“Then leave.”
He finally didn’t protest and Eira shut the door, wondering if that soft click was the last bell tolling on their hopes for happiness together.
38
She’d been summoned to the Archives, though they wouldn’t tell her why. Eira had her theories. But she didn’t press the Swords who escorted her for information. They likely didn’t know.
Down one of the bridgeways and through a narrow hall, the Swords stopped at the foot of a stairway, leaving Eira to ascend alone. At the top was a shut door that Eira listened at for a moment. Hearing nothing, she gave a soft knock.
“Enter,” Vi Solaris called from within. Eira stepped inside.
The crown princess stood at a series of windows that overlooked a courtyard. Taavin sat at a table and chairs, flipping through one of the heavy tomes he’d brought from the main tower of the Archives. Their attention was drawn instantly to her.
“Your Highness, Voice of Yargen.” Eira bowed. “To what do I owe this honor?”
“Even though you did not abide by our plans—” the princess started, but what Eira feared would devolve into chiding was quickly interrupted by Taavin.
“We wanted to give you our personal thanks for what you did last night, since we didn’t manage to find you while you were in the castle.” Taavin stood. “Were it not for you, that night might have gone much worse.”
Eira frowned. It had gone pretty horribly from where she stood. “They got what they wanted. They summoned the flame.”
“But it wasn’t real.”
“Real enough that it’s stoked doubt in the populace of Risen.” She’d heard the whispers in the ballroom. She’d seen the way people looked at her in the streets. Even the other competitors were regarding her with wary stares, buzzing as she passed. Enough people had thought the flame was real. And enough of them thought she was the one who had smothered it.
“We’re working on that.” Vi sighed. “But the Court of Shadows isn’t what it once was, and our influence is slower. The best thing you can do, for now, is put up a show that can’t be ignored in the tournament. Something that will make the people cheer for you. I presume you can do that much.”
Eira had seen the state the court was in with her own eyes. They didn’t have the manpower to be defending her honor. And, frankly, Eira didn’t want that. There was enough to worry about with the tournament starting in a few mere hours.
“I’ll do my best.” Eira smiled thinly.
“We intend to show our gratitude by giving you an advantage on the tournament.” Vi walked over to the table, retrieving a folio. She held it out. “Here’s information on each of the different areas of competition. Lumeria’s explanation of the tournament’s design at the opening ceremonies tonight should make all our notes clear.”
Eira stared at it, chuckling softly. “No, thank you, Your Highness. I’d rather not.”
“Excuse me?” Vi blinked. Eira couldn’t tell if she merely wasn’t accustomed to being refused, or if she really thought she’d been doing Eira a favor.
“The last time I cheated for the Tournament of Five Kingdoms, my brother ended up dead and I ended up entwined with a madman.”
Vi slowly slid the folio back on the table. Eira wondered if the princess saw it as another instance where Eira was thwarting her plans. “If not this, then what would you like? I, personally, would like to extend my gratitude for what you’ve done.”
“Bring Ulvarth to justice.”
The two exchanged a look. It was Taavin who finally spoke. “We are looking into the Pillars and, as you might know, have already made several more arrests—including Mistress Harrot at the manor, which I believe Ducot said was at your recommendation.”
Harrot was the least threatening of them all. And she hadn’t heard “we have Ulvarth.” Until those words were said, none of them were safe. “Have you found their main base of operations?”
“We’re closing in on a house or two that are prospects,” Vi said.
“Their main base of operations is underground.”
“You think that only because of an illusioned window.” Vi folded her hands and leaned against the table. “We are not ruling out the possibility of there being something underground that the Court of Shadows wasn’t aware of…but we also are operating with more information than you ever knew. There are pieces here you don’t see. Trust us.”
She bit the insides of her cheeks, stopping herself from pointing out that, when she had, two-thirds of the court had ended up dead. “I’m only trying to help.”
“We know. And I think I will have use for you in the future. But for now, focus on the tournament.”
It wasn’t enough. “Youmustgo after Ulvarth.”
