Terro’s hand shoots into the air. “You will need more than a couple of people looking out for you if we want to ensure you get the answers you need. I’m going.”
Greer leans back in her chair and folds her arms over her chest. “I can’t let these two idiots be your only source of protection.” She glances past Ulric to Ashavee. “No offense.”
Ashavee shrugs and says, “Totally understandable.”
“They won’t be the only ones watching over Raelle. I’m going,” Kyron says.
“But what about?—”
Papa places a hand on my shoulder and says, “You will need all the help you can get. Borin and I will watch over the kingdom. It has fared well under our watch before.”
“It has,” Borin agrees.
Ulric claps and rubs his hands together. “This is going to be like old times.”
“The four of us storming through the five kingdoms and kicking ass,” Terro adds.
Kyron locks eyes with Greer and says, “This could be a terrible idea.”
A bright smile consumes her face, putting her white teeth on display. “Oh, it’s the most terrible idea. And that’s why I’m looking forward to it.”
Nineteen
KYRON
The full moon glows bright in the midnight sky when I slip out of bed. I wanted nothing more than to hold Raelle and fall back to sleep, but my brain wouldn’t quiet. Too much can go wrong during our journey to Sibyl. Not to mention that we don’t know where our findings will lead us next. Will we return to Pliris empty-handed, or will we be on the hunt for the legendary Cruel King’s Stone? Either way, I can’t rest with so many possibilities and no clear course of action.
Treading lightly through the room, I pull on my pants and shirt. The last thing I want to do is wake Raelle when we have a long day ahead of us. I worry the journey to Sibyl will be hard on her. Weeks of being locked away in the treetops of Allaji took its toll on her body. She needs these last peaceful moments. I take the Eporri and Posseda from the box on my dresser and put them in my pockets. With my boots and jacket in hand, I kiss her on the forehead and ease out of the room. After I finish getting dressed, I head down the corridor to where the officers of theking’s guard have offices. I tap two knuckles against Leif’s door and wait.
Raelle’s best friend isn’t technically part of the guard, but his ability to solve problems and strategize makes him too valuable to let go. I created a job for him—a special position as a strategist. His first assignment was finding Raelle and coming up with a way to get the Cyffreds safely out of Allaji. With one half of the job complete, he is still diligently working to figure out the other. He’s close to finding them, and I hope his talent served him well throughout the night.
Wel opens the door with a tired but cheerful smile. “Your Majesty,” he says, stepping aside with a sweeping bow.
I like Wel. Despite the tragedy he has faced on the battlefield, he still has an air of innocence about him. He was one of my best sergeants in the army, respected and liked by his soldiers. He’s a good match for Leif, complementing his carefree attitude and taking swings at his ego when he needs to be brought down a couple of pegs. Wel is the best kind of person and exactly what Leif needs.
I step into the office to find Leif and Abrum hunched over the map. Both men are disheveled, with their hair mussed and their tunics wrinkled and rolled to their elbows. A hint of guilt punches me in the gut. I was losing myself in Raelle while they’ve been working to save all of us. But I’m here now, and I’m ready to help.
“How’s it going?” I ask, moving in next to Abrum.
“Good. We located the overall area of the map,” Leif says, taking a mug of steaming liquid from Wel.
I look over the terrain. As general of the army, I spent hours milling over maps and studying battles of the past. It was my job to not only know Pliris’ layout but other kingdoms as well. Nothing stands out to me—not a body of water or a mountain range. I’m not sure this place exists anywhere but on this map.
“Where do you think this is?” I ask.
“The northern mountains of Sibyl,” Abrum states, running his palm down his face.
This is good news and bad. Sibyl is the smallest of all the kingdoms, so getting to this place shouldn’t be much of a detour. The bad news is that the mountains are cold, and the climb is rigorous. It’s common to hear stories of over-confident hikers never coming home after trying to reach the summit. I’ve trained for years to build my endurance, and I wouldn’t think of trying it. If that stone is at the top, Raelle and Ulric will never make it.
I push away from the desk and sink into the leather chair behind me. My fingers rub my temples, massaging away the impending headache. I have to consider if the risk to my parah and friends is worth it. Like those who looked for the stone before us, we could turn up empty-handed. Or even worse... dead. Then again, if we don’t try, we’ll die anyway and so will thousands of others. I have no choice. Searching for the Cruel King’s Stone is better than planning a war we can’t win.
Abrum sits in the chair beside me, and Leif takes the one behind his desk with Wel rubbing his shoulder. We sit in silence for minutes. I have no doubt that each man in this room has a singular focus. Raelle. This isn’t a soldier we are sending to war. She is a friend, a lover, a first-born daughter. Our initial reaction is to protect her. It doesn’t seem right that we’re guiding her on a mission that might be more than she can handle.
“I trust you to keep her safe, Kyron.”
I lift my head and meet Abrum’s worried gaze. His connection with each of his children is special, but I see that extra spark he holds for his oldest daughter—the smile he can’t hide when she speaks and the grip he has on her when they hug. She hangs the moon and stars in his world. He fights for his entire family, but she was once his queen. He raised her sohe could one day serve her, to bend to her will, to bleed for her cause. I understand the feeling all too well.
Abrum has entrusted me with more than Raelle’s physical well-being. He gave me his blessing to be her partner, the person she can always rely on. It’s my honor to hold her heart and lend her my strength when she needs it. I don’t take that responsibility lightly. “I’ll protect her until my dying breath,” I say.
