“She told you that?”
“Well, no, but I just know.” She looked up to me sincerely. “I can tell that you like my sister, Syodas, but you question my brother’s intentions. I am telling you to be wary of them both. They have truly abandoned Mavriel, and I don’t want you falling under their ridiculous spell.”
“Then why help us?”
She shrugged. “Curiosity!” She chuckled sheepishly. “I had asked to be part of whatever operation you two are brewing because I am curious, and I hate all of this standing still I’ve been doing these past years. It is why you saw me in the village today. Speaking honestly, father actually forbids it, but sometimes I can change his mind on a good day. Understanding what’s going on in my country is very important to me. Because… despite the lie everyone wants to believe, our world is dying, Syodas…” Her voice went morbid. “If you open your eyes and truly focus, you can see it, too.”
“Yeah… I see it…”
“To be honest with you, I don’t really care what Jerius is up to. Good or bad, I just want to escape the veil. I want to escape reality. I want to quit telling myself everything is going to be okay and stop being lied to about it in my very own home everyday. I’m tired of the fake faces and fake news. The High Order doesn’t have everything under control. They can’t even contain this war, and they can’t explain the horrors that are happening in our very own backyard. This blind faith everyone has in the council is truly frightening, and I refuse to be part of the collective ignorance of it all.”
“You don’t think they have a handle on things?”
“I never did. The true power is in the Grimoire, but don’t let my father hear that.” She giggled. “Those old coots can’t even use the damn thing, anyway. They don’t have the codex on hand. It moves like clockwork.”
Wait a minute, could there be a possibility that Jacidia did not know that the codex was in her house?
She had to be oblivious to the fact that the codex was relocated here, right? Why else would she allow a fae-hating brother who had a record of reading the Grimoire inside the baron’s court?
I turned my head over to Rufian as I speculated… Of course… Rufian knew that all along. It was why he’d asked Jacidia to welcome us to his old home. The location of the codex was a secret to even the family who possessed it!
But, how?
I get that it traveled periodically, but this was one serious coincidence.
While this should have made things easier for me, it only made things more complicated. In the house of Alpinuer, I was a stranger, but the baron’s court was once Rufian’s home.
He knew the ins and outs of the estate, which meant that anything could happen once we went inside…
I had to stick to him like glue. I couldn’t let him out of my sight.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Why was I doubting Rufian you ask? Well, he was one shady bastard, but that’s beside the point. He had some deep-seeded secrets that were now coming under the spotlight. For one, he had pulled out a fucking warrant for Clave’s arrest from his ass! I had no idea he even had a secret box. Even though I had one myself, I had every reason to. I was carrying part of the dungeon core with me, which was a big deal. And I was also the lone hero of Senterra, so I had to have it. His only reason was having something to hide, which was putting me on edge.
And two, he failed to mention that he was bloody royalty! I was traveling with the baron’s son this entire time, and he avoided mentioning it. I get that he probably wanted to hide that fact for Jezz’s sake, but being part of the royal bloodline was something I’d never seen coming. It caught me off guard, and I was having real issues accepting that both of them were Alpinuers.
Why was I sweating over this, anyway? Would I have treated Jezz or Rufian any differently?
I guess I wouldn’t have given Rufian the time of day if he was associated with the High Order. But frankly, the asshole was just sus all around, where even his very own sister told me not to trust him.
Well, shit, we were just about at the finish line, there was no turning back now. I had to go through with it, and I knew if anything went south that it’d be on me.
So much pressure, so little time… again, I was conflicted, but we needed to move forward…
When we arrived at the Alpinuer estate, intimidation caught me in a serious chokehold. The court was several acres wide, surrounded by lush green lawns, vibrant gardens, and manicured hedges. Behind the fountains lined down the center of the front yard was a bunch of children short and tall. I could hear them laughing and playing from where we were, and the closer we got, the more I noticed their mothers and older sisters with woven baskets of roses and some with fruit. The estate was a beautiful blend of modern and medieval architecture, towering in decorative stone. And as the sun set, it was casting a warm orange light over the entire estate, adding to the sense of peace and serenity that filled the breezy air.
So, this was where Jezz was raised, I said to myself, finding it hard to believe that a place like this could cast her out.
“You can unclench your butt cheeks, Syodas,” Jacidia sang, my butt cheeks instantly clenching. “Don’t be intimidated. My father is a rather friendly man.”
Rufian scoffed. “We didn’t ask to speak with him, merely to grant us access behind those doors.”
“And how do you expect me to do that without at the very least meeting the head of the household?”
“Can’t we just teleport inside?” I suggested.
“Were you born yesterday, Syodas? We have warding spells within the court. Every baron home has an intricate security system. It is impossible to teleport inside.”
Oh right. If we could have, Jacidia would have done so already…
Shit. I really wasn’t in the mood to meet Jezz’s ‘dead’ dad.
I tried not to pull back my collar at the thought. While Rufian tried to convince his sister for an alternative route, it was too late. I saw a couple coming out of the grand doors, the both of them being escorted out by half a dozen fae in coat of arms and armor. I swear I heard Rufian’s heart drop a few floors down to his stomach at the sight of who I suspected were his parents. And while Rufian was two seconds from having a goddamn heart attack, his sister reacted very differently. She ran up to the couple, the fae guards making way for her like the red sea parted for Moses. She curtsied them. The woman, who I assumed was Jacidia’s mother, gave a slight nod of approval, but the man, who was undoubtedly Rufian's father, ignored Jacidia completely to stare out into the horizon, the regal man making eye contact with us.
“Jacidia, you’ve come back early,” Lady Reness said to her daughter cheerfully. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon. Have you secured any samples for your tests?”
“I sure have!”
“That’s wonderful!” she tweeted.
Well, at least Jezz’s mother was friendly at face value.
“Are these two part of your tests?” Lord Alpinuer asked in a deep baritone, his condescending voice reminding me of my father’s.
“No, but they are travelers here to help me with my studies.”
“Fellow alchemists? How splendid!” Lady Reness beamed.
