“Right,” I murmur. “That’s very wise. And I am…grateful, that is.”
“Every story needs a villain, Zaira. The rest of the world can believe what they want, but do you believe we are the villains in this one?”
“No.” I really don’t. I know what it’s like to be attacked—to be shoved into a corner with your back against a wall. If I had the power of an elementalist or even a sorcerer, I’d have done the same to protect myself and the people I loved in Ember Coast. Then maybe my parents would still be alive. Maybe our land would still be there.
“Wise answer.” The queen steps back and links elbows with her partner. “Check on your friends. When you are ready to depart, come find us.”
When she and the king head toward the exit, I look at Algar, who is watching them go with a blank stare.
“I think she wants to kill Thane,” he utters.
I gape.“What?”
“She has a certain look in her eyes, one I’ve seen many times before.” He finally peels his gaze off the exit. “She doesn’t trust him, and when it comes to people in power lacking trust, they eradicate the source.”
“I don’t think she trustsanyof us.”
“That may be so, but Thane is the biggest threat to their tribe.” He leans in closer. “I didn’t see that Maliek fucker go down. If he returns with more assassins and attacks her borders, she’ll give Thane up in a heartbeat. She won’t let him cause her people’s downfall.”
“Then we’d better get out of Immalon before that happens.” I stand as Algar does. As he pushes his chair in and walks with me out of the dining hall, I say, “Algar, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
I twist my fingers in front of me, suddenly anxious. “Is there anything else about Thane’s past that I should know?”
His eyebrows dip. “Like what?”
“Has he ever mentioned having any other family? Talked about his father a little more, maybe? Or an aunt? Uncle?”
Algar thinks on it a moment. “Not that I can remember. Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.”
He studies me with a slightly narrowed gaze. “You’re asking for a reason.”
Once outside, I keep walking until we’re near the clearing. Flying fish leap out of a brook nearby, and several of the water elementalists catch them in wobbly bubbles before dropping them into woven baskets.
I face Algar, whose eyes swim with curiosity. My mind drifts back to last night, with Thane telling me about Azidel’s tome, to Frevella’s cave, when he confessed about Koa. He asked me not to tell Algar and Rynthea—or anyone else—about the tome, and other than Algar, I won’t, but he never said anything about not discussing his brother.
For a moment, I toy with telling Algar what Thane revealed in the cave. I feel certain Koa’s death is somehow linked to The Shadow Guild, but it also feels wrong to betray Thane’s trust, even if he hasn’t specifically mentioned keeping this a secret.
Algar grew up with him and knew his father, but there were twelve years when they didn’t see each other, and a half brother with a different mother isn’t out of the question.
I shrug, letting it go. “No reason. Just curious. I don’t really know much about him, that’s all.”
“Well, the only way you’ll find out more is if you ask him,” Algar says. “He won’t tell me anything about his life after he disappeared, but I see the way he looks at you, and I see the way you look at him.”
Those words steal my attention completely. “It’s not like that, Algar. He’s just— I mean, we’re—”
“I’m not judging you, trust me. Though I still urge you to be careful.” He throws an innocent hand in the air. “All I’m saying is, at the end of the day, he’s a man, and whether he admits it or not, heisinterested in you. If you soften him up enough, you’ll squeeze the truth out of him…eventually.”
Chapter 34
The infirmary is much cooler inside than the dining hall. No doubt, the woven bamboo blades of the ceiling fans are fueled by elemental magic controlling the air. They whirl at a steady pace, providing a comforting breeze.
We’re greeted by a woman with red hair wearing brown linen who guides us through a hallway to reach separate care rooms. There are eight rooms total with large, rounded windows overlooking the lagoon. Each room is equipped with two beds and washbasins.
Kelrean is in the first room with his eyes shut. A woman stands at his side, adjusting his bandages, while another woman rubs his temples with the pads of her fingers to keep him calm.
