XLVI

Something Is Wrong

Orion

Ovion is the God of Sun, Light, Day, and of course, Fire. It is said that his parents are Demis and Aphion, the Queen and King of the Gods, and that he's the youngest triplet in his family. Ovion is married to his sister-wife, Oxrena, and to his brother-husband, Odos. Ovion has one daughter, Vuna, with his wife, Oxrena. Since the Revolution Leaders came to power, it was always said that Red Blaze and Black Soul would get along so well since it was a father-daughter of Immortal-protected Kingdoms. Apparently the Maester who wrote that line in the History books was drunk off his ass.

The rumors are not true, Ovion is not the father of the Kardos line. He saw the potential in my grandmother, Endellion Kardos; that she would be the perfect fit for running the future Kingdom of Red Blaze, no more need for the Kingdom of Rudieven. Everyday I live with the pressure of the promise and deal that was made with the God of Fire. Being named Orion was no accident, although he was a popular hunter back in the days when they spoke Eaqish in Silver Air, it was no accident that my name was closely spelled like Ovion. My father told me so. A fitting name for the Heir who carries just a pinch of Ovion's power.

'Orion!' Nyíl snaps at me in my mind and reminds me that we are very much in a mountain range near Sanseong. We barely missed tumbling into a peak of a mountain and he's cursing me out to the Gods. He's cussing me out in Draconei, and he isn't trying to be subtle about it, at all.

'Shit, sorry, Nyíl. I'll pay better attention.' I tell him, and we veer towards the right, circling back towards Sanseong. I look down at my pocket watch and I know we need to head back to the Castle. It's 10:42 am, and it's going to take two hours to get back to the Castle, and I already know that lunch will be ready just in time.

'What troubles you, fire one?' Nyíl's voice comes through, it's not laced with annoyance like it was a minute ago, but concern. I know Pluto and the others think that something has to be wrong with Nyíl since he bonded with me, but even if they believe that, Nyíl and I know better.

'Something feels off. My skin doesn't feel right.' I tell him, being honest. My skin itches, but even if I scratch it, it's like my fire is itching, and my bones have an itch that I can't reach, no matter how hard I try. Even if I tore my skin open and scratched my bones, that itch would still be there.

'Shall I go faster, Orion?' He asks me and I look forward to the open sky, knowing we still have a long journey ahead of us.

'Azkarrago.' I tell him the word faster in Draconei, and Nyíl takes my command to heart. I can feel the beat of his wings, every breath, and every thunderous beat of his heart underneath my thighs that are strapped on the saddle of Nyíl's back. Nyíl lets out a nasty roar before Nyíl takes his speed to a whole new level. A level that I didn't know even existed before today.

Nyíl and I made our arrival in an hour, I was sliding down his front left leg, and landing on my feet. I hand him off to one of the Stable Hands, and walk off back into the Castle. I walk through the back, and Nova is there watching everybody's every move. Unlike Pluto, this isn't home, this isn't coming home for either of us, we are on edge. We've heard the stories, we've heard the nightmares that have plagued the mind of my mother every night, even though we act like we don't hear the screams. Like we don't hear the shushing and consoling that my father has to give as well.

"Lunch is ready, they served it about 40 minutes ago, where have you been?" Nova asks me, always questioning, always watching everybody's move, and always stuck to a routine. Everything has its place, everything has a time, and everybody always had a motive, at least to Nova. The day I understood my sister would be the day that I've gone clinically insane. Today is not that day.

"Flying. I got up at dawn and have been flying ever since, I just didn't realize how far I went." I tell my sister and sit down at the dining room table with her that everybody else left.

"Pluto and Jaejin missed lunch, and they aren't in their rooms, either." Nova explains to me as she gives me the bowl of food that is left for me. It's glass noodles with beef and some vegetables. It's not my usual stew that I'm used to but I don't hate it.

"Pluto missed lunch?" I ask her and she nods in response, "And they aren't in their rooms either?" I am confused. Why would they miss breakfast and lunch? Last time they were missing out on meals was when they were in a mating frenzy, I was surprised it only lasted a day. Most mating frenzies lasted a full week, but too much has been on our plate for them to fully enjoy it. Mates. Royal borns always found their Mates especially, it was more uncommon against the common people, but since we have to continue our "blessed" family line, Aphion always wrote our bonds in our souls the moment we were born. She wasn't the Goddess of Love for nothing.

"That's what I said." Nova rolled her eyes at me, and I wanted to hit her in the back of the head but I choose my battles when it comes to my little sister.

"Where's Minjun Cha?" I ask, and my appetite is gone. I don't feel the need for food, thankfully I was able to finish more than half of it but the thought makes me feel uneasy.

"I don't know. Ask his General." Nova snaps and I grab her shoulders, staring at her in those hazel eyes that make me want to throttle her. The same eyes that are the reason that I need to be asking where Minjun is. The same eyes of my murdered grandfather that I never got the chance to meet.

"General Kardos, I am going to ask you again. Where the fuck is Minjun Cha?" I snap at her, and I can see the horror in those murky eyes of hers. She can't scramble out of her seat fast enough, she's yelling Notian at some of  the  guards, and she switches to Embery, mad that she had to switch languages in the first place. I am out of my seat next, and I am off to find my parents. I am  barging into every room, and I can feel my heart beating faster with each empty room. I run out of the back of the castle and to the tree farm that Queen Haeun has. The trees are brown and orange, the flowers already falling to the ground. The rose scent still hangs in the air, but it's dying with every fall. Every blow of wind. My parents are talking to Queen Haeun in the middle of the orchard, talking at the intricate marble fountain that has a statue of the first Queen of Black Soul.

"Orion?" My mother asks and she sees my eyes, "My son, what is going on?" She's talking in Notian, coming up to me, and grabbing my biceps as I tower over my mother. She's looking up at me with wide blue eyes, and her mouth is pursed. My mother. My mother. She's safe. Safe. Above ground, and not trapped here. It would be my fault, I just had to-

"Mamá." I croak and she looks even more puzzled, and I can hear Nova's boots hitting the dirt behind me.

"Ama." She says, out of breath, and takes a deep exhale. Same, Nova. Same.

"What in Odos' hell is going on?" My father demands us and Nova shakes her head when she looks at me. This is my father's worst nightmare and I don't want to be the one to break it to him, but I'm the heir, and this is the burden I must carry.

"We can't find Pluto or Jaejin, Aita." I tell my father and my father just smiles.

"Did you check their rooms? Maybe the stables? Orion, Red Blaze might be your home but this is Pluto's home." He shakes his head and I pinch the bridge of my nose, taking a deep breath. I'm not ready to shatter my father or my mother but it has to be done because there's no telling what is happening to Pluto right now.

"Minjun Cha isn't to be found either, father." I tell him and he sucks in a breath. I watch the same torture enter my father's eyes again that was blown out by Jaejin when my mother was returned to us. Except what I wasn't expecting was my father's fire to come back to life. His whole body bursted into flames, but the red fire that I am used to is not there, it's the hottest fire, it's a blue fire. My father marches to Haeun and guards seem to notice, but I don't think my father cares at the moment. Minjun broke the treaty the moment he took my little brother.

"Where is he?" Lucijan seethes, and even his eyes change into a yellow feline eye. He's tapping into Kos' magic.

"Lucijan, what is going on?" My mother asks and my sister pulls my mother to the side, telling her  what is going on. My mother's knees buckle and  my sister has to keep her standing. "You give me my son! I forgave you when you knew what your husband was doing to me, but my son? You give me my fucking son, Haeun Cha!" My mother tries to march up to Haeun and then I see from the corner of my eye, it's the Law Keeper of Black Soul, Chaenyeol. The one Jaejin and Pluto warned us about. He draws his sword out and I grab mine out, clashing it with him before he has the chance to swing at my father. I kick the old man to the ground and point the tip of my blade at his throat.

"What's going on? What are you talking about? Chanyeol!" Haeun asks, and she actually looks confused, and worried.

"Jaejin and Pluto are missing. So is your husband. Figure it out." My father snaps and Haeun shakes her head.

"Chanyeol, where is the King? Tell them that he is not where they think he is!" Haeun yells at him and Chanyeol's top lip just lifts in a snarl. I snarl back, and I decide to light my blade on fire, watching Chanyeol's dark eyes fill up with terror. Death by fire. I've come back from it, but I can't say the same for Chanyeol.

"Astraea knows where he is." Is the only thing he says before I am being pushed aside. My father grabs Chanyeol's shirt and brings him up to eye level, the same blazing blue fire that still burns so brightly. Haeun lets out a sob and Astraea is yelling at her, behind us.

"You kill me, and Jaejin will kill you. It's in his blood. The cycle will continue as it should, a Kallis whore and a Kardos bastard shall never be safe." Chanyeol snarls and that's the last line that comes out of his mouth. My father lights the bastard on fire, and pulls out his spine, not even hesitating. Even when the blood splatters on his neck, and I've never seen a rage inside of my father before.

"He'll forgive me alright." My father's fire dies down to where the fire only encases his hands.

"Mamá, where did Minjun keep you?" My sister asks and we bolt towards the castle, following my mother. Haeun is keeping up with my mom but I forget that Haeun blindly followed her Mate, not caring about the lives they destroyed in their path. We take turns, we go downstairs, and a single guard doesn't do anything. Not when the Queen is with us on a mission. My father's rage is one thing, but it's nothing compared to the fury that is on the two mother's faces.

"In there." Astraea says and I don't think twice but Nova beats me to it. She uses her wind to blow the door down, and we watch it fall backwards into the room. It's not a pretty scene and I don't know where to look first. I can smell the metallic that hangs in the air and I look for Pluto first. He's hanging up on the wall by his wrists by steel and chains. He has a busted lip, a black eye, and I can see the slices of a dagger on his midsection, along with the dagger that is deep into his thigh. Then the scene playing out in front of me leaves me breathless.

"Worthless." Minjun Cha spits at his son, his only born son, and his heir. He's choking Jaejin out, and up in the air. Jaejin has took most of the injuries, he makes Pluto look like he barely got touched. There's slices on his midsection, a dagger in his shoulder, his leg, and if I am correct, his father's whip lashed the hell out of his back. That's the blood we can smell. I can't think. I can't move. All I can hear is Jaejin choking on his own blood and the scream that leaves my baby brother's throat.