“You did what!?” Semuel’s eyes widened, and he leaned forward, almost getting out of his seat. Faern had to pat his shoulder, encouraging him to sit back down.
“I strongly recommend you not try it.” My head moved left to right as I spoke the words laced with fear and warning.
“I definitely agree with her,” Marshen grumbled.
“Do not spare me one detail,” Semuel said.
“Perhaps we’ll leave the details for later, but what I can tell you is that at the very end of the caves lies a sarcophagus.” My eyes prickled and I couldn’t look at anyone else but Semuel. My words came out as a rasping whisper. “They burned it all.”
“They burned the secret of the Unnar Caves?” Semuel’s words came out bitter and enraged. His knuckles whitened; his jaw flexed tight.
“They managed to break in through the exit. They knew the exact location of it. From history, I’ve found that witches entered Lyrantheia through the Unnar Caves. At least two of them knew where the exit was, considering that they survived to tell the tale.” I glanced towards Marshen, and he gave me half a smile.We also survived.
What puzzled me was that the depiction of the witch from the memoir shared the same surname as Ayla, the same witchwho was bound to my mother. Unless every witch’s surname was Ikubib, then something wasn’t adding up.
“So, they’re what? Destroying the source of our powers, one by one?” Faern asked with snarling lips. His gaze dropped on Leannon.
“I shall warn Tamer immediately. Our source must be completely secured.” My brow creased as I glimpsed the bouquet behind Leannon wilting and turning ashen. “And yours should be, too,” Leannon added, looking at Yanik.
“What about us?” Aegir asked. His gaze shifted towards Ryvar, almost too quickly.
Amani shrugged. “We cannot protect something that we do not even know exists.”
Ryvar finally met Aegir’s gaze, straightening in his chair. “Our best bet is that if we do not know about it, then they do not know about it. And besides, our gifts are not randomly given like Amfir’s, they’re inherited through lineages.”
“Our gifts are also inherited by blood, yet here we are,” I replied flatly.
Aegir reached for my hand beneath the table and laced his fingers around mine.
Ryvar disregarded my comment and said, “All right, so, we should start thinking of ways to transport or purify water, and we’ll discuss the ideas in our next meeting. I say we are ready to move on to our next topic, shall we—”
“I disagree,” Semuel cut in. His stare, I noticed, was directed at Aegir.
“Go on,” Ryvar urged impatiently.
“I think it is your brother who should go on,” Semuel replied, his gaze piercing Aegir.
“What’s your problem?” Aegir all but snapped.
“My problem is that I know my father. He wouldn’t just give you eighty thousand of our men for something that he hadalready asked your parents for. No, my father is too proud for that. Which is why he still holds a grudge against Queen Tamer Leigh. Too proud,” Semuel mumbled. “He must have asked for something else.”
“He asked for water. End of discussion.”
“Do not lie to my fucking face,” Semuel warned through clenched teeth.
“You’d better speak up, brother.” Ryvar didn’t seem to like the sound of this conversation. Idreadedit.
“Fine. He asked for apersonalfavour, which concerns none of you. The deal’s done and the alliance is secured. We can move on.”
“A favour that concerns none of us other than her, right?” Semuel countered, tilting his head my way.
Aegir’s grip on my hand tightened. His breath turned misty. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Which sister?”
“I don’t know what you’re—”
“Which. Fucking. Sister?”
