It probably wouldn’t be enough, but it might at least put Larylis on guard. If anyone could see through Morkai’s ruse, it would be Teryn’s brother.
After letting the fabric dry for as long as she could stand being idle, she rolled it up and handed it to Berol. Only then did she ponder whether the falcon would heed her directions. Teryn had told her about the creature’s intelligence in listening to his directions, but would she understand Cora?
It didn’t matter. She had to try.
“To Larylis,” she said, handing the fabric to the falcon. Berol gathered it in her talons and flew off at once. Cora watched her until she was swallowed by shadows, hoping beyond hope her letter would serve its purpose.
Warn Larylis.
Maybe save Teryn.
Her chest tightened at the thought, and her mind blared with the weight of her panicked realization.
I left Teryn behind.
Mother Goddess, Ilefthim.
Guilt flooded her, even though she knew she’d had a reason. Yet whatever that reason had been was tangled up in the very thing she kept forgetting. What was thatthing? Hadn’t Teryn asked her to do something with it when he’d spoken to her as himself? And hadn’t Morkai threatened Teryn’s fate over that same nameless, shapeless, forgotten object?
She bit back a cry as she recalled the blood trailing from Teryn’s nose, the streaks of white hair at his temples. It reminded her too much of what had happened to Dimetreus, how he’d aged under Morkai’s control. Mother Goddess! She’d left her brother too. And Mareleau. None of them knew…
Cora cursed under her breath, truth dawning.
Her brotherdidknow. He’d just suffered too much in his past to trust his own mind. He’d described his interaction with the man he’d thought was Teryn as a hallucination. He’d turned over his crown, his kingdom, all because ofhim. The sorcerer who’d already taken so much from Dimetreus. From Cora.
How much more would he take? How much time did she have?
No answers came, only a hollow dread.
She knew one thing for certain. Whatever Morkai ultimately wanted, it involved dark magic. Which meant there was only one place she could go for help.
“I have to find the Forest People,” she said.
Valorre lifted his head from the stream.Oh, I do like them. They revere me, as they should. As all people should.
A small smile curled her lips, but it sank into a frown. “How can I face them like this? The last time I sought them out, I brought dark tidings and drew them into a war they wanted nothing to do with. Here I am, once again coming for help.”
They are family, Valorre said.They will understand.
Family. The word echoed in Cora’s mind, warming her chest.
He was right. While she knew there were many who resented her for having hidden her royal identity, there were some who loved her. Salinda. Maiya. Even High Elder Nalia had supported her. No matter how guilty she felt for having chosen her royal family over the Forest People, they’d understand, wouldn’t they? They couldn’t have expected her to come back with them after the battle at Centerpointe Rock. They’d made it clear Cora could never be a permanent resident amongst the commune again. Her royal identity went against one of their most essential rules—never get involved with royal matters.
But this matter with Morkai was one of magic. The fact that he’d defied death was no small concern. If he was alive in any form, the Arts—both fae magic and witch magic alike—were once again in danger.
Cold certainty stilled her worries. She had to go to them. Now her concern was how. The Forest People would have moved camps just before Litha. That was weeks ago. They could be anywhere now…
No, not anywhere. While the commune rarely ever made camp in the same area twice, they moved according to the fairest weather. In the summer, they chose areas with cooler temperatures, ample shade, and nearby sources of water that weren’t at risk of drying out. They’d be near the mountains then. Close to a large river. But that still left too wide a net to cast.
She could try to track them from their previous camp, but that would take too long. She couldn’t leave Teryn like that. Couldn’t leave her kingdom at Morkai’s mercy. She needed to find themnow.
A ripple of energy ran through her forearms, warming her palms.
“I can astral travel,” she whispered. The confession sent a shudder through her. She could no longer pretend the first time had been a fluke. Could no longer make up excuses for having misinterpreted what had happened at Centerpointe Rock.
The thing you did when you startled me out of nowhere, Valorre said.
“Yes, but…”
