Two days later, I was in the training room with Killian and Tyreen. We’d been at it for hours, and I could feel the improvement in my control. The difference Tyreen’s teaching made was dramatic.
“Better! Much better! Again!” Tyreen called out.
I opened another portal, this one to the exact spot I was aiming for. It appeared right where I wanted it, stable and clean.
“Like this?”
“Hold it steady,” Tyreen confirmed. “Feel how the energy flows. That’s what you want every time.”
Killian was beside me, practicing his own portals. “Can I try the colors again?”
“After you master stability,” Tyreen said, her tone gentle but brooking no argument. “Art comes after foundation. You need to walk before you can dance.”
“But I want to dance NOW,” Killian whined.
“I know. But trust me, young one. Master the basics and the art will come so much easier.”
He sighed dramatically but kept practicing. I smiled as I looked at him. My perfect boy.
It took us a few more hours, but we both reached stability, which made Killian extremely smug. I had no idea where he’d learned to behave like that. Probably from his uncle Aurion.
I rolled my eyes at the memory as I settled down in the strategy room, hours later, ready to discuss our next steps. Mal, me, Tyreen, Casimya, Aurion, Torin, and several councilors. The map was spread across the table, showing the lands between Lytopia and Igryside.
“There is a neutral trading post,” Tyreen said, pointing to a spot on the border. “Border territory where kingdoms exchange goods. We could leave a message there.”
“Addressed to the Prince?” Mal asked, leaning forward to study the location.
“Yes. Requesting a private meeting.”
Casimya frowned. “Are we sure it will reach him? What if the King intercepts it?”
“Then we prepare for war.”
“It’s risky,” Mal straightened. “We will send a guard with it. Someone trustworthy.”
“Yes. But what will we say?” I lifted an eyebrow. The message was the most important part. “That we want peace?”
“Yes. But make clear we will remove his father,” Mal added.
“And that if Igryside attacks, the Prince is not exempt from consequences,” Tyreen said.
I wrote it down, choosing words with care. “Seven kingdoms against one. Choose wisely.”
“Include that a portal will appear in one hour for his response,” Mal instructed.
We reviewed the letter three times, making sure the tone was exactly right. A guard was preparing to leave with it when another guard appeared at the door and whispered in a rushinto Torin’s ear. He listened with a grim expression, nodded, and then spoke up from his position near the door.
“Your Majesties,” he said, his voice tight with urgency. “A messenger just arrived. Igryside is mobilizing troops, his path clearly set toward Ravenor.”
“What?” Mal’s voice was sharp.
My stomach dropped. This was the worst-case scenario. “We don’t have time for the trading post.”
“No,” Tyreen agreed. “We do not.”
What the fuck could we do now? How could we reach-
A wild idea hit me.
