Ember worried her lip and glanced at me. She knew what I would say, based on our conversation with Charon in Linia. I saw no use in hiding it from Reid and Alysa. They deserved toknow, especially if this conversation was headed where I thought it was.
“That’s not what would happen,” I said. “The throne speaks to me in whispers and demands when I’m near. I can barely withstand them now. If I ruled Kavios, Themis would impose her order through me. As with my summons, I’d have no control. I’d cease to be the man you know.”
“Fine,” Alysa said, though I didn’t miss the glance she shared with Reid. “What’s your plan, then?”
I glanced at Ember. Her last attempt at an explanation left a lot to be desired.
“We have a path that provides us with options,” she said.
With Ember’s second failure at an explanation, a bird’s caw echoed in the woods. Alysa’s lip curved into a smile. “Boys, why don’t you go check on that, will you?”
Ember moved to follow Reid and me as we exited the tent, but Alysa blocked her path. “We’ll be with you in a minute,” she said over her shoulder.
Even I knew there was little use in arguing with Alysa within the Storm’s camp. Reid shrugged and kept walking. Every instinct I had demanded I stay with Ember, but I fought past it. If anyone could shake Ember free of the mask she tried so hard to wear, it would be Alysa.
12
You'll be angry with me, I'm sure. I can only hope that someday, it will all make sense.
— ALARIC SARE’S PAPERS FOR EMBERLINE ARKOVA
My attempts to answer Alysa’s questions about our plan had been bad. I was aware. I struggled to even speak about what had happened between Hart and me. If I told her about the trials, she’d want to know why they would be a challenge. To explain that, I’d have to tell her about my humiliation—about Hart lying to me.
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Alysa. I did. I even liked her. She led and cared for this group of humans who had nowhere else to go because of Rodric. I just didn’t want her to think less of me for falling for Hart’s stupid ploy.
As they said, the best defense was a good offense. Iwas ready when Alysa let the tent flap fall behind Hart and Reid’s departure. “Will you help us? Will the Storm fight if that’s what it takes to remove Rodric from the throne?”
She studied me. Her dark brown hair was braided, and she toyed with the end over her shoulder. Alysa was shorter than me, but her stance left no room to question who led this conversation. Her hip cocked to the side as she folded her arms over her chest. “What’s going on, Emberline?”
“Ember, please,” I responded almost automatically. Alysa had been willing to house me when I considered living outside of Kavios. She had taken in my parents when they needed the same because of my actions. It felt odd that she called me Emberline.
“Ember. Same question.” Her eyes were a light green; they reminded me of the youngleaf herb she supplied to the city.
I let the color distract me. “How’s my mother been? Has she gotten her youngleaf?”
Alysa’s lip tipped into a smirk. “She’s fine. You can go see her as soon as we finish this conversation.”
“What do you want to know?” I asked.
Her brow furrowed, and then something softened in her gaze. She waved me off. “You know what, go see your parents. I’m sure you’re worried about them. I just thought…”
Somehow, I felt worse. I rubbed my hands over my face and met Alysa’s gaze. “I will, but…” I swallowed. “You deserve an answer, and you know it.”
“I mean, I will need more details if you actually want our help. I won’t put my people at risk unnecessarily, but I’m also not trying to back you into a corner. I thought you mightwantto talk about whatever is going on with you and Hart.”
I paced the length of the tent. Did I want to talk about it? With Jasmine and Serena in Woodside, I had always been the listener. They had full, exciting lives. Mine, for so long, hadbeen focused on remaining undetected. I’d been the friend they came to when they wanted to talk through their problems. No one ever asked me about mine. I’d preferred it that way. Living with the secret of my immunity meant that I could only be so honest with people.
All of that was out the window—or tent flap—now. My secrets appeared to be widely known based on rumors from the Blessing Ceremony. The only thing left to lose now was my pride. I huffed out a breath. “The goddesses gave me a curse to match his. Which means our magic is currently inextricably linked. Hart and I do have a plan to break it. But it’s not without its challenges.”
On my next pass across the tent, Alysa held out her hand. I saw it in plenty of time, as I imagined she intended. Still, I let her place it on my forearm and pull me to a stop. “Before we get to saving the kingdom, do you want to talk about what happened with you and Hart?”
Her face was so open, so … concerned. “Why does that matter? What makes you think something happened?”
The smirk was back. “I’m pissed at him for hiding who he was and I wasn’t the woman he paraded around the kingdom, claiming to offer choices to.”
Some stupid part of my mind was pleased that Alysa and Reid hadn’t known his identity. I almost didn’t believe it when Reid commented in the forest. At least it wasn’t only me he’d lied to. I shook my head and licked my suddenly dry lips. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I have a sneaking suspicion that it does,” Alysa said. “Don’t talk about it if you don’t want to. But you’re smart. You realize he controls the Feared. If you truly want to lead a rebellion, you’ll need them—and him. If you have to keep working with him, I’ve found it helpful to acknowledge where you stand.”
