“There are rumors in Vauzanne. During my years of traveling under Kilraith’s command, I did manage to make some true friends, scattered across the continent. They housed me, fed me, let me hide out for a while before I moved on. Several of them, merchants and innkeepers, have ears to the ground.” He glanced at Gemma. “We were just in Westry, south of the Knotwood. My friend Kirsa is a fur trader and hosted us after a long stretch on the road.”
“And you trust this person?” Father asked sharply.
“I do,” Talan answered without hesitation. “She is my oldest human friend. Long ago, I saved her life and the lives of her children. She would not betray us.”
“We didn’t expect the Falkeron monks to turn on their leader and try to murder Gareth,” Father continued. “Anyone outside this room is someone we must guard ourselves against, for the safety of ourselves and of the realm.”
“We won’t get very far with that philosophy,” Gemma said, throwing Father a look. “Talan and I both trust Kirsa. We were safe with her. And she corroborated rumors we’d been hearing for week: that the Lemaire family has come into possession of a great weapon. That’s what we were coming home to tell all of you.”
Farrin’s eyebrows shot up. “The Lemaires? If there’s one family in Vauzanne that I’d prefer not have a great weapon in its possession, it’s that one.”
“Who are the Lemaires?” Gareth asked.
“An extremely influential Anointed family,” Farrin replied, “one of the oldest and most powerful in Vauzanne. Famous for their wealth, their connections, their lavish estate on the southern border of the Knotwood…”
“Their ruthlessness,” Ryder added darkly.
“And the fact that every Lemaire who has ever lived, without asingle exception, has been an elemental.” Farrin glanced at our mother. “Botanicalelementals.”
“Ah!” Mother looked pleased. “I would very much like to meet them, then.”
“Absolutely not,” I said at once. “If it’s true that they have Neave, and have somehow been able tokeepNeave, they’d sniff you out in a second.”
“A great weapon,” Gareth said quietly, scratching his chin. “The Knotwood’s been growing, hasn’t it?”
“It’s become as unstable as the Middlemist,” Talan replied. “The forest has consumed all of the settlements at its borders. All except one.”
“The Lemaire estate,” I finished, a pit forming in my stomach.
Talan nodded grimly. “It’s called Briarcourt. It, the surrounding land, and the road leading south out of the Knotwood have all remained untouched.”
“As you might imagine,” Gemma added, “hundreds of civilians are fleeing the shrinking south to request shelter on the Lemaire estate.”
“And I assume they’re welcoming all of them with open arms,” Father muttered.
“Hardly. They accept only a few at a time, though they have more than enough space and resources to house thousands.” Gemma’s blue eyes sparked with anger. “Every fortnight they host a spectacular ball, which select families are allowed to attend. If they adequately impress the Lemaires during the party, they’re allowed to stay and enjoy their protection. If not…”
“They’re driven out,” Ryder guessed.
Gemma nodded. “And sent back to the terrified masses who gather along the southern road, hoping they’ll be the next lucky ones.”
Her words made my blood boil. “And the crown has done nothing about this?” I asked Farrin. “Surely you knew about this and could have sent—”
“Send who?” Farrin interrupted. “The Upper Army? The Lower? I have no more soldiers to send, Mara. They’ve already been deployed—all across our continent, out onto the oceans, to Aidurra, and yes, to Vauzanne. Soldiers are already there, spread thin as they combat Olden invaders and try to evacuate civilians from the Knotwood’s path. And every resource I can scrape together goes toward feeding them, housing them, supplying them, taking care of the refugees pouring into Fairhaven, and preparing for whatever will happen next. Another sinkhole in the Citadel? Seafaring Oldens who have found another way into Edyn through the ocean floor and are crawling out of the waves onto our shores?”
She breathed in and out twice, then squared her shoulders. “The crown is already doing everything it can. If anyone should be urged to help southern Vauzanne, it’s their Warden, Joseline.”
“And you thinkshehas personnel to spare?” I clamped down on the urge to voice my own list of grievances. “Whatever their Order can do, it’s already doing, I can assure you of that.”
I held Farrin’s tired eyes for a moment, hoping she understood that I wasn’t angry at her and wishing that Yvaine hadn’t left her such responsibilities. My sister was formidable, but becoming the steward of an entire realm overnight was too great a burden for any one person to bear.
“So the only option left to us,” said Talan quietly after a moment, “is to let the armies and the Order do what they do best, and help them by ending this war as quickly as possible.”
Ryder nodded and pushed off the back of Farrin’s divan, bristling and ready. “We’ll go to Vauzanne, then. If the Lemaires have Neave, we’ll need all three of you to free her.”
He looked at me when he said it, his expression alight with conviction.
I couldn’t help but smile at him. “You believe in us Ashbournes so fiercely.”
