A Rip of Realms (A Shade of Vampire #39)(29)

“Very well then,” the minister muttered. “Ash, we will anoint you emperor. Please understand this is a great undertaking. I hope you show more dignity than this…madman.” The minister directed his insult at Tejus. He rose slowly, painfully up from the floor, and then helped his friend to do the same.

“Move away from the basin,” the minister commanded, gesturing to the stone floor. We all backed up, giving the ministers some space.

“Shall I wake the others?” one said to the other.

“No, we will do it. Let them rest—let them arise in another time, a happier one than this, perhaps.”

I looked at Ruby, who shrugged.

How old are these sentries?

The ministers staggered toward us, stopping a few feet away. One of them bent down, placing his palm flat out on the stone. He closed his eyes, and as I watched, open-mouthed, his hand sank into the floor, disappearing from sight. A few moments later he pulled his arm back, holding the imperial staff, the crown, and a roll of parchment. He handed them to the second minister, who placed them carefully on the floor, the staff first.

“Are you ready, Ashbik of Hellswan, to do your duty for Nevertide?” the first minister asked.

“I am.” I swallowed.

I am not. I am not—not in a million years.

Ruby’s hand found mine, and our fingers entwined. I looked down at her and she gave me a reassuring smile. One of the ministers cleared his throat, and she let go of my hand, moving back to stand with Tejus and Hazel.

“This is the staff of Nevertide, a symbol of your leadership,” the minister intoned. “It represents the promise you are making today to protect each sentry, to protect each kingdom, to treat all as equal.”

I nodded, taking the staff in my hand. It was gold, and felt impossibly heavy — even more so than the replica scepters we had retrieved from the forest.

“This is the crown of Nevertide. It represents your position as head of all six kingdoms. You are responsible for their unity. You are their leader.”

The crown was placed on my head. It was heavy too…the staff and the crown felt like chains.

Am I losing Ruby?

The thought struck me suddenly, without warning.

The ministers continued speaking, informing me that the parchment was the irrefutable evidence of my decree. But all I could think about was her. Was this why Tejus had abandoned his crown? Had he chosen Hazel instead of this? I felt a million miles away from Ruby—the objects might have symbolized a lot to the ministers, but to me they just represented the divide between Ruby’s world and mine. For some reason, I looked up toward Tejus. His eyes met mine for the briefest moment, and then he looked down at the floor, avoiding me. Hazel’s hand was tightly clasped in his. Suddenly everything became blindingly obvious. He had chosen her. My heart broke into a million pieces. I hadn’t realized—I hadn’t thought this through. I hadn’t understood the consequences.

I am a fool.

I have lost everything.

The staff, the crown, the parchment, they were chains tying me to Nevertide.

“Well done, Ash.” Ruby turned to me. The crowning was obviously over, but I hadn’t listened to a word they had said.

“How do you feel?” she prompted.

“Great,” I replied, my throat tight.

“You’ll get Nevertide back on its feet. I believe in you, Ash.” She grinned, completely misunderstanding my demeanor.

“Yeah.” I tried to smile.

“Let’s go,” Tejus muttered, looking uncomfortable. “Shall we take the ministers with us?” he asked, deferring the decision to me for the first time since I had been crowned king.

“Let’s do it.” I nodded.

I didn’t care either way. I didn’t care in the slightest.





Ruby





Hazel and I gave up our bull-horses to the Impartial Ministers. Even after everything they’d done, I kind of felt bad for them. It might have been because they looked like they were going to keel over and die at any moment, but I also felt that Tejus had been effective enough in making them come at least partway to their senses. They wouldn’t be crossing us again in a hurry—accidentally or otherwise.

“Where to now?” I asked as we made our way back down the narrow path. I was riding on the back of Ash’s bull-horse, and turned my head to see Tejus and Hazel behind me.

“We should get to Hellswan castle as swiftly as possible. Ash?” Tejus deferred again, and I gave Hazel a bemused look. It was the weirdest thing to see Tejus checking in with the man I’d previously heard him refer to as the ‘Kitchen King.’

“I agree, though we should get more of us to help. Let’s go via the palace and get help. I don’t suppose finding it is going to be an easy task,” Ash muttered.

“Absolutely,” Tejus replied.

Ash pulled the bull-horse to a stop, turned around and glared at Tejus. “Stop it,” he barked.

Stop what? Was Tejus’s deferral making Ash uncomfortable?

Tejus nodded sullenly. “Fine. As we were, then.”

What? I didn’t really understand why Ash would have a problem with Tejus acknowledging his new position—if anything I’d thought he would have wanted it, would have reveled in Tejus bowing down to him. I frowned as Ash spurred on the bull-horse. He had been acting strange ever since he was crowned, and through the ceremony, like he wasn’t listening to a word that the Impartial Ministers had been saying. This was what he’d always wanted, wasn’t it?