A thousand explanations for the silence crossed my mind, each more horrifying than the last.
What if we were too late? What if everyone was dead? What if Aleks had kept killing, even after my magic and I had left this realm?
“Focus,” Lorien muttered.
Somehow, I forced myself to, though the pit in my stomach continued to grow.
We had emerged on the very outskirts of the palace grounds, and the plan was not to get any closer than this; I knew my brother well enough to know that he wouldn’t keep battling to the death if he could help it. He was far more likely to have pulled back once I’d disappeared, his focus shifting to protectingthe royal city and the ones who had evacuated to it. He would be cautious, regrouping and waiting for reinforcements before he attempted to reclaim our overrun palace. The eerie quiet all but confirmed this was what had happened.
Or that’s what I was choosing to believe, at least.
After a quick scouting of the immediate area, we made our way into Tarnath. The sun was relatively high in the sky by this point, but a thick fog hung over the streets, obscuring the buildings around us.
Though I couldn’t see everything clearly, the city bore obvious signs of the night’s chaos. The usually bustling market square was eerily empty, its colorful awnings hanging limp in the damp air. Overturned carts and scattered belongings littered the cobblestones, abandoned in the rush to flee.
I cloaked Lorien and myself in shadows as we crept through the streets, hiding us. The dark shroud stifled our footsteps as well, allowing us to pass by the few people we saw with little more than the occasional confused glance in our direction.
The first place I went was the old barracks at the edge of the main square, a large building that had been empty ever since my return to Rivenholt, but which I knew had housed refugees and soldiers in past emergencies; I wasn’t surprised to see plenty of activity bustling around it. Supplies were being carried in and out. Wounded soldiers were being helped into waiting hands. Small clusters of people huddled around the edges, talking in hushed voices and casting worried glances about.
I cut my eyes toward Lorien as we approached the entrance. “Not many will recognize you, but it’s still probably best if you wait outside while I find the others.”
“Are you planning on enlightening me about the rest of your plan before you tell it to them?”
“No.”
“Wonderful.”
“Just don’t do anything rash while you wait.”
“Hurry up,” he replied, “and I won’t need to.”
The words were less than comforting, but I didn’t waste time debating with him. I slipped inside the barracks, passing several soldiers who did double-takes before dropping into hasty bows and then trying to clear a path for me.
Even with escorts, it was overwhelming to push through it all. The troubled voices, the moans of pain, the metallic scent of blood mixed with herbs and smoke…it pressed in on me from all sides, making me slightly dizzy.
There were so many wounded.
My appearance seemed to be a welcome sight for most of them, at least. It wasn’t the main reason I was here—and I didn’t truly have time to spare—but I couldn’t help pausing to grasp the hands that reached for me. Stopping to greet the ones who called out my name. Kneeling beside some of the more distraught survivors. I was still scanning the crowd for my brother and the others, but I was constantly being pulled in other directions, and after several minutes, I still hadn’t found anyone I was looking for.
Lorien remained outside as I’d asked, but I would have sworn I could sense his growing impatience with me. His irritation bleeding into my thoughts, a mental prod that felt distinctly annoyed…and then I realized I trulywashearing and feeling those things, because he was sending them through our Vaeloran connection.
Annoyed at the intrusion, I twisted around and started to march back toward the exit.
A familiar face caught my attention before I made it back to the door.
“Aveline!”
She stopped in the middle of her task, tossing a basket of bandages onto an empty bed and rushing to embrace me. Herusual scent of soft rose and clean linen was marred by the strong scent of disinfecting alcohol, but it was comforting, nonetheless. I sank into her warmth, letting myself relax for just a moment.
“I knew the rumors weren’t true,” she said, her arms tightening around me. “People talking as if you were gone…” She leaned back, studying my face, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Her fingers didn’t seem to be able to keep still. She kept adjusting my collar and hair, going so far as to redo the loose end of my braid, clearly flustered even as she smiled encouragingly at me. “They don’t know my queen like I do, do they?”
I breathed in deep, trying to inhale her steadiness, her unwavering faith in me.
But all I could think about as I stared into her eyes was her niece, who, as far as I knew, was still lying dead in the palace entryway.
I averted my gaze, attempting to keep her from seeing the pain in it.
She cupped a hand against my cheek. “You’ll be wanting to speak with your brother, I suspect.” Gently, she forced my eyes back to hers. “I can show you to him.”
