Page 87 of The Lost Elemental

With each word, dread filled my stomach. Novas are extremely rare, but when unbound, can cause extreme destruction. While extremely powerful, they are equally unstable. In the past, they have been used by kings as weapons of mass destruction, sent out to obliterate opposing troops until they incinerate altogether.

Nausea swept through me. Incinerate altogether. The memory of flames bursting through the door flared in my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced it away.

Breathe, Aura. Just breathe. So I had some similar traits to one of these so-called Novas. That didn’t mean anything. I just had to keep reading. There had to be another explanation.

“Drue’s father is extremely upset,” a low voice cut into my spiraling thoughts. It was familiar, but I couldn’t place it.

“So? He always has his panties in a twist about something.”

That voice I knew in an instant. The cool croon of Riven.

“Show a little respect, he’s been a loyal ally of mine,” King Zephyr snapped.

It was hearing his angry tone near Riven’s that allowed me to place it.

“He presses beyond his station,” Riven said.

The king was quiet for a moment. “Why do you say that?”

“He’s testing you. Seeing if you’ll do his bidding. All because his daughter is being trounced in her classes by a half-human.”

“That girl has been nothing but trouble from the moment she arrived. Trust me when I say it would be better for us all if she was removed from the school.”

Riven didn’t respond and his silence surprised me. I would’ve thought he would readily agree with his father. I scooted into the chair next to mine, trying to get a visual of the two men. If I leaned to the side, I could just make them out.

King Zephyr’s eyes narrowed on his son. “What do you know of her?”

Riven gave a casual shrug. “Nothing other than her power may be unstable.”

In a flash, King Zephyr shoved Riven up against the shelves, his head hitting one of them with a crack. “Don’t lie to me, you worthless piece of trash. I know you’ve been around her. Don’t forget I have eyes everywhere.”

Riven didn’t say a word and it only seemed to enrage King Zephyr more. He grabbed Riven by the throat and squeezed. “Answer me, boy!”

I was on my feet before I could consider the wisdom in it, running towards the pair. “Let him go!”

King Zephyr stumbled backward, releasing Riven. It wasn’t because I was intimidating, more so that I’d startled him. He quickly straightened. “You dare give me an order? Riven is my property. I could shred him to pieces right here and no one could say a thing.”

“Father,” Riven interrupted.

“Shut your worthless mouth.”

The sound of a cart and humming reached us. Quincy appeared with a look of surprise on his face. “Your Highnesses. Aura. So lovely to see you in the library. I was just restocking. Oh, that reminds me, King Zephyr, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Quincy kept right on going, taking King Zephyr’s arm and leading him away, all while asking him inane questions about an upcoming realm holiday. He was a master.

Riven stared at his father’s retreating form, not saying a word. It was only once King Zephyr disappeared did he turn in my direction. His eyes blazed with that blue heat. “What have you done?”

45

“He was strangling you. I had to do something.” I might’ve wanted to punch Riven at times, but did he really expect me to stand around while he was about to be killed?

“I had it under control,” he gritted out.

I couldn’t help but scoff. “Yeah, it really looked like you had things well in hand.”

“You don’t know him. You don’t know the kind of target you’ve just placed on your back. He’s already wary of you. This will make it so much worse.”

There was a hint of panic in Riven’s voice that had empathy washing through me. “He already has a target on my back.”