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Awar council. That was what the shadow-touched were calling this.

It was official, Thea realised with a start. She was sitting in on a war council with the enemy, or those who had once been her enemy. What did that make them now? Allies?

Anya’s gaze snapped to Dratos. ‘What news from Vios? Where did we leave things with that arachne, for starters?’

‘Dead,’ Dratos said bluntly. ‘The two Warswords took care of it. After a fashion.’ He glanced at Thea. ‘Your friends are unharmed. They got out with the Bear Slayer.’

Though he was merely confirming what Wilder had told her, Thea’s relief was immeasurable. She gave Dratos a grateful nod.

‘The children in the ice dungeons were rescued without incident thanks to the Warswords’ help. They’re being cared for now in one of our quieter camps.’ He moved on quickly, however, and did not mince his next words. ‘There was a royal fatality.’

Thea’s initial relief transformed to dread, her mind instantly going to Princess Jasira. She shouldn’t have left her; she should have seen her to safety —

‘Who?’ Wilder asked.

Dratos grimaced. ‘The King of Aveum.’

Silence washed over the group.

‘Gods,’ Anya said at last, running her hands over her head. ‘Do we know the details?’

‘No… Only that in the skirmish in the ballroom he was injured, and he died later that night. Venom from the arachne, I’m told.’ Dratos refilled his pipe from a pouch at his hip. ‘It’ll make it that much harder for us to ally with any royal force now.’

‘It was always a long shot,’ Adrienne offered.

‘But to have a king die as a result of an attack like that…’ Anya shook her head. ‘Queen Reyna will see no reason now.’

Dratos lit his pipe. ‘You don’t know that.’

‘Don’t I?’ Anya raised a brow. ‘Was the rest of the capital affected? Were there further attacks beyond the domes?’

‘Not that we know of. And we still don’t know if the arachne was an intended strike or not. These monsters have a tendency to creep through the Veil unchecked. It could have been amisstep on Artos’ part, or part of a bigger plan. Besides the exterior of the dome itself and the ballroom, the damage wasn’t significant.’ Dratos chewed on his pipe thoughtfully. ‘Did you find out where the reapers’ lair is?’

Thea’s head whipped to Anya in surprise.

‘That’s what we were doing in Vios,’ her sister explained. ‘Someone besides Artos himself knows where the main host is. We had planned to find them and interrogate them. Once we know where the lair is, we can attack. To slay the reapers is to slay their wraith kin. Kill the sire, kill the swarm.’

‘But you didn’t find that person?’

‘No.’

The realisation dawned coldly on Thea, dread yawning in the pit of her stomach. ‘Because of me? Because I tried to stop you in the ballroom?’

‘Because of a lot of things,’ Anya said. ‘It was a long shot, anyway. Artos’ empath abilities are astounding. It was unlikely that we would have discovered the location of the reapers’ lair in a single night.’

‘So, what now?’ Dratos asked.

‘We do the only thing we can do,’ Anya replied. ‘We try again.’

‘I have a question…’ Thea ventured, resting her palms flat on the table to keep from fidgeting beneath the scrutiny she was greeted with. ‘What have you heard about Wilder’s escape? And the fact that I disappeared with him? There must be speculation…?’

Dratos nodded. ‘Nothing solid. Some say you were taken hostage by the fallen Warsword, others say you had a change of heart after seeing your former mentor imprisoned. Others claim the Shadow of Death threw herself after the traitorous bastard to hunt him down all over again.’

The hair on Thea’s nape stood up and a rush of goosebumps washed over her.

‘Are the rulers leaning a particular way?’ Wilder asked beside her.

‘With the death of King Elkan, there hasn’t been much news from the domes beyond funeral preparations.’