Rion grabbed a few things for himself, his mouth watering at the smell. He glanced at his mother, wondering if her threat meant he wouldn’t have to constantly be worried for his own safety anymore. Well, once the war was over, of course.
“How is she?” Arianna asked, her food forgotten. Rion studied her, surprised she hadn’t been to visit Ellie herself yet. Maybe that just meant she’d slept in a bit.
Avalon adjusted his sleeves. “The half-breed—”
“Zylah,” Saoirse corrected.
“Right, my apologies.” He cleared his throat, his eyes haggard. “Zylah has kept her sedated. We tried waking her once, but—” Avalon shook his head. “It was just more of the same.”
Arianna chewed her lip. It stole every ounce of Rion’s attention. “I can try being there next time, see if it makes a difference,” she offered. He would too, though he felt voicing it probably wasn’t appropriate. He’d do whatever it took to drag Ellie out of the hell inside her own mind.
Avalon nodded, relenting in a way that seemed so out of sorts for his character. Rion had glimpsed the relief on his face when the male had found Arianna on the battlefield. He loved his daughters fiercely and had already felt the sting of loss once.
“Later,” Eimear said, sitting a little straighter. She waved to the servants. “Leave us and close the doors. We’ll come for you when you’re needed.” The servants bowed low before exiting. Rion watched them leave, then turned to his mother curiously, his heart soaring at the determination in her expression. She’d come so far since escaping from Niall.
Eimear folded her hands. “It’s time to address how we go about winning this war.”
“The floor is yours,” Alec said.
“We need to venture into the catacombs. There’s a library with a wealth of knowledge that may help us understand what we’re up against.”
“A library?” Liam questioned. “I’m sorry, my Lady, I’m not sure we have that kind of time. Vairik is likely already on his way—”
“He is,” Eimear confirmed. Rion’s heart jolted with the knowledge. “But even he has things to prepare. Which means we can do the same.” She eyed everyone in the room in turn. “If we don’t do this, we lose.”
Silence blanketed the space. “Are you able to see what’s so important?” Alec asked.
Eimear shook her head. “I only see two threads. One is us entering and one is us choosing not to.”
“That settles it then,” Rion said. He hated the way Arianna jolted at the sound of his voice.
“I assume it’s not as simple as walking through the doors?” Saoirse asked.
“Of course not. There will likely be traps. Vairik wasn’t able to penetrate the walls, which tells me the magic there is strong. We’ll need a team dedicated to protecting Arianna and Rion while another team scouts the area.” Eimear met Avalon’s gaze next. “And we’ll need young Evelyn.”
Avalon scrunched his brows. “Why?”
Eimear paused, as if searching her own mind, or perhaps their future. “It’s … difficult to say, but she’s the closest thing we have to Vairik. She was his captive. I’m sure she overheard things that may prove useful.”
“We’ve already tried waking her,” Avalon said. “She’s not well.”
“Neither was I. Sive will be able to help her.” Eimear turned to Arianna. “She’ll be able to help you as well.” His mother’s gaze flicked to him and Rion’s heart jolted. Had sheseen the runes Sive had carved upon his skin? Had she seen him lose control?
“Won’t waking Evelyn waste time?” Alec asked.
“A team will need to venture into the catacombs to ensure it’s safe first anyway. I’m unable to see past the wards our ancestors put in place. That will give us time to address her condition.”
The door behind them opened and Rion turned to find Sive strolling through, her head held high, golden locks braided back, weapons at her hips, and most notably, no swell to her stomach. Fear flew through him, even as he recalled his mother’s words about the youngling—child—being perfectly healthy.
Arianna stood first. “The baby.”
A smile spread across Sive’s ethereal face. “Finally asleep. I apologize for my delay. The child didn’t wish for me to leave.”
“She’s okay now?” Arianna inquired. “If you need—”
Sive waved one hand. “She’s currently fast asleep in her father’s arms.” Sive turned to Alec. “We appreciate the considerable accommodations. And the staff. The sleep has certainly been appreciated.”
Alec inclined his head. “You’ve done far more for us than we could ever repay.” His brother’s gaze moved to Eimear, and Rion thought he saw a glimmer of emotion there.
