Imperial (Insight #8)(11)

Mazing should have known from the first flash of fever with that line that it was more than likely a ploy. I would have told her as much if she had come to me with this confession.

Instead, she and Colton met in secret. I assume that Xavier had no idea at first, but I have no doubt that soon after he discovered this treason he declared that Colton would be coupled with a petal, simply because the timing for that announcement was too perfect for my liking.

Petals were near the lower end of the line. They knew they were Escorts, had served bravely for a few lifetimes, and were beginning to blossom into a name we would claim and use at our will. The only class below them was mists. Those were the youngest Escorts. In most cases, they didn’t know of their heritage and were blindly living out other courses of their existence—never really knowing why they didn’t seem to fit in. Square peg, round hole.

Coupling a First with a petal was an ostentatious move. It stated that Xavier was openly breeding his line. Forced fate is a dangerous game to play within any race.

Like I said before, we cannot carry children, but our essence is our power. Any blast of deliberate power or energy from a sovereign extends their line. Those in our kingdom can extend our line as well, but it is more complex than when we do so. First and foremost, they must be coupled. It takes the power of two to bring forth one.

When Escorts that are coupled produce a fever that has the slightest tinge of a rush—their essences create a ‘bloom’: Escorts born human, only to be claimed later in time. The claim must come from the sovereign, which is why we must approve all couplings. Without our approval, the newborn Escorts will live troubled lives, to say the least. They will feel what they are but never clearly see or understand it. Some have even been known to blindly fight against the race of Escorts.

Rarely have our lines chosen to disobey the laws of our race. Therefore, strength and vitality were built into our immortal race.

Because the Petal, Cadence, if I remember correctly, was younger and was chosen to couple with a First, there was no doubt she would not only have a fever for Colton but also a near instant bloom. Maybe not a powerful bloom, but creation would occur. Colton’s energy would ensure those newborns would rise quickly. Along with their insatiable hunger.

Now, I knew this was occurring, all of the sovereigns knew it was occurring, obviously Colton knew it was occurring…but Mazing did not.

One night she went to Colton, and in the end she was the one that was in shock. A distress that I felt at my core so intensely, it brought me to my knees.

That night, Colton didn’t confess to Mazing that he had been chosen to couple with another. No, if he had, I’m sure I’d still be alive. Instead, Mazing caught them together. She found Cadence in his bed, heard him whisper the same words to her that she had heard the night before, watched him caress her skin in the same exact way that he always touched her.

Catching your fever cheating on you is not nearly as bad as knowing that the words you thought were sacred to you were nothing more than verses used to get you right where he wanted you. I’m sure the fact that she was a petal didn’t help the matter.

Mazing lashed out, as anyone in her case would do, only she was born with lethal capability.

I understand that she broke twenty-four bones in his vessel, which was not really a big deal. We heal at the speed of light and only feel the pain for an hour or so afterward. Mazing didn’t stop there. With her nails she carved her name across his broad chest, the ‘M’ started at his shoulder, and the ‘G’ finished just above the opposite hipbone. She then poured her essence of wrath into the wound, causing it to scar for the rest of his existence. She was on her way to clawing out his eyes when Xavier’s guards overpowered her.

Mazing had permanently damaged the First in Xavier’s line. A declaration of war whether she’d intended it or not.

What I found odd about the entire event was that Cadence never made one move to stop Mazing. I mean that told me she was smart, that she knew it would only take one blow from Mazing to send her back to her low level rank in pieces. But still, she didn’t call for a guard or plead for Colton’s life or anything. Instead, she provoked Mazing. Long after Colton lost the will to speak, she continued her taunt, telling Mazing exactly how Colton had touched her, what words he had said.

It almost made you wonder what her motives were. Why she would provoke the death of a soul that would have forevermore pulled her from the status of a petal.

I’ll give you one thing—Colton had nerve. Once he recovered, he came to me, told me what my soul already knew—what happened and where to find Mazing. He was prepared to help me plot her escape. I declined.

If I took his offer, it would have meant that I was claiming him as my own, which put not only my line at risk, but any and all of our descendants. Not to mention he was from the line of shock. Couldn’t trust a damn word that came out of his mouth. The lot of them were gifted manipulators causing you to look in one direction as the world around you fell apart.

I glanced to my side to find Mazing’s waiting auburn eyes. We had never discussed this incident. There was no reason to. My mind’s eye showed me, in flashes, what had occurred during that deadly fight. Scolding her or lashing out was pointless. I knew she felt guilt, pain, and regret. Emotions I knew all too well.

“Glory. Something isn’t right,” she said in a hushed whisper as she glanced at the level of The Realm we were leaving.