“It’s fine. Caedmon made his choice,” she said tightly.
“Yes, it seems pretty clear that the god was in the gemstone, and whatever I did passed the god into Caedmon’s body. He became a vessel for him. Or her.”
Kalen arched a brow. “I see where you’re going with this. A vessel, like the Crones?”
“That’s right. We’d already figured out they can put their essences into fae bodies, but what if it’s exactly the same thing Bellicent was doing?” I asked. “And if the Crones still have aspects of themselves in there…”
Fenella let out a low whistle. “That would mean Caedmon could still be in there, at least remnants of him.”
“All of them could have remnants,” I said firmly.
“I don’t see how that helps the human kingdoms,” Nellie said after a moment. “Even if you’re right and Caedmon and other fae are still alive inside them, how could we possibly use that to stop the gods from destroying Talaven and every other human in this world?”
I leaned back in my chair. “Well, that I don’t know.”
For a long while, we all sat there. The reality of our situation remained unchanged, despite our newfound understanding. There was only one thing that could stop the gods, and we’d had that power in our hands. Now we’d lost it. We no longer had control over the beasts, who could harm them with their claws and fangs. We did have Nellie, but one girl wasn’t enough, no matter how strong she was. And without a god’s gemstone powering the Mortal Blade, that was useless, too.
“So.” Fenella tapped the tip of her dagger against the table. “Is it time for us to prepare for the inevitable end?”
“No,” I said firmly. “The world needs us. We have to fight for them.”
“And how do you propose we do that?”
I looked at Kalen, hoping he had the answers. But his gaze had gone hard, and his eyes held no spark. If he’d ever held on to hope for survival, he’d released his grip on it now. If only we could use his power against them. If only we could use mine.
Frustration tore through me. Andromeda had been so clever when she’d forced me to make that vow. She’d destroyed any hope we had of fighting against her. Physical weapons were useless against the gods. Fae powers were useless when the gods muted them. Humans had nothing. And yet I could not give up hope.
Kalen cleared his throat. “I’ve sent Boudica to warn Niamh and Alastair of what’s coming. Hopefully, they’ll get the humans back to Talaven, where they can shore up strength in their castles. It might give them more time.”
“That’s all we can hope for,” Toryn said gravely. “Just a little more time. A few more weeks or months in this world with those we love.” He looked at Nellie.
Tears burned my eyes. “Talaven has no hope if we don’t dosomething. Even if they hide inside their fortresses, the gods will take them, and it won’t be pleasant. They have the power of fear and famine, pestilence and beasts. They will wreak havoc on the humans.” I stood, knocking back my chair. “We can’t just give up like this. Val is with them. Niamh and Alastair, too. We have to do something.”
The flutter of wings rushed toward us from the corridor. Boudica soared inside and came to perch on Kalen’s shoulder. She rubbed her beak against his cheek, then cawed. Kalen’s face tightened. She’d brought him news. I leaned forward, worried the gods had already begun their war with Talaven.
“Well, it seems we were wrong.” Kalen scanned the length of the table until his gaze landed firmly on me. “The gods aren’t going to Talaven first. Their army is camping in the fields a few miles away from here. It looks as if they intend to sack Albyria first. They’re coming for us.”
Forty-Two
Tessa
Misty rain gushed down from angry, bulbous clouds. I stood on the Bridge to Death with Kalen, staring out into the abyss. Ruari’s brother, Mykon, had used the tiger-eye gemstones to erect the barrier, but I wasn’t convinced it would hold against Andromeda’s army. I supposed we would soon find out.
“Why do you think they’re coming here?” I asked Kalen. “They told me they didn’t care whether the fae lived or died. It’s Talaven they want. Andromeda made that clear.”
“We’ve chosen to protect humans. We’ve taken a stand against her. I think we angered her, so she’s making a point.”
“Do you think she knows I’m alive?”
“No. And we should keep it that way for as long as possible. Let’s get you out of sight.” Motioning me away from the bridge, Kalen led me down the muddy road toward Teine. We were going to gather all the humans who had only just returned to their homes, and take them into the city. It would be safer for them behind the walls if the gods broke through the barrier. Teine had fortifications. All the homes were built from flammable wood. As broken as Albyria was, it was the better place to wait out the storms.
“It looks like I’ll be handing out those wooden daggers after all,” I joked, though the words rang hollow in my ears. The last thing I wanted was to watch my people die with nothing but a sliver of wood to protect them. They were pale imitations of proper weapons and nothing more.
Kalen threaded his fingers through mine, understanding my fears better than anyone. It was his people and mine who were in danger. I might not be the Queen of Teine, but I still felt responsible for them. The Elders were dead. They had no leader now. No one but me.
The rain had turned the dirt-packed roads of Teine into muddy rivers. We went door to door and explained that war was coming. I expected some resistance, but none came. At every house, we were greeted with trembling hands and wide eyes. But they gathered their things and their families and followed us up the hill, where the civilian fae had hunkered down. Warriors marched through the streets and climbed the battlement stairs. Archers had spent the day collecting wood and whittling arrows.
I led the humans to the top few floors of the tower. They would hunker down in Oberon’s quarters, as well as the ones I used to call mine. Fenella had removed all the stuffed animal heads at my request. All that was left was the familiar four-posted bed, the barred windows, and the scent of lavender that still lingered even now. It felt strange standing inside this place. Looking around, it didn’t seem quite so grand anymore. If anything, it felt small, especially with a few dozen humans crammed inside it.
