Page 51 of A Kiss of Hammer and Flame

Silence. The Commander’s forehead buckled.

‘No. We cannot forfeit the northern mines.’ It was King Royce, his voice of hoarfrost. ‘Or the surrounding Wilds.’

‘And if it comes to the mines or our men?’ Tyne countered.

Sylvanir remained unmoved. ‘Pull them back. We strike once we have a clear strategy.’

The King replied, ‘Is that not why you are here?’

‘It is,’ she fired back, ‘unless you’d rather I flounce about in pretty dresses so that I might snare one of the landed gentry, instead of defending our kingdom?’

Thierre bristled at the reference.

Raiden glanced between them, then to Cahra and Wyldaern. ‘Is there anything else? Anything that could help us fight them?’ His gaze lingered on Wyldaern.

‘I wasn’t exactly privy to the workings of Kolyath’s court,’ Cahra said.

Why don’t you consult the Prince, isn’t that why you were there?

The King and his advisors kept arguing. Exhaling, Cahra lifted the teacup to her lips. And sniffed, her eyes flashing to Wyldaern.

Queen Avenais smiled at Cahra and the Seer in turn. ‘Chamomile,’ she said. ‘Exquisite, is it not? Steeping it extracts such a soft, sweet flavour.’

‘Quite.’ Wyldaern nodded, eyeing the Queen then murmuring to Cahra from behind her cup, ‘It is also a herb used for purification and protection.’

Cahra was too tired to question why Luminaux permitted herbs when Kolyath didn’t. That said, their royals had welcomed Wyldaern as a Seer. In Kolyath, well, she would’ve been hauled off to the Red Square. Cahra never understood why the Steward hated the Seers and scrying magick when he was so obviously in favour of the prophecy’s weapon.

Wyldaern softened. ‘It heals, too. The tea will aid your sleep,’ she said.

Cahra grunted.Good.

‘We keep more than chamomile,’ the Queen mused, her silver speech polished with practiced high-born persuasion. ‘Eyebright, sage, meadowsweet… Our kingdom did not forbid worshipping nature, or scrying magick. The ways of old,’ she said pleasantly.

Cahra frowned. What was the woman getting at?

‘There must be a way.’ Thierre’s voice broke through the din, Cahra’s upper body tensing at the sound. She gripped her teacup, the piping heat biting into her skin.

‘There is.’ Sylvanir was steadfast. ‘We cut our losses and regroup. Unless you’re so willing to face our adversaries united, whose forces amount to double our own now.’

‘How do we combat an enemy of that size?’ The familiar hardness to Raiden’s face was a mirror of Commander Tyne’s.

It was Tyne who spoke next, the Commander turning to Cahra. ‘What do you know of the second omen of the prophecy, girl?’

Wyldaern narrowed her eyes, as Thierre interjected coolly, ‘Her name is Cahra.’

Beside the table, Sylvanir straightened, eyes on her brother.

The Commander just laughed. ‘Well,Cah-ra,’ he said, drawing out both syllables, ‘the Seers have indeed reappeared.’ Tyne gestured to the longsword and then to Wyldaern. ‘That’s the first omen. Now, the Key needs to be bestowed.’ He turned his gaze on the Seer. ‘I don’t suppose you’d know anything about that?’

‘Perhaps a tincture?’ The Queen’s blue eyes lit up as she clapped excitedly, telling Wyldaern, ‘You are welcome to pick from my personal garden, should you need the divination herbs.’ So that’s it, Cahra thought. The woman wanted a demonstration.

But Wyldaern’s eyes were on Cahra. Fatigue weighed on Cahra’s bones, her very soul. The nervous exhaustion was wringing her skin, making it feel too tight for her body, and all she wanted was to lie down on the ground and sleep, shove her consciousness into tomorrow. So she could forget today.

‘May we rest first?’ Wyldaern demurred sweetly. ‘I am weary and there was not time to stop for healing after our attack. I must confess, my head is paining me.’

‘Of course,’ Queen Avenais soothed, summoning one of her attendants with a wave. ‘Fetch my physician,’ she instructed, ‘and show our guests to their rooms.’ The Queen smiled. ‘We shall call upon you for supper at eight o’clock.’

‘Thank you, Your Royal Highness,’ Wyldaern said, curtseying deeply. Cahra gave it her best attempt, struggling to right herself. Finally, they were dismissed.