Page 60

I followed Tess and Puck out of the cabin and down the steps, towards the table resting on the shoreline. Amiyah had joined Annelise and Zion, and when Saanvi and Kenna saw us making our way over, they joined us at the table too.

I reluctantly pulled the chair out at the head of the table next to Zion, a smile in my eyes as I took him and Annelise in. I was happy they were safe and sound back here. I can’t imagine how worried they must have been.

“Diana.” My mother's voice drew my attention, her voice gentle. She moved around the table and captured me in her arms.

Despite everything that had transpired between us before I had left, I let her. I took comfort in the feeling of her arms around me, her embrace tight. I couldn’t bear the thought that I had almost never seen her again, and I had left things unfinished. I had left our relationship strained and full of resentment, and I wanted to fix it so desperately. I squeezed her back, and her eyes were filled with tears when she pulled away. She took her seat beside Zion once more.

Zion grasped my hand in his, eyes soft. “Welcome back, Diana.”

“Thank you,” I replied, my voice quiet.

“There was never a doubt in my mind that you would escape. You’re strong, like your mother. Resourceful.”

I cleared my throat. “It was a close call, that’s for sure.”

Zion nodded. “You don’t need to divulge the details to us. All that matters is that you are here, and you are safe. Now, we need to talk next steps.”

“Agreed,” I replied, nodding. “Where are we with numbers? Kenna told me you pulled on the resistance in hiding to search for me.”

Zion released my hand as he turned back towards the group. “The numbers are strong. I sent out letters and ravens, and it’s better than we thought after the attack on the safe house at Prins. We have large clusters of Shades spread across the realm, three thousand strong, ready to march for you.”

Three thousand.We had thought our numbers were diminished after the battle at Prins, but that attack had turned evenmoretowards our side. More Shades wanted to fight for their own freedom.

Wonder sparked in Zion’s gaze as he continued. “You are a beacon of hope for the people, Diana. Those that had given up are now turning to take up arms in your name. Those that have suffered under Donika, lost a family member or friend, they are ready to march in honor of the true queen. Many of the Shades in Istmere simply needed a strong leader to follow. They aren’t afraid anymore.”

My magic swelled in my chest at his words, pressing against me and filling me with a fiery energy. The hairs on my arms stood up, a soft smile on my lips as I held Zion’s gaze.

“That’s better than I could have ever hoped for,” I told him. “There’s just one thing we need to do first.”

He nodded in understanding. “I’ll let Tess and Puck take it from here.”

I turned towards them, my hands fidgeting in my lap.

It was Puck who spoke first. “We returned with the Dragon’s breath so Alastir could finish the spell. We made three different antidotes. Two true antidotes that we have with us, and one that Phineas took. He doesn’t suspect our deceit, and we didn’t want to stick around to wait for him to find out.”

Puck pulled a glass tube of bright red liquid out of his jacket and placed it on the table.

“Is this it?” I asked, my gaze focused on the fluid within.

He nodded. “This is it. We have two of them, but we have the spell to make more. We would only need more of your blood. Alastir has sent us with everything else we need.”

“And?” I asked, raising my brow. “You said there’s a catch?”

Puck’s gaze flitted to Tess, and she glared daggers back at him before she spoke.

“I guessIhave to break the news, then. Remember how Alastir had said that he couldn’t guarantee that it would work? That it might not return the Shade to their natural state, or that they may not even survive it?”

I nodded. “Yes, I remember.”

Tess cleared her throat before continuing, her eyes on the antidote at the center of the table. “That’s because you don’t…drink…the antidote.”

My brows knit together. “You don’t drink it? I don’t understand. Then how is it administered?”

Tess’s voice was raspy as she spoke, her soft brown hair billowing gently in the sea breeze. “It is administered by submerging a blade in the liquid.”

Dread pooled deep in my gut.

“And?” I prompted.