Bala nodded. "I'll go to Dahrkenhill myself."
"No," Nadir cut in. "You can't do that. I'll send word with my traders to find out. I need you nearby, Bala."
"What about the people with Gail? Did they all march across? Are they alive?"
"No. It was just he, the Infi- North, Antha—“
"Antha was with him?" Bala interjected, knowing Antha had not been with Gail when he arrived with the group of his people.
The solemnness in Nyssa's gaze made Bala nauseous. "She's dead. All of them."
"Did my father's roots reach here?" Bala asked.
Nyssa shook her head.
"Then North and the Infi impersonating Gail are still here somewhere," she determined. "You cannot trust any of these guards. If they—“ Bala's eyes widened towards where she'd sent the wind. "This is the last you can come here, Nadir. Princess, you need to let us get you out of here tonight. If the Infi figure out or see you talking to us, they'll tell your Noble. You will be dead, and they'll send a company to the Umber."
"They don't know where the Umber is," Nadir argued.
"Really? You think they won't sail their fucking ships around the reef and set fire to all of it while they're searching?"
"We have a bigger problem," Nyssa cut in.
"What could be larger than this?"
"The Prince is arriving in a week," Nyssa said. "And I'm being moved to Savigndor tomorrow to get ready for his arrival."
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
COLOR PALED FROM both Bala and Nadir's faces.
"We have to get you out of here," Bala demanded.
"You can't," Nyssa argued, the knot in her chest twisting around her heart. "I can do this. We need more information. He is the best way to do that." She turned, finding Nadir's eyes hardened on her, and she shook her head at the look on his face.
"Don't look at me like that," she managed. "With any luck, he'll be an idiot."
“Nys, you don't have to do this," he whispered.
"Three weeks," she promised. "We push my plan back to the end of the Deads, not the beginning. They're taking me to Savigndor. I can find out the kinds of weapons they have, possibly destroy some on my way out. I know I won't be able to take the entire fleet and castle on my own, but maybe... Maybe I can find out enough that we are in a better standing to go back and negotiate."
She turned to face Nadir then as the noise of thunder cracked in the distance. "I need you to meet me on the beach later."
"In the rain?"
"This will be the last I see you until I can fight my way out."
His eyes shut tight, and she could see the clench in his jaw. "I just found you," he whispered. "You want me to leave you to take this on your own?"
"Yes," she affirmed. "You have to."
Nadir exchanged a glance with Bala, whose fists were creasing the fabrics in his cart. “I—“
People came through then, and Bala was cornered as they asked her questions about the fabrics. She obviously didn't know anything about them, but with a nod from Nadir, she quickly took the people over to the side and started speaking with them. Nadir continued to be pretending to show other goods to Nyssa.
"How do you plan on getting out if you're at their castle?" he asked through clenched teeth. "You think you won't be put in the dungeon or shackled to the Prince's bedchambers?"
"I'll figure it out."
