Faust huffed.
“I am in agreement.” Ignas grinned.
Faust put his hands on his hips, tapping his foot at Ignas’s betrayal.
“Joking aside,” Ignas said with a grim expression, “he shouldn’t be left unprotected.”
Yoan shared a glance with his guards. “No one can get past the royal guard. The rest of you can wait in the shop. My father wishes to speak with him in his office.”
Rene shared a look with Ignas.
Ignas nodded. “Deal.”
“Do I not get a say in this?” Faust asked.
Rene gave Faust a side-look. “Not anymore.”
Yoan led Faust inside with an apologetic smile.
Faust stepped inside and explored while the others piled inside. The sounds of the busy street all but disappeared, and the chime echoed in the expansive space. He eyed the clothes. They were much fancier with more buttons and sheers, and the jewelry was like nothing he saw in Limorous. They were better crafted and carried a shine that captivated him.
Strange magic mingled with Faust’s. He glanced around and settled on the middle of the shop. A chest, much like the others he’d found, sat on a pedestal and was encrusted with gold and precious diamonds.
“No one has been able to open it,” Yoan said offhand as he passed. “I will grab my father, he must be engrossed in another design.”
Faust waited until Yoan was out of sight and stopped in front of the chest. This was his chance to see what wonders the chest would show him.
Faust grazed his fingertips on the chest. A loud clunk followed, and the chest flew open. Chills ran down his spine, and the air grew heavy and cold, his breath billowing out in a cloud.
The room faded away, and white orbs floated and wavered around him. A figure in white from head to toe, his face cast in shadow under a hood, pointed at him. The figure spoke, “Remember us—”
Warmth slammed down on Faust’s shoulders.
Faust startled, his vision focusing on Ignas’s piercing grey eyes. A pit grew in his stomach. He’d forgotten something extremely important. That person knew what it was. He shook his head to clear it. That wasn’t a person, but a deity. They had to be.
Ignas ran his thumbs over Faust’s cheeks. “Are you all right?”
Faust gave a weak smile, leaning into the touch. “I am fine.”
“You act strangely every time you open those chests,” Rene said.
Faust turned his attention to Rene, but a foreign magic brushed against his, curious. Faust forewent a response and turned to the back of the shop.
The guild master’s ice blue eyes regarded Faust with veiled shock. His dark hair was messy, but his clothes had not a button out of place. What caught Faust’s eye was his aura. The man held a sky-blue aura around him, much like how Ignas held red.
Terrence Clare’s magic was also far stronger than when he saw him as a child, and the brief light of four stones reflected at Terrence’s belt. No one reported he was a king candidate. That made three in total now. “Lord Clare,” Faust whispered.
Terrence gave the group a cheerful grin, stepping forward. “I am pleased to see you are in one piece, Lord Arcus. You are the only one to open this chest successfully. I have been trying to find the right person for years.”
Faust regained his composure. “This is not the first I have opened.”
Interest filled Terrence’s eyes. “We have much to discuss. Please follow me.” Terrence gave Ignas a once-over. “I trust you are not here to cause trouble.”
Ignas returned the look with a sly grin. “Perhaps another time. I am Lord Arcus’s escort and nothing more.”
Terrence tipped his head in acknowledgment.
Faust furrowed his eyebrows, but he accompanied Terrence to the back of the shop and down a long hallway into a small room.
“Yoan, there should be some tea you can serve our guests while they wait,” Terrence called before he closed the door. He motioned to the couch. “Please have a seat, Lord Arcus.”
Faust surveyed the room. It was full of old journals overflowing with papers. Various bins of precious stones and metals were stacked underneath a long worktable. Fabric draped over racks, spools littered the floor, and a large board contained various drawings. He glanced at a prominent design for a knight. It appeared ceremonial, but functional, even with the half cape along the shoulder.
“I was struck with great inspiration. Please excuse the mess.” Terrence took a seat across from Faust. “I have gathered you are not here to simply talk business.”
“That is correct,” Faust replied. “You are in danger.”
“I am always in danger. Running a prosperous guild such as mine puts me in a precarious position often.”
Faust shook his head. “I know of what occurred in Akarvine.”
Terrence’s smile faltered.
“My court historian retrieved a contract ordering your capture,” Faust continued. He pulled it out and placed it on the table between them. “They will try this now that you have slipped through their fingers. You are a valuable king candidate and whatever you won has marked you once more.”
Terrence raised an eyebrow and examined the contract. “Are you aware of what was in the contract I won?” Terrence asked, unaffected by what he read.
Faust shook his head.
“Emoris stole my happiness. The contract I won proves it.” Terrence set the contract back on the table. “I was not aware of this order, but so much has fallen into place,” he said with a mournful expression.
Faust’s chest ached. Those were the eyes of someone who had lost their beloved. Konrad wore that expression when he thought no one was looking.
“I suppose moving away from the border sooner rather than later is in order,” Terrence said, breaking the silence. “I have received word I am to return to Whitrose.”
“As the court historian?”
Terrence’s lips quirked in a sly smile. “I see you remember.”
“I take it you know who I am.”
“Knowledge deals great power.”
Faust supposed knowledge did. He reached up and removed his glasses and shifted to sit like the royal he was. “I am honored you agreed to meet with me, Lord Clare.”
“Your Highness.” Terrence gave a small bow. “I had expected to meet with King Konrad first, but things have been turbulent in the capital of Alios, or so the wind says.” Terrence looked up with a pleased smirk. “I am surprised you can use all four stones, just like the king. That must have been quite the feat to hide.”
“Quite dangerous, in fact. It nearly got me killed, but that is not why I am here. I need information—the very past Emoris and Lathil have buried.” Faust pointed to a small drawing of a winged being on the wall behind Terrence’s desk. “The Kingsley family is in need of your assistance against the current sovereigns, and I need to know more about the Deity of Azure.”
A giddy smile found its way onto Terrence’s lips. “That is a tall order, Prince Faust.”
“I will compensate you in any way I can.”
“I require access to your kingdom,” Terrence said. “But I have requirements for my guild’s behaviors, and I expect them to be executed and uninhibited in the Kingdom of Alios.”