All the Stars and Teeth(94)
Bastian’s the first one I see, his sword drawn. He may not have it pointed at Kaven—whose stance is unbothered and face expressionless—but venom masks the pain in his eyes, and I know he won’t hesitate to use it if he has to. Vataea mirrors his protective stance while Ferrick crouches at the lip of the cavern, impatiently waiting.
When Ferrick sees me, his shoulders sag in visible relief and he steps forward to grab me in a swift embrace. “By the gods, you were in there forever.”
Though I want to sink into the warmth of a familiar body and relax until the fog of my brain clears, I force myself to ease away from him.
“I’m fine,” I say shakily, turning my attention to Kaven.
He watches with keen eyes, brows furrowed. “Do you believe what you saw?”
I nod to let Kaven know the truth. “I do.”
He doesn’t smile or gloat like I thought he might. He only says, “My grandfather found that knife buried in Arida’s sand years ago. He brought it back to Zudoh with him, but was too much of a coward to do anything with it. My father inherited it on Grandfather’s deathbed; King Audric had just taken the throne, and Grandfather wanted his son to share the truth with the king and the kingdom. But my father was weak and cowardly, just like him. I found the knife in his study years ago.”
Bastian practically roars. “You don’t get to talk about our father, Kaven. You killed him!”
“He was a coward,” Kaven spits. “He wanted to keep this a secret from the world.”
“He kept it a secret so Visidia didn’t end up like it is now.” Bastian holds his sword tight while Kaven folds his arms across his chest, a deep viciousness in his eyes.
“What King Cato did was wrong,” I say as I move between them. “But this is not the way to fix his mistakes, or my father’s.” I dig my nails into my palms until my hands steady. Should one of the brothers make a move, I can’t be dwelling on Sira’s curse. I need to be ready to fight.
“The king has known the truth for years, Princess,” Kaven says, and the words stab sharp as daggers between my ribs. “I showed him the blade, willing to compromise if he told everyone the truth. But the king is yet another coward, just like Cato and my father. In his fear, he had half of our population destroyed in an attempt to stop us from asking the wrong questions or forming the wrong ideas. I assume you saw the ash on our sand? It’s from the trees your father had burned by Valukan soldiers. The bones on the shore? They were casualties of a war started by him. All to silence us.”
I think back to the ash on the shore. The bones. The ring of algae so thick it looked like tar. All of it was caused by Father.
If he truly knew about our magic, then the man I thought I knew so well has turned out to be a perfect stranger. Father was a coward to leave so many people here to suffer in Zudoh, just so he didn’t have to face the truth of our history.
My hands curl into hard fists as I press them against my sides.
No one back home seems to know the truth about Cato. The stories about him are always so proud—he’s thought to be a powerful animancer who was able to establish a kingdom and revive our population while we were on the brink of destruction. He had each island represent only one magic, to help the kingdom repopulate without temptation or greed.
But in reality, he was nothing short of a coldhearted murderer who sought to weaken others for his own glory. And if there’s truth in Kaven’s words, Father’s following in his steps.
He didn’t keep me on Arida to protect me. He kept me there so that I’d never learn the truth: he destroyed Zudoh to keep them from rising up. And he didn’t want me to ever find out.
My chest is so tight I can hardly breathe. Every revelation is another blow that fights to knock me back, but for now, I must remain standing. This is no time to drop my guard.
“What makes you think you’re any different than Cato?” I ask Kaven. “You’re destroying lives for the sake of your own beliefs, just as he did.”
Kaven only shakes his head. “I want to fix the damage he’s created, and lead this kingdom on a new path.” Every word he speaks becomes sharper than the last, more forceful. “If a few lives must be sacrificed for that, then so be it. Aridian magic doesn’t have to be a vicious weapon. You’ve seen the reasons it lashes out. But I can help you. We can fix your magic, and restore this kingdom to what it was meant to be.”
Bastian bristles beside me.
“With you as Visidia’s king, I assume?” I keep my eyes firm on Kaven’s, whose words cause my chest to knot. Restoring Visidia is what I’ve wanted all along, but Kaven doesn’t seek restoration, he seeks vengeance. My family may be responsible for originally destroying this kingdom, but that in no way makes him its salvation.
“Yes, if that’s what they want to call me.” He says it so simply. “I will be their leader into a better future. And it starts with the Montara blood—it starts with your father. If you care about the future of Visidia as you claim, you will help me.”
“You’re right that the curse needs to be broken,” I admit. “But I’ll find another way. So long as there’s air in my lungs, Kaven, you will never rule Visidia.”
“You should rethink your position while you still have the chance.” Kaven’s voice rises as he takes a step closer. “The Montaras aren’t meant to rule. Cato was a liar and a cheat who separated the kingdom for his own gain, and your father is a coward who burned our ships and exiled us here. You can be better than them, Princess. Step down, stand by my side, and we can restore soul magic to what it should be.”