Growing up in the Court of Fortaare had taught me two things. Never go behind the curtains of the ballroom at the request of high society widows, unless you had extremely good reflexes. And more importantly, never take anyone at their word.
Not your parents, your blood kin, or your closest ally. Even Shay, who I’d entrusted with my life and safety multiple times, had the capacity to lie to save her own skin. I wouldn’t judge her for it either. We were all human, hardwired to survive. The First Line didn’t breed empathetic people, and if it did, they didn’t live long.
I squeezed Avalon’s hand once more, before dropping it. I hated the loss of contact; my whole body rebelled against the action. I didn’t want to let her go yet. She was dazed, and I knew she probably needed to process, but I selfishly needed her by my side for now.
I didn’t trust anyone else with her safety; well, anyone except Hayle. I had no doubt in my mind he would put her safety before his own every single time, and if those alternate histories were to be believed, he had multiple times.
Lierick and his second-in-command had obviously loosened their hold on the rest of Boellium, because the other conscriptswere now moving around the college like normal. Like it was just another day in this hellhole, and not like we’d been invaded by a Line that was supposed to be extinct.
A flash of fear echoed through me. I needed to get atalthat protected me against the kind of control the Second Line could exercise. And I had to do it without my father finding out.
“What’s wrong?” Avalon asked me, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts.
Shaking my head, I leaned close. I wanted to hold her, but if our relationship being out in the open ended in her death, I would keep it quiet for now.
Avalon first, always.
“We need to get talismans to protect against this,” I murmured softly, waving a hand at the oblivious conscripts. “The strength of their power is unrivaled. I wonder…” I couldn’t say it out loud, but I knew now why my ancestor had murdered their Line, and why my father would use all his force to do the same, if he knew they were still a threat.
Because if it came down to a real battle between us, one on one, I wasn’t entirely sure who would leave that arena as the new ruling power of Ebrus. Up there, in the mountains hidden beneath the mist, they’d grown stronger, while our magic had steadily weakened. I knew in my soul that if he wanted to, Lierick could make me a walking puppet for his own agenda.
It made me second-guess all my own responses. Maybe I was already a marionette on his strings?
This would drive me mad, even if Lierick wasn’t inside my brain messing with my thoughts.
Avalon shrugged at my statement. “If it makes you feel safer.”
There was something about the Lower Six and their ability to roll with the life fate had handed them. They were used to being the least powerful people in a room, and therefore, they didn’t struggle against it.
Well, not Avalon. She was more powerful than Lierick and I combined. I still couldn’t grasp the idea that Avalon—my Avalon—could turn back time and rewrite the future. What other abilities did the Lower Lines have that they just didn’t realize they possessed? Or had they kept them secret to protect themselves?
Ebrus was a powder keg with a slowly burning fuse, and had been for so long. But if the Second Line was now willing to fight, perhaps that fuse was burning faster than I thought.
We walked through the atrium slowly, Braxus at Avalon’s heels, snapping at people who got too close to his charge. He must have been picking up Hayle’s anxiety about our current… circumstances, because he was more aggravated than normal. More than a few conscripts got a nip for not moving fast enough.
Avalon buried her fingers in his fur. “Calm, Brax. It’s okay. I’m okay. They aren’t a threat to me.”
Braxus looked at her like she was an idiot, and I had to agree with the furball. Every single person inside these walls was a threat while Lierick Hanovan was here and the Second Line remained on the shores of Boemouthe. While they were all subject to his control and could become an army of puppets.
Something suddenly niggled in the back of my mind, and I wanted to make sure I was right.
We made it to the administration offices in time to see Svenna put away the conscript ledger. I gave her a bored expression. “Late-arriving conscripts?”
The skin twitched beside her eye. Nerve damage from her scars, or a tell? “Apparently. They’ve come down from the Eleventh Line and got caught up trying to cross the sea from Eaglehoth.”
I made a hum of agreement. “That aid from Ovl didn’t appear.”
There it was, the twitch again. The slight clenching of the jaw. “What aid?”
“Fucking drop the act, Svenna. We both know that you’re fully aware of who our new ‘conscripts’ are. You’re a spy.”
Avalon gasped softly behind me. Svenna winced, indicating Avalon should shut the door all the way. She did, even if it did block off our escape should we need it, but I was pretty confident that between myself and Braxus, we could take out even a decorated soldier of the Dawn Army.
Or maybe an agent of the Second Line Army. That was yet to be ascertained.
“I’m not a spy, Vylan. I served my fucking army withhonor.They didn’t reciprocate that honor after all this, though.” She waved her good hand at her face and the remaining half of her arm. “They cast me aside, like I was worse than trash. Like I was a tool that lost its edge and was therefore useless to the Dawn Army. To Ebrus as a whole. So don’t look at me like I’m the disloyal one,Heir Vylan.” She ground out my title, like it was my fault personally.
Avalon stepped up to my back, a steady support like always. I wondered if it came down to it, if she’d fight a trained soldier for me. Other than Shay, no one had ever foughtforme.
