"Search the area!"
Lennox’s command cut through the noise of the port. His guards scattered imdiately, fanning out to hunt for any sign of Leonardo. A dry, humorless laugh escaped him. He hated how easily guilt had crept into his chest. Maybe that was why he suspected Leonardo had slipped away in the beginning. He’d always prided himself in patience and control, but this was getting out of hand.
His gaze locked on Donovan. The man stood there, arms crossed, looking far too calm for Lennox’s liking. He strode toward him with deliberate steps.
"Where is Leonardo?" his voice was edged with barely restrained anger. "He’s not the type to run. So where the hell is he?"
Donovan arched a brow, unfazed. "And I’m supposed to know because...?" His voice dropped with mockery. "We were all here, rember? Maybe if you weren’t so fixated on like so jilted lover, you’d still have him under your watch. Go look for him, and stop bothering ."
While the others were clearly worried about Leonardo’s unexpected disappearance, including Es, Lennox realized from their reactions that none of them truly knew where he had gone.
Althea helped Acheron onto a nearby bench, and turned to Es, her expression tense.
"What do we do now?" she asked.
Es frowned, uncertainty flickering across her face. She didn’t know what had happened or why Leonardo had vanished, but if there was one thing she trusted about him, it was his sense of purpose. Whatever this was, it wasn’t without reason. And with Cora missing as well, it was possible the two were working together on sothing.
"We’ll move on without them," she said finally.
Her words made everyone turn to her in surprise.
"The guards can keep searching," she continued, her tone steady. "But we don’t know when– or if– they’ll be found soon. For now, we focus on clearing our na. Once that’s done, we’ll split up and search for them properly. Mariana isn’t our territory. We can’t afford to act recklessly... or what do you think, Don?"
She turned to Donovan, who simply replied with a curt nod. Her gaze shifted to Lennox.
"Of course, we can’t move ahead unless you say so. I only gave my opinion regarding the matter. It’s your decision to take it or leave it. Unless you have sothing else in mind?"
"You really think clearing your na will get you out of this ss?" Lennox asked.
"We’ve been clearing our na all our lives," Lothar spoke up. "There’s a possibility that soone might believe us. Soone who won’t send his people to destroy our ho." There was a subtle hint of accusation in Lothar’s voice, and Lennox’s scowl deepened.
"Every one of you is a murderer, so don’t play victim here."
"You seem awfully comfortable threatening murderers," Donovan snapped. "We’ve already agreed to do things your way. Right now you’re only escalating the matter. Are you afraid he’s going to be right? Afraid that at so point you’ll realize your mistakes and have to atone for every single one? Cause trust , that day is definitely coming."
There was a low rumble in the sky, and a cool breeze swept through the uneasy silence.
"It seems like it’s going to rain," Revana murmured, glancing up at the cloud. "Doesn’t matter if we want to stay behind anymore. We have to go."
Lennox was able to shake off the uncomfortable weight that settled in his chest. The few guards still lingering about ca forward at his signal.
"Let’s go."
Lennox ordered, and monts later, the creak of carriage wheels filled the port’s exit. The storm broke long after, washing the road behind them in gray.
********
The carriages rolled to a slow halt as the golden lights of Mariana’s capital shimred into view. Beyond the stone bridge, the city rose in layered grandeur, dos and spires gleaming beneath a half-moon. Magic humd faintly in the air, alive in the shimring wards that traced the skyline like veins of light.
It made sense that the true bearer hadn’t reached this place yet. The capital was the heart of magecraft itself. Es saw the wiseness in this barrier.
Lennox stepped down first, his boot striking the marble path slick with mist. The air was cooler here, unnervingly still. Every archway and window pulsed with a soft, inner glow, as though the stones breathed with arcane life. The scent of rain mingled with the faint tang of burnt incense, filling the air with sothing foreign– beautiful, yet unsettling.
Es and Donovan stepped down as well. Before then lood the palace– a vast citadel of dos and minarets. Its gate was flanked with statues so life-like they seed to breathe on their own. The path leading up was long and winding, heavy with the weight of expectation.
"Even though I made it clear what to expect, why did you still co without protest?"
Lennox asked as he led them forward, Donovan keeping close behind.
He replied evenly, "Only a man who’s done sothing wrong runs away from confrontation."
Lennox shot him a sidelong glance, surprise flickering across his face. For once, the familiar hostility between them wasn’t quite there.
The great bronze doors groaned open, spilling golden light across the marble steps. Inside, the hall was vast, a cathedral of glass and gold. Arcane sigils drifted through the air like living motes of dust, pulsing softly in shades of violet and cerulean blue.
Es and the others stared in awe. They had never seen anything like it. In Illyria, magic wasn’t always their main focus. Their strength lay in their wolves and steel. Yet this was sothing entirely.
The guards flanking the hallway stood poised and silent, their beauty almost unsettling. Their features were sharp and luminous. They watched the newcors with calm precision, their hands resting lightly on their weapon.
From the far end of the hall, a figure descended the grand staircase. His robe was a deep midnight-blue, threaded with silver that caught the light like constellations in motion.
Just like Lennox, he was a young king.
The tip of his staff tapped softly against the marble. His hair shimred like strands of dark silk, and his eyes– an ethereal, glacial blue– held the kind of calm that ca only from imnse, dangerous power.
"Lennox," the man greeted, his voice smooth yet distant as he stood a few feet away from him. "You’ve brought quite the company."
Lennox’s fist ca to his chest in a gesture of respect, mirrored by the young man at his side. "High Magus Kael."
He turned slightly, gesturing to those behind him. "These are the ones I told you about."
Kael’s gaze drifted past him, eyes gleaming.
"And they ca willingly?" he asked, studying the group with quiet intrigue.
Es, rembering their custom, pressed her fist to her chest in return. Donovan hesitated, then copied her.
"Oh... how polite," Kael murmured, amusent flickering in his voice. With a faint smile, he returned the gesture. "We have much to discuss. Shall we?" Turning, he led them toward another set of grand, ornanted doors.
Acheron watched him go, still a little dazed. "When I said the mage folk were ethereal," he muttered under his breath, "I wasn’t exaggerating."
Maybe this might go better than they all expected.
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