Hart rolled his eyes, but he stayed silent while those around us deliberated.
“The Cursed King leads us. She can’t take his place.”
“She’s not one of us.”
A face I recognized moved into the center of the room. The crowd quieted as Ava spoke. “She can do what we have been unable to, unite the rebel groups within the kingdom under a single banner. Her power can combat Rodric’s calming magic.” Ava paused for dramatic effect now. “And she did free a dragon.”
It was clear that within this room, Ava wielded an influence that might rival Hart’s. She’d been his go-between for years. A trusted representative. When she spoke, the Feared listened. The grumbles lessened, and the tide of those surrounding us turned in my favor. Begrudging, maybe, but we asked for very little that they hadn’t asked for themselves. They would follow Hart in this rebellion, but they wouldn’t want him on the throne if he were subject to Themis’s influence.
Alysa stood next to me. Nicholas addressed us both cautiously. “We need to prepare. Each person in this room represents a network of about a dozen. We will get the wordout to everyone tonight. The target will be to attack in five days.”
It seemed I had my answer on timing. There were at least thirty in the room, which meant we would have about four hundred total with Alysa’s numbers included. It was not that many more than there were Blessed, but Hart and I had seen the way the Blessed fought—or didn’t—in the Oldwood weeks ago. They depended on their magic. They used so much and stored so little, so most wouldn’t be prepared when someone finally decided to strike back.
If Hart and I could leverage fear strategically. It could be enough to tip the odds in our favor.
Hart surveyed the group, satisfied with their tone and stance. He nodded slowly. “Good. If we finally have that settled, let’s finish planning.”
36
To replace a Champion, you must have more ruthless determination than the summoned.
— WHAT MAKES A CHAMPION OF ORDER
HART
Iwanted to get Ember out of the city before something, or someone, inspired another raid on the tavern. Once Nicholas agreed to the plan, though, he wouldn’t shut up about it. He wanted to speak almost non-stop about next steps and coordination.
Tension had dispersed almost as quickly as it had built. They came around eventually, if a little less enthusiastically than I cared for. At their core, the Feared wanted to stop Rodric’s abuse of the humans in thekingdom. We helped them to realize that the story of the Cursed King was the story of a Champion controlled by Themis—the same goddess the Blessed worshiped and who their actions served.
The plans discussed weren’t bad. Combining our resources to launch a two-pronged attack on the Blessed was our best chance. I would feel better if I knew what choice Ember and I had to make when the time came. I’d feel even better if there was a way to keep Ember away from the actual fighting.
Unfortunately, as one of only two who could wield nightmares, that wasn’t an option.
She spoke to a woman near the back of the room. I’d had my doubts about the Feared’s ability to accept her, but I shouldn’t have. Her determination had won me over—it was part of why I had fallen for her. Many Feared approached her after the meeting. Most, if not all, of the conversations appeared to share stories like hers—humans who had been pushed too far.
I kept an eye on them all, ensuring no one was a threat while Nicholas plotted. Ava returned to the tavern, presumably to run it, but I noticed she lingered at Ember’s side when I couldn’t. Her support, in this case, meant more than mine.
Alysa nodded at something Nicholas said, then stepped away to speak with Reid. They leaned in close to each other in the corner, and Reid’s mouth moved furiously.
That couldn’t be good.
Nicholas said something about logistics and getting the messages out to the rest of the Feared tonight. I appreciated his tenacity. This had all gone better than I expected, but if the Feared had questions once the message spread, we wouldn’t have many opportunities to finalize the plans. Once we left tonight, I doubted we’d return to the city before the attack.
“I’m staying,” Reid said as he strode to my side.
I chanced a glance at Alysa, who followed him, her armscrossed. The heated conversation now made sense. “Are you now?”
Reid nodded. “We need to communicate to organize over the next few days. We can’t keep sneaking in. Harrow can deliver messages between Alysa and me. I know you’ll never ask, but we both know it would help to have someone here with the Feared to reinforce this alliance.”
“You’re right, I wouldn’t ask.” My gaze lingered on Ember before returning to Reid. “I wouldn’t ask something I wasn’t willing to do myself. It’s no small feat to stay in Kavios. Days could quickly turn into weeks with this level of coordination. You sure you’re up for it?”
Alysa snorted. “Apparently, he’s been planning to offer since we decided to steal the gems.”
Reid winced.
“If you two are fine with it, I won’t stop you. It will help. You can stay in my rooms, and Ava will get you anything you need.” I clapped him on the shoulder, giving him what reassurance I could while silently wondering how many ways this could go wrong. I wouldn’t offer to do the same, because I couldn’t stand the thought of being away from Ember. I wouldn’t let the next time I saw her be when we were headed into a battle I wasn’t sure we could win.
“Say your goodbyes, Alysa. We should head back.”
