“What are you doing?” she demanded, staring at Lady Decima’s outstretched hand. Cassius was tense beside her.
Lady Decima shook her head, not halting her approach. “It won’t harm you; it’s merely an imprint of the creature. When you are near whoever created it, that imprint will recognize itself. You’ll be pulled to the creator.” She stopped before Thalia, waiting.
Thalia slid her gaze to Cassius. She took a moment to look at everyone around the room. To read the bleakness and despair they were so desperately trying to fight. Then her mind flashed to the children in the citadel, to the Vampyrs hiding in Irenbis.
Thalia took a deep breath, then nodded. Lady Decima placed a hand on Thalia’s chest. Something zapped through her, and she shook her head, trying to get the tingling out of her limbs.
“It is decided,” Larellia said, her eyes glinting. “Thalia shall go to the human realm to determine who the creator is.”
Dread swirled in Thalia’s gut, not because of what she might uncover in the human realm about the creature and its creator but because of who she’d have to face. How she’d have to face the queen knowing that her own heart had begun to pull in a different direction.
“What happens if I can’t find them?” Thalia hedged.
“Then we shall prepare the mountain. As best we can.” The head Mage cut a look to Cassius, who’d been quiet through the whole ordeal.
“We can send a number of Mages to take care of the pools,” Lady Decima said, settling back down. “No need to let that fester any longer.”
Camilla and Keegan nodded their agreement.
“But what about the prince?” Thalia blurted out. Everyone in the room froze, all slowly looking at her.
“What about him?” Larellia asked.
Thalia slid her gaze to Cassius. “Shouldn’t he … I mean, shouldn’t he be informed?”
“He will,” Keegan said, his golden eyes flashing. “But the courts are already on the verge of collapse. It is better if he distracts them. If they knew that someone from the human realm created this creature and we’d just forged a treaty with them …”
“There would be dire consequences,” Larellia finished. Her silver eyes met Thalia’s. “You are now a part of this world. Whether you like it or not.”
Thalia swallowed, feeling the weight of their stares. She had no idea what to think or how to act—only that regardless of her mother’s mission, this took precedence. Because this creature was a far greater threat than any Vampyr Agripa could ever imagine.
That was her mission, after all—to keep the people of Agripa safe.
She lifted her chin. “Then I suppose we shouldn’t wait.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The inn at Lekeid was utter shit, and Thalia was already pissed.
They’d left Perden and skirted Chaménos by boat, Cassius navigating the rocky terrain, before they found a small inlet to approach Agripa. As soon as they docked, a summer storm had swept in on a foul wind, drenching them from head to toe.
Thalia scowled at herself in the dirty mirror above the washstand in the room they’d procured. She’d already sent a message to her mother informing her that the prince had allowed her leave to visit but that their transportation had floundered because of the storm and they were in need of a carriage immediately. At least on paper, her mother wouldn’t be able to detect the lie.
Just one more day.
One more day until she had to face her mother.
Her stomach churned.
She blinked again at her reflection. Dark circles had appeared under her hazel eyes, a line sketched permanently between her brows. She looked haggard.
Granted, she felt as though someone had wrung her out and left her to dry on a clothesline.
She sighed, peeling off her clothing. She silently cursed, realizing the extra clothes she’d brought along were just as soaked as the ones on her body.
Thalia shuffled to the fire, laying out everything, and prayed it would all dry by morning despite the storm raging hard enough the window rattled.
She grabbed a throw at the end of the bed, wrapping herself in it. Better than sitting naked, waiting for Cassius to come back from wherever he’d gone off to.
