Page 90

Kaline’s in the corner, surprisingly managing to keep a guard at bay with just a dagger, while Destan moves with surprising agility around a pair of Evanthe’s men. I call to them both as Ruskin signals the Sunshards. Time for our exit strategy. Lord Sunshard trips up the last of his opponents, as his wife turns and slashes at the shins of Kaline’s lead attacker. He goes down, and the maid leaps over him. I concentrate on pushing several of the iron shards back towards Evanthe, buying us time to flee the room.

We barrel along the corridor, and frustration still burns in my chest.

“What happened?” Ruskin asks, as he throws four approaching guards against the wall with a swiftly grown branch.

“I couldn’t get to it,” I snap, angry with myself. “She’s too well protected by dark magic.”

We take a right, towards Ruskin’s quarters, but a familiar grinding sound bounces off the walls behind us. I glance over my shoulder. Evanthe’s sending the iron after us.

“I’ll slow it down,” I shout to the others. “But you need to keep up.” I jog backwards to see what I’m doing, pushing on the iron to delay its advance. To still it entirely, I’d have to stop and give it my full concentration, but we’re trying to get out of here anyway, so we just need to stay ahead of it.

I follow the team back towards a warded arch that leads into a walled garden. The iron is still several yards behind us, and I’m confident I’ve given us enough distance to exit safely. But when I turn to check on our group sprinting towards the monarch gate, I realize someone’s missing.

“Where’s Kaline?” I shout, whipping back round to look back into the palace. That’s when I see them—a group of High Fae coming in the opposite direction to the iron, weapons drawn. Vanis is among them.

Kaline’s sprinting towards him, her dagger held out, her face full of pure fury. Without me slowing the iron I know she won’t be fast enough.

“Kaline, no!” I shout.

I throw my magic out towards the gray, writhing metal, only to discover I’m not fast enough either. I watch from the sidelines as it reaches the maid, skewering her through the middle. Kaline’s eyes go wide, but I don’t see any more than that, Ruskin’s strong hands pull me back through the arch, dragging me across the garden and through the monarch gate, where Evanthe cannot follow.

Chapter 27

The damp air hits my face like a welcome embrace as we tumble out under the gray sky of Styrland.

Home.

Or at least the place I once knew as my home. Now I’m not so sure.

Ruskin helps Destan to his feet, as Lord Sunshard brushes mud off his wife’s tunic. None of us speak for a moment, catching our breath, absorbing the mess that we just left behind. I close my eyes briefly; all I see is Kaline being impaled, the image vivid against the inside of my eyelids. If I’d managed to get to that iron shard in Evanthe’s heart, everything might’ve worked out. Instead, I lost another friend. How much more death will I have to see before this fight is won?

When I open my eyes, I’m struck by the appearance of our party. Illusions or not, they make a strange sight among the very ordinary field we find ourselves in, with their brightly colored eyes and pointed ears. It occurs to me that I probably look as out of place as they do.

“The queen may follow us via the common gate,” General Sunshard says, getting back to business. “Although she’s probably aware that searching for us in the human realm is a lost cause. She doesn’t know it as well as Faerie, and we have a native who can help us hide effectively.” She gestures to me.

“What do you propose?” Ruskin asks the general, guessing as I have that she’s already started formulating a strategy.

“We stake out the common gate for a day or so to establish if she’s sending any troops after us, and if not, we can return to Seelie and lie low with the resistance as we plan our next movements.”

That they all seem to have decided to simply move on from what just happened makes my reply come out more forcefully than I intend.

“No,” I say. The group turns to me in surprise. “We’re not doing any of that before we’ve freed my father.”

“Where is he?” asks Lord Sunshard, confused.

“According to Evanthe, my king—” I stop, because calling Albrecht that sounds wrong, and I rephrase. “The Styrland king has him captive.”

“I cast a protective charm on Isaac before we last left Styrland to shield him from physical attacks,” Ruskin explains to the others. “But Lord Hadeus insinuated that there were other ways Albrecht could punish him.”

Without any information about Dad, the only way I’ve been getting through the days is by telling myself that I’m only imagining the worst, that Ruskin’s magic should still be keeping him safe from most dangers. But Evanthe confirmed he’s in Albrecht’s dungeons, and the thought of that is enough to turn my stomach.

“If he is mostly protected, then it’s wiser to prioritize Evanthe,” General Sunshard says. “We have just sustained losses and?—"

“We will go and find Isaac,” Ruskin says, cutting her off. “It will not take long, and it will provide Eleanor with peace of mind that will allow her to focus on our challenges ahead, and it will give us a chance to see what ties there are between this human king and my mother’s plans.” His voice rings with command, making it clear he’ll accept no argument, and I feel a surge of appreciation for him. The General nods her acceptance, and Destan offers me an encouraging smile.

“Let’s just hope we don’t have any run-ins with that ex-fiancé of yours.”

I give him a cool look, but it’s not truly serious. I know he’s just trying to distract me from my worst fears.