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The librarian looked up, leaning back in her chair and resting her hands on what she insisted wereceremonialdaggers. ‘What?’

‘Word has it that you know someone who knows where the women Guardians of Thezmarr fled twenty years ago.’

‘Don’t know where you heard that.’

‘I don’t recall,’ Adrienne said. ‘However, were that possible, I’d encourage you to get in contact with that person, and seek them out.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Audra said coldly.

‘Naturally,’ Adrienne allowed. ‘But all the same.’

Farissa raised her hand – which, from the look on Adrienne’s face, she found both amusing and disconcerting.

‘Yes?’ the ranger asked.

‘I was wondering what you propose regarding the Delmirian heirs?’

Wilder felt Thea tense beside him.

But Farissa ploughed ahead. ‘One is currently apprenticed to me, another to a supposedly fallen Warsword of Thezmarr…’ She eyed Wilder sardonically. ‘And the other is a half-wraith, whichis far from ideal, given the royal family’s previous reputation. What is your plan of action?’

Thea jutted her chin at Anya. ‘She’s the oldest. She’s the heir.’

But Wren interjected. ‘She’s a shadow wraith. No citizen of the midrealms will accept her as a ruler, even of a fallen kingdom.’ She spoke harshly, several of the Naarvians flinching at her words.

‘First,’ Anya addressed her coolly, ‘we prefer to be called shadow-touched. Second, I don’t see how any royal announcements would impact our battle plans. No one is rallying to our cause based on the Embervale name, I assure you.’

‘They might if they knew the truth,’ Audra said, twirling one of her daggers between her fingers. ‘That your mother and father weren’t responsible for the darkness that descended upon Delmira.’

‘And how do we prove that? All we have is my word,’ Anya said bitterly. ‘The word of a shadow wraith, as my dear little sister put it, works against us entirely. And our mere existence doesn’t prove Artos’ treachery. Storm-wielding heirs aside, as far as the midrealms know, the Embervale family brought about the destruction of their own kingdom.’

‘What about the letters?’ Thea asked. ‘Between our mother and the Queen of Naarva?’

Anya shook her head. ‘Anyone can forge a letter.’

‘So, you find someone who knows the truth —’

‘Anyone alive who knows such a thing will never come forward, not now. We have to find another way.’

‘What does it matter?’ Thea said.

Wren made a noise of agreement. ‘Can Delmira even be saved? It’s nothing but rubble and ruin.’

‘It’s been done before,’ Torj murmured from across the table. ‘I know of a kingdom like it that came back from destruction.’

Noting the conflicting emotions warring on the Embervale sisters’ faces, Wilder cleared his throat. ‘Perhaps we should prioritise the preservation of the kingdoms that are still standing first.’

It was Kipp, as always, who broke the tension. ‘Judging from the location of today’s meeting, I’ll assume we still wish for a degree of discretion as we go about these important tasks?’

There was a murmur of agreement and several nods around the room.

‘Then myself, Marise and Everard have means of passage, some of which you have uncovered, much of which you know nothing about.’

Thea leant close to Wilder. ‘Is he some sort of cross-kingdom bootlegger as well?’

Wilder huffed a laugh. ‘I think there’s a high chance of that.’

The Son of the Fox motioned for Marise and Everard to join him. ‘Once you know who is going where, come to us and we’ll find you safe passage, under the noses of those who hunt you,’ he told the rebels, the cheeky glint gone from his eyes.