“Are we truly considering this as an option?” Leda presses. “None of us should trust the human boys.”
Willow shakes her head, her nostrils flaring.
“You’ve yet to explainwhyyou have such reservations about them,” Aster responds, his voice even and steady despite the storm brewing in his gaze.
Leda falls silent, and I exchange a glance with Calix. We’ve told them about Moros—about Nyx’s message to me. But the human king… Tensions have always been high between Penyth and Crea, and telling them Adrian is the ruler of the opposing kingdom may not bode well for our prisoners.
There may be deep resentment and anger when it comes toAdrian and the Lyle boys, but it’s still our job to keep them safe right now. They’re in our care—under ourprotection. If anyone is going to kill one of them, it’s going to be me. Not these fae we’ve just met.
“It isn’t in anyone’s best interest to trust them,” Leda tries. “They came here from Crea to harm us.”
Harmme.
Brielle’s eyes find mine. She smiles sadly. Leda isn’t telling Willow and Aster who Adrian is because of me. If we’re going to be allies with these people, we have to lay it all out there—trust that they won’t kill Adrian the first chance they get simply for the power he holds.
“Adrian isn’t just any human,” I start. Leda’s gaze flicks to me, curious and sharp. But she doesn’t stop me, so I forge ahead. “He’s the King of Crea.”
Willow and Aster still simultaneously, the words still ringing in the air long after I’ve said them.
“The king,” Aster spits out. “Crea’s leadership is half the reason we’re as divided as we are—the reason why the curse is better in place to keep themout.” He takes a step forward, the storm in his gaze darkening to a thunderous rage.
“We need him back on the throne,” I say quickly. “If Moros has temporary control, killing Adrian or keeping him here will only ensure Moros continues his reign.”
Willow steps up to Aster’s side, placing a hand on his bicep. He blinks, the clouds clearing but his eyes still dark.
“He left his position to force me to come back with him,” I explain. The two fae narrow their eyes, not understanding. “I grew up in Crea. Trapped there beneath a false father and with suppressed magic. It wasn’t until—” I swallow, “—Graylen found me that I returned.”
That only scratches the surface of my life, but it’ll have to do for now.
Aster nods, roughly rubbing his stubbled jaw as he thinks. “Say the boy is telling the truth,” he muses. “Then what? Hesomehow agrees to retrieve Nightfall for us while maintaining his position on the throne?”
“We can’t trust Adrian to just waltz into Crea, get this dagger for us, and then somehow get itbackto us,” Leda growls. “We don’t know how this portal works, even if it is where he says it is.”
Willow speaks at the same time Brielle does, then Leda tries to cut both of them off by speaking over them—they all just keep trying to get a word in.
At the end of the day, we can’t trust Adrian to do all of that for us. We can’t all sit idly here, hoping he doesn’t betray us. He’s already proven to be driven by no one’s motivations but his own.
Penyth is my home—the place I thought I’d never leave now that I’ve finally found it. I look at Brielle, the mentor I find myself wanting to be like. Then I glance at Calix, a friend I never imagined making.
Lastly, my eyes find Leda.
Her delicately pointed ears, her fierce leadership and unrelenting strength. There was a time not so long ago I didn’t think we’d ever get along; now I find it hard to say the words burning to be said.
Leda must feel my gaze on her, because she looks over at me. Her mouth parts slightly, like she can already see what I’m going to say written across my face. She starts to shake her head. I cut her off before she has a chance to tell me no.
“That’s because he isn’t going to go alone.” My words are strong. Certain. No one else here knows Crea like I do—I can blend in far better. We can’t trust Adrian to find a way back, but that isn’t a problem if he doesn’t go alone. “I’m going to Crea, too.”
Twenty-Two
Arcus Obsidian
Chaos followsme everywhere I go. It clings to me like sheets twisted around a warm body during sleep.
The forest around us is buzzing with energy—bugs singing, birds chirping, and the trees themselves seemingly alive with a tangible spirit. I haven’t talked much since I told everyone I plan on going to Crea. It doesn’t help that I wasn’tplanningon it until the moment I said it.
Calix clears his throat, a brow raised at me as we follow Aster and Willow. “You good?” he whispers.
I sigh, wishing there was an easy answer for why I am very muchnotgood. Where to start? Graylen is trapped with Vidaris; there are supposedly Crean soldiers heading for Penyth—all because Adrian is here, leaving Moros to run the kingdom as he pleases—the souls from the trials are stuck in the Vale; and I still don’t know what it means that my trial ended before I completed it.
