Zyion threw them wide as he entered the chamber. The scent of lemongrass and lavender tickled my nose as I followed him inside. They’d painted the spacious foyer in a soothing shade of Tiffany Blue. Plush, white furniture sat in the center of the space. More vases of fresh flowers adorned the smaller tables, as well as one in front of the settees, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere. The furniture was evidently chosen for its comfort rather than its looks.
“Is it to your liking, princess?” Zyion taunted.
“You don’t like me, do you?”
Esme ignored us both as she walked toward the large French doors leading out onto a grand balcony. The moment she opened them, the gentle sound of nature flooded the room. The warm evening breeze drifted into the surrounding space, soothing the chill of my bones. The air carried the scent of briny water, wood smoke, and damp earth, and I took a long inhale before turning my whole focus back to the male in front of me.
“Does it matter if I like you or not?”
I moved around to the couch so I could sit and sank into the soft cushions. “You said that, if we found ourselves in trouble, we should come to you, Zyion. In the next breath, you made it sound as if you prefer we didn’t trouble you. It cannot be both. So, which one is it?” Yanking my legs up beneath my bottom, I settled deeper into the cushions of soft material.
Zyion tilted his head to one side with a smile playing over his lips. “You don’t know who I am, but you will, Aria Primrose. Eventually, you’ll understand why I’d prefer you run to me if you’re in trouble.” With that, he turned on his heel and marched from the chamber, closing the door behind himself.
“He’s pleasant,” Esme muttered from the doorway. “Now, what the fuck happened?” Her eyes dared me to lie to her.
“I met Scylla Prometheus,” I admitted in a hushed tone. Esme’s lips parted in shock before she clamped them together, glowering at me. “The crystal I touched? It sucked me down a rabbit hole. I was literally in a chamber filled with nothing but portals. After choosing one, I landed in the woods, where a stag with flowers adorning his horns spoke to me. Then I found an atrium. Scylla was there, waiting for me. She claimed she was the one who set the prophecy into play. Scylla Prometheus sacrificed her life to ensure I existed.” Esme plopped down across from me, looking more troubled than angry.
“You know that makes you sound crazy, right? You know what? Forget it. Aria, I don’t like how Aden is assuming you are his for the claiming.” I had to agree with her on that one. Both his words and actions were sketchy.
“He matters so little that I’m not worried about him, honestly. Ember will eat him without thinking twice about doing so. Besides, Scylla performed a ritual tonight, and the Kingdom of Fire chose me. In doing so, I felt the land today when I merged with it. Not this one. The emotions belonged to the true Kingdom of Fire. Some people there aren’t truly dead, which is rather disheartening. They’re waiting for a ruler to return before they’ll willingly rise. The land doesn’t want this realm saved because it’s not part of the Nine Realms. When Griffon created this one, he unknowingly ended countless lives within his homeland.”
“You’re certain he wasn’t aware of the cost of creating a realm?” She inquired hesitantly.
Kicking my legs out from beneath me, I rested my elbows on my knees and then leaned forward to steeple my fingers in front of my face. “No, I don’t think he knew—at least not at first. I think Griffon created this one, and it triggered the knowledge of the cost to be written in the tomes of the library. It’s why it hid that knowledge from me when I was planning to create one to hide the witchlings in.” Goosebumps spread over my arms as the realization hit me. I’d have to explain it to him if it were the case.
“But there’s also a chance he knew the cost,” she countered before resting back against the soft cushions. “I could sleep for a year straight on this thing.” The groan that escaped her lips was both relaxation and exhaustion. “I know you want to give him the benefit of the doubt, Aria, but Griffon isn’t stupid.”
“No, but if no one had ever created a new realm before, then the witches and others who helped make this one wouldn’t know the price. Knox knew the cost because he told me, which means I’m guessing he learned the hard way. I’m not foolish enough to think blindly with my heart.”
“So, what is our plan here?”
“A wise man once said that ‘in order to secure peace, one must prepare for war’，” I mumbled tiredly.
“Have I met him?”
“Who?” I frowned at her question.
“The wise man who said it? What is his name?”
“Metallica,” I whispered, suppressing the smile tugging on my lips. “Unfortunately, you’ve not met him yet.”
“So, we pretend to be na?ve women like normal? Or, do we gather intel and use it to go to war if need be?” The skin on her forehead creased as she stifled a yawn.
“Not exactly.” I snorted at her analogies. “We don’t allow them to know we’re smarter than we are. Be watchful of those around us, see if they’re watching everything we do. But yes, we play damsels. After all, women are such weak-minded beings. How will we ever survive without the brawny, caveman mindset ordering us about?” I asked in mocked fear.
“We could eat our way out of here. Even after the meal, I am starving. I didn’t want to make a scene by eating like some monster indulging my feral side.” A pointed look in my direction had us both cracking up, laughing.
“I was freaking starving, Esme.”
Her eyes rolled before she exhaled forcefully. “Not judging your table manners, bitch. But if there’s anything else you need to do here? Take me with you.”
“I’ll try my best to grab you next time. I’m certain you’d—oh, I forgot to tell you about the strange animals, bestie!” I carefully considered. They’d been out in the garden, that much I knew. “Here Foxy . . . shit, I forgot their names already. Damn.”
Esme’s eyes popped up as her head lifted from the cushion. “Not your bestie after you ditched me with your dad, and who is Foxy?”
“A Foxtyre and Catteris. Fennia wanted to keep me as a pet for some life debt, while Fennix wanted to off me. They were cute, but I don’t think I’m a good pet owner. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to keep track of either of the little shits.”
“You can’t be serious. You adopted pets while you were off visiting your dead grandmother? On second thought, don’t answer that. I sound crazy enough saying it out loud.”
Nodding, I stifled a yawn. “It sounds insane, right?”
Sitting up, she looked me straight in the eyes and gradually slid her attention to the door before sliding it back to me. “What the hell is up with the grumpy asshole?”
“I don’t know. He doesn’t like me, I guess,” I said with the same thought churning in my head. “I met him in the garden after I’d met with Scylla. He stopped me from wandering into Aden and his friends, who were discussing me as if I was a piece of meat.”