“That’s it then?” I ask.
“There’s nothing I can do for her. Your friend will go through the painful process of turning soon. It won’t be pretty. She’ll need people by her. People she trusts.” Skar’s eyes land on me, and I give him a firm nod of understanding.
“It would be unwise to allow the process to play out here in the Firehold, Sephania,” Antones says. “I must speak against it.”
My eyebrows arch sadly. “She’s too weak to travel by shadow portal or any other means. You would kick us out, Ant?”
“I have no idea what a shadow portal is. And no, you are welcome here. That’s why I said I mustspeakagainst it, rather than demanding you leave.”
“Good luck demanding anything of us, human,” Skartovius growls, rising from his seat.
Shit, Ant is right. This can’t happen here. How long does it even take for someone to become a vampire? This is all new to me.
I put a hand on Skar’s shoulder, pulling him out of Ant’s face. “It’s all right. We have to respect Antones’ wishes—”
“Likefuckwe do.”
I let out a deep breath. The temperature in the room is elevated, for good reason, but I need to bring it down. “Didn’t we send you on a mission before Palacia fell in your lap, love?”
Skar squints at me. “Yes. Good idea. I’ll retrieve the silver.” Before he turns to go, he spins on Old Endolf. “Why do you need it, anyway, old man?”
Endolf still comically has his trinkets in a bundle in his arms. He looks surprised to be called upon. “Erm? Testing, of course, nobleblood.”
A knot forms in Skar’s brow. “How do you know I’m noble?”
Endolf simply laughs. It’s a croak that sounds like a frog, but it makes me smile.
It’s the way you carry yourself, you arrogant bastard.I grab Skar’s hand and speak softly. “Please, love. Do this for us. For me.”
Skar frowns. “I’ll be back in an hour. Prepare to leave while I’m gone.”
“And if Palacia isn’t awake? If she can’t shadowwalk?”
“Then we’ll have to use our legs, like I’ve been doing for over a hundred fucking years before my shadow power showed up.”
He’s in a mood. “Understood, ass.”
Skar smirks.
“It’s a madhouse on the Floorboards,” Antones says. “Bronzes and rioters running loose through the streets because of the, erm, newcomer.”
“The Silverknight?”
He tenses, nodding.
Skar says, “Then we’ll have to use our legsandarms, to fight our way through. Whatever the case, we’re getting back to Manor Marquin and away from this shithole.”
Well, Skartovius Ashfen isn’t very diplomatic or civil for being a nobleman vampire, but I understand his reasoning and anger well enough. With him away from the Firehold, and with some air brought back into the room after his heated, smoldering, imposing presence is gone, I’m able to think more clearly.
I don’t see any alternatives here. Antones doesn’t want us to stay. As much as I’ve missed the Grimsons, I don’t particularly want to stay while Palacia goes through her transformation, either. She would be better suited somewhere safer, somewhere softer, which, against all fucking logic, seems to be Manor Marquin in Olhav.
She can’t shadowwalk being unconscious, because we have no idea where she’ll end up. Before leaving, Skar said she might end up in “limbo” if we put her through a shadow portal. So that’s out.
Walking and potentially fighting it is, then.That’s our option, and I have to ready myself.As long as I don’t have to kill rebels, my own kind, I can do it. I just need to make sure Skartovius understands that too.
After all, isn’t this what we’ve been working for? It was Skar who wanted a diversion to force the Five Ministries to focus on Nuhav. Now he has one. If the stories are true, wild vagabonds have taken to the streets to voice their displeasure.
Close to an hour passes, with only Endolf and Jinneth speaking in hushed tones about their planned experiment on the other side of the room.
