“What do you mean the plan failed?” Aerona barks at him.
“The queen lives. We had to flee. You should go. You don’t want to risk being found with me.”
“But we did our part! We have your brother!” She flings her arm in my direction.
His gaze lands on me. There’s no joy, no satisfaction, no relief in his expression. He turns away.
“I appreciate everything you’ve done, Aerona. I do. But you should leave.”
Her jaw tightens, fists clenching as if holding back an explosion.
It comes out as a sharp exhale from her nostrils. “Goodbye, Taran.” She storms off, disappearing into the chaos of the camp.
He slumps as he watches her leave, then turns to us. His somber expression transforms, his green eyes narrowing. Not at me, but Owena. She tenses against my arm, tightening a coil beneath my skin as Taran marches over. I force myself to breathe.
“What is she doing here?”
I step between them. “Hi, I’m Caeo.”
Taran glares at Reid, ignoring me entirely. “Why did you bring her?”
“Because I wouldn’t come without her,” I say, and Taran finally looks at me.This is so weird.“You must be my brother. Taran?”
He takes a step back. “What have they told you about me?”
Shit.I attempt to pierce through the tornado of memories rampaging through my mind for what Owena actually said. A loud crash interrupts my thoughts—someone running their cart into a wagon.
Shaking my head, I try to focus. “That our mother had your father killed and is trying to steal your throne. And that you brought Ellie here to convince me to side with you over her.”
Taran’s eyes widen. “You remember Ellie?”
“Owena broke the curse on me. She’s here to break Ellie’s.”
Multiple emotions flash across Taran’s face, too quickly to track. His eyebrows press together as he settles on anger.
“You realize that by bringing her here, not only will our mother be hunting us, but now Ystyr will, too.”
My chest tightens. “I didn’t think that far ahead. I was a little preoccupied with getting as far away from our psychotic mother as possible.”
“And yet you’ve increased the odds that she’ll steal you back by adding to our pursuers and saddling us with a pampered enemy princess!”
“Please don’t speak about me as if I’m not standing right here.” Owena steps out from behind me, meeting Taran head-on. Despite only coming up to his shoulders, she holds herself with the air of someone who towers over him.
Taran stares down at her, his upper lip curled with distaste. “I am quite aware of your presence.”
“Of course you are. You’re using it as an excuse to ignore your own failings.”
Taran’s nostrils flare, channeling our mother. I resist the urge to step back, but Owena continues on, unfazed.
“If our risk of being followed is great enough for everyone here to run for the hills, why are we standing around arguing? Shouldn’t we flee as well?”
“We can’t,” I say. “We have to find Ellie.”
Taran’s face softens. “Ellie’s fine.” He glances away. “She’s here.”
My heart jolts, skipping a beat. “Where?”
“Wait.” Reid grabs Taran’s arm, his face paling as he searches the darkness around us. “Where’s Emlyn?”
