Reyah sat as still as water, her entire being focused within herself. She watched with a slight frown as June's True Soul swirled within her Vampiric Core. This was the first time experiencing a True Soul from a Divine being in such a manner.
She had grown up around her grandmother, another Divine being, but that was before she became a Vampire. And after being freed from thrallhood, her family had exiled her. She had become a stain on the name De' Altan, a living reminder that even a member of the most illustrious house of Kallimvor could fall to corruption.
Tentatively, she took June's True Soul and cycled it within her Vampiric Core. Just that alone sent tingles throughout her body, especially her erogenous zones. Magnified while meditating, the sensation damn near drew a release from her.
Her eyes flew open, and she fought to control her breathing, which had become heavy and ragged.
"Damn the Matron Mother," she grumbled.
The pleasure that accompanied Cultivating as a Vampire was nothing new. But the intensity that came with June's True Soul—it was beyond what she had expected.
Keyvarah's voice from behind her nearly startled her heart out of her chest. "Wonderful, isn't it? The magnificence of June's Soul Essence and Energy. Although I do find it quite curious as to why it's combined into a single source."
Reyah slowly turned to face Keyvarah and found Keyvarah's eyes locked on her. "Would you happen to know why, Reyah De' Altan?"
She just glared at her, eliciting a light laugh. "I suppose I'll continue to assume that June's in the Divine Realm then."
Reyah's eyes bulged for a moment before she hid it, but it wasn't fast enough as a sly smile spread across Keyvarah's face. "So he is a Divine being."
"Piss off," Reyah snarled before returning to Cultivating.
She slowed her breathing, preparing herself for the onslaught of physical stimulation she was about to endure. Diving into herself once more, she gazed upon her Vampiric Core and June's True Soul.
With a deep breath, she cycled his True Soul and ignored the tingling sensation running through her body. She remained like that, letting the feeling wash over her body until it was but distant waves.
Once she became accustomed to it, she cycled his True Soul into her Essence and Energy Cores. Heat built within her, especially between her legs. The euphoria that slammed into her nearly knocked her out of her Cultivation.
Gritting her teeth, she refocused on Cultivating. But that didn't help one bit. With great effort not to surrender to the feeling, she bit the inside of her cheek, hard. Blood filled her mouth as she focused on the pain to minimize the pleasure coursing through her.
It helped, just barely, as her Essence and Energy Cores brimmed with power.
There she remained in a perpetual state of Cultivation, biting her cheek to dull the stimulation. Until a distant crack of thunder, followed by the building shaking, drew her from her meditation.
"What was that?" she asked, wild-eyed.
Her gaze fell on Keyvarah, who stared out the window. "There's only one person I can think of who is capable of doing that."
"June," Reyah finished.
But just who could he be fighting? Were the Divine Mother or Lord there in Revelcroft? Impossible. The scale of the battle would affect all of Yvestar, not just Revelcroft, if they were the ones fighting June. No. Whoever it was would have to be powerful but not a Divine being.
Before she knew it, another clap of thunder resounded. In a flash, she was beside Keyvarah, gazing outside. It happened so fast that, had she not been looking, she would have missed a person dressed in black streak past overhead. A second person clad in black and golden armor followed swiftly. That had to have been June and his opponent.
She sank into the chair across from Keyvarah and stared in the direction they had gone. She wasn't worried; June would be fine. But she found it curious, though, why he'd engage in such a fight when he could easily end it with a single thought.
She shook her head as she rose from her seat. She wouldn't waste her time contemplating or speculating about what may or may not be going on in his mind. Returning to the bed, she sat once more and resumed Cultivating.
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The wood beneath his feet creaked as June walked up the steps of the Guild house. Layhanna sat on the porch, mouth hanging open as she stared at him. Her body visibly trembled and grew worse the closer he came to her. Behind her, Matil, Merriam, and Urzenkeil were all in a similar state.
Upon reaching her, June bent down and offered her a hand. However, she backed away from his outstretched hand, suddenly finding the floorboards beneath her more interesting; her eyes refusing to meet his.
"It's okay. I won't bite," June said, causing her to flinch.
His sudden voice finally broke someone out of their trance, and Merriam scurried forward, falling to her knees beside her sister. "Forgive us, Divine One, for our rude behavior."
However, before she could prostrate herself, June reached out and gripped her shoulder, stopping her.
"Nope, I'll be having none of that," he said with a shake of his head.
He took hold of each sister's arm and pulled them to their feet. "I sure as hell am not a god, nor am I like any of the Twelve. So please don't start treating me like one."
Merriam frowned for a moment before breaking into a wide grin. "You got it, June!"
Layhanna, on the other hand, still held a perplexed expression. "You're not a Divine being? Are you not in the Divine Realm?"
June motioned to the door of the Guild house. "Why don't we take this conversation somewhere more private?"
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Damn those monsters! Tenith thought as he retreated from the Guild District.
Nobody had told him that a damned Adjudicator was going to show up. If they had, he wouldn't have taken the job in the first place. And judging by the loud clapping, thunder, and booming gusts, the Adjudicator was doling out righteous judgment on the poor souls within the Guild house.
Who was he kidding? He thought.
There was no way he could have refused the job. Not when it came from the Guild Master himself. To refuse him was to court death.
Tenith was nothing more than one of dozens of orphans that the Reavers Guild recruited once they had aged out of the orphanage.
With work in Revelcroft for low-born peasants like himself being meager, he had no other choice but to join a Guild and risk his life if he wanted to achieve his dream.
However, that was easier said than done.
Newly ascended to the Mortal Realm, none of the real Guilds would willingly recruit and invest time and resources in him. He was a nobody, someone who could drop dead in the blink of an eye, and no one would even stop to mourn him.
No, there was one person, he thought as his mind drifted to Qenni.
She was the only person in the world that he actually cared about. Like him, she was an orphan, and they grew up together at the same orphanage. Unlike him, though, when she aged out of the orphanage, she stayed to help the headmaster, who gladly accepted her with open arms.
He wanted to stay and help as well, mainly for Qenni. He'd had a crush on her ever since coming of age, yet he had been too afraid to confess his feelings. But that wasn't the only reason. He had seen the headmaster's lecherous looks whenever his eyes landed on Qenni.
The thought of her remaining behind, alone, with the man caused a knot to form in his heart and stomach. He wouldn't let that come to pass, not when he could be there to stop it.
However, in the end, the headmaster refused his offer, stating that he had all the help he needed with Qenni. That very night, the headmaster expelled him from the orphanage. The headmaster's slimy grin remained burned in his mind as members of the Reavers Guild escorted him away, never to return.
He vowed to himself that he'd ascend high enough to one day kill the headmaster and save Qenni. But that was over twenty years ago, and that day was no closer than when he made his promise.
"May the Divine Mother strike him dead," he muttered under his breath as he ran through the back alleys of Revelcroft.
"Damn the headmaster. Damn the Reavers Guild. Damn the steward and his family. Damn them all!"
He suddenly fell backwards as his cloak caught on something, falling onto the piss and feces-ridden ground.
"Fuck!" he shouted as he tugged his cloak, trying to free it from whatever it had caught onto.
Instead of freeing himself, something dragged him backwards, pulling him by his cloak.
Falling back on the meager training he had received, he rolled onto his feet and drew his short sword and dagger, facing his foe. He froze mid-lunge as his eyes fell upon the most beautiful woman besides Qenni he'd ever seen. She was clearly not an Althori, as evidenced by her much shorter pointed ears and her petite physique.
He then recognized her. She was a member of the group that he, a lower member of the Reavers Guild, among others, had to rob. According to Jullet, they all had spatial devices containing Soul and Essence Crystals.
"Please don't do anything rash," the woman said before a head without a body appeared in her hand as she held it up for him to see, "or you'll end up like your friends here."
Every muscle within his body was screaming at him to run, to escape this fiend disguised as a beautiful woman. But he remained frozen like an icicle.
"What do you want?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
The head in her hand vanished. "I just have a few questions for you regarding your recent attempt to rob our group and why you were just about to attack the Shining Arrow Guild before the Adjudicator arrived."
Tenith's heart sank; her words had just sealed his fate as the woman, who he dwarfed, now towered over him.
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June entered the Guild house and found a not-too-surprising sight. The remaining members of the Shining Arrow Guild had formed a defensive position in the lobby. Yisha and Draxxus were hiding in a room on the second floor.
The guild members remained on guard until he stepped aside and Layhanna entered.
An Althori woman, Olivee, stepped forward, her sword and shield lowered but remaining gripped tightly. "Guild Master! Is everything okay? What was that booming thunder just now?"
However, before she could continue rambling off questions, Layhanna held up a hand. "Gather everyone into the dining area. I'll hold a Guild meeting after I've concluded my meeting with June here."
Olivee looked at him, following Layhanna's gesture, and her eyes narrowed. "Is he the one responsible for all of this?"
"Just keep an eye on everyone for now," Layhanna said, striding past her and the group.
She disappeared through the door behind the reception desk without another word. June bowed slightly before following Layhanna.
On their way to Layhanna's office, June cycled his True Soul, intermingling some Life Essence as well, and healed the minor wounds he had allowed Perrim to deal. Entering her office, he and Quin took their seats once more.
Layhanna took a deep breath before sitting with Matil to her right and Urzenkeil and Merriam to her left. "So, about my question?"
"Hmm," June said with a nod before severing Urzenkeil's half of the Soul Pact with his True Soul.
Urzenkeil gasped in shock as he stumbled back a step, a hand clutching his chest.
"What's wrong?" Layhanna asked, rising to her feet as Merriam caught Urzenkeil.
She stared daggers at June. "What did you just do?"
However, before June could explain, Urzenkeil answered her question. "He just… severed my end of the Soul Pact."
Layhanna's eyes widened. "How?"
"Urzenkeil?" June asked with a leading tone.
Urzenkeil looked at him with a questioning expression.
"Would you mind answering your Guild Master's question?"
It would be more believable if the answer came from someone she trusted.
Urzenkeil understood what June was asking and turned to Layhanna. "I believe he is of the Divine Realm, Guild Master."
Layhanna frowned, staring at Urzenkeil long and hard. "Are you sure?"
"I have no way to confirm it truly, but," Urzenkeil glanced briefly at June, "but I've never encountered someone with his… strength in Aura."
Layhanna nodded slowly.
June chuckled internally. She may have thought that his Aura was strong, but she had only experienced a fraction of his true Aura.
"Besides that, his Soul Essence and Energy are intertwined as one, like in the legends."
Layhanna's jaw nearly dislocated due to how low it hung. The veins on Matil's temple bulged as his jaw visibly tightened. And Merriam continued being her usual bubbly self.
June could only attribute her demeanor to the fact that she had already accepted this eventual revelation.
Seeing as no one was about to speak, June rose from his chair. "Look, Layhanna. I am willing to trust you, all four of you, with my secret. I am in the Divine Realm."
In unison, they all attempted to prostrate in reverence. But June stopped them with his Kinetic Essence, pushing them back to their feet.
"This changes nothing."
"But—" Layhanna said.
However, June sharply cut her off, knowing where her argument was going.
"I am not a god, and neither are the Twelve. We're nothing more than mortals who have ascended to the peak of mortality. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Blasphemy!" Matil shouted. "How dare you speak ill of our Divine Mother and Lord as if they were anything less than divinity!"
Matil's outburst drew a laugh from June that cut through the air like a katana slicing through bamboo, silencing the incensed man.
"Just a second ago, you were about to kowtow before me in deference because you thought I was a god. Yet here you are, arguing a moot point. Would it really be blasphemous of me to make such statements about my own peers?"
Matil's eyes almost flew free of their sockets as beads of sweat formed across his brow.
"Your Radiance—" Layhanna said.
But again, June interrupted her, his tone a little colder than previously.
"I've already asked you to just refer to me as June. Please. Don't make me ask again."
His petrifying gaze sent her falling back into her seat. The air became as still as a cemetery's before he released a sigh, breaking the tension, and sat back into his seat.
"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be an ass. I just want you to understand where I'm coming from, because I don't see myself as above or below you. Where I come from, people treated each other with respect and as equals."
"That sounds amazing and the perfect place to live!" Merriam yipped.
But June shook his head in response. "It wasn't perfect. We had our own set of problems, but I still hold on to the core values that founded my home. That every man, woman, and child is entitled to freedom, justice, and liberty. And it's the duty of those in power to uphold and protect those values for the ordinary citizens."
A frown creased Merriam's forehead. "Wait, where are you from? I've never heard of a kingdom like that before."
Her eyes roved over his body. "And what race are you? I've never once met a person like you, nor Quin."
He and Quin shared a look, had a quick mental conversation, and agreed to share that bit of information.
"I'm human, and Quin here is an Elvreen."
"Human. Elvreen," Layhanna said slowly, trying to pronounce the foreign words correctly.
"Human? Elvreen?" Merriam repeated. "Are you from Callestra?"
June shook his head, remembering from Keyvarah's memories that Callestra was the second continent beyond the Hai'lestri ocean to the east of Yvestar. "No. We'd prefer to keep our origins a secret for now. Perhaps one day we'll share our full story. But today's not that day."
Layhanna scowled but nodded. "That's understandable."
"So," June said with a smile, "do you accept my proposal?"
Layhanna hesitated for a moment before sitting back down and shaking her head. "Unfortunately, I can't."
"Why?"
Layhanna remained silent, piquing his interest. "You said that by retaking Castle Dumar and regaining your family's nobility, you wouldn't have to swear fealty to House Dumar. Would you mind explaining why that is?"
Layhanna looked at Matil. He gave her a slight nod before she turned back to June. "House Dumar didn't issue the quest to retake Castle Dumar; it was instead the crown that issued it."
She sighed as she rubbed her temples. "Initially, the crown had ordered House Dumar to retake the castle. But after many unsuccessful attempts, the crown issued an open quest to the Guilds, offering the rank of nobility and the rights and titles to the castle and its surrounding land. Naturally, House Dumar wasn't too happy about this, but there wasn't much they could say or do since they were the ones who had failed to reclaim the castle."
"However, now with the information you've provided me, it would seem like House Dumar had never actually lost Castle Dumar to Vampires."
None of this was new information to him. He had already pried this information from Vern and Hivengel when he rummaged through their minds. He was also aware of House Dumar's treachery, but did Layhanna know?
"Are you aware that House Dumar orchestrated the ambush that got the King and Crown Prince killed?"
Everyone in the room besides him and Quin stiffened when he asked that.
So they are aware, June thought. Then the next logical step would be…
"Is the Crown aware?"
The silence that permeated the room was as dense as the Aura he had slowly loosed on them earlier.
Of course they'd know, or at least suspect something to that effect, Sarah's disembodied voice said. They'd have to be utterly incompetent if they didn't suspect foul play with a man such as Ravengel.
June gave Sarah a mental nod before meeting Layhanna's gaze. "Are you working for the Crown?"
Layhanna remained stoic and refused to answer him. That in itself was answer enough for him.
He took a deep breath as he leaned forward in his chair, elbows resting on his knees. "Is the crown backing your endeavors to reclaim the castle? Is that why you can't, won't accept my help?"
Layhanna's poker face remained steadfast.
"I'll take that as a yes," he said, leaning back. "Contact the Princess. I'd like to speak with her."
Layhanna's eyes widened at his bold request before narrowing. "I can't just call upon the Princess of Lysia as if she were nothing more than a commoner."
"But you aren't. You're calling the Princess at my request."
She fell silent again.
"Or I can just speak to her personally, right now."
Her jaws tightened, the sound of her teeth grinding audible to his perceptive ears. She eventually huffed a breath and took out a Crystal. It glowed light blue as she channeled some Soul Essence into it.
She had a quick conversation with whoever was on the other side before the Crystal dimmed and disappeared. Next, a circular mirror appeared in her hands, and she placed it on her desk. She poured some of her Soul Essence into it, and the next moment, a life-size 3D image of an Althori woman in a blue regal dress appeared.
Layhanna, Matil, Urzenkeil, and Merriam dropped to a knee, bowing before the princess of Lysia.
The princess, Estrella Imiltar, was tall for an Althori woman. She had to be at least 6'11". But her figure wasn't like most female Althori. Instead, she had a slimmer build, rippling with lean muscle. Her golden hair hung past her hips, braided together into a single strand.
"Lady Milliadry. What is this urgent matter that requires my attention?"
"Forgive me, Your Highness, for disrupting your day, but I've been approached with an offer from some people whom we cannot ignore."
Estrella sighed as she crossed her arms and jutted out a hip. Her dress, filled with frills, swayed with the movement. "You may rise."
The four of them rose to their feet before she continued. "So, who are these people?"
Layhanna hesitated before pointing at him and Quin. "They're sitting behind you."
Estrella whirled to face June and Quin as he rose to his feet, Quin following his lead. Shock flashed across her pristine, model-esque face when her eyes landed on them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness," June said as he and Quin bowed slightly.