Silence rippled as all eyes in the room slid to where I sat. I stared at the queen, letting the debt I was to pay settle in my bones. I glanced at Ronan, his brows angling upward in a pinched apology.
“Dark King Daimos has the Ramadiel Bone,” Isla cut through the silence. “Are you suggesting we try to sail to Nivis while he attacks our shores?”
The queen’s eyes didn’t leave my own as she shook her head, the soft curls bouncing at her shoulders. “That’s not the bone I’m talking about.”
The others stirred. She nodded to Carina from across the table. The petite elf stood and hurried to the corner of the room, where she picked up a handful of scrolls.
My stomach dropped as I took in their caramel hue, my mind spinning back to Enya’s burial chamber. She placed the scrolls on the table, reverently unrolling the first to reveal the map, theoriginalmap from the excavation.
My palms pressed against the smooth table as I leaned forward. How did they get these? Carina’s eyes flitted to my ownas she pulled out a second scroll, one I hadn’t seen before, and laid it next to the map.
“A key to the map,” she began, her voice small and meager compared to the commanding presence of her mother, “to the location of the burial chambers of the other Bellators.”
Silence cleaved the room. No one dared a breath as they gaped at the small elf who adjusted her spectacles. Akey. I hadn’t even considered what else the map might be showing. I shrank as the magnitude of this missing piece hit me.
Queen Antares’s pink lips twisted, delighting in the unease settling among the group. “We believe there is a burial site marked here, in the Death Dunes,” she said, motioning to the ancient scroll.
Hushed murmurs spread through the table as I eyed the Death Dunes, the land north of Sultira, uninhabitable due to the frigid temperatures and unforgiving land. Miles of tundra and snow stretched across the continent, even during the heart of summer. No plants were known to grow in the area, and the only beasts ever seen were the terrifying dune runners—reptilian-looking wolves that devoured anything landing on their shores. The perfect hiding place.
“Commander Merik,” the queen said at last, turning to Ronan. “You promised me access to Bellatorian powers to at last put an end to Dark King Daimos if aid came to the Rising.”
Ronan grimaced as he nodded. “Access…yes. But that was before the return of the Bellators. Before Lyvia claimed the power and it became a part of her. Lyvia is not under my command.”
The queen’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at me. “We may not be bound by an air oath, Commander, but a promise sworn to an ally in a time of war is as binding as one. I requireaccessto the Bonder’s powers. When Lyvia returns with the bone of powerthat’s hidden in the Death Dunes, I will escort your forces back to continue the fight.”
I shifted in my seat, mind racing. Bayne said we needed to prepare, that we needed more power. I could do this. I could find the bone… I’d always had a way of finding the dead. And with the vast nothingness of the Death Dunes, I had no doubt I’d be able to pick up the pulse of power.
“You will leave at dawn, while the Juniper Sea is trekkable, as we don’t know how long that will last. We’ll spare one ship to retrieve the bone for Lotrennia, while our others will sail north to defend against Daimos.”
My throat bobbed. Nausea churned as I thought of a bone of power in the hands of the queen, but what choice did I have? She remained standing, awaiting my response. I eyed Bayne, waiting for his easy confidence I’d become so used to, but was met with a blank look.
“If I’m to locate this burial site and find the bone,” I finally said, meeting the queen’s stare without flinching, “then I choose the crew I’m to sail with.”
The edges of the queen’s lips tilted. “Of course,” she purred. “You may choose a handful of companions.”
“Okay,” I conceded, an uneasy bitterness sweeping over me. I would do this one thing to get the Rising forces back to Sultira. To end King Saros. To save Queen Galena and her unborn child. To stop the tribute and turn our forces back to the true enemy in the north.
“There is the matter of your agreement, however.” The queen’s lips spread into a wide smile as her gaze bore into me. “My requirement with the Transcindiel and Obscura powers. You agreed to eight training sessions before the end of summer. With your departure, Tiberius will need to remain behind.”
I blinked.Leave Tiberius here?My head shook in denial and my stomach pitched as the words settled in.
“An oath is an oath, Bonder,” the queen crooned. “You’re bound by your breath. And you don’t have much of a choice unless you’re ready to forfeit the Rising’s alliance with the elves. Think about what’s most important. Think about those you left behind in Sultira, in Kayj. Rising forces need to return home. We need the next bone of power or elves and humans will continue to suffer under the cruelty of the kings. Surely, the two of you can spend a few months apart and reunite stronger than ever.”
Fuck. We needed to discuss this in private. I stood, darkness clouding my veins, ready to leave. The others followed suit and began to shuffle out. Bayne’s steadying hand slid to my lower back as we reached the back of the room.
“One more thing to note,” the queen purred from behind, still standing at the head of the table. “Assuming Khato’s most recent revelation proves true, should Bayne accept my offer, not only will we ferry the Rising forces to Sultiran shores upon Lyvia’s return, but fifteen thousand Lotrennian soldiers will accompany them in an alliance to aid in dethroning Saros.”
Bayne’s hand froze on my back.
