A Rip of Realms (A Shade of Vampire #39)(30)

“Ash,” I said, leaning my head against his back, “are you okay? You seem to be…distracted.”

“I’m fine, Shortie, don’t worry. It’s just a bit strange, that’s all.”

“As long as that’s all it is?”

“Yeah.” He squeezed my hands that were clasped around his waist. “That’s all it is.”

I only felt half reassured. There was something in his tone that made me think his sentiments weren’t exactly true. Then again, it wasn’t like I’d ever been crowned emperor of a country—how the hell would I know how he felt? There must have been a million thoughts going through his head right now, and it wasn’t as if Nevertide was in good shape. Ash would have hardships ahead of him. We all would.

The journey passed without incident. The Impartial Ministers didn’t say a word. Ash asked them if they needed a break at one point, but they shook their heads, muttering something about not slowing us down. I realized that we didn’t even know their names. It was something we would have to remedy later…especially if they were going to be staying at the palace with us.

The return journey felt a lot shorter, and soon the towers of the palace broke through the treetops in the distance.

“What’s that noise?” Hazel asked as we approached the muddy path that would lead to the grounds.

“Damn!” Ash hissed, spurring the bull-horse onward. Tejus’s horse started to canter as well, coming to ride side by side with ours. A moment later, I could hear the thundering of hooves from the Impartial Ministers’ mounts as well.

“What’s going on?” I yelled.

“The other kingdoms,” Ash yelled back.

I didn’t get more of an answer than that, but I didn’t need one. A few seconds later, we were on the lawn of the palace, which was completely covered with yelling, rowdy sentries.

Benedict and Julian!

Without a doubt, these sentries weren’t gathered here for any purpose other than revenge and taking their frustrations out on someone they could hold accountable…

They were so intent on screaming toward the palace that none of them noticed our presence.

“Do something!” Tejus barked at the Impartial Ministers. “They need to know! We need to stop them before this gets out of hand!”

The Impartial Ministers kicked their bull horses ahead of us, taking the lead. A few sentries fell silent at their approach, and the effect fell across the rest of the crowd—one by one, the villagers, ministers and guards stopped hurling insults and the crowd parted to let us through.

“Oh, my God!” I cried out as I saw Benedict standing, frozen, at the opposite end of the lawn, a mean-looking young sentry holding a scythe to his throat. The offender dropped his weapon as the Impartial Ministers approached. He stood back from Benedict, glaring at us.

“All silent for the emperor of Nevertide!” the ministers announced. “All silent for Emperor Ashbik!”

Absolute silence descended. Hazel clambered off her horse and rushed toward Benedict, holding him in a tight embrace. Her soft mutterings were the only sound that came from the lawn.

A moment later, I heard rustling coming from behind me—then next to us—then from every single part of the lawn as each soul gathered in front of the palace began to kneel.

“Oh, Ash,” I whispered.

It was the most moving sight I’d ever seen. I could hardly believe that the Ash I knew—the boy who had rescued me from a dank cellar with a cart of vegetables, who had slept in a makeshift bed buried deep within the Hellswan castle, who had faced defeat after defeat—was witnessing the survivors of all six kingdoms bowing down to him in reverence and respect.

Tingles ran throughout my body and I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I vowed I would remember this moment forever. Every time I thought something was impossible—when my grandchildren thought something was impossible—I would be reminded of this moment. The day a kitchen boy became an emperor.

“Rise!” Ash barked, following the Impartial Ministers in the direction of the palace. “Someone tell me what’s going on here!”

The crowd did as they’d been commanded, and as we waited by the porch, a minister stumbled forward from the crowd.

“Your imperial highness.” He bowed. “Forgive us, but we wanted answers. Our kingdoms have been destroyed, our rulers killed—the human boy tells us that Queen Trina is to blame, but many suspected Tejus…” He trailed off.

Ash disembarked from the horse and then turned to help me down.

“What kingdom are you from?” he asked the minister.

“Hadalix, your highness.”

Ash nodded.

“The human boy is right—but we face a greater danger than Queen Trina; the entity, an unknown threat to us all, rises, and we will not survive if we do not unite.”

Benedict sighed from behind me. “That’s what I said,” he muttered.

“Your highness, with all due respect,” the minister continued, “we have not managed to unify in the whole of Nevertide’s history—what makes you think we will be able to accomplish such a thing now?”

“He’s right!” piped up another sentry from the crowd. “There’s never been harmony between the kingdoms—and that’s been mostly the fault of the Hellswans!”