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Mortals and fey alike crammed between the rows of market stalls and street vendors, and merchants rushed about, bickering and bartering as the villagers and refugees frantically bought upwhat little food was left at the end of the day. Stray dogs hovered around the edges, no doubt waiting for whatever scraps might come their way, and several earth mages pushed their way through the crowd, leading milk cows and carrying crates of chickens and other fowl as they made their way to the areas that had been set aside for livestock. Mud and hay and Shards only knew what else coated the broken cobbled pavement underfoot, and as Skye passed by yet another darkened alleyway, he grimaced as the stench of the street mixed with the scent of spices and roasting meat that lingered on the air.

After the battle at Crescent Canyon, they had stayed in Della only a handful of days, waiting, searching, and allowing the earth mages to stabilize as many of the wounded as they could with so few resources. They kept in touch with Aiden via the comms, and when he sent word that he had found a lead on Taly’s whereabouts and would meet back up with them in Ryme, Ivain made the decision to start moving the refugees.

It had taken four trips to load up every man, woman, and child onto the airship and transport them back to the village at the northern end of the island, and then one more to go back for their supplies. Sarina had cried, and cried, and cried when Skye and Ivain finally stepped off the airship as it was docking for the night. Even now, almost two days later, the woman was still fussing.

Skye breathed a sigh of relief as he turned onto a quieter street, grateful to be free of the crowds. The houses were larger and more evenly spaced in this section of town, each one made of sturdy stone and trimmed with little patios circled with painted iron. The Castaros’ townhouse—afive-story, gray-bricked manor that sat on a parcel of land larger than any of the rest—perched at the very top of the hill.

Since the attacks began, Ryme had been transformed. The slums had been repurposed, every inch of underused space converted into gardens and farmland, and food production had moved inside the walls. Their supplies were holding, as were their walls and fortifications, and thanks to the preparations the Gate Watchers had begun months ago in anticipation of the Aion Gate opening, the repairs on the Swap as well as other key structures were nearly completed. Soon, if their luck held out, every refugee would be afforded the luxury of a warm bed and a roof that didn’t leak.

They could hold the city for months, long enough to escape through the Aion Gate and into the mortal cities. It was the best scenario they could’ve hoped for, even if there were too many missing faces to make that victory seem anything but hollow.

Finally making his way to the top of the hill, Skye placed a hand against the lock that sat in the center of a set of wrought-iron gates. There was a click, and the gates swung open on creaking hinges.

Ivain had bolstered security on the townhouse since the attacks began. There was still a traitor in their midst, and even with Taly’s warning, they still hadn’t been able to narrow in on just who might be working against them. More than ever, they had to be vigilant, and since Ivain’s office now harbored information and orders that may very well spell the difference between life and death for an entire city, countless layers of steel, iron, andmagic now separated the lavish house from the rest of the village. Only family and a few of the more trusted members of the serving staff could unlock the wards. Everyone else had to be vetted.

Skye made his way inside the house, only stopping to drop his pack in the outdoor workroom before entering through the kitchen. He was still scraping mud off his boots when Sarina found him.

She had changed clothes since he’d seen her that morning—removing the dirt-stained tunic she wore to work outside in favor of a pale blue gown. The scent of smoke and aether clung to her, indicating that she’d most likely spent her day helping Ivain burn away the rubble and wreckage that had collected at the northern edge of the city. Very few fire mages had the skill to produce flames hot enough to melt stone, and Sarina, even if she didn’t like to flaunt her abilities, was no ordinary fire mage.

“Where have you been?!” she hissed, pulling him inside. Skye grimaced at the muddy boot prints that trailed behind him as she ushered him forward.

“I was helping the Gate Watchers set up the monitoring station,” he said as she pushed him down the hall and up the stairs. Though it wasn’t a perfect solution, they did have equipment that would allow them to track the status of the Aion Gate remotely—let them know when it was time to move closer. “Sarina, what’s—”

“Aiden’s back.”

Skye stopped abruptly, turning on his heels. He barely caught Sarina before she ran into him.

They shared a look.

And then he was running, up a second set of stairs, following the familiar path to the study on the third floor, Sarina close behind.

The door at the end of the hall stood open, the light spilling out onto the plush carpets that blanketed the dark hardwood. Just beyond, Aimee was crying into her brother’s stained overcoat, pulling back occasionally to make sure that he was, indeed, still there, alive and unharmed.

Ivain leaned against a massive desk stacked with papers and books, his grim expression at odds with the cheery fire that roared away inside the carved marble hearth.

Skye slowed his pace, stepping inside the study and scanning the room. The hope that had flared to life so suddenly flickered and died.

Because Taly… wasn’t there.

Which meant that Aiden hadn’t been able to find her.

Which meant—

Skye took a breath. It meant nothing. Only that Aiden hadn’t had any luck and that Taly was still out there, waiting to be found.

“Aimee.” Ivain turned to his niece. “Would you go find Eliza and ask her to prepare something for Aiden? I’m sure the boy is famished after such a long journey.”

Aimee bobbed out a curtsey, wiping her eyes as she reluctantly stepped away from her brother. So far, the siege had taken little effect on the water mage’s sense of style. Her dark hair was immaculately curled, and the teal gown she wore was pressed and pinned to flatter her slim waist and full bust. The only change Skye could see was that she had taken to wearing a jeweled belt with a red velvet bag attached.

Skye’s nostrils flared. It wasn’t a scent. Not really. More a sense, an awareness that thrummed just beneath his skin.Water crystals. He knew it instinctively. Those were water crystals clicking together in that bag. It seemed that after the incident with the harpy, Aimee had finally started taking her magic seriously.

She gave him a teary smile. “I hope it’s good news,” she whispered. Somehow, Skye knew that she meant it, despite her and Taly’s mutual animosity.

Sarina placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder as she passed by, closing the door after her.

“Sister.” Ivain gave Sarina a pointed look.

“If you tell me to leave,” Sarina said, sinking down onto a green velvet couch that sat opposite the desk, “I’ll gut you where you stand.” The smile she gave her older brother was sweet—and lethal. “You don’t need to spare me, Ivain. Taly is just as much mine as she is yours, and if something’s happened, I want to know about it.”