“Plenty of smells in a swamp,” Reagan said. “If there was anything else, the water did a fine job of hiding it.” He shook his head. “I’ve already spoken with Barracus. We’ll send a few more patrollers there; maybe they’ll find something I missed. Because if we don’t figure out what broke that ward, we risk it happening again.”
After a few seconds of silence, I asked, “Have you found anything on Varian?”
“Nothing. He was seen at the Rite the entire evening,” Finn answered, sounding disappointed. “But we haven’t been able to find him since. Not sure where he is.”
A sinister smile spread across Gwinifer’s face as she spoke. “I wish I’d seen his face when the Court told him he was banned from Mountheim. He deserved worse.”
“What if someone else was doing it for him?” I suggested.
“A Scion?” Reagan asked, his head falling back on my thighs.
“Or maybe a Wraith,” I said. “I saw one at the Rite.”
His eyes widened, his body twisting to face me as Gwin and Finn stilled. I had forgotten to tell them until now; the memory still felt like a nightmare from a hundred days ago. The relief of escaping the creature had long since vanished, replaced by everything that had unfolded afterward.
“What do you mean you saw a Wraith?” Reagan asked, his voice edged with disbelief and something darker he didn’t bother to hide.
“After you left with the boy, something appeared in the courtyard. It was only there for a minute, but I think it was a Wraith, based on what I could see.”
Reagan’s features had hardened, his hands on my ankles gentle but firm. “Did it get close to you? Did you feel anything?”
“No, I ran. But do you think a Wraith could have broken the wards?” I asked, glancing between them. “They can obey orders, right?”
“They can, but they can’t break wards,” Finn explained. “Maybe this one made it through Eldritch, too. We don’t know how long the ward was down.”
“If it was just one,” Gwinifer said, propping her elbows on her knees, “we could have missed it from last time. Or it did come from Eldritch, which means we still have nothing. No clues to confirm if it was Varian or anyone else. But every sign suggests that the creatures were invited to the Rite.”
“Maybe I’ll go there,” Finnegan offered. “Tell me where exactly you found the hole, and I’ll try to track anything.”
Reagan nodded. “I’ll bring you. When we’re there, I want you to try something for me,” he said and sighed. “I want you to try to break the ward. I want to see if it will happen again.”
We stared at him, waiting for an explanation.
“There’s a chance my access has weakened, and it didn’t take more than three people to tear through the ward. Which means I’m no longer enough to hold it on my own.”
I couldn’t see his face, but the grim weight in his tone was unmistakable. “If this is the case, we’ll need another lord.”
???
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” I asked Reagan as he led us through the cobblestone streets of the city.
The wind gusted against our cloaks, gelid despite the azure sky.
“Yes, Darling, we’re here,” he said, grinning as he stopped just before a stone building with wrought-iron gates. “Since you were responsible for the relics deal with Erisea, I thought I should introduce you to Niamh. She oversees all silvercirculation in the estate, and today, we’re here to get her assessment on the status of the first order. It’s only fair that you stay informed about the progress.”
“Oh,” was all I could muster, glancing up at the three-story building that loomed over the smaller constructions lining the street. “And what is this place?”
“This is the forge, where some of our best runesmiths work. We can ta—”
The iron gates swung open, as did the metal door beyond them. A young woman stepped out, her dark green curls loosely tied back. She wore a white blouse under a worn leather apron. A monocle-like magnifier covered one of her eyes.
“Are you planning to loiter there all day, Reagan?” she asked, her tone deadpan. “I’m afraid I’m quite busy today, so let’s get on with it.”
My brows arched, but Reagan’s grin remained, as though he had expected the dry welcome.
“Hi, Niamh. Always a pleasure,” he said with casual ease.
Niamh huffed and stepped aside so we could enter.
