Alex felt her slowly calming heartbeat pick up speed again. “What are you saying?”
“Alex, I believe you can choose to access Aven’s Meyarin characteristics because of his blood that resides in you,” he said. “But whether or not you can only do so under duress is yet to be seen. That’s why I blindfolded you—sometimes we rely too heavily on what we see and miss out on opportunities to have faith in what we feel.”
“But you couldn’t see either,” Alex reminded him, her tone thick with accusation at the memory of his risky actions.
“I’ve participated in many similar exercises before,” he assured her. “I wouldn’t have let any harm come to you. There was one potentially dangerous situation you faced, but you surprised me when you drew your own blade to save yourself.” He glanced around the mat and added, “Your weapon sang beautifully. May I see it?”
Alex raised her eyebrows at his wording, before looking down to where she’d dropped her blade. But there was nothing there.
“I… Uh… Um…”
She had no idea how to answer, but fortunately he smiled at her and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to take it from you. You handled it so well that you’ve earned the right to keep it hidden, if that’s your wish.”
He rose to his feet and offered her his hand. Since every muscle in her body ached, she was grateful for the assistance.
“We’d better return to the others,” he said, pressing the coded rhythm into the mat again to lower the barrier around them. “I’m sure they’ll be curious about what we’ve been doing.”
“What will you tell them?” Alex asked, following as he led the way back to the small group waiting at the other end of the massive training room.
“Just that I wanted to witness your fighting ability for myself, without prying eyes.”
“You don’t want your, uh, companions to know about your hypothesis?” she asked, not quite sure how to label the other Meyarins, one of whom was the king. “Don’t you trust them?”
He turned to look at her as they walked. “It’s not my companions I don’t trust.”
Reading the implication in his words, Alex opened her mouth to defend her friends, but he continued talking.
“I know I don’t have any input over what you say and do, Alex, but I strongly advise against telling anyone what we just discovered. If Aven learns about the abilities he’s inadvertently given you, he’ll stop at nothing to get to you.”
“He’s already pretty desperate to get his hands on me,” Alex said. “It’s no secret that he wants me dead.”
“True as that may be,” the Meyarin said, reaching out and bringing her to a halt, “if he learns the full threat you pose to him, he’ll be more desperate than ever to keep you from ruining his plans.”
“Me? A threat to him?” Alex released an incredulous laugh. “Are you mad?”
“The blood in your veins allows you to use his immortal abilities—not general Meyarin characteristics, but Aven’s personal genetic traits,” the Meyarin said, his face solemn enough to instantly erase Alex’s disbelief. “Your strength, your speed, your heightened senses; you draw from the essence of Aven’s blood when you access those characteristics inherent to the Meyarin race. The connection between you two, even with the bond severed…” He trailed off and shook his head, looking at her with compassionate eyes. “Alex, you’re not like his other Claimed victims. You share his power. How much of it, only time will tell. But the potential you possess will paint you as a threat, of that there is no doubt.”
Alex once again felt like she was going to throw up. “But I’m not—I’m not powerful. I’m nothing like Aven—I’m just me.”
“I’m sorry, Alex,” he said, his voice gentle. “But it was definitely his power I felt leaking out of you when we fought. That much is true.”
“But—But I’m not Claimed anymore!” she said, almost hysterically. Then she gasped. “Wait—does that mean I’m like you now? That I’m immortal? That I’m not human anymore?” Heart pounding, she continued blurting out her spiralling fears. “You said I can access the Meyarin characteristics, but that doesn’t mean I’m, like, doing it all the time, right? You said the power is dormant in me… right?”
“Alex, breathe.” He sent her a comforting look. “You’re definitely not Claimed, and you’re definitely human. You could choose to never tap into Aven’s power and live a perfectly normal life. If you do decide to test the limits of the blood in your veins, you’ll still remain mortal because you are no longer bound to Aven’s life force. But if Aven learns that his power lingers in your veins, he’ll either want to kill you more than he already does, or he’ll want to find a way to manipulate you to further his own plans. That’s why I believe the knowledge of your blood should be kept between as few people as possible. To keep you safe… or at least, safer.”
Alex took a moment to let his words wash over her until she forced herself to be calm again. Only then did she say, “But I trust my friends. I don’t keep secrets from them.”
“Please, Alex,” he said, his expressive eyes begging her to understand. “Don’t let them know about your blood. At least not until we know more.”
Alex could see nothing but genuine concern in his gaze— concern for her. So, despite how difficult it was, she nodded her agreement. “I won’t tell them for now. But I reserve the right to do so in the future.”
He released the breath he’d been holding and smiled. “I can accept that compromise.”
And with their agreement, the Meyarin resumed walking.
They were almost back to their companions when Alex said, “After all that, are you still not going to tell me your name? You did nearly decapitate me, you know. Surely that earns me something.”
The Meyarin chuckled and glanced sideways at her. “It’s Roka.”
Roka. Cool name.
… And one that Alex had heard before.
She strained her thoughts for some kind of recognition, and finally a hazy memory came back to her.
“Prince Roka?” she choked out. “You’re Aven’s brother?”
He laughed at her reaction but didn’t have a chance to respond before they reached the others. Her friends must have heard her exclamation, since the three of them were staring at the Meyarin with wide eyes.
“Is everything all right?” the king asked.