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“I know.” Skye watched as Kato began to approach, followed by four other Highborn fey Skye only vaguely recognized. “I’ll make sure I’m alone when I set out to look for her.”

Because while Kato might’ve known what Taly was, the other members of their party didn’t. He would need time to create the simulacrum, time to find her, and then time to get her disguised before integrating her into their party.

“Skylen,” Kato greeted. “Lord Castaro.” And then he began introducing the men and women trailing behind him.

There was Lord Kalahad Brenin—the High Lord of Earth’s younger brother.

Followed by Asher Venwraith—a lanky man of middling height with pale blond hair and grass-green eyes. According to him, he was the second son of nobody cares, and his only notoriety stemmed from his very distant relation to the High Lord of Water.

Then came Carin Fenmar. Her eyes were a startling shade of carnation pink, and her hair was the color of pale honey. She stood just a step behind Asher, shoulders hunched, arms wrapped tightly around her body. The shirt peeking out from beneath her leather armor looked strangely shabby compared to the newness of her gear.

The last man Skye knew by reputation only: Vaughn Adamaer. He had a hooked nose, and his hair had been shaved at the sides. He kept rubbing at his chin, like there was still some kind of pain there that had yet to fade. The man’s most striking feature, however—the one that sent a chill slithering down Skye’s spine—was his eyes.

Deep-set and hooded.Yellow. They had a sickly gleam, and it was a struggle not to look away.

“Vaughn,” Kalahad said, throwing a pained smile to the yellow-eyed shadow mage at his side, “was put in charge of my protection detail.” Neither one of them looked too happy about it. “My older brother—Shards bless his soul—will one day worry himself into an early grave, and despite my insistence that I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself, he insisted that I take his Captain of the Guard along with me. Now, I give him to you.”

“That’s very generous,” Ivain said, his expression schooled into that perfect mask of serene indifference that some nobles never truly mastered.

“Sire,” Vaughn said gruffly, ignoring Ivain and Skye as he turned to his master. “I must insist—”

“You insist on nothing.” Kalahad crossed his arms imperiously. “My brother may have sent you, but you’re mine to command. We still have literalmonthsuntil the first predictions say we might be able to escape through the Aion Gate, and until that time, this village needs hope. It needs a beacon. And that girl—that human the villagers have dubbed theirSavior—she will be that beacon.”

“It is noble of you to pledge your men to rescue a girl you barely know,” Ivain said. “You have mygratitude.” The last word felt forced, but Skye had a feeling he was the only one that noticed.

Kalahad smiled at Ivain. “I only seek to help support the morale in Ryme. For better or worse, we’re all in this together now, and it pains me tosee so much fear and hopelessness. Although,” he added. “you do raise a fair point. We know very little about this girl.”

Kalahad looked to Skye. “The two of you were close, yes?”

Skye gave a slow nod. He felt Ivain shift beside him. Kato just sighed.

“What was she like?” Kalahad asked. Too eager. The man was far too eager. “I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve been dying to meet her. Ever since I heard the Vale transmission. I hear she’s a smart little thing. Resourceful, surprisingly ingenious, pretty too.” Amercifulpause. “For a human, that is.”

The words shouldn’t have gotten underneath his skin so quickly, but the blatant curiosity, the interest in the man’s eyes coupled with that stitch of arrogant dismissal had something deep, something primal bubbling to the top and—

“We can’t thank you enough,” Kato said hastily, clapping a hand to Skye’s shoulder. That thing inside him quelled.“Taly was very dear to us all, and we’re looking forward to having her home.”

“You should’ve asked sooner,” was all Kalahad said in reply. Skye wanted to slap that smile right off his face.

Kato and Kalahad exchanged a few more friendly pleasantries, and when they retreated, both Asher and Carin trailing along after them, Ivain said, “I still don’t like him.”

“Me neither,” Skye muttered, glaring daggers at the man’s back. “But help is help.”

Ivain loosed a heavy sigh. “I would go with you if I could.” There was regret in his eyes.

“We both know you can’t.” The Gate Watchers were already spread too thin, and while Skye’sdeath would be felt, the village would recover. If they lost, Ivain, however—the entire island would be lost.

Ivain cleared his throat noisily, and Skye pretended not to see the moisture that rimmed his eyes. “Remember,” the old man said, “if you don’t come back, Sarina’s threatened to burn her way into the afterlife just to scream at you, and that’s a mess I’d prefer not to clean up. I’d be sweeping up ash for weeks.”

Skye chuckled, leaning into the old man when he clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Oh, I wouldn’t dare die and risk her anger. I might be crazy, but I’m not stupid.”

“Good.” Ivain gave his shoulder a firm shake. It was obvious there was more he wanted to say. More he would’ve said if there had been time. But there wasn’t, so all he said was another mumbled, “Good,” before letting his hand drop and walking away.

They took the main road, steering the horses into the densely wooded forest that dominated the central part of the island. The air was mild and humid, warming when they moved into the sun, and everything around them was green—the trees, the giant ferns blanketing the forest floor, the moss growing on every surface and in every nook and hollow.

It would’ve been lovely if not for the flickering wardline along the side of the road, the crystals and wiring dug up and strewn across the pavement—evidence that the barrier had been broken. That meant that the shades had access to the highways, and while the faint scent of rot now mixed with the smell of the forest, they saw neither shade nor beast.

Not until a few miles past the main river crossing.