I have seen Alaric’s Dragon bow to Jules. Watched her ride him like a pet pony.
I’ve seen the way Phoebe calms the storms of Kael’s ocean. How she’s tamed the wildest of sea creatures with a whisper.
And I have seen Thorne, the Two-Face, kneel in the dirt with his head pressed to his mate’s stomach like a penitent. Seen the way Delia’s presence tempers his fire instead of feeding it.
I swallow.
“The crown is here,” I say, bringing my thoughts back to the matter at hand. “The Barrow is surrounded by my legions, but Idris is cunning. He will not come at the front gates with swords raised. He will seep in through cracks and rot.”
“Then we close the cracks,” Alaric says. “Together.”
“We cannot scatter our strength any longer,” Kael adds. “He is hitting all our territories at once. It’s meant to stretch us thin. We must choose a stand.”
“As much as it pains my ego,” Alaric says dryly, “the crown’s location makes that choice for us.”
His gaze locks with mine through the mirror. “We come to you.”
I incline my head.
“The Barrow will hold,” I say. “My walls are deep and my roots are long. But if we are to keep the crown out of Idris’ hands and the Marches from fracturing, we must concentrate our power. All of it.”
A third face joins the mirror then—Thorne, soot-streaked and wild-eyed, a smear of blood along his jaw.
Smoke curls in the air behind him. I can hear the distant clash of steel and roar of fire.
“The Broken Plains stand,” he grates, “for now. I will drive these carrion off my lands and then I will come.”
“Bring Delia,” I say, another plan forming. “Bring them all. All of your viyellas here, under the protection of stone and earth.”
Thorne bares his teeth. “I would not leave Delia behind if you paid me in crowns.”
“You are right. Jules is close to term. She would feel better with Delia and the other females around,” Alaric agrees.
“Phoebe too.” Kael nods.
Thorne ignores them. “What of your viyella, Earth Lord? Is she in agreement?”
I glance back toward the dark archway that leads into The Barrow’s inner halls.
I can feel Alina through our zareth bond—awake now, curious, her presence a steady weight against the simmer of the land’s unrest.
“Yes,” I say.
“And are you certain The Barrow is safe?” he persists.
“I am. And I intend to keep it so.”
There is only one way I can think to do that.
“I repeat what I said after Sowing Night,” I continue, squaring my shoulders. “The Barrow is yours as much as mine. With Jules so close to her delivery, with our enemies moving on all fronts, I would see you bring your viyellas here. They will be safer behind my walls than scattered across the realm, and we will be within reach.”
Kael’s expression softens, thinking of Phoebe. Alaric’s jaw ticks at the mention of his pregnant mate. Thorne’s eyes burn hotter.
“You are certain?” Alaric asks. “If Idris knows where the crown is?—”
“Then it is better we are there to greet him,” I cut in. “Together. I have no intention of letting the Dark Sage walk my lands unchallenged.”
For a heartbeat, none of us speak.
