In the Wake of the Wicked (The Veridian Empire, #1)

by V.B. Lacey

“Am I going to have to break down this door?” I muttered, flicking the end of my braid over my shoulder in irritation. Movement on the parchment in my other hand caught my eye. The riddle faded away, replaced by something new. Patience is a virtue of wisdom. My lips thinned. I was being lectured by a piece of paper.

Before I could catch my breath, I collided with a hard body. “Careful, there,” a deep voice said, and I looked up to find a pair of eyes. A pair of strikingly familiar onyx eyes. I stiffened. It was him. The man from the forest.

It was her. The Alchemist from that night. The girl with the spell that leveled a fully grown snow leopard Shifter.

Her skin was warm beneath her black clothing as I reached out to steady her. Dark hair was pulled back into a braid, small tendrils breaking free and framing her sharp cheekbones. What gave me pause was the sheen of sweat on her olive features, the dilated pupils, the shaking hands. I knew I didn’t have time for this. I wasn’t even supposed to be here,

But something was obviously wrong. “Are you alright?” I asked, turning her body so we were out of sight from anyone coming up the stairs. Her eyes snapped to mine, recognition dawning before she closed them and slumped against the stone wall. The sight was so at odds with the fearsome Alchemist from the other night, whose green pools had blazed with dark, cold fire when facing those Shifters. “I’m fine. I just…need a minute,” she said, her voice softer than I remembered.

Footsteps sounded from the other side of the tapestry, and we both instinctively took a step further into the wall, her chest brushing against mine as she held her breath. This close, I could feel the anxious heat coming from her in waves, the scent of florals and something earthy reaching my nose when she turned her neck to look at me. The air was heavy, neither of us willing to breathe as the voices lingered mere feet from where we hid.

To be sure they had truly left, I opened up the Shifter half of my blood like one would open a door, listening to them retreat further down the stone stairwell. I instantly realized my mistake. With my Shifter senses, her sweet scent of lavender and sage mixed with earthy undertones of amaranth—the same herb I smelled that night in the forest—was infinitely stronger, drawing me in and slowly wrapping around me like smoke. The erratic beat of her heart was heightened in my ears, the pulse at her neck thrumming with life as she took a shallow breath, her eyes shifting back to me. “I think they’re gone,” she whispered. Her words fanned across my cheeks, breath hot against my skin. I hesitated before nodding, quickly slamming a wall up on my Shifter instincts. Still, neither of us moved.

To my surprise, she snorted. “Some sort of vigilante, then? Trying to be everyone’s hero?” Something clicked against the hard floor nearby, and I stepped closer to her. “I never said I was a hero.” Her eyes narrowed. “What are you⁠—” I pressed my hand to her lips, silencing her. “Someone’s coming,” I murmured, close enough that my nose brushed the top of her head. She went stiff beneath my touch, her breaths shaking in an attempt to stay quiet. Slowly, I felt them even out, matching with mine as her body began to relax. Her nearness sent warmth coursing through me. I couldn’t seem to remove my gaze from hers, even as the tapping of heels on stone faded away. I saw so much in those emerald eyes. Ferocity, caution, pain, loneliness. The guarded expression of someone forced to build a wall, suddenly stripped bare by a stranger in a dimly lit corridor.

“Has anyone ever told you how to stop an Illusionist from using their magic?” I blinked and cleared my throat, the panic once again subsiding. “Go—go for the eyes,” I breathed out, recalling the townsperson who shouted the advice at my uncle on our way out of Feywood.

“She’s one of the challengers.” “I heard there had been a last-minute change. Think she’s from Feywood?” “She’s young. Healthy. Might be worth keeping an eye on.” Word of my replacing Ragnar had spread quickly, it seemed.

Back in the provinces, we were too far removed to know much about what occurred during the tournaments until after the fact. But here, the people had access to news much faster. They could witness the trials as they unfolded. We were nothing more than a spectacle to them, a brief burst of entertainment after ten years of normalcy.

The rope at my throat twitched and unwound itself, falling to the floor and slinking behind him. That’s when I realized…it wasn’t a rope. Swallowing, I rubbed my neck, instinctively moving backward. “Is that…do you have a tail?”

At this interaction, Rose’s face went from curious to sly understanding, her lips twitching as her green eyes flashed at me. The little wolf knew exactly what she’d done.

“I’ll work with you and your Sentinels, Aris. I’ll break the curse. But don’t ask me to trust you.”

This tournament wasn’t the only thing that mattered—I understood that. But my competitive spirit was as fierce as ever. I didn’t just want to complete my mission. I wanted to win. I wanted to bring strength back to Feywood.

“When you look in the mirror, what do you find?” They cocked their head. “A rose in full bloom, with thorns on the vine?” Something like a chuckle slithered through the air, echoing around me. “We see dark, hidden secrets, a deceitful tongue. For in the wake of the wicked, your poison will come.” Their voice dropped even further. “We know how this ends, daughter of the moon—only you will decide who meets their doom.”

“Don’t listen to him,” he murmured as we followed everyone else. “He’s an elitist prick who had his balls handed to him and is trying to get a rise out of you. He’s wrong; you’re⁠—” I arched away from his touch. “I don’t need you to tell me how strong I am, Nox,” I said coldly. His hand fell to his side, and I didn’t miss the look of hurt that passed over his face before he smoothed it back out and smiled. “Just as well, then. Don’t want it going to your head.”

As if he could read my thoughts, he suddenly smiled. Chills cascaded across my skin. There was something so…familiar in that smile.

Watching her fade away like this…it was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.

“You have to give her a chance. You’re so quick to expect the worst in others, little brother. Sometimes you have to look harder to find their best.”

“I’ll try to do better. I understand she’s our best shot, and I’ll do what I can to make this mission successful.” Even if she’s the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met, I thought with a sigh.

As time went on, Rose became a bit more relaxed in our presence, even grinning once at a ridiculous joke Chaz tossed out. But there was still an apprehension around her. The constant picking at her shirt or pouch, the tight features, the withdrawn eyes. Something that seemed…reserved. She was a puzzle I couldn’t quite figure out. First, the blazing, powerful, brutal Alchemist from the forest. One who wasn’t afraid to use her magic to its full extent. Then the frightened, timid woman who needed shielding from some unseen threat. A woman bold enough to follow the most powerful man in the empire on a whim down an unknown corridor, unafraid to curse me in my own home and attack me with broken ribs. She was capable, there was no denying that. But I couldn’t reconcile that with the woman who looked as if she felt uncomfortable in her own skin.

“It’s not safe for you to travel alone, Rose,” Rissa pointed out. “Plus, if I recall correctly, you don’t have a horse here.” “Fates,” Rose grumbled, cursing. “Fine. Let’s go, monkey boy.” Chaz spat out his water, spraying Lark across the face. “Monkey boy?” Whirling to the door, I pulled it open, muttering, “I hate all of you,” as I walked outside. As she strode past me and to Nightshade, Rose flicked her braid over her shoulder and said, “Better stay on my good side, or I’m tossing you off his back.”

His lack of faith in me itched at my skin. It made me want to prove him wrong.

A strong hand came to rest on my thigh, the stubble at his chin brushing the top of my ear as he leaned forward and said, “You need to relax. You’re spooking Nightshade.” His breath so close to me sent goosebumps along my neck and down my arm. I swallowed, willing my legs to relax around the stallion. The tight coils unwound slowly, and my back pressed into Leo’s solid chest as Nightshade stepped into a dip in the road.

That same hand moved from my leg to my stomach, keeping me from being jostled. The warmth of his skin seeped through the thin fabric of my shirt. How had it felt so cold on my ribs yesterday? Now, it was l...

His fingers curled slightly at my stomach, the friction grating across my skin. I could practically see his teeth grinding. My lips curved into a faint smile—as much as he frustrated me, I rather enjoyed frustrating him, too.

“When you’ve grown up as a social outcast with a tendency to go a little too far with your magic, people don’t have the nicest opinion of you,” I said, toying with a small string hanging from the pommel of the saddle. What had begun as self-deprecating humor now felt more real. More raw. I wasn’t sure why I was sharing this with him. It was different, not being able to see his face or that scowl that said he was waiting for me to fail.

Nightshade stepped over a log in the path, forcing me further into the saddle. Leo’s thighs were now flush with the backs of mine as his hand came to my stomach once more to hold me in place. The gesture was like second nature to him.

I was beginning to see how deeply his protective instincts ran, what with the Sentinel patrols and how he’d saved me that night in the forest. How he’d pulled me aside to give me solitude during my panic attack. Even in the care he showed in healing my injuries. I...

“If they saw how you took down a fully shifted snow leopard, they wouldn’t call your magic ‘too far,’” he said. “Careful now, Aris, or I might think you’re complimenting me.” “Well, I was the one who killed him in ...

My first real friend from the capital. “I’m fine, Horace,” I said. “I just needed some time. But I’m ready to start making progress.”

“Be careful. I’ve got orders from the Guard saying I have to stick to a certain area, so I can’t follow you everywhere. Just…don’t get yourself killed.” Patting me awkwardly on the shoulder, he added gruffly, “It’s good to have you back, girl.” A genuine grin split across my face. “I’m just getting started.”

I could still see his onyx eyes narrowed in disapproval, the dark stubble shadowing a clenched, strong jaw, veined hands running through his hair in irritation. I tried to push him from my head. Tried not to contrast that version of him with the fleeting stranger in the alcove, whose brows had furrowed in concern as warm hands steadied me. How ironic it was that he’d been the one who calmed my panic. With his body shoved into mine, the friction of my spine against the rough stone wall, the weighted anticipation of someone finding us…it had been the distraction I needed.

“You’re out of your mind if you think you’re going to that tower,” a low voice said in my ear. Before I could cry out, a hand pressed into my mouth, pulling me flush against a hard body. The familiar scent of sandalwood and vanilla surrounded me. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” Leo murmured while I struggled to rein in my thrashing heart.

“You’re unbelievable. Why can’t you see this is a good idea?” “Because this could ruin everything, Rose!” he exploded, his hands coming out to clutch my upper arms. His eyes blazed as his nostrils flared. This wasn’t just anger. There was something more. Some innate fear in him that I couldn’t put my finger on, but that paralyzed me all the same.

“If he hurts you⁠—” I ripped myself from his hold, only for his hands to land on my waist instead. “Then I’m sure you’ll be ready and waiting to take my spot.” He went silent for a moment, his features annoyingly unreadable. I was suddenly very aware of his rough hands on my waist, the material of my shirt doing little to keep out his touch.

But Theodore Gayl had said the one thing that took precedence for me. The one thing that would ensure I moved mountains to meet with him. Your father was the same.

“I could make you stay, you know.” Leo’s dark eyes bore into mine, commanding me to listen. A man who wasn’t used to being defied. His thumb dragged across the fabric, and I let out a small breath when his skin met mine. “You could try,” I said, holding his stare.

I had never been the naive girl who believed every word fed to me. I wasn’t like Morgana and Beau, desperate to see the goodness and sincerity in the darkest of lives. There was always both. A balance. We all lived in shades of gray—some lighter than others, some so bleak you had to search for the smallest glimmer, the faintest spark.

“How did you even get up here?” I asked. He smirked. “You do remember I’m half Shifter, right?” As if summoned, his brown tail twitched beneath his cloak, coming up to swipe at the wrist I had firmly pushed against the window pane. “Let me in, Rose.”

“Did I not mention my room is warded against trespassers?” He growled something that sounded like “Horace,” and glared at me expectantly. “Are you going to let me in?” I tapped my finger on my chin. These games with him were becoming more fun as time went on. He was so easily riled, and I welcomed the diversion after the conversation with Gayl. “What’s the magic word?” “Rose.” His face was practically apoplectic. When I simply raised an eyebrow, he rolled his eyes and said, “Please, will you let me in?” “That wasn’t so hard. Fine, you may enter.”

“That wasn’t what I—Rose, I’m sorry. I was…worried.” His jaw ticked at the admission. “I watched the west tower from the forest, waiting any moment for your body to go flying off the edge.” I swallowed and turned away. I could see how genuine he was, and the idea that he’d cared enough to watch for me made something squirm in my chest. No matter what cheeky or defensive words I continued to throw at him, he still waited.

“I’m fine. I promise.” I wasn’t fine. But I wasn’t ready to have that conversation with anyone. The chamber was so silent for a few moments that I thought he’d actually left, but then the wooden chair by my bed creaked. He still waited.

“Not everything has been bad,” he said, quieter this time as he stopped right before me. “I did save your life in the forest. And healed your injury.” His eyes fell to my side, his stare burning a hole through my thin robe.

“I suppose that’s true,” I murmured back.

“Forget what you heard me say before. I was an idiot. You’re the furthest thing from a joke, Rose Wolff, and you’ll never catch me saying it again.” I opened my mouth and then closed it, pressing my lips together. This man kept surprising me. “I’m sorry, too,” I finally said. “I haven’t made it easy for you, attacking you every time you tried to talk to me. Defensiveness is second nature to me at this point.”

“Because of the people back home?” he asked, that crease at his forehead deepening. “And the things they say about you?” He remembered. I’d forgotten about that part of the conversation on his horse. Nodding, my eyes fell from his and onto a spot on the wall behind him. “I’m not like them, Rose.” I gave him a half-hearted smile. “I used to think you were. But maybe I was wrong, too.” “So what do you say?” he asked, so close his breath warmed my cheeks. “Can we start over? Be friends?”

I knew he hadn’t meant those words, just as I knew the man before me was not his father. This grudge I’d held, this vengeance for a man who was long dead, was a bitter excuse to keep Rissa and Leo at arm’s length. To do what I always did and drive people away. To protect myself from giving too much to someone, only to lose them in the end.

I didn’t have this. I didn’t have…friends, outside of my family and Beth, whom I only saw several times a year. The fact that Leo wanted that with me sent an unfamiliar light through my chest, stretching my walls. Searching those deep pools before me, I tried to let that misplaced, molten well of revenge against him go. He wanted to start over. I did, too. If I could only turn that part of me off and release this vendetta. But I couldn’t tell him everything.