Dawn of Ash (Imdalind, #6)(10)

“What did you do?” I asked my father again, the same volatile anger grinding through my tone.

Sain looked at me, his eyes pushed open wide, his mouth agape as he shook his head, looking to those around him in loss and confusion. “I didn’t do anything, darling.”

Darling? That was a new addition to his repertoire.

It boiled my blood.

“Are you okay?” For the first time, Sain seemed genuinely concerned, but I knew better. “What can I do?”

Stay calm, Jos. I am right here. I am with you. You can face him. Be who you are. Handle him like the queen you are.



“You can tell me what you did.” I tried to keep my voice calm, tried to sound diplomatic. I wasn’t sure either worked. “With the sights. First the Vil?s, that attack last month, and now this. What did you do?”

I was getting angry again, and Ryland sensed it, his hold increasing. Meanwhile, Ilyan’s magic picked up, trying frantically to help.

“I did nothing. The sight was broken with the choices you made, dear child. It is one of the Zlomeny now. I have explained this all before.” There it was, the same excuse he had used for months—my sight was broken. I was seeing things that could never be. My lack of ability had somehow infected his perfect sight. It was how he had gotten away with everything: lying about the Vil? attack, with every broken sight since. “Perhaps, if you cannot control your power, you are not fit to be a Drak.”

I lost it.

Lightning shot from my fingers as I jutted toward the old man, a scream breaking from my lips. Ryland clung to me as he pulled me back, the force of his action calming me as everyone took a step back, several ready to turn and run.

“The power is too much for you,” he continued, standing still before me as though nothing had happened. “I am worried of the risk you are putting us all in.”

“I am not—”

“Even your behavior is not fit for what you are. I stand by what I said before: ‘You are going to kill us all.’ You must learn to control yourself.”

“Sain!” I yelled, but he said nothing more before turning and walking away. More than half the people surrounding him followed him like sheep. The other half lagged behind for barely a moment before they, too, turned away.

I tried one last time to escape Ryland’s hold, but he held on, his hands clasped one over the other like he was going to wrestle me to the floor, something I was sure he had very seriously considered. He had done it plenty of times before, after all.

“What was all that about?” he asked, his voice tense, as everyone around us began to leave.

“What was what about?” I growled as I finally shook him off, both of us knowing Sain was long gone, and I wasn’t stupid enough to follow him.

“Oh, I dunno … you screaming that the barrier was down and then trying to attack your father—”

“Don’t call him that.” I turned to him, my teeth grinding together, hating the familiarity he gave me.

I hated the way he continually glanced at the chain around my neck. It was almost enough to make me want to take it off. Almost.

“The barrier was down,” I growled, folding my arms over my chest in a move that was all too familiar for him. It was taking everything in him not to smile, but I still saw his lip twitch. “I saw it.”

“I’m not saying you didn’t.” Ryland dragged his hand through his curls, his blue eyes growing dark for a minute.

I recoiled, the resemblance to his father making me uncomfortable. Luckily, Ryland didn’t seem to notice.

“It’s just…”

“What?”

“Is what Sain is saying true? About your magic? About you?”

I blinked, my jaw clenching. I hadn’t expected that.

“I wouldn’t believe all the garbage Sain spews,” I spat, taking a step in full expectation of continuing down the hallways as though nothing had happened.

“But he’s your father.”

“I told you not to call him that, Ry. You of all people should know how I feel about him.” I stopped dead, a small bubble of hurt forming in the pit of my stomach as I turned to him. His eyes had an odd mix of hard and sad. “You had a crappy father, too.”

“Sain is my friend—”

“Ryland!” Ryland’s rebuttal was interrupted by an overexcited voice, accompanied by the loud sound of steps from behind us as we were bombarded by Ryland’s protégé and full-time shadow. The eagerness of the child spread over his face in a smile that squished the kiss on his cheek together until it looked like a burn.

He was as excited as he always was. That was, until he caught sight of me, and his smile faded to something akin to horror, his youthful eyes wide, lanky limbs freezing in place. Then everything about him was more irritating than endearing.

I guessed gossip traveled faster than I thought.

Thanks, Dad.

“Hello, Jaromir,” I cooed, hoping it would take the edge off, but he took a step back, his eyes widening more if that was possible.

Jaromir looked between Ryland and me like a confused child trying to gauge which parent to side with and, instead, chose to stay still, an odd expression twisting his face as he tried to communicate nonverbally with Ry.

“I would pick who your friends are more carefully,” I whispered to Ry, my focus refusing to leave the kid, who was looking more scared by the minute.