Page 110 of Tides of Shadows

Memories of Alaric rose up in me. Hunting. We used to go with our father. Alaric had been so full of life. Tall as an oak, like our father. In his own way he reminded me of Aidenar. The perfect heir of the Family. A whole life before him. All that life shattered. Was it worth the price?

I gave a small shake of my head, trying to cast those thoughts from my body.

“If you wish, we can try tomorrow. We shall take guards for safety.” Tristan smiled crookedly. “If anything would happen to you, Aidenar would skin me alive, and I am far too handsome to die young. Quails are in season. How does that sound?”

“Perfect.” A little shiver of excitement ran through me. I needed a rest from Minerva’s chambers.

We heard a clamor outside, and a group of knights returned to the castle. We went outside and saw Aidenar riding through the gates. He was clad in light armour, dark leather and steel plates hugged his frame.

Aidenar dismounted in one fluid motion, boots hitting the cobblestones with purpose. “Unload them,” he commanded.

Tristan moved closer and stared at the wagons. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Yes.” Aidenar said with satisfaction. “You wouldn’t believe how much they managed to mine.”

One of the knights pried open the nearest crate. Sunlight caught the contents, splintering into a thousand green fires. Emeralds. Nothing but emeralds. A fortune vast enough to purchase cities, to buy loyalty, to start wars.

Tristan drew in a sharp breath through his teeth. “Fuck. They will want it back.”

“Back?” Aidenar’s voice cut. “You cannot take back something you stole.”

I struggled to piece together what I was witnessing. Emeralds. My mind raced to the obvious conclusion.

“Are these Dorthal’s emeralds?” I asked.

“No,” Aidenar said, cold as ice. “Dorthal’s mines are running dry, they have been for some time. They don’t have the reserves they pretend to possess. It turns out our mountains, right along the border with their territory, contain rather substantial deposits. When Dorthal discovered this, he started sending miners across. They excavated everything they could reach, shipped it back to his vaults, packed into their chests and pretended they got them from their own lands.

“They worked mostly during the Gathering. Dorthal thought I would be too distracted with the Election to notice. I sent Tristan to station patrols and we began intercepting shipments. These”—he nodded toward the crates—”are the last his people managed to extract before we shut them down. I’ve reinforced the border patrols and sent out people to reclaim the mines.”

“Dorthal will be pissed” Tristan crossed his arms. “Think he’ll send his army?”

“I hope so.” Aidenar said. “Better yet if he sends that worthless, piece of shit, son of his.”

He glanced at the emeralds once more, his expression unimpressed with the fortune, only cold calculation. “Take them to the treasury.”

The next day I rose before dawn. I dressed in a dark blue leather suit, bound my hair in a tight braid, and rode out with Tristan and four guards.

The day was pleasantly cool, and a light mist lay over the meadows. The horses snorted, eager for the freedom of open ground. The air smelled of damp earth, pine, and adventure.

Tristan led us through the forest as if he were part of it. He knew every path. He often called upon the Elementars he wore, for he had several on him. He flushed game from the undergrowth, scattered the mist over the clearings, turned the wind to help me mark the birds. He did all this with ease, as if it were no more than lifting his hand.

Despite the long break I managed to bring down one bird, a clean shot from the bow that filled me with quiet pride. Tristan himself took several, but he did not boast. He was good company, and I found it easier and easier to pass the time with him.

I was content, feeling the tension of the past few days melt away with each step through the forest.

We were riding back toward the castle when the sun began to sink, painting the sky in shades of orange and rose.

“You wield your power well,” I said, watching his diamonds glimmer in the evening light. “You have a gift.”

“Thank you.” He smiled, almost modestly. “It is still not as strong as Aidenar’s.”

I smiled faintly at the thought of the price our Families had paid for that so-called gift.

“And yours,” Tristan added, glancing at me from the side. “Peter told me. He saw you upon the shore, that you grabbed the sea in your hand. He said he had never witnessed anything like it. You could drown White City if you wished.” He fell silent for a moment, then said with a note of awe, “Lady of Water and Sea.”

He watched me openly, without hiding his interest. I sighed under my breath.

“It is not so simple. Stirring the waves will not save us from what hides in the shadows.” I looked toward the darkening horizon. “But we will learn soon enough what we are truly capable of.”