{"id":9299,"date":"2025-07-17T21:25:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T02:25:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/?page_id=9299"},"modified":"2025-11-07T19:25:43","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T01:25:43","slug":"ember-eternal-chapter-two","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/?page_id=9299","title":{"rendered":"Ember Eternal – Chapter Two"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Ember<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

We definitely weren\u2019t leaving now. Other curious (nosy) people emerged from shadows and doorways, gaping at the flags and soldiers and armor. Strongholders knew royals could be useless at best, treacherous at worst. But the army was still quite a thing to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mounted soldiers followed those on foot, and the market\u2019s shadows had lengthened by the time the first carriage rolled through the gatehouse, pulled by a pair of sleek black horses. It was silver and gleaming atop black wheels, its roof rising to a steep and dramatic point, its shutters tightly closed. The carriage was circled by guards wearing dark uniforms like the other soldiers, but minus the armor and helmets. Three more conveyances followed, all closed tight. I guessed the prince didn\u2019t want to grace us with a glimpse today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI bet he\u2019s ugly,\u201d Wren said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t care much about the man, but I was dazzled by the shine. \u201cCan a man with silver carriages be ugly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou mean, will the coin make him handsome? I\u2019d say it depends on the size of the coin, but he\u2019s royal. They\u2019re all ugly of heart.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFucking Lys\u2019Careths,\u201d I murmured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFucking Lys\u2019Careths,\u201d she agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they weren\u2019t the only trouble brewing. A pain in my chest\u2014a sharp pinch near my heart\u2014alerted me to a new danger, and a faint green haze bloomed in the air like clouds at the edge of a storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAether,\u201d I warned. \u201cStrong.\u201d Aether was the stuff of the Aetheric realm\u2014its energy and substance. Anima bore traces of it, but this was more than a trace . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked up, around, trying to locate the Anima as Aether spread like smoke in the dry air. \u201cI can\u2019t tell. It\u2019s spread out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFriend or foe?\u201d Wren asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot a friend.\u201d There was a sharpness to it, as if the Aether\u2019s edge had been honed to a fine blade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sparks fired at the edges of the magical haze as the pale outline of a wide-winged moth fluttered toward us. \u201cLuna,\u201d I said quietly, as the soldiers continued marching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The moth shuddered, then expanded into a new shape\u2014the hazy outline of a slender young woman with pale skin, straight blond hair chopped at the chin, and eyes that swam with silvery magic. An Anima\u2014and our friend. She was the only thing from the Aetheric who didn\u2019t cause me pain. Maybe because we\u2019d known her for years, or maybe because she was a Guardian, a kind of emissary between our world and hers, and with more skills and power than a standard Anima.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She nodded a greeting at Wren. Anima, if they were powerful enough, could choose to be visible to humans who couldn\u2019t otherwise sense them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSomeone is manipulating Aether,\u201d Luna said in the silent language of gestures she\u2019d created and had taught us to speak. Anima used Aether to appear in this world. Creating sound required even more power than being seen, so speaking with her hands allowed her to conserve her power; it also helped her stay hidden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not possible,\u201d Wren said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For nearly a century, the Aetheric god roamed Terra for his amusement\u2014seeing the sights, dining with the Terran gods, spilling Aether into our world. Humans had learned to use and manipulate that magic, and they\u2019d called themselves practitioners. He disappeared suddenly a decade ago, apparently weary of humans. Without him, Aetheric magic all but evaporated. Even the ability to see Anima and detect Aether was relatively rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt shouldn\u2019t<\/em> be possible,\u201d I corrected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luna nodded. \u201cA practitioner has been revealed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just wanted a little damned sunshine,\u201d I muttered. \u201cA few coins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInstead you got a prince too scared to show his face and the first Aetheric manipulator in years,\u201d Wren said sourly. \u201cLucky you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked at Luna. \u201cWhere is the practitioner?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luna shook her head. \u201cHiding from me. I\u2019ll keep looking,\u201d she said, and disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like this,\u201d Wren said, and slipped her small blade into her hand. She\u2019d learned how to fight as a child, when that had been her only way to stay alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone ran through the alley, pushing past us to get to the road. It was a man in the usual tunic and trousers of a strongholder. But the hands that shoved me were hot enough to burn, and a river of Aether flowed behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its color was wrong. Not the color of new leaves, but of rotting ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He rushed into the market proper, toward the marching lines of soldiers. And then he simply disappeared. None of the soldiers had seen him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid a man just run past us,\u201d Wren asked quietly, \u201cand then disappear?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d I said, relieved that I hadn\u2019t imagined him. But where in Oblivion had he gone?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He appeared again from nothing, three strides closer to the second carriage, still hidden by twilight shadows, but for the glow of the magic that trailed him. And now he held a short sword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had to make a choice. And I had to make it fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe I should have stayed in the alley, safe and hidden. Even if our fates were mostly decided, our choices might add new threads or snip old ones from the tapestry. But if you snipped too many, the tapestry might simply unravel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doing nothing was a choice; ignoring someone in danger was a choice. So I snipped the thread that held me to the shadows and hoped I\u2019d survive. I ran into the road screaming. \u201cAssassin! He has a sword!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cProtect the prince!\u201d someone called out, and the carriages jerked to a halt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soldiers unsheathed their weapons, but the man disappeared. The soldiers nearest me\u2014who\u2019d seen no other trouble\u2014turned in my direction, thinking I was the threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot me!\u201d I watched the faint wisp of green move in the air above the entourage. \u201cHe\u2019s going for the carriages!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man appeared again, crouching atop the second carriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSecond carriage!\u201d I shouted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now they saw him, and they converged as the attacker raised his weapon above the highest point of the carriage\u2019s vaulted roof and struck. The crack felt loud enough to split the sky in half; wood splintered, hurling shards through the air and leaving a gaping hole. There was no noise from the carriage, and the man\u2019s smile fell away when he looked inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I could see his face clearly now\u2014skin red and flushed, his lips an unhappy line. I didn\u2019t recognize him, and I didn\u2019t understand the green glow of Aetheric power in his eyes. He wasn\u2019t doing magic\u2014negotiating it or directing it\u2014and he carried a Terran sword. But magic rose from his body like flames from a burning building. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was human but filled with Aetheric magic. That must have been the work of the practitioner, but I couldn\u2019t see him in the crowd\u2014or the source of the magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a flicker, he disappeared again. I squinted and could see the faint green haze that spread through the air where he\u2019d disappeared, like a ripple in water. Like he\u2019d dipped a toe into the Aetheric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That shouldn\u2019t be possible. Living humans weren\u2019t supposed to be able to travel into the Aetheric. But an Anima could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d a man asked, his voice so close I nearly jumped in surprise. \u201cThe attacker?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then he took my arm. I looked down at the long, tan fingers, and then up at the person those fingers belonged to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was several hands taller than me and wore the uniform of the carriage guards, which fitted around his strong shoulders and muscled arms. His hair was dark and straight and pulled back at the temples, and his skin was sun-tanned, making his eyes\u2014the dark blue of the sky before a summer storm rolled through\u2014seem to glow with purpose. His brows were long and dark, his nose just a bit wider at the bridge, maybe because of some past fight. His lips were full and deeply curved, but they were drawn into an unhappy line. The hand that wasn\u2019t gripping my arm had already pulled a sword, and he looked very prepared to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was the most gorgeous man I\u2019d ever seen. And he was a Lys\u2019Careth henchman who\u2019d kill me where I stood if he believed I was a threat to his master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I couldn\u2019t help but stare at him despite the danger. He stared back and so we stood together as chaos rose around us\u2014the moment surely no longer than a heartbeat, but time expanding and stretching around us as if to keep us together within its embrace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearby, someone called out a warning. The moment had been brittle, and it shattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe assassin,\u201d he said, his voice deep and insistent and carrying the aristocratic tones of Carethia\u2019s capital, the City of Flowers. \u201cDo you know what\u2019s happening to him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I slipped my arm from his grasp. \u201cI think he\u2019s being used by an Aetheric practitioner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUsed?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe seems to be\u201d\u2014and I wouldn\u2019t have believed it, if I had any other reasonable explanation\u2014\u201cpossessed by an Anima.\u201d Tales of possession were at least as old as Carethia, or the nations the Emperor Eternal had cobbled together to make it. I hadn\u2019t thought they were true. Not until today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stared at me for a heartbeat, as if trying to accustom himself to the idea, while soldiers circled around the carriages, waiting for it to appear again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat in Oblivion am I supposed to do with that? And that\u2019s an actual question. I\u2019ll happily entertain suggestions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the one with the sword.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhich is little use against an enemy I can\u2019t see.\u201d His voice was dry as Vhranian sand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe try to force the Anima out. Exorcise it. If the human is unconscious, the Anima might need to leave it. But be careful with the human; this probably wasn\u2019t his choice.\u201d After all, who would willingly agree to be controlled by an Anima?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t be mine,\u201d the guard said. \u201cWhy does it keep disappearing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s slipping in and out of the Aetheric. And no, I\u2019m not sure how.\u201d I\u2019d been scanning the market, from pacing soldiers to horses eager to move, shoppers and sellers terrified and thrilled by the action. And finally found the green haze to my left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere!\u201d I said, pointing. \u201cFirst carriage. Near the front horses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before the guard could move toward it, a whistle sliced through the market\u2014and it wasn\u2019t one of the prince\u2019s soldiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They emerged from the growing shadows, sending startled market sparrows into the sky in a cloud of furious cries: a dozen people in worn tunics and trousers layered with vests and scarves, linen masks tied across their faces. They pounced like the tigers on the prince\u2019s fluttering banners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDeath to the emperor\u2019s spawn!\u201d they shouted together, and rushed toward the soldiers. The soldiers scrambled to face them, and the market became chaos, with unit leaders yelling orders to bring their troops back into position and the clang of metal on metal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the new assassins dashed toward us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBehind you!\u201d I shouted at the guard. He turned to face the attacker, then dropped into a low spin to avoid the assassin\u2019s sword. The blade missed him but was still moving as it came toward me. I pivoted swiftly to avoid it and found myself face to face with the guard again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re fast,\u201d he said, admiration warm in his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am.\u201d Wren had named me \u201cFox\u201d for a reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But then his eyes narrowed. \u201cGet down!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I trusted him, dropped, and heard the whistle of the blade overhead. The guard flipped backward, came up again, and kicked the blade from the assassin\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re good,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if in answer, he grabbed my arms and pulled me toward him, an assassin\u2019s blade splitting the air where I\u2019d been standing a moment ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am,\u201d he said with a responding grin, his body warm against mine. There was a hum in my blood that demanded we stay just as we were, to make this moment last. But we both saw the next assassin in line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The guard turned me to the left, then kicked hard at the man, sending him sprawling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I caught the haze of green to my left. \u201cSecond carriage!\u201d I said, just in time for the assassin to thrust his blade through one of the carriage\u2019s closed shutters. Then he and the blade disappeared again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More cursing from the guard. \u201cI need you to be my eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My heart thudded like the drums atop the wall\u2014a hard, insistent warning. But when he held out his hand, I offered mine willingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tried to block out the frenzy of fighting and the market\u2019s sharp shadows, and watch for a sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst carriage,\u201d I said, and pulled the guard toward it, our fingers entwined. I dodged a human assassin as she turned her blade our way. One swipe of the guard\u2019s sword and the assassin was down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d the guard asked when we reached it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a moment, I saw nothing. Felt nothing but his very human heat. And then the air rippled and shimmered with color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s here,\u201d I said. \u201cMoving around us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The guard drew me toward him again, aligning our bodies. And instead of waiting for the man to appear, he took the offensive. He spun us around, whipping his blade in a complex pattern of slices and swirls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The creature shifted in and out of visibility, trying to inflict damage with his sword and avoid taking any from the guard\u2019s. The air was tinted green with Aether, the pain now a throb in my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sword met flesh, triggering a sound of agony and blood seeping into the dirt. The human appeared, his eyes now brown and glassy from shock. He stumbled back several strides, then crumpled to the ground. At the same time, the Anima made its exit\u2014the ghost of a woman in a pale dress dissolving in a spiral of Aether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fist around my heart loosened its grip, leaving behind a dull, drumming ache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was another shrieking whistle, and the assassins stepped back from their fights, ran toward the edges of the market, and scampered away into the shadows of dusk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The guard stopped, his fingers still at my back, breath fast from the fight. For a moment, there was only stillness, as if the stronghold had let out a long breath. And then sound began to fill the market again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stepped away from the guard, putting space between us. The moment was over, but my heart still raced, and I didn\u2019t think that was all from the fight. There was no sign of the practitioner, nor any trail from the Anima\u2019s departure. The magic, at least for now, was done, but for the Aetheric residue\u2014like faint smoke\u2014that drifted from the human\u2019s body and the sword he\u2019d dropped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s done?\u201d the guard asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Anima\u2019s gone. And if the Anima\u2014or the human\u2014were being manipulated by someone, their magic is gone now, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause the Anima couldn\u2019t do this on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I nodded. \u201cThere\u2019d have to be a practitioner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuite a damned welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t remember any assassins or practitioners in the stronghold before your prince showed up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot a fan of the royal family?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wanted to tell the truth: The royal family didn\u2019t care if we lived or died. But I didn\u2019t think he\u2019d be a receptive audience. \u201cIf you can\u2019t say something nice,\u201d I said mildly, \u201cit\u2019s best to stay quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another guard, his dark wavy hair curling with sweat around his light brown face, approached us and looked at my guard with worry in his amber-colored eyes. \u201cNik?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d said the guard named Nik, the man I\u2019d been fighting alongside. \u201cYou?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood,\u201d the guard said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A woman pushed through the crowd, ran to the assassin on the ground, and dropped by his side. The man was unconscious, blood beginning to spread on his tunic from the gash made by Nik\u2019s sword. I didn\u2019t like blood and felt the sweat breaking on my brow. I looked away, breathing slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soldiers stalked toward them, fury in their eyes directed at the man who\u2019d tried to kill their prince.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t touch him!\u201d the woman screamed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started toward them, but Nik took my hand to hold me back. \u201cHe just tried to kill us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Anima<\/em> tried to kill us,\u201d I said. \u201cHe\u2019s probably another victim.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nik looked at me for a moment, then nodded. He walked toward the group. \u201cStand down,\u201d he called out, and the soldiers immediately stepped back. He must have been highly ranked, but who could tell when the uniforms were all the same?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMadam,\u201d Nik said, crouching beside the woman, \u201cit appears this man tried to harm the prince.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the soldiers exchanged glances at \u201cappears.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her eyes went round as the full moons, lips quivering. \u201cNo. He\u2019s my husband. He would never.\u201d She stared down at the man, as if trying to read an explanation on his face. Then she looked up pleadingly at Nik. \u201cHe\u2019d never hurt anyone, especially not a fine noble. There must be a mistake. Or . . . or maybe he\u2019s sick. He\u2019s so hot. Why is he so hot?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Aetheric, I thought. There was still a green tinge in the air around him, and his cheeks were red and he was dripping sweat. The drumming in my chest grew more insistent as I moved closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I worked to ignore it. \u201cIs that his sword?\u201d I asked. It lay in the dirt beside him and looked to be worth good coin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSword?\u201d The woman looked at it, brow clenched with confusion. \u201cWe don\u2019t have any weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nik gave a nod to the guard with the wavy hair, who picked it up and directed a soldier to put it in the carriage. Then he took a fold of cloth from his uniform, crouched, and offered it to the woman. \u201cFor his wound,\u201d he said. She took it with shaking hands and daubed at the blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scenery swam a little, so I breathed out through pursed lips. Around us, the marketgoers who\u2019d watched the fight began to head toward home. Soldiers picked up fallen banners. The prince hadn\u2019t lost any of his men, but two of the assassins were dead and had been left behind by their comrades. The soldiers picked them up and placed them onto the front bench of the first carriage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And still no one had emerged from inside the carriages. Because the prince was a coward, or because he intended to say alive longer than his predecessor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need a healer,\u201d Nik said, drawing my attention back to him. He looked at the wavy-haired guard. \u201cHas Sanj arrived?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot here yet. The other carriages are behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDamn it,\u201d Nik murmured, and shifted his gaze to me. \u201cIs there a healer nearby?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I could answer, the Western Gate garrison\u2019s soldiers in their long, belted tunics of rich navy and gold chose that moment to stride into the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho\u2019s in charge here?\u201d asked the one in front. He was thick-chested, with a square jaw and small eyes. I knew him. His name was Rill. He was a bully trimmed out like an officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho are you?\u201d Nik demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRill. Acting commander of the garrison.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wavy-haired guard stepped up to him. \u201cI\u2019m Galen, a member of the imperial guards. Nice of you to finally show up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe protect the stronghold from outsiders,\u201d Rill said. \u201cWe aren\u2019t personal security for the Lys\u2019Careths.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Galen said. \u201cYou prefer to watch from atop the wall. But had he been injured on your watch, the son of the Emperor Eternal, forever may he rule\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cForever may he rule,\u201d Rill muttered in obligatory response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2014there would be Oblivion to pay. You would have allowed an assassination to take place while you stood by. That\u2019s treason.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rill made a disdainful sound, but the fight had gone out of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Galen took a step closer, clearly uncowed. \u201cYou will appear at the palace at dawn to explain how this breach was allowed to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSays who?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSays our liege, the gods-blessed Prince of the Western Gate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rill\u2019s jaw worked as he chewed through possible responses. \u201cI\u2019ll consider your request.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWasn\u2019t a request,\u201d Galen said. \u201cBut do consider it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if confirming his authority, Rill adjusted his jacket and pointed at the injured man. \u201cTake him into custody,\u201d he said, and garrison soldiers moved in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The woman covered the man\u2019s body with hers to shield him. And then Nik stood up, which had Rill\u2019s eyes narrowing at this new threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Nik said, and the word fell heavy as a stone. \u201cYou failed to stop an Aetheric attack on a Gated prince. There\u2019s no way you\u2019re taking the witness with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAetheric attack,\u201d Rill said with a sound of disgust. \u201cThere\u2019s no damned Aether out here. Just charmsellers looking for coin. He\u2019s probably just drunk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The powerful could afford to not worry about good luck or bad ghosts. The rest of us lived too close to poverty and ruin to ignore them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTry again. An Aetheric practitioner did this damage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That had Rill\u2019s eyes popping wide. \u201cThere\u2019s no practitioner here or anywhere else in years. Even if there was, it\u2019s because you brought him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDawn,\u201d Galen said again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rill wanted a fight, but he was at least smart enough to realize he was outnumbered by soldiers and wouldn\u2019t win that battle. So he looked around the market. \u201cEveryone clear out! Home before curfew or spend a night in the garrison.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The battle lost, Rill strode out of the market, soldiers behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre they always so charming?\u201d Nik asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The soldiers were no friends of ours, but they were powerful. And in my experience, powerful people allied with each other against the powerless. So I chose my words carefully. \u201cThere\u2019s been no prince or commander for half a year. The garrison is the only law here, and he\u2019s accustomed to being obeyed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see,\u201d Nik said, then turned back to the woman. \u201cWould you like us to send for a healer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have coin for that. I want to take him home. Away from all this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere do you live?\u201d I asked. \u201cAnd what are your names?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDistrict. I\u2019m Ferren. He\u2019s Innis. Our home\u2019s near the garrison stables.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d Nik said with a nod, then gestured a handful of soldiers closer. \u201cThese people are going to help you get home. We\u2019ll send someone to talk to you tomorrow in case your husband remembers anything. In the meantime, we\u2019ll have a soldier stand guard outside your house to make sure no one\u2014magical or not\u2014bothers you. If you change your mind and want a healer, just tell the soldier. They\u2019ll arrange for it; no coin necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the soldiers helped the woman to her feet, Nik led me a few strides away. \u201cDistrict?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSettlements outside the wall,\u201d I said. \u201cRougher living, but cheaper than living inside it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anonymity was the thief\u2019s best friend, especially when the rich or royal were involved. But I wanted him to know something about me. I kept my gaze on his, noting the length of his dark lashes and the tiny spots of gold in his irises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFox.\u201d I was being more noticeable than my dad would have liked, but the prince\u2019s guards undoubtedly had ways to learn our identities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn behalf of the army of the Western Prince,\u201d he said, \u201cthank you for your help. You\u2019ve done a great service to Carethia and the Lys\u2019Careths.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Wren was close enough to hear that, I\u2019d never live it down. \u201cYou\u2019re welcome. Watch that he doesn\u2019t end up dead. They have a bad habit of doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo I\u2019ve heard. Goodbye, little Fox,\u201d he said, then walked back to the second carriage. After a few words with a nearby soldier, he climbed onto the front bench, picked up the horses\u2019 reins, and clucked his tongue to get them moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMove out!\u201d one of the soldiers shouted. The envoy marched forward, and the world faded to ordinary again, like cloth bleached of its color by the sun. I found myself . . . disappointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA great service to the Lys\u2019Careths,\u201d Wren said, stepping beside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damn it. \u201cI was hoping you\u2019d missed that. You good?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFine. You?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I nodded, my gaze on the soldiers as they marched toward the palace. We should go,\u201d I said quietly, because nothing else awaited me here. \u201cThe Lady will have questions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen she finds out you saved the prince\u2019s life? Yes. Probably.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preorder signed copies of EMBER ETERNAL from The Bookworm and get a free swag pack<\/a>! Or preorder the ebook, audiobook, or hardback from your favorite retailer:<\/strong> Barnes & Noble<\/a> \/ Amazon<\/a>\u00a0\/ BAM<\/a>\u00a0\/ Target<\/a> \/ Bookshop.org<\/a> \/ Audible<\/a> \/ Kobo<\/a> \/ Apple<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We definitely weren\u2019t leaving now. Other curious (nosy) people emerged from shadows and doorways, gaping at the flags and soldiers and armor. Strongholders knew royals could be useless at best, treacherous at worst. But the army was still quite a thing to see. Mounted soldiers followed those on foot, and the market\u2019s shadows had lengthened[…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9299","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9299"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9340,"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9299\/revisions\/9340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.chloeneill.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}