Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1)

The waterfall gurgled in my ear, the water splashing all around, hitting the surface with enough intensity to numb all other sounds. Sunshine broke through the veil of water, illuminating the small, moss-covered cave behind. The secluded space felt way too intimate, making me wonder whether a part of me just wanted to be alone with Rixen.

The shadowman passed the veil of water and appeared in front of me. I found an underwater rock I could stand on. We were so close I could feel the water moving in response to his body’s movements. Droplets fell from his chin, shimmering on his skin. His wide eyes searched my face for answers, still full of undiluted desire.

“So, Princess,” Rixen’s chuckle sounded strained, “What are we doing here?”

“Hiding.” I whispered. “Did you read the scroll?”

“I don’t get it.” Rixen shook his head. “It’s just cultists news.”

I nodded, “But it’s the unedited version.”

A small crease formed between his brows, “What do you mean?”

I could barely focus with him so close to me, “Back in Balr, Ace took me to the post office where he edited the news he sent out to the world. One of those was the scroll you read.”

“Wait, he’s changing information?” Rixen stepped away, losing balance and splashing against the surface.

Another nod, “The scroll you read said ‘King Bernard of Bastia claims the threat from the cultists is too great to ignore. With the northernmost towns most exposed, there are claims that people will be relocated to the south of Bastia,’ right?”

“Uh, yes.” Rixen squinted, as if trying to remember the exact words.

“Well, Ace showed me the edited version.” I said. “Because of all my secrets the mage knows, he does not know I can memorize text I’ve only seen once.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Rixen’s lips, “Sometimes I think you could be really powerful.”

“Thank you.” I arched my eyebrow. “He only changed two things. Do you want to hear the edited version?”

Rixen said nothing.

“With the northernmost towns most exposed, there are concerns that people will be relocated to the south.”

Rixen kept quiet for a long moment, his expression changing from confusion to understanding, “He changed ‘claims’ to ‘concerns,’ and ‘south of Bastia’ to simply ‘south.’”

“Exactly.”

Rixen bit the inside of his cheek, his gaze flying across the water surface, “He wants your brother to think King Bernard might invade Irenwell.”

“It’s not much.” I shrugged. “But it’s a nudge. And with things like that, it’s enough for one person to talk. And mind you, this is the only scroll I managed to steal. There are other things he changed.”

Rixen leaned against the moss-covered rock next to me, his shoulder bumping against mine. His words travelled through my mind. Do you think Ace wants to start a war between Irenwell and Bastia?

I moved away, touching Rixen’s naked skin distracted me too much, “I hope the water won’t whisper this back to him or something.”

Rixen smirked, “He’s a mage, not a god.”

I shifted on the rock uncomfortably, ignoring the rush the water’s movements caused. It would feel so good to kiss him, to touch him here, in the water, while the waterfall curtain hid us from view.

I pushed the thoughts away.

“It got me thinking.” I spoke again. “The Gyorg seer from Balr told us Ace sent the message to aether, beware of the pixies.”

“Did your brilliant brain solve that riddle, too?” Rixen asked.

“No,” I sighed, “I’ve never heard that sentence before. But,” I met the shadowman’s gaze, “Ace said he opened up aether to other species, besides mages.”

Rixen narrowed his eyes, “Do you remember everything?”

I eyed him, “I remember every conversation I’ve had since I was, like, six. Pay attention.”

“Forgive me, my lady.”

I smiled despite myself, “Ace said that entering aether is still very difficult, like you need a special skillset to enter. What if it’s not a skillset? What if what you need is his permission?”

Rixen thought about my words, but all I could think about were his wet lips and the way he sucked them in when he came near the answer. Subconsciously, I came closer, my thighs bumping against his underwater.

“Ace is controlling the information flow.” He said finally. “And not just in this world.”

“I don’t trust him.” I admitted. “I think he knows more than he lets on. I think some of our friends might be our enemies, including, and I’m a little reluctant to share this,” I took in a breath, “your father.”

Rixen’s eyes snapped to me, “Why?”

“Ace said King Bernard was the only one, beside the six of us, who knew we weren’t crossing the Northern Ocean by ship. And now there’s someone following us.”

“Didn’t you just say you don’t trust Ace?” Rixen’s brow lifted.

“I don’t think I trust anyone anymore.” My head bumped against the moss-covered rock.

Rixen came closer to me, and this time, I didn’t push him away. The hideout behind the waterfall turned foggy and hot.

“Do you trust me?” He asked.

Like an idiot, I blurted, “You gave up the Bastian throne. I don’t think you’re loyal to King Bernard and I know you’re not loyal to Ace. So, the answer to whether I trust you is, kind of.”

Rixen moved away from me and the omnipresent playfulness disappeared from his eyes, “You don’t trust me even after you’ve roamed through my head without permission? I should be the one distrusting you.”

He was right, as always. After all, I was the one with an allegiance to a kingdom, I was the one who wanted to rule Bastia one day. He was a shadowman and a bastard, without proper home, without proper family.

He had also given me something no one ever did, acceptance.

I breathed in, “I thought I would hate having you in my head. I thought I’d hate getting to know you in the first place. But amidst this entire mess,” My heartbeat sped up, “Meeting you is what changed me... forever.”

Rixen’s golden eyes turned to me again, a spark reappearing.

“You know who I am,” My voice turned shaky, “Underneath the dresses and crowns and titles. In my rawest, you know me. And for some reason, you chose to trust me, to spend time with me, to care about me, which makes me think my true self is something worth... loving.”

Unable to contain the sudden excitement, I grabbed his hand and our fingers intertwined. My insides turned as I pulled him inside my own head, allowing him to see all the hidden places, all the feelings I was too scared to admit.

My mind couldn’t stop as it flew across everything; the power I felt when I killed that man back in Balr, the excitement the magic caused, the deep, warm feelings touching Rixen’s hand awoke.

A lump formed in my throat as I dropped all pretences, “I know I’m a liar, I know I’m a coward. But you’re my best friend, Rixen, and I’ll die before I betray you.”

His hand left mine, pulling away the wave of warmth, only to cause stronger, deeper sensations once it snaked around my waist. I glanced back and forth between his pale lips and his golden eyes. I tried to move away, I wanted to, but I couldn’t.

Rixen smiled, staring at my lips, “What is it, Princess? Afraid you’ll break my heart?”

Yes.

The smile ceased, “Then break it. I refuse to be a coward.”

He leaned closer-

“A princess and a shadowman, come out, come out, wherever you are!” Ace’s voice broke through the waterfall curtain and broke the moment.

The shaky breath felt my lips, “He wants to talk to us. Maybe he’ll finally explain some things.”

Rixen pulled away from me, disappointment shining in his eyes, “Well, we better listen to the old asshole.”

I grinned, “It’s not my fault you wasted so much time talking.”

Rixen merely rolled his eyes, but a smile still lingered on his lips. As I passed through the falling water, sunshine blinded me, and behind it, Ace stood at the shore, hands on his hips and an eyebrow in the air.

“Time for a story.” Ace looked over my skimpy outfit. “Get dressed before your future husband sees you.”

Right. Fuck.

Rixen helped me out of the water, “I hope this is really important.”

“Everything I say is really important.” Ace lingered behind while Rixen disappeared in the forest to get dressed. The mage looked at me, “If there’s something you need to do with the bastard, I suggest you do it while we’re in the Spirit territory. You won’t get a chance otherwise.”

I rolled my eyes and dragged my suitcase away from his watchful eye. Considering I’ve promised Rixen I would wear boots, I’ve decided to change my entire outfit. So, I threw the torn dress away and sighed as I pulled out the only pair of leather pants I carried with me. The sturdy, dark brown top I put on complimented my figure. Having such tight clothes on felt physically weird, but the gesture of changing into more acceptable clothing made me feel like I was giving up on a part of myself.

Two of my crowns were gone, one now belonged to Ace and the other to Liu Raj. I chose the most humble one to rest atop my head – the coppery mass adorned with rubies – and put the much richer, silver crown in my suitcase. The crown I now wore was my least favourite one; the golden-red copper wasn’t my colour. It felt fitting now.

Refusing to give myself enough time to ponder the change, I quickly braided my hair and went to find the rest of my companionship.

The atmosphere around the stone that served as a table was tangibly tense. After the Liu Raj’s lake, our dynamic shifted. Danilo was still angry because of Rixen’s confession, Torvald’s playtime with the warthog seemed less enthusiastic than usual and Nickeltinker looked way too exhausted for someone spending time in a forest-covered oasis.

We were tired. This trip has finally taken its toll. Perhaps what we craved now was safety and a warm bed, without the threats from all sides. Still, the journey was far from over. The worst part was yet to come.

Rixen looked over my outfit, a faint smile appearing on his lip, directly contrasting Danilo’s frown. Perhaps I should have warned them I tend to screw things up as a hobby.

“So,” Ace took a swig from the liquor bottle, which I was certain he conjured up out of nowhere, “We have a problem.”

I made myself comfortable on the grass, “Let’s revisit the last time we didn’t have a problem. Oh, I know, back when we didn’t know each other.”

Ace arched his eyebrow, “I cannot believe the court of Irenwell failed to teach you when to keep your mouth shut.”

“Oh, they taught me alright, but seeing you jitter over something so trivial is food for my soul.” I grinned.

“Let the man speak.” Danilo cut me off, apparently deciding to side with the mage the moment he learned something he didn’t like about me.

“Someone’s following us.” Ace murmured.

“And they’re going to catch us if you don’t get to the point.” Rixen said.

Ace put his thumb and index finger together, “I am this close to killing you all and eloping with a forest nymph I just met.” But he recognised the seriousness of our situation and took in a breath, “The cultists are at our heels, they have an army of G’Dertha mercenaries with them and the man leading them is a High Mage, satisfied?”

“Wait, a High Mage?” I cut in.

“Who are these cultists anyway?” Nick asked, munching on an overgrown orange which shouldn’t have existed in this part of the world.

“Start at the beginning, will you?” Rixen added.

Danilo kept suspiciously quiet, his head bowed and his eyes scanning the grass-covered ground.

Ace stretched his toes, which was only a bit disgusting, “Magic is inherited, the magnitude of power, the strength, abilities... they’re all inherited. For generations, back before the humans wiped us out during the War of Men in-”

“15 years before the Human Era.” I cut in, earning Ace’s angry stare.

“Human ego never fails to baffle me.” He sneered. “Your sheer audacity to think something you did is meaningful enough to count years from that moment on.” He took another swig and cackled. “Then again, finally learning how to count is a huge stepping stone for any species.”

“Move along.” Danilo grunted.

“For generations,” Ace continued, “the mages were pure-blooded. And then, our numbers began to decline, causing a surge in mixed-blooded species, creating a bunch of half-mage, half-human offspring that couldn’t completely tap into their true potential. And greedy humans wanted all the magic they could get, so they created the Ir-kaal Cult, which persists to this day.”

Danilo jumped in, “The cultists want to invoke the old gods because they believe they will be granted undiluted power.”

“Why does the knight know more than all of you?” Ace’s judging stare cut through us all.

“And these old gods,” I spoke, “Who are they?”

The wild green in Ace’s eyes simmered, “The old gods used to roam this world, back when it was nothing but scorching fires and ashy skies. Now, they rule the plane of Ir-kaal, known in the mage folklore as the plane no one returns from.”

I felt my brows creasing, “There’s another plane besides aether?”

“Yes, Princess,” Ace jeered, “The world doesn’t just happen around you.”

I breathed out through my nose, “So, these gods, would they actually do what the cultists want? Would they grant them undiluted power?”

“Of course not.” Ace handed the bottle to Nick, who finished his large orange. “The cultists are idiots, they’re following someone’s orders because they believe they will be rewarded. And trust me, it doesn’t matter whether you’re in a cult, a kingdom or a free city – the little man never gets rewarded.”

“Preach.” Nickeltinker chugged.

“If they cannot get what they want,” Rixen cut in, “Why do we even care?”

Ace’s eyes landed on Rixen, “Your apathy is tiring. At least the braindead knight here believes in something, however misguided and trivial his beliefs might be. You’ve chosen to give up on everything and you think that gives you some sort of moral high ground-”

I coughed, “Projecting.”

Danilo raised his voice, “Move along!”

“We care,” Ace kept his eyes on Rixen, “Because of Soterios – the Fire King, the High Mage of Naz – who seems to be their leader.”

Annoyance sparked through me, “And why didn’t you mention this earlier?”

“I work in mysterious ways.”

I shook my head, a frustrated smile gripping my lips, “You’re not a god.”

“And you’re not important.” Ace smiled thinly. “Anyway, Soterios is a problem, because even though the cultists are going to get the short end of the stick, a mage like him could cause problems if he invokes the old gods. Which is why we must reach Orathia and use that spell.”

“Now would be the right time to tell us what that spell actually does.” I pointed out.

Ace’s gaze cut through me, the waves in his vibrant eyes dancing again, “The spell in Orathia locks Ir-kaal.”

My breath got stuck in my throat, not because of the possible Soterios threat, but because of Ace’s power.

“You created a spell that locks an existential plane.” I breathed out.

“One of my finest works.” Ace stole Nickeltinker’s bottle. “Took me two centuries.”

Danilo finally spoke, “Why can’t you just create it again?”

“I’m proud of that spell.” Ace shrugged. “I couldn’t just let some half-witted, talentless magician recreate it. It’s unique.”

“So, we lock Ir-kaal,” Rixen mumbled, “And Soterios cannot invoke the old god. That’s our plan.”

“Unless he catches us first.” Ace grinned. “Go and fetch something to eat now, we have a few stops along the way.”

The group scattered quickly. We were all hungry and tired at this point. I remained around the stone table while Ace lay on the grass, almost spilling his liquor all over himself. Something still irked me, something I was almost too afraid to ask.

“You said it took you two centuries to create that spell.” I said, daring myself to talk. He still needed me alive after all.

“Uh-huh.” Ace leaned against the stone, finding it easier to drink that way.

“But you couldn’t have known you would need it.” I whispered. “Not two hundred years earlier.”

“What did I tell you, Princess?” The mage grinned, his eyes shining with unfamiliar wickedness. “I’ve been evil once or twice before.”