Page 137 of Of Masks and Fury

I reached through my bond again, slipping into Gavelle’s sight. The library spread below him now, rows of tables where people sat, bent over books. Isi sat with Lexie at a table, both women absorbed in thick tomes. Kerralyn occupied a chair nearby, a book open on her lap, but her gaze frequently lifting to scan the room.

Derren stood between the stacks, pulling volumes from shelves and bringing them to the women. In between finding books, he positioned himself where he could watch both the main entrance and the stairs leading to the upper levels. His hand remained on the hilt of the blade strapped to his belt.

His caution steadied the unease in my chest.

Pulling back, I refocused my attention on my advisors.

“Let’s discuss the prisoners,” I said, watching their reactions, though they showed only tense curiosity. “Caldrith’s dungeons hold twenty-three people condemned to die for possessing magic. We’re going to free them before their Day of Mercy.”

“Absolutely not,” Grayson sputtered. “I mean, we shouldn’t, Your Majesty. The risk is too great. It was bad enough we took all those children. Cyril will view it as an act of war.”

“He’s already preparing for war,” I said. “I stole Isi out from underneath his rule. Whether we free those prisoners or not, I have evidence his army will be marching toward Syllavar within the week.”

“Then why give him further justification to attack us?” Coralee’s fingers twitched on the table. Her ermine leaned into her neck, its gaze focused on me. “This would hand him a reason to rally his people against us. Another thing, why would he march against the king his daughter plans to marry?”

“Because he wanted her to marry someone else. You know Addie was his daughter, that she sought shelter here. Someone, him or whoever, dropped a body that looked very much like her in the middle of a ball not long after their prior Day of Mercy.”

“What?” Naveah shouted. “That’s… Addie is dead?”

“Not as far as I know. The body was left there while she was here, bonding through the Rite and falling in love with Fenmark. I was told that the body was deposited by a large bird that magically disappeared right after.”

Naveah’s expression tightened. “And so we stand accused, framed because of the companion.”

“Who bonded with a large bird?” I asked.

“There are many,” Coralee said. “It’s a common companion. But I’ll have mine reach out to the Council, and I’ll bring you a list.”

“Thank you.”

“With Addie away from Syllavar, there’s no way to prove to Caldrith that the body wasn’t hers,” Malcolm said.

“Will you tell us more about the mission you sent her and Fenmark on?” Coralee asked, one eyebrow raised.

“No, I will not. It wasn’t her body, though I don’t know whose it was and it burned in a funeral pyre. But we stand accused of murder.”

“And you’re marrying the daughter he expected to marry someone else. No wonder he has declared war.” Grayson shook his head. “I’ll bet anything he’s involved in faking Addie’s death somehow.”

“He’s always coveted our lands,” Naveah said. “This gives him an excuse to invade and if he can win, to declare victory and take some of our land as payment for Addie’s supposed murder.”

“Why would he want wasteland?” Coralee scoffed, frowning Naveah’s way.

“If we can drive the Skathes back, the blight will fade,” Malcolm said. “So I’ve heard.”

Naveah grunted. “Maybe he’s the one controlling the Skathes, then. If we can be defeated, our numbers reduced to something manageable and our magic stolen or drowned in ashwine, whoever controls the Skathes could send them away.”

“Or back through the veil,” Malcolm said.

She nodded. “Even better. Our land will be restored to its former beauty, and this controller could declare themselves king or queen of a much larger court.”

Coralee glanced toward me. “We need to discover who the controller is. Addie was one of us. How could someone fake her death?”

“From what I’ve recently learned, there are two people using magic to control the Skathes.” I sat back and watched their faces as the news settled over them.

“Two?” Coralee’s fingers clenched on the table. Her ermine went absolutely still on her shoulder, not fidgeting like it had been doing since we entered the room. An animal reading its bonded person’s distress?

Both she and her ermine relaxed at the same moment. The way someone moves when they’ve learned to manage their reactions under scrutiny.

My aunt had always had excellent control of her body. I’d admired it once. Now I filed it away as something else entirely.