The muscles in Rhyan’s jaw tightened. “It’s Aemon.”
I looked back, seeing the glowing blue lights beneath his ashvan horse, Aditi. Aemon’s red Arkturion cloak flew out behind him.
“The fuck?” Dario yelled. “Who is that?”
“Not Glemarian,” Aiden said, his eyes clocking Aemon’s every move.
Aemon’s aura was expanding, its violent deadly essence reaching toward us.
My eyes met Meera’s, who’d leaned forward, her body straining to see him. I didn’t have to ask what she was looking for. Because I was looking for a glimpse of her, too.
Morgana.
There was no sign of her though, and I couldn’t decide if I was disappointed or relieved.
Maraaka Ereshya.
“What the fuck is he doing here?” I gritted.
Meera’s eyebrows narrowed. “Listening.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. Fuck. Of course he was. That was what he did. He’d been able to manipulate us when we were in Bamaria, able to push us toward everything he wanted. Knew how we’d react, knew our exact thoughts each time. Because he’d listened to everything.
Without a doubt, he knew what we were up to. Knew we were going to Numeria, that we were going to rescue Jules. And knowing him, he’d find a way to use that against us.
“It’s a good sign,” Rhyan said quietly. “He’s not attacking. He’s revealed he’s here, and he didn’t have to.”
“So, he’s sending a message?” I asked. “That the akadim were his?” My hands fisted at my sides, seeing their collars in my mind. “We already fucking knew that.”
Rhyan nodded. “He fucked up though. Because he just showed us something I don’t think he meant to. He isn’t any more powerful than last time we saw him. Morgana hasn’t given him the shard yet.”
I shuddered with relief, not realizing how desperately I needed to hear that. To hear that Morgana hadn’t brought back the full power of Moriel. But was that because she was truly on our side?
Maraaka Ereshya.
Or was she keeping it for herself?
“Do you think we’ll know?” Meera asked. “When he does take the shard?”
“I think we will,” Rhyan said. “I think he’ll want that.”
“The fuck’s going on?” Aiden interrupted.
Dario’s eyes narrowed on the three of us. “Don’t know. But he’s gone now. We’ll report it.” He reached for his belt, but then cursed when he remembered his vadati had been smashed in the fight.
Aiden’s eyes narrowed on us. “We should look further into it,” he said.
But Rhyan sat forward and said, “It’s not fucking important right now. The real question is how you’re going to get the warning out about the akadim.”
“Akadim reports go to Arkturion Kane,” Dario said darkly.
“Kane?” Rhyan paled. Kane was the man Rhyan’s father wanted me to marry. The Arkturion who was supposed to make the Bastardmaker look civil. Rhyan had let his father torture him just to keep him away from me.
“Yes, Kane,” Dario snapped. He looked down his nose at Rhyan, his sneer full of condescension. “You remember him.”
Rhyan’s mouth tightened. “Dario, listen to me. We can’t go to Seathorne. We just can’t. Say we escaped—say we fought and overpowered you.”
“And why would I do that?” Dario jerked his chin at us. Aiden nodded in response.
