“The Blessing?” Kairyn snarls. “You wouldn’t—”
Ezryn releases a roar that seems to shake the very hall and charges.
102
Dayton
Never thought I’d see the day when goblins roamed the streets of Florendel. Cloaks up and eyes forward, Wrenley and I escape their notice by pretending to be hypnotized citizens.
The goblins all seem to have their wits, the pollen of those freaky red flowers only affecting the fae. Despite Kairyn’s efforts to plant them in every corner of the city, they still haven’t reached everyone.
Wrenley had to damn-near hold me back when a baker ran out of his shop, trying to hit a goblin over the head with a rolling pin. Spring guards loyal to Kairyn, followed by a host of snickering monsters, hauled him away to gods know where.
I wanted to help him, but I won’t be any good to Fare if I get myself captured.
We round another narrow street, and Wrenley curls into my side. I have to praise her bravery. She stayed to help me instead of fleeing.
If it hadn’t been for her, then …Rosie and Ezryn would have come for us.But I don’t even know if they’re okay.
My heart stutters as I look into a pair of golden, if slightly glazed, eyes. “Fare.” He’s wandering around like a specter.
“Keep moving,” Wrenley hisses under her breath. “We’ll draw attention otherwise.”
We’re in the market, but no one’s buying. No one’s selling. Vendors man their stalls, picking up and putting down wares in a rhythmic pattern.
“How is Kairyn going to rule a city of ghosts?” I growl.
“He must have a plan,” Wrenley says. “I don’t think the effects of the pollen will last forever. By the time it wears off—”
“He’ll have the soldiers and goblins in place. His new reign will be absolute.” I give a heavy sigh. “It’ll make it almost impossible for the people to fight back.”
“He’s smarter than you think.”
I whirl, pushing her against the wall. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were still loyal to him. That sounded an awful lot like a compliment.”
Her face scrunches up in a frown. “I know him well from the monastery. Which is why I’m telling you not to underestimate him.”
I release her before any of the goblins see my outburst. She saved my life. And now she’s helping me save Fare.
“Okay,” I say. “Time to get my boy.”
“We’ll have to break his daze. The stardrop works, or water, if there’s enough to clear the airways.”
“I could throw him in that fountain.” I point to one in the center of the square.
“There are goblins everywhere,” she says. “They’ll notice you doing that.”
“Don’t worry.” I give her a wink. “I always have a plan. And you’re going to help me with this one.”
Grabbing her hand, I drag her to the nearby fountain. We sit along the edge. A few other dazed Spring folks rest around us, so it’s easy enough to blend in. In the center of the fountain, water sprays out from a cluster of stone butterflies.
“What are you doing?” Wrenley hisses under her breath.
“I had the great idea of sending a wave of water over everyone.” I lean in close so as not to be heard, my mouth a breath away from her ear. “The only problem is all of my magic got drained saving my girl. Until I refresh at Castletree, I’m dry as a bone.”
“Your girl?” Wrenley says softly. “I thought she was Prince Farron’s mate.”
I swallow in a tight throat. She’s not wrong. “So, you’re going to cause the uproar with this water.”
