The weathered lord pursed his lips before he leaned forward and spoke in hushed tones.
“You need to raise an army, High Steward. You need every warrior, every healer, every mage and witch you can get your hands on.”
Ronan’s jaw clenched. “We don’t have many mages or witches left,” he explained, “Most of them left with forces headed to Kayj.”
“We have one,” I murmured, doing my best not to wilt beneath Ronan’s glare.
Pavel turned his face to mine, and I squirmed beneath the fatherly stare he settled on me.
“Vienah,” I continued. “But she’s serving a sentence for spying on?—”
Pavel waved his hands. “Get her out. If she has any power whatsoever, we will need her.”
A flush crept up Ronan’s neck as he shook his head. “Thousands of people are dead because of that water witch.”
“Thousands, you say?” Pavel cocked his head at Ronan, and his gray brows rose in feigned shock as he looked around. He turned back to the high steward with a hardened glare. “We are talking aboutmillions, boy. The entire godsdamned planet will be annihilated if we do not use every ounce of power we can get our hands on. Set your grudges aside andrule.”
Ronan bared his teeth as he leaned forward.
“You sound an awful lot like King Saros with that kind of talk,” Ronan seethed.
“Saros lived with the choices he made for thousands of years,” Pavel cut in. “While I didn’t support the tribute, he knew trading the lives of a few had the potential to save the many. Were the ashen horrific? Abominations? Yes. But they were alsoweapons. And we’re now standing in a kingdom fortified with the greatest magical defense known to us because of their payment.”
Pavel gestured to the rubelline castle we stood in. Ronan leaned back, shaking his head in disgust.
“And we will need the Bellators,” Pavel continued, his voice hard.
Ronan’s mouth clamped shut, and I jumped as Pavel slapped his hands on the table.
“Bayne Ravindra. Nerissa Ravindra. Selvina Sirona,” he bit out each name, “And yes, Lyvia Cantor.She must return. We need them, or the only thing left of this realm once the Embodied realize how fucking defenseless we are will be dust.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
LYVIA
The Aeterna Bone is missing. It vanished when the Vael Lacrima opened.
– Correspondence from Carina to Khato, 12th of Winter, 072.3E.
Lyvia – TheHydra, Atrulean Sea
My cry was lost in a cacophony of sounds while Tiberius’s hooves barely eclipsed the top of theHydra’smast as it arched through the air. The ship rocked wildly to the other side.
Aeriden’s form dipped below the water and the grotesque creatures writhed at the surface of the rough wake.
A dark form leaped off the rail of theHydra, chasing the creatures through the waves to where Aeriden fell.
Kellan.
He swam through the onslaught. Arrows from above found their marks in the backs of the creatures nearest him. The Obscura surged forward as we dove, but I couldn’t get aclear shot at the beasts. Aeriden’s face broke the surface. His teeth were gritted, and his black brows were narrowed as he unsheathed a dagger and plunged it into the fanned face of the nearest creature.
We need to get them shielded, I shouted into my mind.
Ti’s only reaction was a fierce wave of determination as he soared closer to the waves and closed in on the two men.
Dark bodies undulated just below the waves. The blue light from the moons reflected off the shimmering scales lining their backs. I shot a blast of darkness reaching for them, my shadows surging forward in starvation. Kellan broke free from the group, now turned to ash.
A cry pierced the air, and my stomach dropped as Aeriden’s face went slack, and he dipped below the surface. Wide, near-transparent fins sprayed white water as the creatures dove after him.
