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“Neither did I until we got here. They live without magic. Any type of it. They deny its existence.”

I scoffed. “That is ridiculous. No one lives without magic.”

“These fae do. It seems like the elders of the Sisters broke away from our society generations ago and have raised their progeny without magic. They considered it a dark practice and separated themselves from everything associated with it.”

“What nonsense? Magic is magic. A gift from the Goddess Kalilah for those she favors. Nothing more. There is no dark and light.” I laughed at the absurdity of it. It was like denying gravity. “Show them some. Hard to deny something used in front of their face.”

“It’s not that simple. Magic exists whether they deny it or not, but they almost certainly cover any evidence of it with superstition and religion. You know how these remote communities can be with their religion, brother.”

I sighed. I didn’t need a rundown on the madness infecting the outskirts of the Twelve Kingdoms. “What does this have to do with me, and why is it urgent?”

“At times, I wish you were less dense. What if they are hiding her here? Think about it. What better place? They could tell her any lie they please if they raised her away from magic entirely.”

Ice ran though my veins. It clicked. How they could have kept her so well hidden all these years. If they raised their kids so they knew nothing of our kind, nothing about magic, and lived so remotely there was no contact from the outside, their lies could have brainwashed her even into adulthood. This could be it.

“Where are you?”I demanded.

“About a hundred leagues south of Cortona, off the coast.” He pushed a vision into my mind of the coastline and the landmarks they’d followed to get there.

I tempered my expectations. I wouldn’t allow myself to live on false hope any longer. I’d made a vow to myself.

“It will take me at least a day and a half to get there. Are you sure?” I didn’t know how I’d explain my absence.

“Leave now, Nyx, and fly hard. I think they are going to order us to burn the settlement.” Fear edged into my brother’s voice.

“What? Why?” These fae might be unbalanced, but they were likely harmless.

“Because intel suggests they are growing Dragon’s Bane.”

“But you said it’s a village, not a grow site.”

“I don’t know. We are trying to get eyes on their fields, but the terrain is difficult, and they are watching every inch.”

“Surely command won’t order a fire strike if they know there are females and children there?”

My brother hesitated. “Maybe. We are waiting for the last scouts to return and will be sending word to the Regent imminently. That’s why I’m letting you know now. Once we know and it goes up the chain of command, there will be no stopping what comes next. You know that.”

“They wouldn’t destroy a whole village.” It was unconscionable. I was confident in my assessment. They would destroy the deadly plants and possibly send the fae to prison camps in the far north, but they wouldn’t senselessly harm females and children.

“I don’t have a good feeling about it, Nyx.”

“Could you be mistaken? Perhaps you missed your target along the coast?” They had to have the wrong place.

“We didn’t miss an entire damn grow site...” Kol sighed, his annoyed tone coming through loud and clear. “This is the place. There isn’t another settlement for a hundred leagues. If they’re growing Dragon’s Bane, we haven’t seen it yet, but it’s not a small band of rebels like the intelligence suggested. It’s families—there are kids here. Either it’s both or neither.”

“I can’t just leave. When will you call it in?”

“As soon as the scouts return, our report will be sent, good or bad. I can’t prevent it.”

“I have a small council meeting this evening.” I rubbed my forehead, thinking through the excuses I’d have to make if I missed it, unsure if my brother’s bad feeling was bleeding through our bond or if my gut implored me to go. It was madness to try and get into a target settlement with our teams surrounding it; I would be spotted, and how would I explain that? Although, in flight and at speed, my twin and I were similar enough to be mistaken, so if I was fast… “Are you pulling back, or will your team be going in?”

“Not my call, but you need to come regardless.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t think you should wait.”

“Fuck.” I stripped off my shirt and then shoved off my trousers before throwing open the doors to my balcony. “And you can’t feel her?”