of my shit. I had expected this. I knew there would be people who wouldn’t forgive or forget my grandmother’s mistakes. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting.

Dinner feels like it lasts forever, but mercifully, I’m finally escorted through the Crystal Palace by Linden and Cyan, who flank me on either side. While Cyan has been hospitable, it’s obvious he doesn’t trust me. I should commend him for his instincts, except this is very inconvenient for me .

Open windows set high in the walls let in the crisp ocean air and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. The hallways made of rippling glass tiles, marble, and paint feels almost like we’re walking underwater.

We pass through a tall arch and into a massive oval room. At one end sit two thrones made of the same glassy material as the palace. Surrounding them are dozens of small tide pools cut right into the marble floor. They churn with small creatures, bioluminescent stones, colorful plants, and waving tendrils of translucent seaweed.

But what really catches my attention sits at the far end of the room. A massive aquarium stretched across a wide arch opens to the outside. The curved glass wall towers at least three times my height and is filled with multi-hued schools of fish—most of which I’ve never seen before—along with orange and red flowers and waving plants that shift lazily in a current.

In the center sits a massive branching piece of shimmering white coral, reaching almost to the vessel’s height.

This can be only one thing.

The Alluvion Coral and this kingdom’s Artefact.

Cyan and Linden have stopped walking, watching me as I stare at the Coral.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathe.

It shimmers in the water like the rarest pearl, surrounded by waltzing fish.

“Thank you,” Cyan says.

“May I take a closer look?” He purses his lips together. I think he’s about to refuse but must decide it’s a harmless enough request because he nods. I move towards it, my bare feet soft against the marble floors.

An idea is already forming in my head. Three different Artefacts have spoken to me now. I don’t know why or what makes them do so, but the Coral might have the information I’m seeking. What if it knows where the ark is?

As I draw closer, I sense its presence. It has an energy that draws me in. Is it calling to me? Does it want to speak with me too?

The tank opens to the sky, with the back half perched on a cliff. Due to the perspective, I can’t tell how far it stretches. I place a hand on the glass, flattening my palm against it.

“Can you hear me?” I whisper softly under my breath, conscious of Cyan and Linden watching me. I can’t give them any more reasons to suspect I’m up to something.

“Hello?” I try to cast the message through my thoughts.

I wait for it to answer—it always seems to take a few moments before they notice me—but it remains silent. I need to get closer and touch it. But how am I supposed to do that when it’s surrounded by water?

“It’s Lor. Will you talk to me too? I spoke with your . . . friends.”

“What are you doing?” Linden demands, coming up next to me. “Why are you whispering?”

I jump at the intrusion and whip my hand away.

“I wasn’t whispering,” I say.

“You were,” she replies, still not buying my shit.

I shrug. “Sometimes I talk to myself. I don’t even notice I’m doing it.”

Linden glares at me, and I do my best to look innocent .

“Linden,” Cyan says, his tone bordering on threadbare, as though he’s tiring of her attitude as well. “I think we can allow the girl her thoughts.”

Linden shoots a look at the king, her eyebrow arching, clearly wanting to disagree, but she lets it lie.

“Come,” she says. Then she starts marching away. When I don’t immediately follow, she stops and pins me with a dark look over her shoulder. I cast one more glance at the Alluvion Coral, cycling through a hundred ideas of how I might access it before following her pointed footsteps through the palace.

I’m escorted to a gorgeous room that contrasts vividly with my prison cell. Maybe I should be grateful they’re not making me sleep down there, at least.

After Cyan bids me goodnight and Linden threatens to feed me to the sharks, I’m left alone, though she informs me two guards are stationed outside. Great. I’ll have to earn enough trust to be allowed free movement around the palace. Or I’ll have to deal with the guards in a possibly messy way.

My room overlooks the ocean, reflecting under the light of the moon. It expands as far as I can see, and I clutch the diaphanous white curtains and breathe out a sigh laden with anxiety and exhaustion. I’ve lost an entire day already, and I can practically feel the tick of the clock vibrating under my skin, echoing in my ears like a hammer striking glass. The Coral. I need to find a way to talk to the Coral.

Can you hear me? I ask in my head. Nadir. Are you there? Are you okay? I miss you. I love you.

We had so little time to explore the possibilities of our mate bond. Does he need to be close to hear me? In the same room? I’m assuming he does need to be alive, and I try not to let his silence add to my worries. Zerra promised she’d keep him safe while I carried out her unreasonable task. While I have no actual reason to trust her, I also don’t have much choice.

My gaze wanders behind me to the giant silver bed covered with white sheets and blue pillows. It looks so inviting, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep. My stomach is twisted into too many knots.

I can’t stop worrying about Nadir, and also Tristan and Willow. What did Cyan mean when he said a riot broke out? How can I be doing this again, wondering if they’ve survived while I’ve been stolen away to another kingdom?

Next thing I know, Cyan will surprise me and tell me I’m here competing to be his bonded partner. But he seems to already have his hands full in that department.

I strip out of my dirty clothes—I can’t believe they ate dinner with me in this state—and pad into the bathroom, where I take a hot shower and wash my hair for the first time in days.

It feels like a lifetime ago when I stood in Aphelion’s throne room and felt all that power coursing through me. I stare at my hand, watching the water sluice between my fingers. They curl into a fist and then open again as I try to channel out a small slip of magic.

Sparks of red lightning dance between my fingertips, and I grit my teeth as it surges through my limbs, cresting into a torrent. A moment later, the shower’s glass walls shatter as magic blasts from my fingertips, rendering the entire thing into razor-sharp fragments.

Shouts rise from the bedroom, and two guards burst through the door, their gazes falling on the broken glass and then me. It’s at that moment we all realize I’m completely naked, and I use my hands to cover myself as they both direct their eyes to the floor.

“Sorry,” one of them says. “Are you all right, my lady?”

No. I’m not fucking all right. I finally have my magic back, but I can barely use it. It’s like a cannon blasting through parchment. All or nothing. What am I supposed to do with this?

“Can you get me a towel?” I ask, trying to sound dignified without much luck.

One of the guards shuffles to the side, keeping his gaze averted as he retrieves one from the hanging rack. Then he approaches me with his eyes still on his feet and holds it out towards me like a shield.

When he’s close enough, I snatch it from his hands and wrap myself up. But my feet are bare, and we’re surrounded by broken glass. The guard looks at the floor and then up at me.

“Would you like me to carry you?” he asks rather reluctantly.

Gods, this is humiliating. “Yes,” I say. “But keep your hands where I can see them.”

He raises them in surrender like he has no intention of dishonoring me, and then he scoops me up and carries me across the room. To his credit, he’s an absolute gentleman, and once we clear the doorway, he deposits me gently onto the carpet.

My bedroom is now full of people, including a cleaning staff who’ve arrived to sweep up my mess. Cyan appears in the doorway with Linden and Anemone in tow—they’re all barely dressed—and I’m pretty sure I’ve just interrupted something .

“What happened?” Cyan asks with genuine concern. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” I say. The glass left a few small cuts on my arms and legs, but they’ll heal quickly, and other than my wounded pride, I’m fine. “I’ll be okay.”

“What were you doing?” Linden asks, understandably suspicious. I just tore apart an entire bathroom and can’t really claim I was up to nothing. I’ll have to come clean. Ha. Pun intended.

“I was practicing my magic,” I say, hating that I have to reveal any measure of vulnerability to them.

Cyan raises an eyebrow. “You have no control over it?”

“I’m . . . I’ve got some.”

“Why?”

It’s a fair question.

I look around the room, conscious of the guards and staff moving in and out. None of the others seem the least bit bothered that we’re all half-dressed.

“Could we talk about this later?” I ask, hoping to buy myself some time to come up with a story that isn’t completely the truth but sounds good enough. “I’m really very tired.”

Cyan’s eyes darken, but he doesn’t argue. “Very well. We’ll get you a new room.”

“Thank you,” I say as he rattles off instructions to one of his staff. Then I’m escorted to a new suite similar to the one I just destroyed. Cyan, Linden, and Anemone follow me, and I turn to face them, still clutching the towel around me.

“Tomorrow, you will be explaining why you just blew a hole in my palace,” Cyan says pleasantly enough, though the underlying threat is obvious. “Until then, please rest up. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. When they all leave, I close the door behind me and lean against it.

A moment later, there’s a knock, and I swing it open to find a servant.

“I thought you might need these,” she says, handing over a pile of white cotton balanced in her arms.

“Thank you,” I say gratefully before she curtsies and scurries away. When she’s gone, I drop my towel and pull on the soft white pajamas, which include loose pants and a sleeveless top. It feels good to be in fresh clothing and it has the effect of clearing my head a little.

Pacing the length of the room, I consider my next move. I need to speak to the Coral. It seems like my best chance. Heading for the door, I twist the knob, hoping for a late night visit. But I’m greeted by the presence of the two guards Linden promised.

“You are to remain in your room until morning,” one says, folding his thick arms.

I squeeze the door handle, but this isn’t really a surprise. Getting to the Artefact won’t be that easy.

“Fine,” I say, slamming the door.

For now I’m stuck and tired enough that maybe I’ll be able to sleep. I pull back the covers and slip under them, tucking them up to my waist. Once I’ve had some rest, maybe I’ll be able to think clearly enough to come up with a plan.

Then I open my hand and stare at it. I’ve spent so many years craving my magic, but I’ve forgotten what to do with it.

I miss Willow and Tristan, and I wish they were here with me to sort this out. Tristan controlled his magic so easily. Why am I so bad at this? Willow would know what to say to make me feel better.

And Nadir. I would give anything to feel his arms around me. To slide into my feelings for him and pretend nothing else exists. He would help me, too. He’s the only one who’s ever been able to coax anything from my magic, and I’m sure he’d know how to help me understand this.

With my other hand, I clutch at my chest, my breath pinching with loneliness. Once again, I’m alone in a strange bed in a strange palace, being asked to risk my life to save the ones I love.

Pressure wells in my eyes until tears start to fall. I wipe them away, but more replace them, so I let myself go, sobbing into my pillow until I cry myself into a lonely, troubled sleep.