“I believe I saw them. Hidden in the heart of the Shadowlands. What if…” Torin stared into the fire, deep lines bracketing her mouth. “What if my vision isn’t about killing the prince, but reclaiming these lost artifacts?”
“I highly doubt three ancient artifacts are declaring war on Valarian. Those artifacts didn’t behead my men or erect an enormous protective ward. That prince is our real threat; let’s not lose sight of that.”
But my mind was racing so fast my thoughts tripped over themselves.
Could that be the real reason Ryland brought Varian along?
Because Varian Kronos, besides being the world’s biggest backstabber, was also one of the world’s savviest scavengers. Like a dragon, he had a nose for treasure, complete disregard for the law, and a gray moral code that could overcome almost any obstacle when it came to getting his hands on the prize.
“What did you see, Torin?” Now, I couldn’t keep the sharpness from my tone. “You saw all three artifacts, or just this mysterious number three you keep talking about?”
“Just because your panties are twisted in a knot over some handsome male doesn’t mean you have to be smartass,” she sniped right back. “I saw…what could have been the Thorn. And I definitely saw the Crown and the Mirror. They were housed in some sort of fortress on an island in the center of a frozen lake…or maybe a moat. Hard to tell, but there was definitely water. Frozen water.”
That revelation was dire enough for me to give her a pass on that snarky comment about my male problems,of which I had none.
“And just like that an assassination turns into an archeology expedition?” I held my hands closer to the fire, my fingers tingling as they began to thaw. “Someone from the Shadowlands sent back my soldiers’ heads as a warning, Torin. And what about the blood and destruction? Dead forests?” I prodded as a thought hit me out of nowhere.
“What if…” I blew out a breath as that thought crystallized into something awful. “What if the artifacts are there? United together? What if they’ve become the destructive weapon the legend foretold?”
Fear took root almost immediately, like a tree growing roots.
I’d never believed much in folk tales. At best, they came from superstitious minds; at worst, they were tales cooked up as political propaganda to serve some nefarious purpose, but the Triune…that unholy trio was the next worst thing to the Old Gods.
Three Fae relics that, once united, could destroy the world.
Torin sat back, her satisfied smile unsettling. “Now you understand my concern. Both the kings and the Oracle spent a millennium searching for those artifacts, especially the Crown. Even alone, the Crown gives the wearer full dominion over all the Fae.Allegedly.”
“There is no proof they even exist. Neither king found any of them.”
“And thank the gods for that.”
“Let’s say the prince has all three artifacts. He has Fae magic, of some dark sort, since Anaria released the magic three years ago. He’s been amassing power, maybe an army, for all those years, while we’ve been focused on rebuilding Valarian. Now he’s erected an impenetrable ward around his lands.” I dragged my hands through my hair. “Fuck, I don’t like where this is heading.”
“Yes, and how clever to let us do all the work rebuilding the world, then swoop in and take over, then claim Valarian for himself?”
“By burning everything to the ground?”
“By enslaving its people with blood magic,” Torin corrected me. “By corrupting everything we’ve built. Likethe two kings did. Like the Oracle did. Anaria is the first good thing to happen to this world in a thousand years, and we are thriving under her rule. But magic craves balance. Good and evil, light and dark. My vision is not a coincidence.”
“Spare me the balanced universe bullshit. Someone sent me the heads of my soldiers. I want theirs in return.” But that hard, kernel of fear made a reappearance, like a lodestone in my belly.
“Let me ask a different question, then, Lyrae. One I want you to answer truthfully.” Tension turned my shoulders rigid as her all-seeing gaze piercing straight through me. “Do you trust Ryland and Varian?”
“Let’s just say their word holds as much weight as a feather in a storm.” I shook my head. “But all they have to do is get me across the border. Once I’m inside, it will be a simple matter to locate my target. Anyone calling himself the Prince of Darkness isn’t keeping a low profile.”
No, I pictured him sitting on a throne in his castle, high on some mountain, lording—princing,maybe—over his unfortunate subjects. I stared into the flames, probably looking as somber as Torin.
No, he wouldn’t be hard to find at all.
“Then what?”
“Then I kill him, find the Triune, come home and be crowned a hero. I’ll expect a parade, by the way. Possibly my own castle. Then I’ll get back to my boring life of nine o’clock planning sessions and helping Anaria choose new drapes for the guest rooms.”
Gods help me.
“Well, the rooms did turn out quite nice,” Torin demurred. “But don’t make light of this. The world is at stake.”
“The world’s been at stake before.” Trite words meant to defuse the brewing unease, but they fell flat. “No, you’re right,” I agreed, wishing she wasn’t.
