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We sat in silence for a moment, watching on as Aether turned the younger boy up over his shoulder playfully.

“Their tethers, are they being trained to use them?”

“It takes too much essence. They ration their tethers until it’s time to prove themselves. They will be depleted once the Strykka is finished.”

I nodded. Moments slipped by.

“If it’s really Sídhe draining the essence from the land…” I trailed off, taking a deep breath. “I don’t understand it. It’s perfect there, I don’t see why they would jeopardize that type of peace.”

“Have you ever wondered why it’s so perfect there?” she asked, turning to look at me now.

Bile rose in my throat.

“Have you never wondered why poverty and hunger are scarcities in your realm? Why harvests had become more bountiful than ever before, why your life spans grow while ours lessen?”

In truth, I had wondered about all of it. It had never made sense why Sídhe had experienced such economic growth, such prosperity out of nowhere. No one ever seemed to question it, so I guess I stopped questioning it myself. But I’d never—never once—thought it would be something like this.

We had been thriving while another realm turned to dust.

CHAPTER SIX

My mind was spinningwith everything I had seen. The questions and revelations came one after another, only to bring about more questions.

I walked back to the fortress between Vexa and Aether. The street leading back to the gates was still active but most of the residents seemed to be crowding into the buildings seeking warmth.

I couldn’t shake the feeling of helplessness. I needed to do something.

Raine would have stopped for that woman today and demanded help, or done what she could herself. All of team V would have.

I thought of them in their tents in Stormshire. Unaware that they were risking their lives to help a realm that was lying to them.

Now more than ever, I needed to get back to Sídhe. If the Guard knew, if the people fighting this war knew what they were doing, what they were contributing to, they would be shocked, perhaps they would even rise up, refuse to be a part of it. They would, wouldn’t they?

My thoughts drifted to Riftdremar, my birthplace, and I wondered what had truly happened to it—what had truly caused the war, and if everything I had been taught was a lie. If it was simply an uprising turned catastrophic, or if there was more to it. If the Aossí who destroyed it even knew what they were doing, if they knew it would result in complete destruction, in genocide.

The real question was, what could I do? The thought of escaping on the back of Tryggar crossed my mind. But I knew I’d never be left alone for long enough to make a great escape. I wouldn’t even be able to mount him fast enough to try. Much less how to fly him or command him to take me anywhere. Where to go.

As soon as we made it through the gates, the sounds of Ravenfell vanished once again, leaving only the crunch of our boots as we made our way towards the tower. I felt the eyes of Vexa and Aether weighing on me. The silence grew like a steady pressure in my ears. They had shown me the truth and were now waiting for my reaction.

All the things I wanted to say refused to form on my lips.

"Thank you for showing me," I managed to get out. My breath heavy. "I need time to think."

Vexa stepped forward, her expression softening. "Of course you do?—"

"Time?" Aether's voice cut through the air like ice. "You've had nothing but time. Weeks of it." He turned to face me, shadows beginning to curl around his fingers. "And after everything you've seen today, you still need more?"

"Aether—" Vexa warned, but he continued.

"The devastation, the suffering—none of that moves you?" His golden eyes burned with barely contained fury. "Or perhaps you simply don't care. Perhaps you're too comfortable in your ignorance, removed from it all."

"That's not fair," I shot back, though my voice trembled. "You can't expect me to just?—"

"To just what?" He stepped closer, his height towering over me. "To acknowledge the truth when it's right in front of you? To face what your precious Sídhe has done?"

"I'm trying to understand?—"

"No," he snarled. "You're stalling. Buying time while your friends continue to drain us dry." His shadows deepened, and I could feel the temperature drop around us. "If time is what you need, I'm happy to provide more. Shall we see how another month of isolation inspires you?"