He leaned forward, resting his forearms against the table’s edge. “The body housing Neave—Lily’s body—is failing. We can’t treat Lily properly while Neave is still within her. And if we don’t find Neave another stronger host—and soon—we’ll lose her, either to oblivion or to Kilraith. Which, I think you’ll agree, would be extremely unfortunate. In the end, having at least two gods on our side might make all the difference.”
His bluntness struck me like a fist. “And where is Caiathos in all of this? We still have no leads on him?”
Talan spoke grimly. “If those last reports from Aidurra were accurate, it’s very possible that Kilraith already has Caiathos under his control. They spoke of entire sections of the coast falling into the ocean.”
“Which means it’s even more important for us to secure Neave,” Farrin said quietly.
My eyes flew back to Gareth. “The transference procedure that you and your team at the university were working on. Are you prepared to begin it?”
“In every way but one,” Gareth replied. He dropped the green book onto the table and dragged a hand through his hair in frustration. “I’ve spent the last several days going over my team’s notes and reading and rereading the volumes they pulled from the royal archives, but everything indicates the same conclusion: thereisno power source great enough to fuel such a procedure. We’d have to, I don’t know…” He gestured irritably at the window. “Capture the power of the Mist somehow, or find an endless supply of Anointed magicians willing to sacrifice themselves, or harness the heat of the sun. Name any ludicrous idea you can think of, and it’ll be as good as anything we’ve got.”
“You’ve found an artificer, then?” I asked, remembering back to when Gareth had first spoken of transference—weeks and weeks ago, in this very room.
“We have,” Gareth replied. “Or rather, General Haldrin has. An artificer requested asylum during a recent battle on the southern front.” His expression turned grim. “She has beenthoroughlyquestioned, per the general’s rigorous standards.”
Talan cleared his throat, looking grave. “And even if she agrees to cooperate, it won’t matter if we don’t have a strong enough power source.”
“Correct,” Gareth said, “which means—”
Then he fell silent, and his eyes flew to mine. I saw on his face the same idea that had started brewing in my own mind.
“Wait,” he whispered. “Of course. Do you think that would work?”
Farrin sat up straight, clearly reaching the same conclusion as we had. “Absolutely not,” she said. “It’s out of the question.”
“But it is the only way,” Ankaret said, speaking for the first time since the others had left the room. She sounded pleasant, even cheerful, and stopped pacing to face us all. “I have been contemplating every other possibility. They are outlandish. I must fuel the transference. Neave will live, and so will Lily, and Kilraith”—her voice wavered slightly; shadows flitted across her face—“will sense what is happening, and he will come to me.” She tilted her head, looked at Gareth. “Alure, yes? That is the word?”
Ryder rubbed a hand over his face. “Gods unmade. Could this actually work?”
“We can’t do it here,” Gemma said. “Not in Fairhaven.”
I agreed, thinking of the thousands of refugees currently safe inside the city walls. “No, we’ll need to go somewhere more remote.” I looked at Gareth. “Is it possible to relocate all of your equipment?”
“I should think so,” Gareth muttered distractedly, rubbing his chin.
Farrin shot to her feet—face ashen, eyes blazing. “I won’t let you do this. I won’t let any of you do this.”
“Dearest Farrin,” Ankaret said, taking her hands with a fond smile, “I am the child of gods. I contain an abundance of their power. If I wish to do something, I will do it.” She touched Farrin’s face. “No matter how fiercely you might wish otherwise.”
“But you’ve only just come back,” Farrin whispered miserably. “What if this destroys you all over again?”
“Then I will come back again, and again, until I no longer have to.” Ankaret looked around at all of us, fire skipping down her arms. “Well? Shall we begin? I am ready. I have always been ready.”
I could hardly believe what was happening. Suddenly it seemed that everything was unfolding at lightning speed.
“We need Kerezen,” Talan said, “and reinforcements from at least the Upper Army.”
I nodded. “And from the Order. I’ll handle that. The Warden can’t possibly refuse.”
My voice sounded much more confident than I felt. I’d left the Roses in such a state, the violence of Gareth’s possession still fresh and raw. And the Warden, I knew, could very well refuse our request. The memory of my last moments in her office tore through me. I heard her voice as clearly as I had that night:
Do you think I’m oblivious to your many reckless ventures?
My stomach clenched uneasily. Fleeing Falkeron for Wardwell, then for Vauzanne, and finally for Fairhaven, all while sending her no word of my whereabouts? Certainly she would consider that reckless.
“I know where we can go,” Gareth said, bringing me back to the present. His voice was strange, carefully flat. I hadn’t heard this tone from him in ages, and it immediately put me on guard.
He raised his eyes to mine, then looked quickly away.
