“And yes, taking her from the capital was my doing,” I said. “But I had no clue that would kill her. I just needed to speak to her. I am so very sorry.”
“All truths,” Ursa said.
“A mistweaver? They’re real?” Silvermane was quietly shocked, looking terrified.
“Yes.” The word came from myself, Alvere, and Dove at once.
Silvermane blinked for a moment. She looked like she didn’t believe any of this, but she nodded. “Go on, say your piece, then leave.” Her tone, though quiet, was still hard. She didn’t like any of this, that was obvious.
I took up the telling from there. “The mistweaver sent to kill the Vauphani king and queen, had also been tasked with killing me. It seemed I would get in the way of someone’s plans. At the time I didn’t know what those plans were, I was only trying to survive. I did indeed kill the mistweaver, though I nearly died myself. That is how I came to know the prince, now King of Vauphan. We have only ever wanted peace between our two nations, but someone else is behind this war.” I couldn’t go into specifics, not yet. I hoped Silvermane would see it for herself when the time came for the Council of Nobles. So, I left things vague. “Someone on our side, someone in Elista, started this war. They know the Mists are moving and will eventually migrate into Vauphan, and they wished to take the lands in the North of Vauphan to protect our Mists, a noble but misguided goal. Vauphan would never have cut us off from our heritage. The King is here to say just that and more… to offer a political alliance. He will come to the Council of Nobles, and whoever is chosen as the new king or queen will be bound to him, either to marry or for their children to marry, thus bringing our nations together and ending all this needless bloodshed. I have never betrayed Elista, but someone high up in the Royal house must be involved in this plot and has been spreading foul rumors about me. I stole my sister away from the capital as I feared she might be in danger.” That was true, I just wouldn’t mention Lord Hale specifically. “Yes, we fought against our own kind, fighting for Vauphan at the front lines, but I’m willing to bet you didn’t know Lord War was there, and it was him and Jaguar who attacked us first, killing Maverick and several Nobles of his House. Our attack on their camp was only to stop the fighting, end the hostilities, which were initiated by the Elistan side. Believe me or not, but you’ll see the truth of things at the Council of Nobles.” I paused, a bit out of breath. I looked at Alvere and Dove. “Did I miss anything?”
“How did Ursa get involved?” Horn asked.
I nodded. “I had a friend from Silverveil who is now a member of Grizzly House. I went to her to ask for help. She brought me to Ursa, who used her abilities to determine I was truthful and agreed to help me.”
Silvermane looked a little confused. “So… you killed the mistweaver that cast a curse on my mother?”
“I hope I am being honest when I say: yes. I cannot be certain. I killedamistweaver. There may be another one, but I hope to the Spirits there isn’t.” I shrugged. “So… it seems likely that I killed the one who cast the curse upon your mother.”
Silvermane nodded.
“That is a fanciful tale,” Horn said, clearly not believing it.
“We shall consider what you have told us,” Silvermane said. “Now, please leave.”
That was not how I had hoped this would go, but we weren’t being apprehended or chased out, so it definitely could have gone worse.
“Thank you for your time,” I said, then we all linked to Fin and were gone from Silvermane’s office.
We returned to the room we’d rented in the city.
“Do we go to Skyfire?” Ursa asked. “Horn may be warning others even as we speak.”
“Then we go quickly,” I said.
Ursa nodded.
Chapter 16
It seemedWyvern House had not been warned, at least not yet. We were admitted to Lady Skyfire’s study.
Yet even as Fin closed the door behind us and Ursa was about to speak, Lord Drake, Skyfire’s second, hissed: “Legs is with them, on the back of the short male. It’s a trick, a trap!” How he knew, I had no clue, but it threw everything into chaos.
I was hidden under the cloak again, so I didn’t see what happened next. But I felt the cloak being ripped off Alvere as he was pushed to one side. Then a hand, faster than I could see, plucked me off the man’s back, holding me by one of my tiny legs, careful not to crush it, but precise enough to hold just the one small limb.
I was surprised that it was Skyfire herself who held me.
“Show yourself!” she commanded.
I was so very disappointed that finally meeting my childhood idle was happening in such a fashion
I shifted back to myself, and Skyfire had one of my hands grasped in hers, bound in a grip like iron.
“I have you now, traitor!”
“Wait!” Ursa’s strong voice stopped everyone. The tall woman stalked over to Skyfire. “This is no trap.”
For a long moment the two powerful women squared off. Ursa was taller, but not by much. Both were powerfully built and strong. Steel-blue eyes met fiery-orange eyes.
