Cassius’s face darkened, but he nodded.
“What else did they make?”
“Other beings.”
“Like?”
Maybe Cassius saw the genuine interest in Thalia’s face, or perhaps he didn’t see the harm in sharing. “The shifters.”
“What are they?”
“Beings that were created to fight against the Vampyrs. They can shift into beasts.”
Thalia chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Is … is Camilla a shifter?”
Cassius raised a brow in what might have been silent pride at her deduction. It caused something in her chest to tighten. She cleared her throat. “How do we—how do humans not know about this? We were taught about the creation of the Vampyrs, but the shifters? These pockets of magic? Why is this not part of our history?”
Cassius studied her a beat longer. “History has a way of changing depending on who is telling the story.”
The words held far more meaning than Thalia cared to admit. She shook her head, nudging Feryena on, and Cassius had no choice but to follow. “Where are the Mages?” Thalia asked.
“They mainly reside in Lorceium with the shifters,” Cassius said. “It’s the mountain at the tip of our continent where the ore is found. It holds the city of Perden, the capital of House Olvectus.”
“Why couldn’t the Mages just use the pockets of magic to cast all of Vaccarium in shadow?”
“There’s only a handful of Mages left, and the pockets of magic have been drained. They only have what is left in their reserves in Lorceium.”
“So you really did need this treaty, then?”
Cassius nodded. “As the Mages’ magic grows weaker with time, so does the barrier that keeps the light away. Once that magic fades, we will have to hide from the sun as we first did.”
“When will that happen?”
Cassius shook his head. “We don’t know, but it’s gotten worse. There’s a reason the courts went to Agripa thirteen years ago. It’s when the first cracks in the Mages’ shield began to materialize; they were hoping to find an answer in Agripa’s library.”
Thirteen years ago. When her father and sister were brutally killed. When the marriage meant to bind the two realms turned the palace into a charnel house.
Rage rose so hard in Thalia’s stomach that white spotted her vision.
I’m going to marry into the House that’s near the forest!
“Thalia?” Cassius’s concerned words broke through her rage.
She took a sharp inhale, pushing Ariadna’s voice aside. “Is that the issue that Lord Adrian was so pressed about?”
Cassius stiffened, then relaxed almost immediately. “Yes. There’s a new crack near Cupisco, the capital of House Gallinus, which he rules.”
“And what’s the solution to this problem?” Thalia asked.
Cassius glanced at her. “That’s something the prince is trying to find out.”
“And the forest? Lord Amadeus seemed adamant that something else was going on with it.”
Cassius stared at her, and she could have sworn that his eyes began to glow. “The forest is fine. Lord Amadeus was worried the rivers wouldn’t reach the springs in time.”
They continued on in silence, and Thalia had the distinct feeling she was being lied to.
Chapter Eleven
