Telal flicked a glance at Kearnyn and nodded. He’d been sitting down for most of the morning, just thinking. Thinking about the past, about his family, about what happened at the rift, and of course, what happened with Lily this morning.
Now that the original shock had faded from seeing what his brother had turned into, a new feeling came over him. One of deep, seething anger. The feeling surprised him. He'd loved his brother more than anything, more than anyone. Even his own parents, though that was hardly a comparison. They just bred him. They were not his parents in any sense of the word.
Telal rolled his brother's necklace between his fingers, feeling the metal warm up in his hand and slide silkily back and forth. The band was made from black jet and attached to it was a pendant with the royal crest on it. Alrik had given him his royal necklace on his twentieth birthday. He could still remember the exchange down to the finest detail.
The royals spun around in glamorous costumes on the dance floor in a swirl of bright red and blue colors—the royal colors. Today was his birthday and everyone had gathered to celebrate. He gulped down the drink in his hand. Yeah, anyone who mattered, he thought. The thousands of prolitare spent this night huddled in their small homes by the fire just to stay warm while here he wore a lavish costume that was so warm it was nearly suffocating. Telal's gaze swung to all the massive fireplaces in the grand hall and a sickening guilt overwhelmed him.
Suddenly, he felt stifled as if there wasn't enough air in the hall. He stood, making his way to the front door. He had to get some air. Sweat beaded his brow and slid down his temples, the tightness in his chest compressed harder.
A hand caught his shoulder and he swung around to excuse himself from whichever well-wisher it was. But Alrik's wide smile stopped him. He sighed and nodded toward the doors. At Alrik's nod, they both headed outside. The night was cooler than usual and the wind blew strongly, rustling the trees until they bowed under its great strength.
“Enjoying the party, Telali?” his brother asked.
Telal smiled at the cute little nicknamed Alrik had called him since they were children. The nickname was silly but it'd always stuck and it always managed to make him smile. His brother had a way of making him feel good in spite of the turmoil that sat in his guy.
“A bit,” he said. “I needed some air.”
Alrik clapped him on the back. “I understand. The overwhelming scent of perfume and alcohol in there alone made me want to retch.”
Telal laughed, the tension in his chest easing. “Did you see what mother’s wearing?” They both laughed at the image. His mother wore an incredibly gaudy gown tonight that clung so tightly she literally couldn't sit down lest the seams tear open. But that wasn't the worst of it. The worse was the headdress she'd had made just for his birthday. It towered over two-feet off her head in a white column made of gauzy silk. On top of the headdress came out a dozen frilly tendrils made up of swirling coils of gold thread. At the end of each tendril hung a teardrop diamond.
“Did you see the way it moves when she walks?” Alrik asked, laughing until a tear came out of his eye.
“She looked like she had a frilly octopus on her head,” Telal agreed.
Their laughter died and they shared the view of the kingdom together with its faint pinkish hue, rolling green hills, and flowering trees. At skin level, it looked gorgeous, almost breathtaking. But below that beauty rested evil, treachery, and manipulation—mostly by his mother and father.
“I have something for you,” Alrik said hesitantly.
Telal turned to him in time to see a faint blush creeping up on his golden skin. He laughed. “A kiss?”
His brother relaxed, laughing. “You wish, brother Telali.” He reached behind his neck and unclasped the royal necklace from around it.
Telal watched in stunned awe. He had to screw his eyes in a tight expression to keep his eyes from tearing up. That necklace meant so much to his brother...it meant everything.
He held the black jet necklace with the royal pendant out to him. “I want you to have it.”
Telal's hand went to his own necklace, made not out of jet but of gold with the same royal pendant. His meant nothing to him, which he'd voiced to his brother on numerous occasions. But for Alrik, who knew he'd one day inherit the kingdom, it was dear to him.
Telal's voice sounded thick with emotion he tried hard to keep in check. “You said it helped to remind you of the right ways.”
Alrik's smile looked almost sad. “I won't need it anymore, brother. All the right teachings are here.” He pressed a finger to his heart.
Telal looked away to gather his composure. “You're certain?”
He nodded and stepped forward, holding the necklace out by the ends. Telal bowed his head and let Alrik attached the ends behind his neck. When he lifted his head, the necklace fell on his chest, next to his own royal necklace. His face nearly crumbled. He jerked Alrik into a hard hug.
“Thank you, brother.”
“Sir? Are you ready to go?”
Kearnyn's voice jerked Telal out of his memory. Telal clenched the necklace in his fist. It was the first time he'd ever taken it off. His heart sank in his chest, but he opened his desk drawer and dropped it inside.
“Yes, let's go.”
He grabbed Kearnyn's shoulder and ported them into the conference room at Tyrian's study. Tyrian and his guardsman Rayn waited for them there.
“Have a seat and tell me how the weapon manufacturing's going.”
Telal took a seat but realized that he had no idea. Shit. So much had been going on lately he hadn't even bothered to keep on his business. He looked to Kearnyn and the guard stepped forward. He'd only made a thousand in his free time. But with his trip to the rift, the work had been pushed far from his mind.
“Rosa Delgado has been working hard on her share of the weapons. I do not know the exact number she has completed.”
Tyrian took a seat in a leather armchair. “I'd like to see one of the weapons. Rayn has volunteered to be a test subject to the electric power in them.”
After a moment, they agreed that Telal would go and fetch the witch. With a sigh, he ported to her shop.
Rosa lurched when she saw him and screamed in holy terror, the color draining from his face.
“Didn't mean to startle you,” he said easily. “You are required at a meeting with Tyrian en Kulev right now. Fetch one of the weapon's you've enchanted.”
She stood there staring at him for a long minute, her hands clutched to her heart. Then slowly, methodically she went and retrieved a dagger.
“Next time port outside and knock,” she said with a glare.
Telal shrugged. He didn't care. In fact, he didn't feel much of anything right now. A cold numbing feeling had settled over his body. Going to this meeting should be important and take planning. He knew he should have brought one of the weapons he'd enchanted himself and not be here wasting time, but he hadn't done any of those things. Everything seemed so unimportant now, different.
She held out her hand to him and he took it, porting them into Tyrian's study. She faltered as she spotted Kearnyn a blush covering her cheeks.
“Let me see it,” Tyrian said.
Rosa handed him the blade and he studied it, nodding, his brow pulled in concentration. Then he stood and Rayn groaned.
“Really?” asked Rayn.