Why did Syrinx trade me?
“Trade you?”I mouth the words, confused by her assertion.
Yes, that bitch god.
The shifter seizes the quill from her fingers before she can finish writing and gives her a censuring look. Briar snarls in response and snatches the quill back, but instead of finishing the insult to the goddess, she delivers a dig to me instead.
Your girlfriend told me Syrinx traded me.
Seeing those words feels like I’m plunged into an ice bath. What else did Oaktar tell her? I scratch out the word girlfriend before it can disappear from the tablet as it naturally would. Oaktar means nothing to me.
She asked me if I thought you thought about her when you were rutting me.
No! She just wanted to make you jealous. What else did she say?
If Briar were here, I could do more to reassure her, but my only option now is to shake my head in a blanket denial and hope it’s enough.
“Did you see what she said? Syrinx is behind this.” Kage takes the stone tablet from me. The only symbols still remaining are the runes etched along the border, since Briar’s words have already faded and she hasn’t answered my other question.
You’re certain of Syrinx’s involvement? She told Ziv she had nothing to do with your disappearance.
Briar tilts her head back to glance up at the male holding her in his lap, then she looks back at us through the mirror before nodding with confidence.
It was a trade. They took Taggert and got me in exchange.
“Did you notice someone new?” I look at Kage, having no recollection of a new novice since Briar’s arrival months ago.
“No, but I can’t really say I was paying much attention to attendance. I thought you said you knew who was behind this?” he complains.
“I thought I did, but that was when I believed Syrinx was only participating with the plan at best, not the instigator.”
“Are you fucking saying the gods aren’t even behind this, and that we’ve been kneeling to a power hungry banshee?” He’s justas outraged as I feel. Could I have complicated this, by assuming Oaktar was involved?
The shifter waves his hands to get our attention through the mirror. When he gives me an exasperated look of censure for ignoring him, I want to peel the skin off his face. He jabs his finger at the tablet over Briar’s lap, causing her to shift quickly to keep it from falling off her legs. I read the words already disappearing from our sister stone.
She was brought here by a dragon. The gods are involved in this.
They have to be. Oaktar’s participation proves it, but Briar is convinced Syrinx had more to do with this than just alerting the gods to my mate’s existence. Hearing there was a dragon involved in transporting Briar makes me more confident that Ryujin is tangled up in all of this as well. The god of chaos is one of the few remaining deities that still communicates with the dragons. At one time, he was considered their patron, but those days are long gone, as is the yoke we once shared. Chaos and war go hand in hand. When I decided to fall, he swore I would regret the decision. I suspected his involvement in Briar’s disappearance from the beginning. The god would thrive off watching me suffer and the mayhem he caused. “Tell him I know the gods have a hand in this and ask if we can trust his brother,” I instruct Kage, who scribbles on the tablet to do as I asked.
The shifter in front of me lowers his head so I can see his face right next to Briar’s and shakes his head while making a cutting motion with his hand. I suspected as much. Eris is weak. He doesn’t even belong at the Ivy. The fact that he is here speaks volumes. Someone arranged for his attendance and probably continues to support his pathetic performance, mostlikely hoping he will never see battle at the Undertaking, or if he does, then the others will be strong enough to keep him alive.
He is an opportunist without a stitch of loyalty.
I nod in understanding. Considering we now possess an open line of communication through the scrying mirror and tablet, Eris is no longer useful anyway.
What is the plan?
The shifter’s question forces me to examine my failing and admit it. I extend my palm to Kage, requesting the tablet to write the only answer I have.
The plan is, and always will be, to keep Briar safe at all costs.
I recognize the moment realization sets in for her. Her features go slack with defeat. It wasn’t until then that I registered her wide, hopeful eyes or the way her shoulders were a little too high with expectant tension. She understands all too well what my nonanswer means—I am not coming for her.
With practiced movements, Briar adjusts the fur cloak on her shoulders, sinking her chin into the folds. Her easy acceptance nearly undoes me. I should be able to protect her from anything, yet I can’t ensure her safety, and worse yet, I still don’t even know exactly who or what the threat is.
I need time to get to the bottom of what’s going on and uncover everyone involved. I won’t risk losingyou or putting you in harm’s way. Your safety is more important.
How much longer?
