Page 45 of Brimstone

Renfis inclined his head, nodding. “Okay. I stand corrected. Wewillneed more silver. More than we could hope to access here in Yvelia.”

“Agreed.” Fisher pressed his fingertips into his temples. After thinking for a moment, he looked up at me. “There’s a forge at Ammontraíeth. There has to be.”

“I’ll find it. And as soon as I do, I’ll get to work.”

“Thank you. While you’re there, Carrion can hunt for information about sealing your runes. And mastering your abilities in general, for that matter.”

Carrion let out a pained sigh and heaved himself up from the sofa. He slapped his hands at his clothes, straightening himself out. “No,” he said. “Carrion cannot.”

“Why? Got something better to do?” Fisher asked.

“Well, I wouldn’t say better, but . . .” He rolled his eyes. “I know where you’re heading, and unfortunately for the both of us, I’m better off accompanyingyou.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Where can we easily lay our hands on a bunch of silver outside of this realm?” the smuggler asked.

Oh.

Oh, no.

I flinched when I realized where this was going.

“We also need to figure out if the infected feeders are coming from Zilvaren. And I’m just guessing here, but I’m sure that now that you’re mated and all starry eyed, you’re going to want to go and fetch Saeris’s brother and finally honor the deal you made with her—”

“Careful, Swift,” Fisher grumbled.

“And who knowsexactlywhat the notorious Hayden Fane looks like, hmm?”

“You’ve made your point.”

“If that task’s left up to you again, you’ll probably bring back some random . . . hey, what was that guy called?” Carrion snapped his fingers at me, frowning. “Y’know, that blond guy who kissed you at Kala’s that time? You chipped his front tooth when you punched him in the mouth.”

I was going to punchhimin the mouth very soon. “Carrion, stop.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “All right. Allright. I’m just saying. While you keep shit in check with the Blood Court and figure out some new magic tricks, Fisher and I will head back to the Silver City and take care of business there, too. It only makes sense.”

A thick silence filled the library as everyone processed this. I waited for Fisher to refuse the suggestion, but when I saw his dark scowl, I realized that he wasn’t going to shoot down Carrion’s plan after all. He looked like he wanted to murder him. Instead, he said, “Fine. But I swear to the gods, if you talk the entire time, Iwillkill you and leave your carcass for the crows, Carrion Swift.”

11

FOOL’S PARADISE

SAERIS

GOODBYES WEREN’T EASY.

We made it quick.

If Madrawasresponsible for sending the infected feeders to Yvelia, then every second the quicksilver was awake was yet another opportunity for her to deploy more of them.

When Kingfisher and Carrion stepped into the silver, my emotions were so high that I’d cracked the lintel that ran around Cahlish’s pool. I’d nearly begged Fisher not to go. Instead, I’d given Carrion the relic I’d made for him, and I’d given Fisher the relic I’d made for Hayden. I’d kissed my mate long and deep, promising to reopen the gate for them in three days.

In return, Fisher had left a shadow gate open for us at Cahlish. Using a warding sigil painted below the gate in his blood, he had essentially propped the door open, so that we could move between the estate and a safe, uninfected point on the banks of the Darn, where we could cross the river and ride back and forth to Ammontraíeth.

I’d been thinking about my mate as we’d saddled the horses. I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him during the two-hour ride across the dead fields. Not when I’d swept through theechoing halls of the palace, high bloods dropping to their knees and bowing their heads as

I blew past them. Not while I’d read in my rooms to pass some time. Not while I’d picked halfheartedly at the meal a low blood—the lowest ranking of all the vampires in Ammontraíeth—brought to my chamber. I couldn’t stop thinking about himnow, either.