Octavion and his father stood in the chapel directly adjacent to his sleeping chambers. The thick walls and lack of doors or windows would keep them from being disturbed and prevent anyone from overhearing their heated discussion. The only room designed for Royals only, it had no door, the only way in or out was by traveling through their minds. It served as a safe room as well as a place for the king to have complete privacy and peace.
This was not one of those times.
Belesgar slammed his hand down on the stone alter. “How dare you speak to me like that in front of a commoner.”
“Kira is not a commoner. We are bound. She is as much a Royal as I am.”
“Until the Elders of Lor witness this union, it will not be recognized by the gods or your king.” Belesgar threw his arms out to his sides. “A king that demands your respect.”
“How can I respect a man who lies to his own son? I want to know everything. What did you do to Serena? How did you remove the Crystor from her wrist without killing her and Lydia?” Octavion stepped closer to see his father’s face more clearly. With no windows in the room, they both relied on their feline ability to see in the dark. “And who erased her memory? I want the truth.”
“The truth? How can I trust you with Xantara’s secrets when you break a simple oath and tell Kira your sister is alive?”
Octavion clenched his fists. “That is different and you know it. Kira and Lydia are bound by magic and share a deep friendship. They should never have been separated in the first place.”
Belesgar laughed. “Magic? You know nothing of magic.”
“And you do?”
“I know enough to recognize a weak charm when I see it.”
Octavion took a step back, folding his arms. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“That you knew nothing about being a Jayde when you cast that charm-a young boy playing with things only a seasoned Jayde should try.”
“And you would know this how?” None of this made sense and he needed answers.
Belesgar turned away from his son and paced the small room like a caged tiger.
“Father!”
The king spun around with fire in his eyes. With one sweep of his hand, the woven carpet Octavion stood on lifted from the ground and sailed across the room, throwing him against the wall.
Octavion’s feet went out from under him and he landed on his back. Every muscle in his body complained and he felt the stitches Gregor put in earlier rip open. He slammed his fist on the floor and cursed.
The king huffed out the air in his lungs. “I assumed you were faster on your feet. I would have leapt to another part of the room to avoid falling.”
“I am tired, Father. I have spent the last nine days fighting our enemies and hunting your. . daughter.” Octavion’s tender ribs ached with each breath. He rolled onto his side and pushed to his knees. “You are a Jayde? How could you keep something like this from me?”
Belesgar walked to the opposite wall and tapped one of the stones, making several around the room glow, bringing light into the room. “The kind of magic I possess is not for children. You were not mature enough to understand. You treated your gift like a new toy, something you played with and took no responsibility for. How could I teach you things you would only abuse?”
Octavion stood, holding his ribs with one hand and using the wall for support with the other. “You sent me to Panthera to study with a Master Jayde when you could have taught me yourself. Why would you do that? I am your son.”
“It is because you are my son that I sent you. You needed discipline. As your father I feared I would be lax and not give you proper instruction.”
“But to keep it from me-”
“I choose who I share my gifts with-as do you.”
Octavion pushed away from the wall. After his ordeal with Shandira and revealing the truth about Lydia to Kira, his father’s revelation seemed almost too much for him to handle. His mind felt like a jumbled mess. The last thing he wanted to do was argue with his father, but he needed answers.
He sat on the only bench in the room-opposite the altar-and stared up at the tapestry hanging on the far wall. It depicted Ziah standing at the gates of Lor.
“That does not explain Serena.” He turned to face his father. “You lied to me.”
King Belesgar stepped closer and took a seat next to his son. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I will take full blame, but you need to know it was not my decision. She chose this.”
“You are lying. We were in love.”
Belesgar sighed deeply. “Love does not come easily in this world. Few ever experience the kind of love that lasts, the love that makes us give up everything we know, everything we are.” He ran his fingers through his hair and met his son’s eyes. “She experienced great pain healing your sister that night and I wanted her to get the best of care, so insisted she stay here in the castle. When I decided to send you and Lydia away, I went to Serena and gave her a choice. She could go with you to a new world, hide away and possibly never see her family again, or I could remove all memories of you and Lydia so she could live happily with no regret.
“We spoke well into the night, weighing her options. Her main concern, her father’s health and what it would do to him if she left. She also worried if her mother would be able to support herself if he died. It was not an easy decision for her, but she chose to stay with her family.”
His father put his hand on Octavion’s shoulder. “I knew if I told you the truth you would confront her and try to change her mind. Or worse, choose not to leave, putting Lydia in more danger. I am sorry I deceived you, but I also had to think of what was best for my family. You and Lydia are all I have now.”
Octavion shrugged out from under his hand and stood. He walked a few steps away, then turned to face his father. “The Crystor. How did you get it off?”
“It fell off on its own.”
“That is not possible. I charmed it to bind Serena and Lydia until death.”
Belesgar smiled. “When you set the charm, did you ask Serena to promise anything?”
Octavion thought back to the day he’d created the Crystor. It was so long ago he couldn’t remember exactly what he’d said. “I do not remember. Why?”
“I do. I saw all Serena’s memories before I erased them from her mind. You asked her if she promised to be the Crystor’s keeper. When she agreed, the Crystor sealed itself around her wrist. She was bound by her word, not your charm. When I erased her memories, she no long remembered making the promise and so the Crystor fell off.”
Octavion went back to the bench and sat down. “Kira did not make a promise. She merely picked it up off the table and it wound around her wrist on its own. She felt pain when it took hold. Serena never did.” He turned to face his father. “You changed the charm.”
“Yes.”
“That is why it reacted so strangely with her-allowed her to do more. She could heal herself, not just Lydia, and it made her stronger. She even shared memories and emotions with Lydia. I thought it was because Kira lived in another world-but you did that.”
Belesgar nodded.
“Then you can fix it, right?”
“No. I created the charm so that the keeper has control. The metal can be mended if damaged, but the power is in Kira. It is a part of her. It is connected with her body, mind and spirit. It feeds off her strengths and weaknesses. It will never leave her, except in death.”
Octavion took a deep breath, making his ribs ache even more. “But it has left her. It does not work.”
“It merely lies dormant, my son. I suspect it will come to life when the time is right, perhaps when Altaria’s spirit is reunited with Lydia. In the meantime, we must pray to the gods that your sister recovers quickly. I do not think she will live much longer as she is. Her heart is weak.”
Octavion pinched the bridge of his nose again. He’d been avoiding his father since his visit to Panthera and not telling him the price he’d pay for Kira’s life had been nagging at him ever since. As long as he had his father’s full attention, now was as good a time as any. “There is something I need tell you.”
“About King Ramla?”
Octavion turned to face his father. “How-? I guess there are many things I still need to learn about your gifts. Do you know the price I agreed to?”
His father put a hand on his shoulder. “I suspect it is steep.”
Octavion nodded. “I am so sorry Father. The last thing I wanted was to give up my heritage, but I could not let her die.”
“You must love her very much. When do you leave?” Belesgar cleared his throat and stood, leaving his back to his son.
“Ramla said he would send for me. I thought he would have come by now, but then he said it would be in his time, so. . I have no idea.”
“His ways are a little unpredictable. We can only hope he will not summon you until you have had time to put your affairs in order. Perhaps making your union with Kira official should be a priority.”
“Perhaps.” He knew he should have told him the truth, that Kira would never accompany him to Panthera. But right now he wanted to keep that part to himself. He needed to figure out how to explain it to her first.