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Chapter thirty-six

Adelyna

A delyna, designated to rule since birth, understood that part of being a ruler meant relying on others’ information.

Adelyna also understood that being the heir meant that she still had to ask for permission before acting on said information.

While she understood the rules, that didn’t mean she enjoyed them.

“Councilor,” Adelyna said, lifting her voice to carry through the staid room, “tell me again what happened to R?ll’s Berth.”

“Lady?” The aged councilor’s eyebrow crept up to his curly gray hair. “Which part would you like me to recount?”

“All of it.”

“That’s enough of this,” the R?ll said, preemptively cutting off the councilor.

He placed his clasped hands on the round wooden table, ignoring the other half dozen advisors and officials present.

“What do you expect him to tell you? Or weren’t you listening?

” Her father smirked—a minor attempt at a jest. He knew Adelyna too well to know that she wasn’t prone to inattention.

How could he even be trying to joke right now? More of their people, slaughtered.

“No, Lord.” Adelyna leaned back in her chair and sighed. “It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

“What aspect?” The R?ll asked. “We’re at war, Lady. The Cerdorani attacked us, and that’s the end of the matter. Don’t make Ewdin repeat himself when we have more important things to discuss.”

“The Cerdorani never slaughtered children before,” Adelyna pressed.

“Nor the elderly. Nor have they purposely targeted peaceful civilians. Not in any other war we’ve had with them, spanning back centuries.

They’ve always fought honorably.” For the most part.

No war happened without innocents being caught in the struggle.

The reports that came from R?ll’s Berth, though…

Brutalization. Torture. Every living being slaughtered.

And this was not the first. Raven’s Crest. Still Field.

Fern Field. These were just a few of th e smaller villages targeted—and destroyed—in recent months.

Until recently, she had written it off as mere brutality of war, a commander who may have lost control, but for it to happen on this scale…

The R?ll laughed grimly. “Kingdoms change, Lady. What are you trying to say?”

“That it may not have been Cerdoran. Apologies, Ewdin. I don’t doubt your men’s reports.” 185

Ewdin nodded in acknowledgement. “These are trying circumstances, Lady. And I admit as well, unusual for the Cerdorani. But who else could it be? The outer kingdoms could not be here in such numbers without us noticing, especially since they’d have to cross the range.

Jelia and Pelia are both attempting to build relationships with us before they attack each other—which will occur soon.

Rastiel is too far away to bother with us—besides, they’re distracted with their own conflict with Jelia.

Who else is there? Are you implying that the attack was done by Ca’mailians? ”

A hush fell over the council chamber. Each councilor turned to each other and then to the R?ll.

“That’s ridiculous,” the R?ll said.

“The village wasn’t looted,” Adelyna said. “What army would pass up that opportunity? And why burn only a few bodies?” Adelyna sat up straighter and looked her father in the eyes. “How are Cerdorani soldiers making it so far into Ca’mail, in such numbers, without anyone seeing them?”

“Their illusionists,” the R?ll said.

“Their entire army? Even a raiding party? Unlikely. They have fewer competent Illusionists than we have Sight Bearers. And invisible men still make sounds and leave tracks—no one has detected them. R?ll’s Berth was a whole two full days on horseback from the border.”

The R?ll crossed his arms. “Lady—”

“Let me go to R?ll’s Berth.”

“No.”

“Investigate for myself—”

“No.”

“Maybe I can—”

“Enough,” her father said sternly. “Do not ask again. The matter is settled. You’re not going. No one is.”

Not even a lifetime of dealing with her father had prepared Adelyna to have her idea rejected so thoroughly.

Adelyna clenched and unclenched her fists under the table.

Why was he stopping her? If it was Ca’mailian bandits engaging in such slaughter, they needed to know.

If it was someone else from Ca’mail, then they really needed to discover who was responsible.

Certain sects of the Dahlk had committed massacres before, fueled by religious fervor.

Some nobles in history had slaughtered villages they thought deserved it, often over petty slights.

Or to weaken the R?ll. It wasn’t impossible that it was someone from their own kingdom taking advantage of the war for their own ends.

One of the councilors coughed. “Perhaps what the Kor’yitz is attempting to say, Highest, is that she is concerned—and rightfully so.”

Concerned? That was an understatement.

“Yes—no one can fault the Kor’yitz for her concern,” the R?ll said.

“What I should make clear, Lady,” Ewdin continued, “is that we already have the best in the kingdom investigating—it was an act of war, not treason.”

“Best in the kingdom” her ass. Ewdin was efficient, but he was too interested in what her father thought and wanted.

The R?ll’s face softened at the councilor’s attempt at peacemaking—a little. “He’s right, Lady. We’re doing what we can. We need you here—not wandering the border aimlessly.”

Here for what? Aherin was the one being sent to the army. She was kept here to…what, host parties?

“Of course, Lord.” Adelyna bowed her head.

“We will stop them, Lady,” her father said. “Trust me.” Adelyna nodded—as if she had another option. “Focus on your own tasks and on our court. That will help our people more than you camping in the woods.”

Focus on her task. Develop her magic. Unfortunately, part of being Kor’yitz was being powerless under the R?ll’s proclamations, and this was no exception.

She bowed her head while her mind spun. He said she couldn’t go to the site of the massacres. For now. If she managed to develop her magic, she’d have more power at court. It would be harder for the R?ll to keep her out of something so important in the future, from where her people needed her.

But for now, that was impossible.

“As you wish, Lord. Of course, I will do as you command.”

After the council meeting, Adelyna stormed off and banished her legion of servants, courtiers, and gawkers to spend some time in her personal library.

She had to be alone, craved it. She had to figure out what to do next.

If she was stuck at court, then she was going to develop her magic—and relish the sight on both planes of Aherin realizing that the throne was snatched away from him.

Thanks to Qiana—and the demon Vine—she had a lead.

Beleth.

Beleth.

For all Adelyna knew, a “Beleth” was a type of demonic dessert.

While Adelyna didn’t trust a demon’s word—who did?

—it did no harm to look into this further.

Or, at least, that’s what Adelyna told herself as she poured through a stack of dusty tomes.

Adelyna was not by nature the scholarly sort—the library was one traditionally owned by Kor’yitzs for centuries—but exceptions had to be made. 186

Lineages of the Underworld , Summoning and Banishing , and Matheri’s List of Demons and Other Creatures were a few of the books she had dug through, and despite the combined thousands of pages, she found nothing on this “Beleth.” Although she did find plenty on Vine.

Son of one of the most powerful underworld Great Lords, long known for his animosity to the Living Gods.

Ambitious in his desire to promote his father’s kingdom.

General of the First and Second Divine Wars.

Participant in various Underworld power skirmishes and battles.

Rumored fondness for dry red wine and persimmons. 18 7

Maybe that was a different Vine. There had to be more than one “Vine.” There was more than one “Adelyna,” for instance.

From the descriptions—powerful and influential—the Vine she was reading about wouldn’t tie himself to a new Sight Bearer like Callidora.

Not when Qiana had said that Callidora had done nothing to pay for his help.

Or even to summon him. Demons didn’t volunteer their services and were difficult to bind.

Powerful demons were, at any rate. They had far more important things to do.

Yes, Callidora’s Vine had to be someone else.

At least, that’s what Adelyna thought until she found a section on Vine in The Complete Guide to Underworld Politics , a compendium that was updated every decade with the latest information regarding the unseen realms. 188 Adelyna was merely skimming when something caught her eye.

Few in the Underworlds’ unsettled history has had such a stark fall from grace as Vine.

Once one of demon-kind’s strongest leaders, he seemingly vanished overnight.

While our confidants are reluctant to speak in detail about what has happened to the prince, it seems that Vine joined forces with Birleth to push for greater prominence and was ultimately betrayed by the same.

None we have spoken to knows where the cast-off prince resides now.

He may have been banished to our realm in disgrace. Or destroyed.

Birleth…Beleth? The names were close. Was it possible that the name had been misunderstood? Adelyna checked the date—the section had been added one hundred seventy-five-ish years ago. Not long, by demonic-history standards.

Adelyna poured through other books, this time searching for “Birleth” in Lineages . Instantly, she found a something. She skimmed through “Birleth’s” genealogy and came to a notable section.

Birleth is known for her ruthlessness and cunning…

She has not been known to aid mortals, and what aid she is willing to give is unknown.

While accounts vary, sources indicate she requires dozens, if not hundreds of offerings 189 …

Her influence extends far beyond the demonic realms and to the mortal planes, with thousands awaiting her or ders.

Adelyna closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, resting her elbows on her desk.

Could it be? Was this what she was looking for?

The names were similar, but not identical.

That happened, due to time, mistakes, and spelling differences.

If Vine’s entry hadn’t been updated in the last couple centuries or so, that was a good indication that the history hadn’t changed—Vine was very likely still in disgrace.

The Sight Bearers devoted to the study of the Underworlds would’ve heard otherwise for someone this important.

But this situation was strange, even for the demonic.

Why would Vine send her to contact a demon who had betrayed him?

A demon who seemed more likely to eat her than help?

And even if Adelyna could, there was no way she was going to sacrifice dozens of humans.

No magic of hers was worth such a cost. No magic was.

She’d rather live as the future R?ll’s sister than have that guilt.

Even if such a life would be very short.

But…Vine recommended Beleth, and said that demon’s name, for a reason. Maybe that reason was just to toy with Adelyna.

…Or maybe there was more to it.

Either way, Vine knew more than he had shared. And Vine was tied to Callidora. Which meant that Adelyna had more than one reason to get closer to the court’s newest arrival.