Discordant Note | TBATE

Chapter 137: Under the Moonlit Stars

Toren Daen

I stepped out into the night sky, feeling the warmth of the ballroom abandon me as the chill night air took its place. My assimilated physique–crossed with that of part-phoenix–shrugged off the cold as if it wasn't there. And a deeper part of myself felt a flow of warmth from somewhere else.

Renea Shorn stood by the balcony railing, her delicate pale hands resting on the balustrade. The full moon smiled down on her, casting a shimmering silver light over her almost petite form. Her midnight black dress drank in that silver greedily, the lines and furls demanding my attention. Flashes of deep purple accented the elegant dress, and I felt she looked more regal than any of the highbloods within. Her bangs shadowed her eyes as I pushed myself forward, leaning on the railing a few feet away.

We were in the Central Dominion in the heart of the country, well east of Cardigan City. Small mountains dotted with forests meandered in the distance, sloping in easy flows. A stream cut through the estate, a gurgle of quiet water barely perceptible to my ears. From the balcony's elevated position, I could see a near-endless expanse.

And towering above it, stretching to either side as far as the eye could see, were the powerful peaks of the Basilisk Fang Mountains. I spotted the famous smoking Mount Nishan, the volcanic mount belching its simmering discontent into the atmosphere. They dwarfed even the small mountains around us, seeming to project their majesty as Varadoth enforced his strength. Each peak looked like the spike of a crown.

And if they are a crown, I thought, Who is the king?

Renea's gaze was locked north, her eyes contemplatively tracing the massive spears of the Fangs.

"Have you ever thought about the High Sovereign's home?" she asked me, not turning away from her inspection. "Taegrin Caelum; the mighty fortress of Agrona Vritra himself."

I locked my fingers together as I peered at the shadowed mountains. Far in the distance, my final quarry waited. Nico Sever trained there under Melzri and Viessa Vritra, slowly honing himself to try and bring his old love to this world. After High Vicar Varadoth's questions regarding the reason for my strength, I'd found myself subconsciously contemplating my enemies.

"I think about that mountain more often than I care to admit," I said. What was Agrona doing up there? Did he know of my presence yet? I didn't think so. While he'd ignored Arthur's meteoric rise, thinking him beyond his plans, Lady Dawn was an escaped prisoner. A lost game piece. I didn't think Agrona's ego could handle me running free. And if I were suddenly discovered, what risks would I take to escape? Who would be hurt in the aftermath? "Those mountains cast a shadow larger than any other on this world."

Renea exhaled through her nose. She wore no mask, unlike everyone else in the ballroom. Her pale skin seemed to shine as the starlight kissed her face, making her deep red lips burn starkly. A thin streak of dark eyeshadow drew my eyes back to hers.

"They stretch so tall," Renea said, a complicated cast to her tone. "Higher than anything there is. Higher than I could ever reach." Her hands clenched tightly around the banister. "When High Vicar Varadoth asked you why you strove for power, you didn't tell the full truth, did you?" she asked, finally turning to look at me slightly. Her lashes seemed to split the light like blades.

"I told him what he wanted to hear. I told him the truth, of course, but only part of it." I brushed a hand against the burnished steel mask on my face. "I wore a mask."

"And what did you hold back from him?" Renea inquired, her face slightly pursed in focus. "What is underneath that mask of yours?" she pushed, sounding nearly insistent.

"I grow strong not just for the sake of killing," I said with an exhale. "There are those I wish to protect as well. You know this, don't you?" I asked, cocking my head at the austere dark-haired mage. "It is what caused our first clash of wills, way back in East Fiachra."