“Io wanted to go down and help the healers in the lower cavern and Suri went to watch over her,” Zalira said.
I was glad that Io wanted to spend her time that way—getting back to what she had loved most from the beginning. Helping others.
“So ...” Ahyana said with wide eyes. “Has anything interesting happened to you lately?”
She was teasing me, but I ignored it. Instead I told them everything that I had seen and heard in the world beyond this one, what both Maia and the goddess had said. I also told them about how the red soil interfered with our abilities when we stood on it.
“But Suri making holes, my cicadas, Zalira’s lightning—that all worked against the enemy and their dirt,” Ahyana pointed out.
“Right. Because you weren’t standing on the soil. When we make contact with it, our aspects won’t work right.” I thought of how I had considered attacking Artemisia in her camp, when I’d been searching for Xander. The camp had been covered in that dirt, so it would have gone very, very badly for me.
“I’m just glad Artemisia can’t use the eye,” Zalira said, and I nodded.
“My fear is that she’ll realize it and destroy it.”
Ahyana shook her head. “I think she’ll be too busy focusing on her attack to figure it out.”
I hoped that was true. Then I told them about Luna, about how I could hear her speaking in my mind, that returning with her had been my trial of aether, which meant I’d completed all the trials of the elements. I also told them about her abilities.
Zalira tapped a finger thoughtfully against her chin. “So she has wings and can fly, she can swim in water effortlessly, and she breathes fire? You add in some big scales, and she has the abilities of all the other dragons.”
She was right. I hadn’t even realized that. “But Luna’s so small I’m not sure what good that would do us in a battle.” If she were full grown, she would be unstoppable.
Ahyana got up and moved to sit right next to me on the bed. “So can we now please talk about the best part? What happened with you and Xander last night?”
I had kept so much of my relationship with him to myself. Some of it because it was embarrassing and other details because they felt too personal. Our night together should have fallen into the latter category, but I found myself sharing more than I had intended to with my sisters.
They were both so giddy and thrilled that it was infectious, and every new thing I shared heightened their excitement.
“I can hardly wait for Rokh to get back,” Ahyana said with a sigh.
Her sister looked down shyly before admitting, “I told Stephanos about the vow. We are going to get married as soon as this conflict is over.”
“Zalira! Congratulations!” I shouted, and both Ahyana and I rushed over to tackle her into a hug. She was laughing, we all were, but I was so happy for her. She had been so completely miserable before and I was thrilled that she would be able to have the life she had always wanted.
So would Ahyana.
I glanced outside and realized that I had been in here so long that it was time for the war council meeting. “I have to go,” I said as I stood up.
“We’re going to go down and see if Io needs help. We’ll tell her and Suri what you told us,” Ahyana promised.
When my eyebrows shot up my forehead, she hurried to add, “Not the parts about Xander. Obviously. But everything else.”
“That sounds good. I will see you both later.”
I hurried off to the council chambers and immediately went over to Xander’s side. He kissed me on the temple but was in the middle of arguing with an officer, so I sat quietly and listened. I had never defended a city before. I’d read about wars and sieges but hadn’t gained any practical knowledge, while warfare had been part of Xander’s basic education.
The entire war council was chaotic. People were arguing and fighting about what would happen and what we should do to defend ourselves. It made me worried. I had hoped there would be a clear plan. It would have made me feel much more confident.
When I said as much to my husband after the meeting had ended, he told me not to worry. “People want to be heard and to feel like their ideas are being considered. But this is my nation, and I will run the army and the defense of the city in the way I think is best.”
He was taking me to the outer wall of the north gate.
“I forgot to mention it earlier,” he said, “but your brother sends his love.”
Guilt lacerated my heart. I should have gone and looked for him, checked on him, made sure that he was all right. I’d been so, well, caught up in everything happening around me. And to me. “Where did you see him?”
“He was training with the troops this morning.”
