He swallowed hard.
“This willdestroyher, Var.”
“We have to get inside those walls and get both her and the Crown out.”
Fresh resolve swept through me as I looked at the problem before us with new eyes. “Okay, so…how do we entice an entire pack of Grimbeasts out of the desert and through those front gates? And how do we make sure we don’t end up getting devoured, instead of them letting us inside?”
“The Grimbeasts aren’t the real problem, Var,” Ry muttered, sweat beading on his brow, despite the cold. “Lyrae will insist on coming. There is no way she’ll be left behind while we save her sister.”
33
VARIAN
Iflew Ryland back to Frostveil, where we paced along the rocky bank until our feet were numb and our cheeks frozen.
Ariel was at Evernight.
Gods.Why hadn’t we ever connected the dots before?
“So, to recap, Gravelock set us up all those years ago and he’s the real reason we’re even here in the first place, but…now that Ariel’s in the mix…what’s our next step?”
“My only concern…is she a willing participant, or…?” Ryland muttered, and I shook my head, cutting him off before he could pursue that thought any further.
“No, I refuse to believe she’d willingly have anything to do with the Butcher and his plans to rip the world apart. More likely, she’s been his prisoner this whole time.” I countered, everything falling into place with perfect, crystal clarity.
How Rooke’s father could never find the Triune, no matter how long he’d searched.
How Lord Gravelock managed the feat in less than fifty years, coincidentally, the exact same amount of time since I’d last seen Ariel. The fact she’d been spotted in a black carriage, the sort a pompous, depraved, aristocratic Fae noble might own.
Seriously, why hadn’t we pieced this together before right the fuck now?
“Well, fuck,” Ryland dragged his hand through his wind-swept hair, staring up at the castle, fog drifting past the towers, driven by the high winds. “We have to tell her, Var. About Gravelock. Lyrae has to know her sister is still alive. That we know where she is.”
“She’ll want nothing more than to charge in there, sword in hand, and cut Gravelock down.” My shoulders sagged.
I’d seen the blood on the floor after he’d tortured Rooke, and the thought of that bastard having Lyrae at his mercy…
“Then we have to decide how to prevent that from happening.”
Like we’d planned,Lyrae was nestled on my lap when Ryland cleared his throat. “We’ve figured out a way inside Evernight. The plan involves Grimbeasts and a wagon with four working wheels, six chickens plus some easily procurable supplies.”
He went through the plan briefly, Rooke switching between amusement and head-shaking disbelief, then a fair amount of horror when we explained how we would draw the Grimbeast’s attention.
“Gods, I knew you two were reckless, but…” He shook his head, chuckling. “Even I couldn’t have dreamed up this shitshow. Although at night, under duress, the guards won’t have much time to strategize. This might actually work.”
It didn’t escape me how intently he watched Lyraewhen he thought we didn’t notice. How his gaze lingered on her, always toying with that circle of gold on his thumb.
But Rooke’s obsession with the woman I loved was a problem for another day.
Maybe another lifetime, if this didn’t work.
“There is a small village just across the lake to the east. There used to be a stable behind the tavern; chances are, if there’s a wagon and horses, you can find them there.” Rooke waved his hand in the air, and a black velvet bag materialized out of thin air.
“I may be a prisoner, but binding to the relics gave me a slight boost in the magic department.” With a wink, he tossed the bag to Ryland, who deftly caught it midair, the coin inside clinking faintly.
“I’ll leave the Grimbeasts to you two idiots,” Kaden murmured, then his eyes were back on Lyrae, so much emotion and want simmering in them, the intensity was heartbreaking.
Fine.
