DragonBound, page 11
Silence fell as Amaridin escorted Serenia down the hall. Both had their pure white wings flared, and they nodded regally at the angels seated in the wooden tiers on one side and the councillors on the other. Solanji pursed her lips as she observed them. They really thought they were something.
As she watched, Serenia slowed as she glared towards the dais. Solanji followed her gaze to the three golden chairs positioned in front of the larger throne. They were backless to cater for the archangel’s wings, but the arms were covered in elaborate scrollwork, as were the legs. The red velvet material of the cushion was vibrant against the gold frame.
Voices rose as the angels discussed her reaction, though Solanji didn’t know what was wrong.
“What’s happened?” she asked Lormin.
“There’s an extra seat on the dais, and it doesn’t look like Archangel Serenia requested it.”
Solanji watched with eager interest as Serenia mounted the steps and turned before her chair, her mauve gown swirling around her legs, leaving a short train rippling down the marble. She planned that, Solanji thought. Now Serenia did look angelic, even with the frown marring her perfect features. A halo of golden hair was plaited around her head, and artful strands escaped to soften her exquisite face.
The sudden rise in whispered conversations drew Solanji’s gaze back to the floor to see Mav enter the chamber. God, he was handsome. Not in an ethereal angelic way, but in a masculine sight-for-sore-eyes way. He looked so good. Some of her tension relaxed as she watched him walk the length of the hall. His slight limp was unnoticeable if you didn’t know to look for it and he had dispensed with his stick. His expression was carefully neutral, though the stiff way he held himself betrayed his exhaustion.
His leather tunic was crisscrossed with the straps and belts that typically held his weapons but were now empty. His wide-legged, dark grey trousers flowed around him like swirling shadows; an apt image she thought.
Silence fell and the angels all turned to watch his progress up the hall to the seat to the right of the golden throne. Amaridin sat to the left, with Eodan behind his shoulder. Serenia sat on a chair situated in front of Averdeus’ throne, neither of them quite prepared to sit in the seat of the Almighty. Julius stood behind her shoulder, his face hard and unyielding.
Solanji watched as Mav adjusted his stance as if he was compensating for his wings, and she smiled as his shadows formed above his shoulders even though she was sure no one else could see them.
Lifting his chin, he sat in the golden chair to the right and stared down the hall. His reputation would precede him, and even with their suspicions, they would not be able to ignore his presence. Solanji drank in the sight of him seated in his rightful place. He would take the upper hand and leave them to try and take it away.
Adriz and Felather entered the chamber and marched under the crystal chandeliers in unison. The candle light reflected off their dress uniforms, gold and red, polished to perfection. Adriz’s golden wings glistened and sparkled, small but strong, and flared to their full extent they were exquisite. Solanji’s breath caught in her throat.
That they would do this for him.
Perfectly in step and immaculate.
A statement.
In support of their archdeus.
Mav’s demeanour softened for a moment as he accepted his oathsworn’s public declaration. One they had probably made many times before but never so poignantly, and she watched as it almost undid him.
It must have been the martial light in Adriz’s eye that made him hold it together as he inhaled and exhaled and ignored their approach. They stopped at the base of the dais and in unison knelt, heads bent. They waited for a count of five as he stared down the room, and then they rose, mounted the steps, and took their positions behind his shoulder. The hall was silent.
Solanji bit her knuckles, holding back the tears. It was so moving, the absent son returning home and claiming his seat, supported by his oathsworn. It hardened her resolve to find out what Kyrill was up to. That these people, these angels, could sit here and accuse Mav. It made her stomach twist.
When Ryvalin entered, the murmur of voices rose again, accentuated by gasps as the audience took in her uniform. Iridescent dragon scales covered her arms and chest, rising to a peak on either shoulder. A declaration of support from the citadel’s dragon and her rider.
Silence fell as she strode up the hall, looking neither left or right, her eyes on Mav. Ignoring Serenia and Amaridin, she knelt before Mav and waited.
Solanji gasped as she heard Xylvin’s voice in her mind. “She won’t rise until you give her permission. It is a sign of respect to the Archdeus General.”
Mav managed to disguise his surprise as he cleared his throat and said, “Rise, Dragonair Xylvin and her rider Ryvalin. It is my honour to accept your allegiance.”
“Nicely said,” Xylvin said, and Ryvalin’s lips twitched as she rose and nodded at Mav, before moving to stand on the step below and to his left. Murmurs started immediately as she stood in the position of the captain of his Heavenly Host, if he had one.
His triumvirate of protectors. Solanji wished she were one of them, welcomed back into the fold and cherished as much as they cherished each other.
“Mav? Can you hear me?” Solanji asked.
Tensing, Mav’s gaze rose to the flickering candles and sparkling crystal. “Solanji? Are you alright?”
“Yes, though I have little to report except that he still wants something from you. He believes he can step into your shoes.”
“Well, he’ll find out that is a little more difficult than he realises. Stay safe, my dear.”
“And you.”
Mav gazed into the distance, ignoring the gossiping angels. His amber eyes flickered like the candle flames burning in the sconces, and Solanji wondered what he was thinking about.
“Count two, Demavrian. Which is it to be?” Serenia said without any preamble. Pale blue eyes, like chips of ice, were the only hard element of her perfect ensemble, and they glared at Mav as if he was some intruder spoiling her party.
Mav rose and descended the steps to the stand in the centre of the hall. “Second count. Defence against the accusation that I am behind my father’s disappearance.”
“Against the murder of Averdeus,” Serenia corrected coldly as the galleries rustled with hushed discussions.
“Changing the rules, Serenia?” Mav’s voice was derisive but he didn’t wait for her answer. “Who accuses?” he demanded.
One of Archdeus Amaridin’s scribes stood forward, and Mav froze in shock. He tried to hide it, but Solanji watched the blood recede from his already pale face as he licked his lips. His own brother accused him? Solanji’s heart clenched as Mav fought to keep his composure. He was being assaulted from all directions.
His brother was accusing him? Mav’s brain shut down and he struggled to breathe. Muffled words penetrated his confusion, and he held up his hand. “A moment,” he rasped. Felather approached and squeezed his arm as he placed a glass of water in his hand, and Mav took a long sip before handing it back to Felather and giving his brother an incredulous glare. “My apologies, please continue.”
“Count two, the murder of our dear lord, Averdeus who disappeared from Angelicus the same day as the accused, his son Demavrian. Not only did Demavrian have motive and ability, he also murdered Archangel Athenia—”
“Objection,” Felather snapped into the silence. “That has not been proven nor is it the count in question.”
“Sustained,” Serenia said. “Continue.”
Felather’s jaw tightened but he stepped back and gestured for the man to continue.
“As I was saying, Demavrian was the last person to see his father alive—”
“Objection,” Felather stood forward hand raised.
Serenia raised an eyebrow. “For what?”
“That is an assumption. It is possible someone else saw Veradeus after Demavrian left, when his father was very much alive.”
“It was the middle of the night. No one else visited Veradeus. Demavrian was the last person to see him, continue.”
Mav touched Felather’s arm and shook his head. Lips tight, Felather stepped back.
“It is well known that Demavrian is a skilled soldier, he was the Archdeus General—”
“Objection! Archdeus Demavrian is still the Archdeus General.” Felather glared at the scribe. “Only Veradeus has the power to remove that title.”
Serenia sighed. “Scribe Felather! Are you going to interrupt every sentence Scribe Roland says?”
“If he keeps making unsubstantiated statements, then yes.”
“They are not unsubstantiated, they are facts. Demavrian was the last person to see Veradeus. Demavrian was the last person to see Athenia alive, and then he ran. He left the citadel without explanation. They are all facts.”
“Veradeus was alive when Demavrian left. Athenia had been attacked and left for dead when Demavrian found her on the steps. Demavrian did not leave the citadel voluntarily. They are all also facts,” Felather replied.
“Enough.” Serenia flicked her fingers. “You will remain silent until Roland has laid out his evidence, then you may refute them. Roland, continue.”
Felather hissed his breath out, and Mav grabbed his arm. “Don’t,” he murmured. “You are no good to me dismissed for contempt.”
“Contempt? This is a farce.”
“I know. But our turn to speak will come.”
“Are you sure about that?” Felather grumbled, but he relaxed enough for Mav to release his arm.
The man droned on, but the only part Mav deciphered was that the charge was based on the fact that only an archdeus had the power to restrain and remove Averdeus.
Icy cold fingers of dread clawed at his core. If his father wasn’t on this plane and it wasn’t a challenge then it was either Amaridin or Serenia who had done it, because he hadn’t forced his father to go anywhere. “Are you serious?” he asked, his gaze skimming the ranks and back to the dais to fall on Serenia and his brother. “I’ve never heard a more stupid accusation in my life. What is going on? Are you throwing seraphim’s lives away?”
“Answer the charge,” Serenia snapped.
Mav turned back to the seraphim and then glanced back at his brother. “Amaridin, did you not instruct your scribe to frame his accusations better? Did you not prepare him at all?”
Amaridin stiffened and slowly rose. “The accusations are as stated. Defend yourself or accept the consequences.”
“But they are not even accusations. You say our father has been missing for as long as I have and is presumed dead? And I killed him?” He glared at his brother. “And what has been done to find him? If you are so concerned for his health, what steps have the citadel taken to reassure themselves that he is well?”
“We are not here to scour the citadel’s actions; we are here for your defence,” Serenia stated.
“Really? Well, I could say I have no idea. He was here on his throne the day the captain of your Heavenly Host knocked me out. Averdeus planned to visit the Isle of Clouds for a few years as it was Amaridin’s turn to rule. When did you realise he was not relaxing but was missing?”
“Why don’t you tell us?”
Mav shrugged, and paced again, only stopping when his knee twinged a warning. He had always thought better when he was moving. “If my father had died, the citadel would stop sparkling.” He glanced around the tiers. “It’s a pretty obvious sign. Has it? No? Then he must still be alive. I expect you didn’t even have to check the isles as you knew he wasn’t there. You know where he is. Don’t you?” He glared at Serenia and then Amaridin. “I don’t understand why you waste your time accusing me.”
“We don’t know where he is, that’s why you are accused. He disappeared the same day you fled.”
“Do you seriously think I woke up in that cell, walked through the locked door, and avoided the guards, all the way to my father’s rooms, and then did my dastardly deed before escaping the citadel?”
Kyrill spoke up. “So it was you! You know where he is. He has proven his own guilt.”
“Are you really that obtuse?” Mav demanded, disbelief curdling his veins.
Kyrill flushed.
“The citadel still breathes; its heartbeat drives the timepiece. My father lives, which you all know as Amaridin has not ascended to replace him. So I am unsure why you would spread that rumour unless you meant ill will.”
“There is no proof that he lives,” Kyrill shouted.
Mav arched his eyebrows and smiled. “My brother is proof enough. He does not sit on the golden throne.”
“I don’t sit on the throne in deference for father. Until we know, one way or the other,” Amaridin said, his jaw so tight, he barely forced the words out.
Mav inhaled and gritted his teeth. “The citadel glitters, its heart beats, therefore my father lives. If he is not on this plane, then he accepted a challenge. That is the only explanation for his absence.”
“There is no heartbeat,” Amaridin’s scribe declared. “You are making it up.”
“Can you not hear the citadel’s heartbeat?” Mav asked. Staring around the room, his eyes widened in surprise. “What none of you?” Reaching for Xylvin he asked, “Can you hear it?”
“The heartbeat hasn’t been heard since you left.”
“That’s not possible!”
“They have forgotten their purpose. I told you the citadel needs you.”
Mav exhaled, fear clearing his vision, bringing all his senses to alert. “What have you done? Have you cast aside the very heart of the citadel and banished it from daily life?” he asked. Spreading his arms wide, palms facing up, he closed his eyes.
“Stop him,” Serenia screamed. “Stop him before he calls down some ungodly wrath upon us.”
Mav ignored her. Concentrating on his own heartbeat, faint but steady, he reached for the citadel. Admittedly, he should have tried to reconnect to the citadel before now, but it hadn’t been at the top of his list. He hadn’t wanted to face another rejection, not after all the rejections he had faced the previous day.
Light and dark shadows swirled around him. Cool air wafted and metal clinked as the host entered the hall. The beat of his heart thumping in his chest echoed through his body, vibrated in his bones. Thump, thump, thump. It resonated through him. The air rippled and the beat grew louder; it was all he could hear. He opened his heart and mind and drifted. His blood hummed with anticipation, pulsing down his veins, thump, thump, thump.
Serenia’s voice was muffled as she continued to shout.
Skin tingling, he folded into the citadel’s embrace. Overwhelmed by the effusive welcome, tears leaked down his cheeks as unadulterated love consumed him. Love, compassion, concern, and relief swirled around him. Battering him in its enthusiasm, the citadel poured its fears into Mav, cut off for too long and eager to reconnect.
Images flashed past in quick succession, images of people he knew in dire distress, incarcerated and left to die. Mav shuddered at the image of Athenia’s body lying on the steps, a grey-robed woman hovering over her with raised arm, a knife glinting in the candle light. A fledgling?
Crystals tinged off each other as the chandeliers vibrated, a chiming counterpoint as a single heartbeat resonated throughout the building. Candle flames wavered, making the chamber walls shimmer. Angels rose in shock, faces upturned as the citadel throbbed, louder and louder, and then the connection was gone, slipping through his fingers, leaving him bereft.
Desperately trying to reconnect, Mav didn’t see the guard who barrelled him to the floor, nor the hilt of the sword that bashed into his temple, and he slid into the dark shadows surrounding him. Adriz’s snarl of anger was the last thing he heard.
A single heartbeat resonated through the citadel. Angels covered their ears, but it didn’t stop the vibrations pounding through them, realigning their heartbeats to the citadel, so that all beat in time. Xylvin’s roar shook the building, and the echoes lessened, calmed, and then faded away. Archangels and seraphim collapsed back into their seats, dazed and shocked, their fledglings milling around them in confusion. Councillors and officials peered about them, unsure what had just happened.
Serenia rose, face pale, eyes wide and stared down at tableau in the middle of the hall. Her guards surrounded Mav’s limp body and his furious oathsworn. The absence of the heartbeat was shocking in the silence. A silver ball swished through the glass tubes of the timepiece on the wall, a reminder of the endless symbol of life. Her gaze swept the chamber of shattered angels, all in degrees of distress as their brief connection with the citadel was cut off, many having connected for the first time.
Serenia cleared her throat. “Apologia is in recess for two days. Count two to be reviewed. Until a proclamation is made, Demavrian Deusson is to be restrained in a cell. Continuation of Apologia will be determined on our return.”
“You have no right to detain him whilst Apologia is in session,” Felather protested.
“It isn’t in session, and until it is, restrain him,” Serenia said and swept out of the hall.
15
DEMAVRIAN
Mav awoke with his head in Adriz’s lap. Her fingers combed his hair, long soothing strokes, a counterpoint to the ache that pounded behind his eyes. Cold seeped into his body, the stone slabs beneath his legs hard and unyielding. Only one candle lit the dim space, illuminating Adriz’s pinched face and not much else.
“Adriz is worried about you,” Xylvin whispered, her voice a soft susurrus in the back of his mind.
“What happened?”
“Don’t you remember?”
His heart beat in his chest, loudly, as if he had been recharged and operated at full strength. Though the rest of his body didn’t agree. Deep within, his bones ached and a fleeting memory still hovered just out of his reach.
“Don’t fight it.”
