“Wait a minute,” Prentis said. The suspicion in his voice snapped me out of it, and I turned to see him scowling at General Slaugh. “Cascada told us she killed Gelsyne, but according to you, she perished on her own. Which is the truth?”
“I—” Slaugh spluttered, losing his composure for a few seconds. “Yes, Cascada did end Gelsyne’s life, but only to put her out of her misery. She was suffering from the shadow corruption, and there was nothing we could do to save her. Ending her life was a kindness.”
“A kindness?” I echoed, incredulous. “You’re the one who corrupted her in the first place, Slaugh!” I clenched my fists in my skirts to keep myself from lunging across the table and strangling him. “I want to see her body with my own eyes. Only then will I be able to accept that she’s truly gone.”
“We have already buried her,” Slaugh said. “But if you insist, come to Kaipei, and I will unearth it for you.”
There was a hint of challenge in Slaugh’s voice, and I gritted my teeth. If my mother really was alive, then so was Nox, and returning to Kaipei would put me right where she wanted me. I couldn’t afford to call him on his bluff—if it was one—and he knew it.
“Are we expected to believe that just because Gelsyne was unable to host the shadow demon, it’s disappeared from our world?” Lord Oren asked. The skepticism in his tone mirrored the looks on the others’ faces, and I could tell that distrust for Slaugh was spreading throughout the room. “Perhaps the rest of you are fooled by Slaugh’s pretty excuses, but I consulted the Oracle recently, and she told me that the threat has not passed.” We all started as he stood up, bracing his hands on the table so he could lean across it and rake us with a scathing glare. I stared as his hawk-like eyes landed on me, feeling like a mouse caught beneath a raptor’s gaze.
“Even if General Slaugh is innocent, and my daughter issomehowalive, I cannot support his claim given the blood on his hands,” he told me. “But neither can I support yours, not when you have not fulfilled the prophecy. As the others have said, you are inexperienced, and do not have the training required to lead our nation. Until you fulfill your destiny, and eradicate shadow magic from Ediria, I will not allow you to sit on the throne. In fact,” he added, looking to Lady Axlya, “House Reatha is considering withdrawing from the Edirian Alliance altogether. We have shed the most blood in both the war and against the shadow creatures, sacrificing our soldiers for decades guarding the border to the Deadlands, and have received very little in exchange. This alliance no longer serves us.”
The room erupted into a cacophony of shouts, all three house rulers arguing furiously. “The most blood!” Lady Mossi screeched. “Have you any idea how many tens of thousands of soldiers Domhain has lost in the dragon wars? And not to mention that it’sourcrops who have been feeding your lightning riders for centuries?”
“You would never have been able to grow those crops with such abundance if not for the regular rains my people have provided for you,” Lady Axlya countered, her cheeks mottled red. “Lord Oren, I know times have been hard, but for you to withdraw from the kingdom now is foolhardy. This is not the time—”
I shoved back from the table and hurried from the room, unwilling to hear another word from either party. The others hardly seemed to notice, not even Prentis, for which I was grateful. I couldn’t stand another moment in that room.
“Adara?” Einar fell into step next to me as I burst out the doors and fled down the hallway, his golden eyes shining with worry. “What happened? I could feel how upset you were through the bond; if Slaugh—”
“Not now,” I bit out. “We can’t speak freely here.”
We rounded the corner, then skidded to a halt as we found a familiar figure standing in the center of the corridor—Tamil. A tall water fae soldier accompanied her, and my breath caught as I met his golden-green eyes.
“Kiryan,” I said. “What are you doing here?”
“Getting you out of this mess,” he said, nodding to the ice fae. “I’d hoped that Lady Axlya would have been sensible enough not to invite General Slaugh into the palace, but it seems her avarice has robbed her of common sense. It’s no longer safe for you here, Adara.”
“I can’t leave, though,” I argued, even though every fiber of my being wanted to flee from this horrid place. “Not with only one more day left until I can complete the ritual.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Tamil said. She stepped forward, an earnest expression on her pale face. “I know we don’t know each other well yet, and you have no reason to trust me. But there is an ice priestess at Bala Oighr, and she stands ready and waiting to help you complete the ritual. We have to leave now if we are to get to her, while the others are still distracted.”
I stared at her hand as she held it out to me, feeling as though I was standing at a precipice, a sheer drop waiting below. Did I dare take this chance, when doing so meant losing Lady Axlya’s favor forever? Or should I stay here, leaving myself open to attack from Mossi and Slaugh?
“I hate to say it,” Einar said, “but even if we can’t trust Tamil, we’ve always been able to trust Kiryan. He would never steer us wrong.”
I looked up at Einar, into his pleading gaze. It was clear what he wanted me to do, and if I was honest with myself, it was the only choice that made sense. The only choice that wouldn’t leave me trapped in a loveless marriage, bound to a house matriarch who only wanted to manipulate me, or left at the mercy of my enemies.
“All right.” I placed my hand in Tamil’s. “I’ll come with you.”
38
Adara
“Are you sure it wouldn’t be better to wait until nightfall?” Einar demanded as Kiryan and Tamil led us down a series of stairwells and dark corridors. Judging by the consternation on his face, I gathered this was a route he hadn’t used before, despite the amount of time he’d spent exploring the palace’s back routes and service staircases. “Adara and I went on a night ride last night, and no one tried to stop us. I don’t see why we couldn’t do the same thing tonight.”
“General Slaugh wasn’t here last night,” Kiryan reminded us. “He’s brought a contingent of soldiers with him, including several members of the shadow guard, and is waiting for just such a moment as the one you’re describing. The moment he sees a dragon taking flight from Usciete Palace, he’ll send his men to shoot you down and take the both of you out. Better to flee now, while he is still preoccupied with the other nobles.”
“I’ll be even easier to see during the day, though,” Einar argued. “How do we expect to get away if I can’t fly?”
“You aren’t going to fly us out of here,” Tamil said. “Kiryan and I have planned everything. Thanks to his access to all the guard’s memories, he knows every secret passage and tunnel. And I have a few tricks up my sleeve as well. Don’t worry about it, Einar—we’ll get the two of you out safely.”
Einar grumbled a little under my breath, but didn’t argue. After all, wehadagreed to let Kiryan and Tamil help us. I suspected the real reason he was uncomfortable was because he wasn’t used to taking the back seat and letting others lead.
“Thank you for risking your life for us,” I said. I was thankful that my voice didn’t shake, despite the fear jittering in my veins. “I know what will happen once Lady Axlya finds out you’ve aided me.”
Tamil smiled grimly. “Axlya won’t kill me, much as she might want to. Waging war on the Bala Oighr will cost her far more than she’s prepared to lose, especially given the current situation. Even so, I would gladly pledge my life to yours, Adara. You’re the kingdom’s only hope for survival.”
