Isaiah shoved him back from the door, getting in his face.
He shoved the door open, eyes landing first on Imogen. He exhaled, fingers running down her arm and tugging her away from Vincent and Kertayan.
He bit back the words, to whisper in awe she'd stayed. That she'd waited for him.
Kertayan snorted and looked past Isaiah to Kaden.
"So no one died. That's -"
The bubble vanish, Isaiah's grip on her tightened and he dragged his eyes to Kertayan. Those eyes gold flecked watching him.
"Call them, the entire Council. We nearly lost our loremaster and warmaster, Elianna hasn't woken yet has she?"
He turned to Kaden, his magic pushing up against his skin, demanding to snap and break his heart.
"You've become a liability. I'm letting Mera deal with you. But I'm telling them, Mama hasn't survived this long to have you cost us the war."
Einar stopped pacing by the door, briefly looking his sister over. Ember only rose an eyebrow at him, hair pulled back in a war braid. She didn't show the turmoil, the hours she'd probably spent in panic as the news swept through the ranks.
Einar dragged his eyes to their aunt Nismera, his hands clenched and he pointed down the hall. His voice ice.
"He was going to let her die. He was going to let Ma die because -"
Enva rubbed at her temples. Why couldn't Kaden and Elianna do one thing properly? They couldn't be around each other, okay, so don't be around each other! Was it that hard for them? If she and Dacre had to part ways she'd bury her emotions and keep going.
Sotoria desvered that at the bare minimum. She looked up from the maps, not acknowledging Vincent as she met Dacre's eyes.
"Am I asking for a miracle? They can't be around each other so they shouldn't be. Why can't they do one fucking thing correctly."
Dacre shrugged, focusing on whittling the dragon in his palm.
"No you're not. They're clearly unable to follow basic commands. It -"
Enva swallowed the urge to snap at Vincent. Dacre stiffened though, and maybe she did. Enva eyes narrowed at him.
"As a prisoner? Did you kill the guards holding her? I can open the back passages for -"
"She's here because she chose Isaiah."
Vincent looked ill saying the words, his jaw clenching tight. Enva frowned and looked toward her parents.
"Doesn't Isaiah have Malcolm's blood? Should I kill him? Is he manipulating Immi?"
She knew Autumn would crush her for it, but no one manipulated one of her dearest friends. Even an ally.
Kertayan sat on the edge of the windowsill watching Imogen flit around the room. He was counting down the minutes before Anaxia burst into the room.
She'd probably found out by now.
But no use sitting in silence.
Isaiah hadn't asked him to watch her, she probably didn't need it. But Vanir instincts died hard for him. Vanir worked on a kin system, Isaiah wasn't his King but in a different world maybe he would have been.
Malcolm had been a King once, gold eyes he'd seen in his mother's portrait hall. Gold eyes that demanded you Knelt and Obeyed. To Vanir everything revolved around blood.
"He says you liked wisteria and lilies. He lamented there wasn't any flowers in the prison to pick to make you things."
Kertayan eyed the door. Did Kaden understand yet?
Did he understand the axis had turned from he and Elianna?
If this was Vanaheim the colony would have knelt for her already. She'd be deep in royal chambers, bathed and anointed with blood wards.
Like so many of his own sisters, driving his mother's colony forward, giving them endless soldiers and bodies for this neverending fucking war. A path Melinoe hadn't wanted, she'd been too free, too curious. And as much as it has felt like tearing his own heart out, he'd not acknowledged or claimed her, let her fly off.
Kertayan pushed off the windowsill prowling closer. He poured her some water, looking her over.
"You should sit, drink, rest."
His mother wasn't here, he was a Prince with no king yet.
Maybe it would be Isaiah and Imogen, maybe he could finally get away from his parents and have a different colony, a different legacy to forge.
Maybe he could finally see past the blood he was drenched in.