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CHAPTER FIVE

“W HO IS THIS? ” Gerarda asked in an unrecognizable high pitch as she drummed her fingers in front of Julian’s nose. He giggled, grabbing the short length of her hair and tugging. Gerarda laughed and uncurled his fingers one by one. “That’s quite the grip strength, little one.”

“He does that,” I mumbled.

Gerarda ignored me and stood on her tiptoes, waving her hands in front of her face and making expressions I didn’t even know she was capable of until that very moment.

“Stop talking like that. You’re making the others uncomfortable.”

Elaran raised one manicured brow in the direction of the Halflings who were eating and drinking the supplies Fyrel and Gwyn were passing out.

“Fine.” I crossed my arms. “You’re making me uncomfortable.”

Gerarda cleared her throat and rested her hands on the hilt of her blade. “I already sent word to Feron about the waateyshir attacking the city. He will have everyone convened the moment we arrive in Myrelinth.”

I shook my head. “Aralinth.”

The Halflings deserved a day to celebrate their safe passage to the Faelinth without news of a waateyshir ’s return darkening that victory.

Gerarda nodded, already pulling the notebook from her saddlebag. “They’ll be waiting for us.”

I stopped. Feron would call the Elders for the meeting. Myrrah wouldn’t know what the waateyshir was capable of any more than Gerarda and I, but her experience defending the kingdom as Shield was an invaluable asset. Hopefully, Darythir and Feron could fill in the gaps in our knowledge.

I straightened to my full height, every muscle fiber screeching from fatigue. “Vrail and Syrra should be there.”

Gerarda’s jaw pulsed but she nodded.

“Tell them it has to do with Nikolai.”

Gwyn’s head whipped around. She dropped the waterskin and left it for Fyrel to pick up. “If you’re planning another mission, I want to go.”

I sighed. “One thing at a time, Gwyn. And for now I need you and Fyrel to take the lead bringing the Halflings back to Myrelinth.”

Her red brows lifted underneath her curls. “Why us?”

Fyrel fixed the collar of her tunic and stood straight like an initiate awaiting Hildegard’s orders.

“You both made recent journeys to the Faelinth and have settled well.” I turned to the Halflings. They huddled together in one group, whispering, like they were still hidden in the ground instead of shielded by a glamour. “They need to see that now more than ever.”

Fyrel nodded. “We will get them home safe.”

I turned to Gwyn. She looked less certain. “Make sure they know how to cross through the Singing Wood before you go into the forest. The other Fae will be meet you along the trail to escort the group through the darkest part of the path.”

Gwyn rolled her eyes. “No sound, no fire.” She elbowed me in the side as I scowled. “I’ll make sure to give the young ones a drop of sleeping draught to get through the wood.”

I looked up at the sky. The guiding star had not yet hit its peak. “If you make haste”—I turned to Gerarda—“you could make the northern portal before dawn.”

The knife Gerarda was flipping through her fingers to entertain Julian froze. “You aren’t coming?”

I shook my head and wrapped my fingers around the small vial from my saddlebag. “No, I need to sleep.” I grabbed the vial of clear liquid. I didn’t have the strength to keep Damien from my mind tonight, even though he hadn’t tried to visit since I had taken hold of the dreamscape for myself. “I’ll fly to Aralinth before dawn.”

Elaran hiked the toddler further up her hip. She gave me a knowing look but didn’t say anything as she and the two young warriors readied the Halflings for their journey.

Gerarda mounted her horse and was gone with a single nod.

I unlatched the blanket rolled under my saddlebag and walked as far as possible from where Maerhal had died but was still hidden by the glamour. I nestled against a trunk at the edge of the Dead Wood that had sprung back to life. Turquoise dust fluttered down from the leaves, catching along my braid.

I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep so I didn’t have to speak to the Halflings as they gasped at the watery veil Fyrel jumped through. What would I say to them? Enjoy your time in Myrelinth before I bring death to its door ?

They needed hope, but I had to hang on to every drop I had with an iron grip.

As soon as they were all through, I grabbed the notebook Riven had left me from my saddlebag. In the weeks he had been gone, I hadn’t received one message apart from his initial note. And I hadn’t sent any to him.

There had been no time after the seal broke. The whiplash of Maerhal’s death to learning the truth that Riven and Killian were not brothers but the same person barely had time to settle before we left to break the last seal. I had choked down my anger. After all, I had done so much worse than keeping one secret. I’d had no idea if Riven would survive the last seal breaking, and even so, it had almost killed him. I hadn’t wanted our last night to be one of anger and arguments.

He had lived, and the anger I had forced into a simmer in the face of death had now come to a boil.

But Riven had left.

No goodbye. No rushed conversation or promise to have one upon his return. He no longer had Killian’s face to hide behind, and he was nowhere to be found.

Now that we were fighting two enemies, we needed as many people as we could scrounge, even Riven. I took a soothing breath and swallowed my pride. My pen carved into the notebook like a knife, each stroke a blow sent to Riven. Wherever he was.

Feron needs you home now.

My pen hovered over the page. I didn’t know if that would be enough. My stomach twisted. I knew that if I told him that I wanted him to return, needed him, he would. But I didn’t know if that was true, and there had already been more than enough lies shared between us. So I wrote the only truth I knew would bring him home.

Nik is alive.