Lena most of all.
“Lena behaved as if she's never seen Gods Light before.” I glance up at the flame at the top of the iron pole. “It's readily available to even the poorest citizens. It's not possible for her to not have come across it.” Shuffling through my memories, I'm able to pick out several odd reactions from her. “She ogled the jewels in the street as if it was excessive, an uncommon luxury. I don't know of any kingdom that doesn't use gems ornamentally.”
“And they're here in Cascadonia, of all places, to trade leather,” Griffin says, his lips set in a grim line.
Now that my mind’s no longer muddled by Lena’s presence, I can think not as a lust-filled male, but as the acting Captain of the Guard, to detect the details I normally wouldn't have missed. The things they said. The way they look and act. Even their accent is nothing I've ever encountered before, not even remotely similar. With a clear head, I can see the oddities and the suspiciousness of their group for what they truly are.
A possible threat.
“Did you read them?” I ask gruffly, internally cursing myself for being so blind.
It’s rare for a fae or immortal to be Gods Blessed with an additional Gift, but it does occur. Those who can Heal, have the Sight, or the ability to draw Wards are highly sought after, a boon to any kingdom. When these rare Gifts manifest, most are ecstatic to pledge their services to the crown. But, on occasion, there are those who choose to carve a different path in life. In those instances, they face immense pressure to pledge their services to the crown. If that doesn't work, they're ultimately forced to enlist for 'the good of the kingdom'.
Griffin himself is a Gods Blessed. He’s an empath who can also see a person’s aura. Griffin’s father, one of my mother's most trusted advisors, was thrilled to discover his only child manifested not just one, but two Gods Blessed Gifts. But he also wished for Griffin to have a choice in what direction his life would take.
In an attempt to protect his son, Griffin's father retired from Adelphia's service soon after his son's Gifts developed. Griffin's mother passed during labor, leaving a babe without a mother and a father widowed, so it wasn't suspicious for him to do so. Once he was able to distance himself from the court, he sheltered Griffin the best he could, keeping his additional Gifts a secret and teaching Griffin to do the same. Besides Aurora, Kace, and myself, Griffin has never confided in another.
Scrubbing his face, Griffin blows out an uneasy breath. “That's where I'm most confused.”
“Elaborate.”
“Reading Tristan, Zander, and Amara, I saw that they are good, honorable people,” he replies factually. “They’re strong and willful, yet compassionate beings. Everything that makes up a good soul is present in them.”
I notice he doesn’t add Lena to the list of good, honorable people. “But?”
“It’s difficult to explain.” Griffin drops his head back and stares up at the night sky, the light of the moons making the harsh lines on his face appear even more severe as he collects his thoughts. “When I read someone with my empathic Gifts, I feel an echo of what they do, but with auras, emotions emerge differently. They’re visible.”
He blows out a frustrated breath and scratches the crown of his head. “A person’s aura appears as a single color. It’s always present, and the color itself is a direct reflection of their soul. But on occasion, if that person is feeling a strong enough emotion, a separate color can manifest. One that represents that particular emotion, cloaking their soul’s aura as if it's a lace veil.”
Griffin shakes his head, trying to find the right words. “But with Tristan, Zander, and Amara, their auras are different. They don’t have just one color that represents their soul, they have several. I've never seen that before. Sometimes a person's aura will lighten or darken, but it never changes to a different color altogether, and they definitely don't gain an additional one. I didn't even know it was possible.” He pauses, worry contorting his features. “It's almost as if who or what they are isn't the same as us. That their very makeup is different from ours.”
A thousand questions bounce within my mind, one popping up before another rears its head. But before I can voice any of them, Griffin lays another riddle at my feet.
“But even if I find that to be odd, that's not what’s most concerning.” Griffin meets my eyes. “There's a darkness to them.”
I stiffen. “Darkness?”
He nods, tonguing his cheek. “Darkness marks everyone, whether it's the death of a loved one, the pain of heartbreak, or the lingering guilt of killing another. Even if it's only in defense. But darkness can also represent cruelty, maliciousness, or even evil.” Curling a lip, he rubs the tips of his fingers together. “When it does, it feels thicker, almost sludge-like.”
A knot forms in my chest, coiling tighter and tighter with each passing word. “And with them?”
“Everything that they are is shrouded in darkness. Not evil or maliciousness,” he quickly adds, “but by torment, fear, and death. Especially Lena. Hers is…” His expression twists, contorting into agony as his voice hoarsens. “The magnitude of it is incomprehensible.” Griffin pauses for a moment, then clears his throat, the strain lining his face relaxing for all but the creases near his eyes. “Your mother has a similar darkness to her, but it's only a fraction of Lena's.”
I start to wonder what could possibly have caused Lena such pain, what must have happened to her if it's comparable to my mother's, but I quickly cut off that train of thinking.
She’s not my concern. Only my kingdom.
“What about Lena?” I ask. “How does her aura feel?”
Eyes widening, Griffin laces his hands on top of his head. “Lena's is baffling. Her aura is completely different from ours or even theirs.” He barks a laugh, bending over at the waist. “Gods! I've never felt anything like it. I’m not even sure I can describe it properly. Her soul…it’s this bright white light, almost blinding in its intensity. So innocent and pure. It’s extraordinary. Not only that, she doesn't have only a few colors, but all of them. Red, blue, black, gold, and any other color you could possibly imagine. Constantly flashing and flowing like a hurricane around this blindingly white ball of light that is her soul. It’s unfathomable. Breathtaking.”
He presses the flat side of his fist to his mouth, shaking his head in awe. “She truly is special,” he says quietly. Hands falling to his sides, he stares off into the distance, eyes glazing over in wonderment. “Her presence alone draws everyone in. You feel this desperate need to be near her. To touch her. Even if others don't have my Gifts, they can feel what I do to some extent. I doubt I'll meet another like her within my lifetime.”
Glaze clearing, he steps towards me, his brown eyes blazing in earnest, shaking steepled fingers near his lips. “But that's what's so alarming. So dangerous. The way her friends hover around her. It's as if she's the sun and all her companions gravitate towards her, worshipping her. They'd lay down their life for her and it feels like…” He hesitates, throat bobbing on a swallow. “Like they’re preparing to do so. Like it's inevitable.”
Placing a palm on my shoulder, he grips tightly. “What I feel strongest in all of them is their strength, conviction, and righteousness. It's alarming because I usually only see this combination from warriors in the midst of combat.” He pauses, his eyes burrowing into my own, trepidation flashing beneath. “It feels as if they're in a war, and I fear Cascadonia may be their battleground.”
“That's reaching a bit, don't you think?” Prickles of unease skitter down my spine, but I try to brush off his warning. I understand to an extent how Griffin’s Gifts work, but not being intimately familiar with them makes it difficult to grasp the direness of his words.
Lips tightening, Griffin inhales a long breath through his nostrils, chest expanding as his arms fall limply to his sides. “You asked my opinion and I'm telling you. We don't know anything about this woman. Who she is, what she is, or what her motivations are, whether they’re good or bad. How easy do you think it would be for her to sway people to her line of thinking? Not difficult at all, I’d wager.” He barks a humorless laugh, swiping his hands through his hair. “That's a lot of power for one person to hold. Too much. It's a bit frightening.”
“What do you think their purpose is?” I ask, that knot in my chest twining even tighter, fraying at the edges. “You said you think they’ve dealt with something traumatic. Maybe they're hiding from someone? Or escaping?”
“Or both?” He shrugs. “Regardless, they're here for something, and it’s not to trade leather. With how secretive and mysterious they are, it leads me to believe it can't be good for Cascadonia.”
“But you said they’re good souls,” I remind him, grasping at anything that’ll lessen the gravity of the situation.
“Yes, but good people can do horrible things if they feel it's for the right reasons.” Watching me roll my shoulders forward to ease the sensation in my chest, a brittle smile crosses his face and he slaps me on the back. “I don't think they’re a threat to us or that they're here for malicious reasons, but I do believe their presence alone might signify a chain of events that are.”
I shrug off his hand, turning my back on him to stare up at the starlit sky, wondering how I could have missed so much. How I could’ve allowed my judgment to become so skewed all because I felt more than an ember of attraction to someone.
I chuckle bitterly to myself. Of course the Stars would tempt me with such a vixen, knowing she'd be the worst possible choice. Thank the gods I regained my wits before we went any further. If I allow this foreigner to get close to me, possibly even giving my trust in the process, it could have disastrous consequences for not just myself, but for all of Cascadonia.
Disgusted with myself for allowing my emotions to get the best of me, I recall Amara’s words of how most males can't see past their dicks to the predator in their midst. Maybe that's accurate for most, but I sure as fuck won't be one of them.
Chapter 6Lena
No sight.
