ravaged hearts

CHAPTER FIFTEEN,

RAVAGED HEARTS | CHAPTER FIFTEEN

SHE STOOD BESIDES Louis in his apartment, staring down at the map she'd scrawled all over. Red 'x's marked out the places Prince Jing Huan had been sighted at, had lived at. Dou shi feng shui wei zhi. Her sire, it seemed, was a man who believed in auspicious things and religion.

She despised him already, if she didn't enough before. There was really only one truly religious person Iolanthe Mi could stand, and she was in Sai. Myrina Mai. She was a bloody priestess for heaven's sake.

"His last proper residence is marked as Ovienada."

Io shook her head. "He wouldn't be there anymore. He's too smart for that, and it's too far away. Valicia and Ovienada is a... what, four to five day carriage journey? They'll want the kids to be within at least a day or two's trip."

"Have to be near the borders," Louis waved his pen over the general area he was speaking about, "somewhere here. Exactly where I'm not sure."

"East," Io guessed. "Closer to Sai."

He glanced at her, mildly surprised. He'd been shocked enough she'd agreed to come here and plan with him when the others had all refused. "I thought you didn't know him."

"I know enough about him," Io replied coldly, not letting a trickle of emotion show. She kept her stony exterior now even though she'd already accidentally let it drop and showed her soft side around him too many times. "He killed my mother, his favourite mistress for his country. He loves Sai."

He cursed. "Patriotism will be the death of all of us."

"Loyalty has been the cause of many, many deaths in history. Both the reason someone pulled the trigger, and also why the person stood there to be shot in the first place. There is nothing we can do about it."

"Such a depressing outlook."

She refused to deign that with an answer, so she simply continued on, saying. "I assure you, he'll be somewhere here. How difficult is it to find an exiled prince?"

"Usually not very. But he's protected by Falcons."

"Falcons who have fallen from their prime nine months ago." Io raised her chin. "No major threat."

"Don't underestimate them. They're Falcons. Wiccai."

"I have been trained to fight against wiccai all my life, and you quite literally are one."

"I talk to birds. These people... Fiora Chevalier can summon a blade from air and skewer you with it within the blink of an eye. Lilia Sorrya can absorb energy from the area around her to use as a protective shield."

"With a lot of focus."

"But she can do it nonetheless." Their eyes met.

"I trained with the Iron Wolves," Io said curtly, "the Crow was my regular sparring partner when I was young. You have no need to worry about me, I assure you. Focus on yourself, no need to be so selfless all the time. Doesn't hurt to be self-serving once in a blue moon."

He pinched his nose, exasperated, "Io."

She waved her hand in the air. "I know, I know. Too close to home, I'm going to start a stupid argument again and storm out of this apartment in a rush. I know. Don't worry, I know."

"Do you."

She casted him a look of annoyance. "Against popular belief, I am not just an impulsive, idiotic teenage girl who doesn't think before she acts. I'm not even a teenager anymore, I'm twenty-five."