“Yourstomach?” Toryn grabbed Ruari’s tankard and frowned into the depths of it. Then he sniffed. “You’ve had the same ale as the rest of us, yes?” He looked around the table. “Anyone else in pain?”
Gaven shook his head. “Fine here.”
“You think someone tried to poison us?” Fenella took the tankard and smelled the contents. “Nothing seems off. And wouldn’t we all feel the effects by now?”
“He’s part human. Perhaps that’s why it’s hit him first.” Nellie climbed from the table and approached Ruari, but he held up his hands in warning.
“Stay back. We don’t know what’s wrong with me.” His voice was shaky and rough, barely above a hoarse whisper.
She frowned. “Could it be from the beast who attacked you? Perhaps your wound hasn’t fully healed yet. We should get someone to take a look at you and—”
Shouts erupted from the corridor. I straightened, my breath catching as several armored fae rushed into the Great Hall. The one leading the charge was the guard who’d welcomed us at the gate. Her yellow hair was plastered to her damp forehead, and deep lines bracketed her mouth.
She looked around the room until she spotted Kalen near the far wall. Her shoulders relaxed, though the fear in her eyes remained. “Kal, we’ve got company. The gods are here.”
Twenty-Three
Kalen
“From what I can tell, there’s four of them out there with a few of those scorpion beasts,” Erin said, worrying at her bottom lip. She’d brought the news from the front gates, and I’d never seen her face look so pale.
“Four?” Tessa asked, alarmed. “Sirius and Perseus are with Andromeda? But they helped me escaped.”
“Yes, it is strange,” I said, frowning.
“All I know is they sent a human to the to gates with a message. They want to talk to you and your queen. And if you don’t agree to it, they have an army ready to attack us. They said they have thousands of warriors on the way.”
Toryn stood, his hands clenching. “For the love of the moon, it’s actually happening.”
“Tell them to bring their fucking army here and see how far they can get,” Fenella said with a sneer. “They can’t breach these walls with some ugly wolves. No offense, Nellie.”
“No, but the gods have wings. A wall will never stop them,” Tessa pointed out.
I nodded, though I didn’t meet her gaze. I wanted to. Fuck, I wanted to. But she’s suggested doing the very thing I’d always fought against. Everything in me was against everything she’d said. I couldn’t even believe she’d suggested it.
It was the very thing that had takeneverythingfrom me.
And I couldn’t stop thinking about what my storm fae captor had told me in that cave. The gods had planned to strip away Tessa’s humanity. They wanted to change her into someone more like them. Had they actually done it? She’d admitted to killing an innocent human. And now she was suggesting we use a god’s power. A power that would corrupt us all. Not to mention Sirius and Perseus were now on the offensive. If they’d helped Tessa escape, why would they be here? What if she hadn’t escaped the gods, after all? What if they’dlet her go?
I couldn’t bear to think it.
I cleared my throat and forced away those thoughts. “We’ll ride out to meet them. Get the horses ready.”
“Kal, no.” Fenella shoved back her chair. “That’s not what I meant. You can’t go out there. They’ll kill you both.”
Tessa shook her head. “No, they won’t. Not unless I take the gemstones with us. They’re our bargaining power.”
* * *
The gates cranked open, and a whistling wind rushed in from the depths of the night. The mists were back now. Strands of darkness swirled around us, like fingers of our worst nightmares dragging us toward our enemies. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tessa straighten on her horse. She faced the danger ahead with brave determination. She wouldn’t back down from this. It was one of the many things I loved about her.
That courageousness, that unyielding side of her, clashed with her sudden interest in using the gods’ power for our own gain. The Tessa I’d met all those months ago, the one who had been fleeing in the mist, she never would have wanted that. I could scent Tessa’s lies before, but what if I no longer could? What if my worries were right? What if they’d changed her, then let her go?
I shook my head. I couldn’t let my thoughts stray in that direction. Not now. Not when we were moments away from facing the gods.
I urged my horse onward. Sand dusted my legs as he took off at a gallop. Silver kept pace, falling into a rhythm beside me. According to the messenger, the gods were only a few hundred meters east. They were holding torches to act as beacons to draw us near.
“Kalen, you’ve barely said a word to me,” Tessa called out over the thundering hoofbeats.
