“And here we are.”
Quinn stared at him, eyes wide and searching. “Do the fae… have courts? Ranks? Like ours?”
Alahathrial nodded slowly. “In a way. We have a council that governs us, made of the oldest bloodlines and those chosen by the Ancients. But every gift is honored. A fae who can make seeds grow ensures we eat. One who draws metal from the earth can forge furniture, weapons, jewelry. All gifts serve a purpose.”
He paused, his gaze turning distant. “That was the way—before the ones who turned dark began craving power instead of purpose. Before they began twisting gifts into weapons.”
His voice dropped to a whisper. “Before the Blood Fae.”
And in that silence, the pulse of the pool echoed like a heartbeat—fragile, fading, but still alive.
“What about the vial I retrieved from the fae sanctuary? Would it help the pool?”
Quinn gave me a quizzical look. “What vial?”
I gave a brief description of our adventure and the vial. How we assumed we still needed to kill the spell caster.
“You understand if the crown finds out I have this, I will be assassinated.”
“Looks like we have that in common. I will not betray you. But I will look into this fae elixir and see if there is any way it can prolong the life of the pool or the king.”
We stood in silence, the four of us gathered around the glowing water, watching it ripple like a dying star. The dark veins had retreated slightly, yes, but they still pulsed like rot beneath the surface.
It felt like we were witnessing the end of something ancient. Sacred. A heartbeat slowing, struggling to keep time in a world that no longer remembered its purpose.
Like we were waiting for the last of a species to go extinct.
Then Kaelith’s voice lanced through my mind, clear and sharp.
Ashlyn. The tower is being watched.
I stiffened.
Across the pool, Zander’s head snapped up, eyes locking with mine. Hein had said the same to him. Neither dragon had entered the grounds, but they were near. Circling. Protecting us from shadows we couldn’t yet see.
“Someone’s watching,” I said aloud, stepping back from the pool.
Zander was already moving. “We have to go.”
Alahathrial straightened, his gaze narrowing. “Then I’ll return the way I came.”
“Put on your glamour,” I said quickly. “Go back to your suite. Walk like you’re a courier with a message and keep your head down.”
He gave a small nod, lifting his hand once more. Magic shimmered across his skin like silk pulled over gold, twisting his elegant form back into something dull and forgettable. A plain-faced courier with sleepy eyes and a bowed head.
“Go,” Zander said. “Now.”
As Alahathrial slipped into the tunnel, Quinn turned to us. “What are you going to do?”
I met his eyes. Steady. Cold.
“We have a spy to catch.”
Chapter
Five
Iwoke with a start, the early light filtering through the narrow barracks window casting a soft glow over the stone floor. My body ached in that familiar, satisfying way—like I’d earned every sore muscle. But it wasn’t the soreness that woke me.
