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Thinking of my new bride, I clenched my fists at my sides, navigating through echoing hallways, Rivin trailing me.
She is owed to me, I told myself again. And I can do whatever I please with her.
I smiled.
Nyravila.
A Kylorr concept, a right. To wrong a member of our family was to wrong us all. And balance must be restored. For Aina’s soul.
In my bride’s human terms, it meant…
An eye for an eye.
Nyravila.
That beautiful word filled my soul, and I vowed to Aina that I would see her safe.
I was the eldest son of House Kaalium.
And there was vengeance ru
I’d saved House Hara only so I could watch it fall once more.
This time, it would be at my hands.
Chapter 7
Gemma
I expected endless screams into a perpetual night. I expected a dark, shadowed keep with high walls and barbaric, bloodied, red-eyed soldiers standing at the ready, fangs glistening, marked chests bared.
I expected shackles and chains. I expected downcast gazes and sunken-in eyes. Hollow cheeks. Hunger and desperation.
Everything I’d ever heard about the Kylorr was that they were beastly, soulless, violent creatures who thrived on pain and torment.
Only…I’d never expected this.
“Come,” Azur ordered me, narrowing his gaze on mine before walking forward into the ivory courtyard from the darkened transport tu
Blinking into the bright sunlight, I followed, Rivin trailing behind me. We’d landed not even a half hour ago in a private docking bay and taken an underground transport here. Judging by the flutter in my belly, the transport line had been blazing fast, and we’d arrived at our destination in mere moments.
My eyes widened as I stepped forward.
The courtyard was pristine.
Beautiful.
Smooth cobblestones pressed into the soles of my slippers as I stepped out of the tu
The tu
But my gaze was drawn back to the terrace and the magnificent view that it afforded beyond.
We were situated at the shores of a sea, judging by the salt in the air. The sunlight dappled over the calm waters, gleaming like a pile of jewels. The water stretched wide, as far as I could see. To the right, set deep into the land away from the cliffs, I spied tall mountains jutting into the clouds, taller than Mount Hara, even.
Without thinking, my feet guided me closer toward the edge of the courtyard so I could get a better look. I hadn’t seen such a breathtaking sight. Ever. We had lakes in the Collis, but some were so small they could only be considered ponds. If this truly was a sea…it would be the first I’d ever seen.
A familiar hand wrapped around my forearm, making me gasp as it tightened. When I looked up, Azur was glaring at me. He tugged and I was forced to turn away from the view, catching sight of Rivin’s speculative look.
My husband released me when we began to climb the stairs, turning his back on me. I watched him ascend, frozen at the base.
“This way to the keep, Kylaira,” came Rivin’s voice, gesturing up the staircase.
Azur stilled.
His hand clenched on the banister, crushing a withered vine from the crawling plant, and he threw an unreadable look over his shoulder at Rivin.
Then he continued on his way, his wings flaring wide as he ascended the curving staircase to an upper level of the terrace. He’d replaced his gauntlets, I noticed, and they glimmered in the sunlight almost as much as the sea. Made of the same metal that was hammered into the wooden door.
My knees were shaking as I followed, unsure of what I would find at the top. Unsure of what my life would look like after this moment.
Looking over my shoulder, I caught one last look at the sea and drew in a deep breath. The higher we climbed, the clearer the view became.
The stairs were short, but the air felt thi
Now I understood what he’d meant.
A towering, beautiful, glittering fortress lay before me. A house—if it could be called that—that likely spa
I was too busy gaping up at the beauty of the house and its surroundings—bracketed by the majestic mountain range to the right and the shimmering sea at its back—that I failed to notice the line of Kylorr—close to twenty individuals—that were spilling from a massive set of doors.
Rivin nudged me forward. Azur had already reached the first of the Kylorr—an older male with a streak of white ru
Most of the Kylorr were males, I noticed. Out of the twenty of them, only three were females.
Keepers, I thought. Keepers of the keep. They were staff, judging from the similarity of their dress.
And they were all looking at me with undisguised interest and careful expressions.
“That is Zaale,” Rivin told me gruffly, gesturing toward the older male that Azur was speaking with in low tones. “He is the head keeper of this house. You will likely see him more than your own husband.”
I turned my head sharply to regard him. He pulled me to a stop, giving the keepers time to look at me, while Azur finished his conversation.
“Why are you doing this?” I couldn’t help but ask.
The scar that ran down his left cheek pulled when he frowned. “Doing what?”
“Helping me,” I said, my voice strong and unwavering, though inside I had never been more afraid, standing on the outskirts of this beautiful house.
“Is that what I’m doing?” Rivin asked, his voice surprisingly hard and dark. He narrowed his eyes on me, his blue gaze flashing with an unreadable expression. He chuffed out a harsh, short laugh. “I suppose I just know what it’s like.”
I didn’t understand what he’d meant by that, but before I could ask, Azur’s cold voice slid between us.
“Ludayn.”
“Yes, Kyzaire?” came one of the female keeper’s voices. An oddly small Kylorr stepped forward. Her wings were fluttering, and I couldn’t help but notice that one dragged on the ground as she walked.
The female had hair the color of the indigo blooms I’d seen below on the terrace. The color stood out against her gray skin, making the strands appear almost dirtied and dull. Her bright yellow eyes flitted with what I guessed was nerves as she waited for Azur to speak.
I’m not the only one he frightens, then, I couldn’t help but think.
“From this day forward, you will be the Kylaira’s keeper,” my new husband informed her coolly. I couldn’t help but notice the looks of disbelief that were being tossed around by the males in line or the pressing of the remaining two females’ lips. “Serve her well.”