Tomorrow, he would inform the Senate of what had happened to the Warden’s Island and his decision regarding their embassy in Daijal. Tonight was dedicated to cutting Joelle off from the power she craved.
Four
HONOVI
TheCelestial Spritesettled into its assigned anchor berth outside Veran, the airship crew deftly handling the anchor and ropes in concert with the ground crew. Five other war airships—part of the squadron theComhairle nan Cinnidheanhad sent to the Warden’s Island—had beaten them west by a day. Those airships remained airborne, lashed to the earth by long anchors, weapons protruding from their hulls.
The rest of the squadron remained east, with orders to evacuate wounded wardens and ferry them back to Glencoe. Half a dozen airships would remain at the lake to guard the wardens who stayed behind to begin the difficult process of rebuilding while retaining control of the Warden’s Island.
Honovi secured the controls before handing them over to Caoimhe and heading out onto the crowded deck. They’d packed the airship to the hull with the last of the wardens needing to come west to handle the extraction of their brethren out of Daijal. Ksenia had been deputized by Delani as the wardens’ lieutenant governor, a post intermittently filled in their history and typically only in emergencies. She’d been on an earlier flight out to Veran to handle logistics.
Honovi figured a burgeoning war counted as an emergency.
Caris met him on the decking with Nathaniel by her side. She had a leather travel tube slung across one shoulder, the map inside it drawn with spelled ink to assist the movement of the clarion crystal shard she wore. That bit of magicked clarion crystal was all that could lead them to Blaine.
“Meleri and Lore are on the docks with Ksenia,” Caris said.
Honovi nodded. “Good. We need updates on what the western border is like and the readiness of the Ashion army.”
“Won’t be much of an army if parliament has any say over it.”
“Then we better hope Meleri’s Clockwork Brigade has enticed a rebellion with the provinces that matter.”
Their welcoming committee on the pier greeted the wardens gamely enough before Honovi, Caris, and Nathaniel stepped off the gangplank. Meleri wore a gown as befitting her station, though there was little decorum in how she strode forward to sweep Caris into her arms for a fierce sort of hug. Caris tucked her head against Meleri’s shoulder, holding on tight for a moment while Meleri whispered something into her ear Honovi couldn’t hear.
When the two parted, Meleri’s eyes looked a little watery, but her voice was steady when she spoke. “I’m very glad you’re safe.”
“Did you have trouble while we were gone?” Caris asked.
“Not particularly.” Meleri’s gaze slid to where Nathaniel stood. “Did you?”
Caris stepped back, reaching for Nathaniel’s hand without looking, the same way Honovi would have if Blaine was standing near. “The wardens figured out a way to bypass the compulsion spells that control arionetka. Nathaniel is himself again.”
“I want to apologize profusely for putting everyone in danger,” Nathaniel said stiffly, as if he’d had a choice in the matter.
Meleri nodded slowly, expression unreadable. “We’ll need to adjust your chain.”
Nathaniel’s expression tightened, but he didn’t argue. If Honovi were in Meleri’s place, he’d fully remove Nathaniel from any critical information. The wardens had worked a miracle, but there was no guarantee it would last.
Honovi turned his attention to where Ksenia stood, arms crossed over her chest and laden down with weapons. She’d been directing her people down the pier, giving them instructions on where to go once inside the town walls while Meleri finished greeting Caris. Now, she stepped closer, squinting against the sunlight. “I hear you want to head to Foxborough.”
“That’s where the crystal stops on the map for now,” Honovi said with a sharp nod. They’d checked not even an hour ago, and Honovi itched to check again.
“There’s always a chance they’ll have found the crystal on him and he won’t be there.”
Honovi bared his teeth. “I’m going.”
“You and part of your country’s air force, it seems,” Meleri said, frowning up at the sky. “Foxborough will see it as an invasion. They’ll try to shoot you down.”
“We’ll chance it, even if Eimarille has equipped every town with anti-airship guns.”
“Her bombs were top-tier during the attack on the Warden’s Island, but she wasn’t expecting airships of your country’s caliber over the Celestine Lake,” Caris said.
“I wouldn’t underestimate Eimarille,” Lore warned. “You should prepare for the possibility that she’s planned out an attack on E’ridia that takes into account your country’s superior air force.”
“She won’t be ready to face us right now,” Honovi said.
“You hope.”
