Fire wielder.Odd words to refer to me. I ignore that and focus on something else. “And what were you planning to do with that information? Hoard it?”
Renel stares at his bracelets. “I had no plan. I…” He pauses and swallows. “Didn’t think the Witch King was a threat. I thought our stepfather was delusional. I think I asked Zorwal about it once, and he laughed at me. To be fair, he never took thecastle’s doomed trajectory seriously either. I never considered the possibility that the Witch King would return.”
I don’t know if I understand my brother’s logic.
“So if you thought the books or journals were nonsense, how come you’re quoting them now, with all this certainty?”
“Because now I see that they were right; the Witch King returned. I can see the wisdom in them, can even see the crooked, appalling, immoral wisdom of our stepfather.”
“You still think he killed our father.”
“He did! Because of his obsession with the Witch King and that only a powerful fire wielder could stop him. It wasn’t long after your powers emerged that his wife died, and then our father. It was on purpose. He wanted you to be king.”
I blink, unsure about the words I’m hearing, wondering where my brother got these insane ideas. “And yet you prevented me from taking the throne.”
“Yes, I did.” There isn’t a single trace of remorse, guilt, or shame in his tone. If anything, I’d say he’s proud of it. “I’d prevent anything that vile fae wanted, just to spite him. I never suspected any of his deliriums had any point, but hey, I was wrong. It turns out that the Witch King did return, so it stands to reason that the theory that you can kill him must be right as well. Still doesn’t justify murdering our father, but I can’t change that.”
My brother’s the one who’s deranged, talking like that about our stepdad. I take a deep breath, just because snapping now won’t help anything. “You spew nonsense, I won’t believe anything you say anymore.”
He points at his chest. “I’mnot the one saying it. It’s your dear, beloved stepfather. Don’t you adore him? Heed his words, then.”
I blink. “What words?”
Renel runs a hand through his black hair. “I’m… not sure.”
I just rest my head on my hand. “Why are you bringing this up, then?”
“Because I got a glimpse of some of his writing, some notes in his journals, just the little I could salvage from Zorwal’s eyes. But there are more journals and books, kept in a safe enclosure, and I’m certain that they contain the instructions on how to defeat the Witch King, based on what I glimpsed.”
“You haven’t read them?”
Renel looks at his bracelets, then back at me. “The bookshelf has a hidden door, which I managed to find. It held a box with a royal lock. I hid the box, but I can’t open it. Only the Crystal Court king can do that. If it’s information for the next king, I’m assuming it has to do with the notes I glimpsed, and it has to do with your fire. It was when your power emerged that King Krisiul took an interest in you.” In a lower voice, he adds, “It was when everything changed.”
I feel a strange coldness in my chest, hold Astra’s hand a little tighter, and take a deep breath. “You always hated him.”
Renel raises an eyebrow. “Not at all. Only after he killed our father.”
I exhale, annoyed at my brother, annoyed at the things he did all these years and even before then. “Your pointless suspicion doesn’t matter now.”
“You’re right.” He exhales. “It does not. But the fact that your fire can kill the Witch King does.”
My dreadful fire. My heart’s punching my chest as if it was knocking desperately on a door, hoping to be brought to safety. I push my horror away and chuckle. “How does it work? Should I just find his hideout and torch it? Is it as simple as that?”
Renel scratches his chin. “Maybe. The old king’s notes could tell us more, except that if Zorwal is back in the castle…”
My heart is beating louder and louder, and breathing is getting harder, but I ignore it and focus on what must be done.
“Do we even need to check the journals or whatever? I could go to the Shadow Lands right now and kill the old villain. That would solve most of our problems.” I point at Azur. “Probably cure him.”
“You’d need to leave earlier,” Lidiane says. “So that there would be time to reach the north of the Shadow Lands before sunset.”
I get up, even if the thought of using my fire suffocates me with dread. “I can go now and hurry.”
“Marlak,” Astra says, her tone gentle. “You haven’t used your fire in a long time.”
I know what she means, and yet I won’t deny my friends the opportunity to get rid of their enemy just because of some childish fear. “But if I have to… I…”
“Can you show us?” Ziven asks. “A small flame at least?”
