has already gone to Hireath once and returned with his life. Unless that was his ghost I saw stumbling around the capital a few days ago.”
“And judging by the fact that this offer is still on the table,” I seethed, “I’m guessing you also failed to kill him when you saw him last.”
Darrien’s shoulders stiffened, but he said nothing.
King Varek only smirked. “As you can see, he’s not so easy to kill.” With a drawn-out sigh, he waved his hand absently. “Which is why I’ll be needing both of you if we’re to eradicate this heretic and protect the sanctity of my throne.”
Schooling my rage into place, I nodded and played at reverence. “Of course.”
“Whatever gets Noc dead.” Darrien cracked his knuckles. “He’s been lording over that guild for far too long.”
“Tell me, Yazmin, exactly how many beasts do you have at your disposal?” King Varek leaned forward and pressed his elbows to his thighs.
A smile touched my lips. “More than you could possibly imagine. And the king of all beasts is within my reach. I just need protection until I can acquire him, and then it will be easy to keep Noc—Aleksander—from trying to take your throne.”
Eyes wide, his gaze dipped to the darkened symbol on my hand. It throbbed with power, and a familiar hunger claimed his gaze. He wanted what I could offer. All the kings and queens of Wilheim were prone to paranoia, thanks to Mavis’s unjust sacrifice. Such was the price for killing her and using her blood to create Sentinels. If Varek saw a chance to strengthen his forces, he’d take it. Even if the threat wasn’t real. Or better yet, even if the threat was standing right in front of him and he was just too blind to see it.
His malicious smile split his face in half. “I certainly believe we can work something out, my lady.”
My lady. I curtsied nonetheless, hiding my triumph beneath the sheet of blond hair that fell across my face.
He wouldn’t know what to do with a lady like me. And neither would the rest of Lendria when I used his armies to crush any opposition from atop the scaled back of Ocnolog. His crown, and all of Lendria, would be mine.
Just as Celeste had intended.
Bestiary
Asura
Pronunciation: ah-sur-ah
Rank: B-Class
Description: An Asura is the size of a small child, with an upright humanlike torso, cow legs, and a cow head. Its body is covered in tan hide, and it sports six humanlike arms. It also has ten milky-white eyes, which correspond to the number of hits that can be absorbed by its shield. When activating its impenetrable defensive shield, the Asura holds two hands palm up toward the heavens, two flat and parallel to the earth, and two pressed firmly against the ground. The invisible, bubble-like dome this creates can withstand any attack for up to ten hits. The number of closed eyes indicates the number of hits sustained at any point during the battle. Asura are slow to move and incapable of physical attacks. Their shields will remain intact if they travel with their Charmer, but since movement requires them to remove their lower two hands from the earth, this weakens the shield.
Taming: Taming an Asura takes considerable time. The Charmer must sit cross-legged before the beast, with arms extended outward, and activate charm. This position must be held for several hours while the Asura chews on wheatgrass and evaluates the Charmer’s power. If it finds the Charmer unsuitable, the Asura will walk away and become untamable for seven days.
Azad
Pronunciation: a-zad
Rank: C-Class
Description: Azad are small, mouse-like beasts with porcelain-colored fur and pearl-like eyes. They primarily reside in frozen landscapes, where food is scarce, and they will use their treasure-tracking powers to find their prize—grubs and grass. Their claws are incredibly sharp, and they can dig easily into frozen earth in search of food and to hibernate between feeds. Once tamed, Charmers can use their power to seek treasure of other types by communicating their desires to the beast.
Taming: Azads are incredibly hard to find, and only surface under the light of a full moon. While they’re used to eating grubs and grass, they’re particularly fond of fruit. Due to the frozen landscape in which they live, they rarely get to enjoy this treat. As such, if a Charmer wishes to tame an Azad, the easiest way to do so is to lure one out with fruit and wait under a full moon. Eventually, the scent will attract the beast.