It wasn’t often that Lord Kai smiled, but that day should have been one of those rare occasions. He’d won. He’d accomplished his goal. After over ten years, he stood on the High Throne in the cold castle dominating the planet-wide city of Vratis, fort to the Warlord of Ratna.

He’d defeated his enemy—almost all of his enemies. Those who oppressed and allowed others to live under the talon of slavery had answered for their crimes. Children with magic in their blood, condemned to death because of what they were, would be free now.

And yet, Kai’s features were as expressionless as ever. Not even a hint of a smile.

Kai Lor, of the House of Hora, got up from the strange floating throne. Catching his intention, the responsive, coveted seat moved slowly to the floor. Now that he was at his companions’ level, his tall stature seemed even more imposing. Evris, be they male or female, stood taller than most creatures in the known universe, and Kai had yet to meet anyone who reached past his shoulders. This alone might have made him seem threatening, but there was something else about him—in the way he moved and in his intense gaze, perhaps. Those who met him for the first time generally knew to fear him. Those who were familiar with him, even more so.

The room only served to aggravate his fearsome persona. It was austere, like a temple, rather than the command center of a warlord. Kai didn’t like it much. He’d have to get it redesigned; change all the purple lighting to red and paint the black walls white.

His four advisors and the seven guards, who’d spent the last hour arguing about the next step, grew silent when he descended the dais. He didn’t bother to explain himself, leaving them to warily watch him head to the round balcony set at the back of the throne room.

The large beast that had rested on the platform over which the throne hovered lifted its head before trailing Kai’s steps, following him out. It didn’t fear him, unlike everyone else in the room.

The streets were eerily quiet below. This world didn’t yet know what sort of person their new master would be. They’d heard rumors. Terrible rumors. All of Vratis watched in an uneasy silence. By dawn, Kai would have more orders to give. He’d earn himself new enemies.

His fingers threaded through the rough bluish-silver fur of his snow wolf, his companion. The beast was the closest thing he had to real kin.

Kai frowned. That wasn’t exactly true. There was one person who belonged at his side. Back when he’d seen her through the eyes of a seer, he’d known, without any doubt, that the female was meant to be with him—always. She was there, somewhere. He’d find her. He’d destroy worlds until she stood next to him.

The door of the throne room slid open behind him, and without leaving the balcony or turning to check, Kai knew it was Wench, his head mechanic. His aptitudes extended to feeling people around him. With experience, he’d learned to identify the vibe they emanated. Wench was steady and loyal. He felt like a deeply rooted tree.

“Where’s the lord?”

The lord. That was him now.

“Out,” someone replied, waving toward the curved doors leading to the balcony.

The man’s confident steps had an upbeat ring as he rushed to the balcony. Kai wasn’t surprised when he told him, “Good news!” Kai turned to him, brow lifted. “We found the child.”

That caught and retained his attention.

Kai’d had many reasons for leading the civil war against their previous warlord. One of them was a child—a child without whom he may not be alive today.

There had been no sign of the child in the palace when he’d arrived, and the previous warlord’s men weren’t talking. Kai knew that now, over a dozen years after their first meeting, she wasn’t a child at all. She’d be a young female in her twenties.

But still, he would have recognized her. And everyone in this palace would have known who she was; the old warlord’s secret weapon. When he’d failed to find her, he’d guessed that his predecessor had had her killed, rather than surrendering her to him. A last act of defiance. But that theory didn’t quite fit with Wench’s upbeat demeanor.

“She’s alive then.”

Strange. Nothing outwardly betrayed a change in him, but he could feel it. His indifference vanished, replaced by a keen interest, and underneath it all, there was something else. Something he hadn’t felt for a long time.

Hope?

The corner of Kai’s lips lifted a smidgen.

“You’ll want to watch the recordings we’ve dug out,” said his mechanic. “It’s a long story.”