The prince addressed them in Morbian Vellum. His gaze was directed toward Fin, but it was Nova who answered him.
The prince's expression shifted — a flicker of surprise that she, not Fin, had spoken.
His eyes moved to his father and mother, each of whom offered him a silent mindlink. Whatever they conveyed, he received it with a single, solemn nod.
They departed the throne room and followed the prince into a long, gleaming corridor.
As he guided them through the city, the prince spoke again in the same ancient dialect. Nova replied with measured respect, her tone composed and precise.
They ascended another elevated road, one clearly reserved for the noble tiers of the city. Guards snapped to attention as the prince passed. A sword rested at his hip, the bearing of his stride unmistakable.
He was a warrior as much as he was a prince — of that there could be no doubt.
He continued addressing his words to Nova, and she listened with attentive restraint, speaking far less than she was spoken to. At times it seemed she questioned him in return, though none behind her could be entirely certain.
Aeron and Hyran, meanwhile, were absorbed in the marvel of the city around them, oblivious to the simmering tension that threaded through the group.
Most nobles who crossed their path allowed their gazes to fall upon Nova first, then shifted to the prince — their conclusions immediate and unmistakable. Betrothed, perhaps. A favored consort. A mistress. Nova did not notice. She walked with quiet composure, and even had she perceived their assumptions, there was nothing she could have done to amend them.
Jax, Fin, and Rex noticed, however. Of course they did. It was impossible to miss. The scrutiny was blatant, and each man felt the strain of it settle like a blade against the back of the neck. They understood all too well that they were treading a narrow and precarious line — one misstep from appearing as hostile, or worse, presumptuous interlopers.
She was beautiful, yes, stunning to a degree that drew every eye in a city that had not seen outsiders. That was something none of them would ever become accustomed to. Yet the greater weight was this: she was carrying the burden of the encounter alone, navigating lineage, politics, and ancient diplomacy with a poise none of them could shield her from. And though it impressed them, it struck just as sharply that they could not protect her here.
They wanted only to reach the temple — to get her away from the nobles, the glances, the assumptions, and the fragile diplomacy that forced them all to stay silent.
Fin longed to take her hand, to ground her with touch and pull some of the strain from her shoulders, but he knew he could not lay a finger on her in this place. Instead, he sent calm and warmth through the matebond — a steady current of love meant to steady her from within. She carried herself impeccably in that throne room, but he felt the truth of her composure in the bond: the effort it cost her to maintain it. He felt the dull throb of her headache as well, the Morbian Vellum dialect pressing against her mind like a weight.
They entered a path that wound into the jungle, walking for nearly an hour beneath the heat-drenched canopy. At last the prince halted and turned to Nova, addressing her in his ancient tongue.
She sank into a graceful dip and offered what appeared to be a formal farewell.
The prince let his eyes travel over her in a manner that was far from appropriate, the appraisal lingering a moment too long. Then he inclined his head, expression unreadable, and departed the path without another word.
No one spoke. Every one of them understood there was a chance they remained under watch. They continued in silence for several minutes, the jungle humming faintly around them. Fin felt the familiar pull of his magic toward Nova once more, and a quiet smile touched his mouth. She reached for his power instinctively, more naturally than she reached for any other. A moment later, a golden shield unfurled around the group, steady and protective.
Hyran and Aeron, still oblivious to the tension, moved with unrestrained enthusiasm. Neither appeared bothered by the oppressive heat — an uncharacteristic detail that spoke to just how enthralled they were. Their eyes gleamed each time they spotted an ancient rune or a fragment of old glyphwork etched into the stone.
Fin, Rex, and Jax remained vigilant. This time, both Jax and Fin could sense the ambient energies more clearly, tracing the faint signatures of potential watchers — not with Nova's precision, but enough to know where dangers might lie. Rex, however, felt nothing. His hand stayed on the hilt of his sword, jaw tight, every muscle coiled for the slightest shift in the shadows.
They walked in silence for some time, the jungle thinning by degrees until the trees parted enough to reveal the structure ahead. The temple rose from the earth like the skeleton of a forgotten god, half-consumed by roots and strangled vines. Grass grew through the shattered steps, and whole sections of stone had collapsed inward, leaving it ancient, wounded, and dignified despite its ruin.
Nova released the golden shield with a small exhale, the dome dropping.
She turned toward the temple, though her vision throbbed at the edges. Her headache had grown steadily worse, a deep, pulsing ache behind her eyes — sharper now than it had been when she first woke. She did not speak of it. There was no point.
And she prayed, silently, that acquiring what lay within would not be as catastrophic as every warning had suggested.
They reached the front steps, stone worn smooth by centuries and overrun with moss. Nova stepped forward. Her eyes flared silver, bright enough to catch on the vines.
She placed a hand upon the ancient doors and spoke in Draken-Vorah — her voice low, resonant, and older than the language had any right to sound through her.
The doors shuddered, then groaned open, stone grinding against stone.
Behind her, Hyran inhaled sharply.
"She said," he translated, voice hushed, "We who bear the flame seek entrance, and the temple shall obey."
The jungle fell completely silent as the threshold yawned open before them.