Chaos Bound by L. Ryan Storms

Author:L. Ryan Storms [Storms, L. Ryan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: young adult;fantasy;teens;science fiction and fantasy;action;adventure
Publisher: Lorraine Storms
Published: 2022-06-14T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

The History of Tragedy

Reina

By the time we relayed the whole story to Mical, I had to convince him to unclench his fists. He practically seethed with fury.

“I knew she killed them. I just didn’t know how, and I couldn’t prove it.”

I glanced to Abi, then back to Mical, subtly reminding him that no matter how much he loathed Elodie and what she’d done to his friends in the guard, what she’d done to her own family was that much worse, and Abi was the one who suffered the brunt of the pain.

I didn’t elaborate on how Abigayle had escaped her sister’s wrath. I still didn’t know, and she offered nothing when we reached that portion of the tale, choosing instead to keep her mouth clamped tightly shut and her eyes downcast, feigning sudden interest in her palms.

“You have the replica diadem?”

I shook my head. “Not yet. Alesh will get it tomorrow before he…changes.”

It was why he hadn’t yet changed his own looks. We’d have no way to explain our sudden change in appearance to Djana, and we couldn’t risk that she might refuse to release the diadem to a hired messenger.

Mical nodded. “If I’m to go with you, if I’m to help make this happen, you’ll need to change me, too. My face is too familiar to the palace guards. Not all of them, of course, but to many.” He shot me a sheepish grin. “I owe a couple of them money. I’m sure they haven’t forgotten.”

“Very well,” Alesh agreed. “But should I die or should we fail, I cannot change it back.”

I swallowed, catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I wouldn’t have to worry about staying in this form. If Alesh died or we failed, I would be dead, too, and it would hardly matter what face adorned my corpse.

“Can you do it now?” he asked.

“So eager to change.” Alesh remarked.

It was Abi who stated the obvious. “He owes more than he’s let on. You’re in trouble, aren’t you?”

Mical licked his lips. “Yes, Little Grace, I am. Your father was right to cut me from the guard. I’m a liability. I go where the money flows, which isn’t necessarily a dreadful thing, unless one also happens to be a gambler, which…” He raised his hands in the air with a shrug.

“Very well. Sit.” Alesh’s tone signaled his displeasure with Mical’s admission.

Not that any of us were pleased. Aligning with someone like Mical spoke volumes of our desperation. We didn’t have the luxury of time on our side to recruit and select a reliable team. What we had was a mere handful of days, a gambling ex-guard, and an emperor-to-be who had likely not even started her first flow.

Saints, what had we gotten ourselves into?

When Alesh had finished altering him, Mical looked…more dashing than he had before.

“You could have made him ugly, you know,” Abi said with a pout. I was relieved she had spoken my thoughts aloud.

“I can only work with what is already there,” Alesh said, amused by Abi’s words.

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