Without Lightbringer.
Sevran won the battle for the room’s voices. “It does not matter if Obsidian obeys the queen or if they rebel or if any of us do, unless there is a plan that would destroy the queen. And we are supposed to believe that you have such a plan, Fieran?”
“I do,” Fear promised.
“Tell me that it does not rest on the thin shoulders of some…” His gaze fell on me, and I dreaded whatever adjective and noun combination he was about to supply. “Hopeless mortal?”
If only Lightbringer would reveal herself. I’d ignited Lidi’s magic; I must be able to do it again. My throat was tight, but Fear’s hand fell to my shoulder. “There is nothing helpless about Clan Bismyth’s mortal.”
He had twisted the word. I saw why a second after. Hopeless was about whether or not I could embody Lightbringer; helpless was naming that I had other gifts. He had circled back to my speech in his own way.
“That is not the story that came out of the rebel encampment. I heard of mortals losing faith and abandoning the rebellion, andwe all know how little they have to lose.” Deva of Garnet spoke, her voice barbed.
No one laughed, but I could feel the rise of amusement.
She went on, “Fear has gathered the enthusiasm of the mortals by making them believe that he can turn them into shifters themselves, and yet she remains the only one. And strangely, it does not seem she can shift. It suggests that the entire story is a lie.”
The room burst into fresh arguments. Fear paused, taking the moment while everyone was yelling to decide how to spin the story.
But this was not his story.
This was a mortal story.
I rose to my feet.
The ancient presence within me woke in alarm. I had a feeling mortal arguments had not been very intriguing to her. But whatever I was going to do next, whatever half-formed plan was floating through my mind, she was catching in wisps. My plan, such as it was, very much had her attention.
“It is true I have not yet shifted.” I spoke loudly but not louder than any of the shifters. Still, those nearest me turned their attention my way, and the attention rippled through their neighbors. Most of them hadn’t heard my beginning, so I tried again. “It is true I have not shifted. But that is part of our plan.”
Fear’s face gave nothing away. He was the picture of rapt attention.
“We intend to keep the queen off balance by having her believe that I cannot shift so that I can get close to her. But my abilities, thanks to Lightbringer, will allow me to drain the queen’s magic.”
There had still been side conversations. Many of them had not been very interested in what a mortal had to say. But thosefaded. The room was so quiet one could’ve heard the scrape of a claw.
Everyone was curious what I would say next. No one more so than I.
Lightbringer roiled inside my mind, so furious that it was distracting.“How dare you, you arrogant, reckless child. I told you I will not fight on your side…”
“You did. So you will watch as I flounder through my war, and as Fear and I die,”I snapped back at her in my mind.
Then I raised my chin, trying to shake off the distraction of an angry dragon with a lashing tail and snarling thoughts. I’d wanted her to talk to me for so long; now she had something to say.
“You have my attention, mortal.” Deva leaned forward, intrigued.
“The queen has stolen mortal magic all these years. For a reason. She needs us.” I stared around at the room. “I can steal the queen’s magic from her and render her as mortal as those she has stolen from.”
“Then do it,” Noa challenged. “Let’s find some asshole Fae and strip him of his magic.”
“Yes, let’s tip our hand to the queen,” Fear said. “Brilliantly thought out as usual, Noa.”
“You cannot expect us to go into battle with this mortal leading our plans without proof,” Colm said.
Ander rose to his feet. “I believe in this mortal. Clan Amber will follow Cara.”
He looked calm and certain, but behind him, shock rippled through Clan Amber. I wondered what that shock would cost him. Could Fear or Ander lose their positions as leaders if the clan lost faith in their decisions?
“Following the little mortal means following her husband, does it not?” Sevran asked. “So you will follow Fieran?”
