Breaker (Ondine Quartet Book 4) (45 page)

I shook aside the worry coiling in my mind. He was busy. We all were.

The ondine dorms, with its familiar white-washed walls and even rows of square windows, rose before me. In the misty dawn, the building appeared smaller, plainer, than I remembered.

“You keep frowning like that you’re going to give yourself a headache.” Julian waited beside the main dorm entrance, a lidded cup in each hand.
 

I rubbed the tense spot between my brows.

He handed over a cup. “You look like you could use this.”

The rich, tantalizing aroma drifted through the morning air.
 

Grateful, I accepted it. A perfectly balanced cappuccino. That was nice of him to bring….

Wait. “Do I owe you something?”

“Why do you always think I have an ulterior motive?”

“Because you usually do.”

I took another sip.

Yeah, I was pretty willing to sell my soul for this.

He leaned against the wall. “I think you have deep-seated trust issues.”

“Says the guy who hides behind glamour.”

“Touché.”

“How did you know I’d be here?”

“Figured you’d be around to check up on Chloe. She’s not here, by the way.”

I paused, the cup halfway to my mouth. I’d texted her late last night but she hadn’t answered.

“Is she all right?”

“Cam swung by earlier and they left together.” Julian paused. “He said it might be better to give her some time before you approach her.”

Chloe had lost her entire family. I wouldn’t be surprised if she and Aubrey never wanted to speak to me again.

An empty ache yawned in my chest. Wordlessly, as if we both knew what I needed, we made our way toward the Training Center.

Now that Gabe was back, I wondered what Julian planned to do about the chevaliers.

I cast him a sidelong look. “Are you staying?”

A slight hesitation. “For now.”

Our footsteps echoed along the Center’s empty main corridor.
 

Julian stopped before a familiar door. “Same room?”

A year ago, I’d known this stretch of hallway better than anyone. For months, Julian and I met in this mat room during the early morning hours while he trained me for the recruits and Elites.
 

I’d been knocked down on every inch of that mat.
 

Nostalgia rushed through me. I grinned. “This time, I’ll have my revenge.”

“Or I prove that no matter how much you improve, I can still kick your ass.” He headed the opposite direction toward the office. “I’ll meet you there in a bit.”

I stretched and decided to warm up with a
kata
. Barefoot, I stepped onto the ugly blue mat and faced the tall row of mirrors stretching along the wall.

My body reached and extended, moving across the floor in a rapid series of complex maneuvers.
 

My mind cleared, muscles recalling the memory of each move and settling into the meditative rhythm that had comforted me all my life.
 

This was what I knew.

This was where I was in control, in tune with myself and the world.
 

Images flashed in quick succession. Oliver falling at my feet. Chloe’s blank face. Gabe’s solemnity.

I’m so proud of you.

My feet moved faster. Sweat beaded along my brow.

I couldn’t let the Council cancel the ondine training program. It was too important to Chloe. To Amber and Helene.

It was the legacy of my mother, Marcella, and Rhian. The Irisavies who had given everything for me to have a chance against the Shadow.

I leaped, hips and legs rotating through the air in a perfect butterfly kick. I landed on the mat and paused.

My knee twinged, the pinch of pain keeping me sharp. Awake.

It doesn’t do anything. It reveals.

What were the attacks telling me? What was I supposed to find?

“You’re still dropping that shoulder. It gives your opponent an opening.”

I knew karma was going to exact a cost for that coffee.

I stopped and walked over to the bench lining the wall. “Your Majesty.”

“Did my son teach you?” Ancelin’s bulky frame filled the doorway. “Your form is…adequate. But he should’ve seen that error and fixed it.”

Spare me. “Tristan is an excellent trainer, but I haven’t studied with him. And if my shoulder really is that awful, you’d think your gardinels would’ve spotted it during elite training.”

Ancelin grunted.
 

I sat and picked up my towel. “When did you arrive in Haverleau?”

“Last night. I came with my son.”

That’s why Tristan couldn’t come over.

It was one thing to deal with Baby Belicoux.

Dax sometimes thought a little too highly of himself, but he spent most of his time preening in front of the ondines at the Training Center and stayed out of my way.

Having Ancelin booming through the halls of the Governing House and Training Center was another matter entirely.

“Did Patrice call you in?”

“Made some commotion about how my lack of presence was proof our Kingdom wasn’t invested in security.” He made a sound of disgust and settled beside me. “She makes the tiniest setback sound like a disaster.”

I’d normally agree. Redavi entitlement was mind-boggling.

But right now, Patrice was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Tossing me out would endanger the other communities. Keeping me here risked continuing attacks in Lyondale.

“She’s concerned about the elemental safety.”

Did I really just defend her? I must be more tired than I thought.

“Patrice is concerned about herself.” Ancelin’s mouth tightened. “And quite frankly, I don’t fault her. She was not meant to be Governor.”

“I thought you didn’t want me to be Governor.”

“I don’t.” Ancelin raised his brow. “But I think we’re all in agreement that even you are a better candidate than Patrice.”

High praise, indeed. “You got what you wanted. The favor has been repaid.”

It’d cost me a great deal, more than Ancelin would probably ever realize.

“Was it worth it?” Hard eyes studied me. “Losing the Governorship, your seat on the Council. The other losses.”

“I can handle it.”

“That’s not what I asked. He was a nix.”

“He was my friend.”

“And you placed him above duty.”

“Were you fulfilling duty when you sent Tristan after Eric rather than going after him yourself?”

His face turned to stone. “That’s not the same. Duty, inheritance, tradition. These are what hold us together.”

“Are you sure about that?” I tossed the towel aside. “In our world, bloodlines are prized above all else. Blood constitutes power and family. But in reality, it’s the least important factor in determining both.”

“You are young —“

“And maybe you’re so old you’ve forgotten what leaders are supposed to do. I thought our duty was to protect the innocent. All innocents.”

“You and my son do not understand power.” Ancelin points out. “Tristan has always been too kind for his own good. He believes in a future that goes against what our kingdom has long stood for.”

“Different doesn’t mean against.”

He shook his head. “He doesn’t understand the costs of —“

“Running in without hesitation to save someone he cares about is Tristan’s most mortal attribute. This care and attention and kindness you believe is weakness, is his greatest strength, Your Majesty. It’s loyalty, heart, faith. That’s power. That’s why he’s the Warrior Prince. Not you or Eric.”

He studied me for a long moment. “And yet, you take him away from his people.”

“I haven’t taken him away from anything. His choices are his own. And walking away from the throne doesn’t mean he’s walking away from his kingdom.”

“If he goes with you, he’ll be giving up a lot more than that.”

I paused.
 

“Kendra, this is his life we’re talking about.” Ancelin’s voice grew solemn. “I don’t want my son to throw everything away for someone who’s having fun.”

“Having fun?” I stiffened.
 

“I’m asking what your feelings are toward him —“

“That’s none of your business,” a voice said.

Tristan strode into the room, body tensed, anger rolling off him in waves. Dax followed, his nervous gaze flickering between the three of us.

Not good.

“It’s the other way around, son.” Ancelin crossed his arms. The gesture made his chest broader. “You’re interrupting my private conversation with Kendra.”

“I need to talk to you.”

He didn’t acknowledge my presence.

Okay, this was definitely family drama. “I was just leaving —“

“So talk.” Ancelin didn’t seem to care who was around.

Tristan’s mouth tightened. “I just had a meeting with Garreth. You called me back to the kingdom twice because of a Redavi-initiated gardinel audit that the Advisory Council wanted me to head.”

“Yes?”

“And both times there was no actual problem. Bureaucratic mistake, the Council said.”

Ancelin’s voice remained calm.“So why are you telling me about it?”

“Because it’s clear who is responsible!”
 

Silence fell.

“It wasn’t you.”

Ancelin didn’t say anything. Shit.

“You may have had authority in our kingdom, but not the authority in Haverleau to issue a gardinel audit. But if it wasn’t you then who —“ He stepped back. “The Governor.”

“Tristan —“

“I told you and you said you knew nothing about it.” Incredulity flashed across his face. “You looked me in the eyes and lied to me?”

My throat closed up. “I can explain.”

Tristan’s gaze snapped to his father. “You talked her into this.”

“I did no such thing.” Ancelin lifted his brow. “Kendra suggested the idea. I highly doubt anyone has the ability to talk her into doing anything she doesn’t want to do.”

“Of course, you don’t talk your way into anything. You simply take what you want.”

Ancelin’s face hardened. “How dare you speak —“

“Okay.” Dax stepped between them, his face pale. “Everybody needs to calm down —”

“You have spent a lifetime crushing me under your thumb,” Tristan said. “When will you let go?”

“I did what was necessary to raise you.” Ancelin’s face looked like it was carved out of stone. “You are nothing like your brother —”

“Father!” Dax’s face drew tight. “Stop, please.”

“You’re right, I’m not Eric.” Tristan leaned in. “Considering how he turned out, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Hey.” I touched Tristan’s arm.

He pulled away, betrayal darkening his eyes. “You planned this with him.”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Then what was it like?”

“She was doing her job as Governor for her people.” Ancelin said. “As you should be.”

“That is no longer my responsibility.”

“Until I give my approval, it is.”

“I’m not waiting for your approval. I no longer need it.”

“You wish to abandon your inheritance to your brother and yet you fail to tell me what’s happening with him?” Ancelin’s brows drew together.
 

“What are you talking about?”

“Your brother has his own secrets, ones with serious consequences. He probably learned that from your poor example.”

Dax paled.
 

King Bully was going to screw over one son in order to stick it to the other.

“Your Majesty,” I said loudly. “You should rethink what —“

A flat mask slid over Tristan’s face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
 

It was as if the poor guy wasn’t even there. Dax’s throat worked.

don’tdont’dont’

“Your Maje—“

“He cut Kendra’s rope in the Áimoni. And he told Yahaira about the strike.”

During the Elemental Conference, relations between selkies and other elementals had been at an all-time low. Selkies like Dax resented elemental presence, believing they had an ulterior motive for coming to their kingdom.

He’d cut the rope during a training session to scare me into backing off a bit. It was also an issue of jealousy since he felt I was taking his only remaining brother away from him.

Yahaira, a venomous traitor responsible for Eric’s turning, had also sunk her teeth into Dax. Lonely and very much in need of attention, Tristan’s brother had believed in Yahaira’s good intentions.

All of us did, including me. Confiding in her wasn’t completely his fault.

But telling her about the strike had significant consequences. Our plan had failed and Yahaira torched the selkie school, wrecking havoc on the beautiful eastern section of the kingdom.

A muscle in Tristan’s jaw ticked. “Is that true?”

Dax’s fingers dug into his thighs. He looked terribly young.

He met his brother’s gaze. “Yes.”

“It was the rash actions of a child,” Ancelin said dismissively. “You may’ve tried to keep it from me but he confessed after the conference ended.”

I resisted the urge to sigh. Dax was a bit earnest for his own good.

“I didn’t keep it from you because I didn’t know,” Tristan said slowly. His gaze slid to me. “But you did. Again.”

No use lying now. “Yes.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”

“It was a mistake —“

“A mistake in which you could’ve broken your neck!”
 

“I’m sorry.” Dax tilted his chin up, eyes burning bright in his pale face.

“You…” Tristan’s voice trailed off. “You disappoint me.”

Dax’s mouth straightened into a thin line.
 

“Another example of why we need you back home,” Ancelin continued casually. “Your brother needs you, Tristan. We can send another representative from the Advisory Council to represent us in Haverleau.”

He seemed to have completely forgotten that as Dax’s father, he held primary responsibility for being an example to his youngest son.

“Father.” Tristan’s voice grew quieter. Lethal. “You knocked her out.”

“Don’t exaggerate, son. She’s not dead.”
 

The tension was about to tear the room to shreds.

I suppressed the hysterical laughter bubbling in my throat. “Look, everyone is fine. No one’s dead —“