Page 8

BARON

Mercenary Stronghold

“We can’t trust him, Pyre. I know he did a lot to prove himself already, but we keep getting our asses handed to us every time we trust someone.

” I sit on the edge of the wall, staring out at the night sky that stretches out above the sands.

Pyre is beside me. The sightless necromancer rests with his back against a flag pole, eyes unfocused, but aimed towards the distant horizon. I turn to him.

“What are your thoughts?” I ask when he doesn’t offer anything.

He cocks his head to the side. “I think Eilish is right. Theren has suffered greatly already. There is no punishment that would ever come close to what he’s already endured.” Pyre shrugs. “Proof of his loyalty won’t come just by simply demanding it.”

“So, what do you expect us to do?”

“We wait and we watch. That’s all we’ll be able to do.”

“And then what? We wait until he decides to use that blood magic against us? That creepy shit is strong enough to take a toll on you, Pyre,” I stare at him as I say the words, making sure he understands their importance. “His magic pulls from the Chasm.”

“I’m not worried, Baron.”

I toss a hunk of brick into the sand and watch it roll away. It’s no use arguing, not when Pyre was able to draw on the Veil to see the prophecies and most probably already has. “How is Aima?”

“She seems unaffected.”

“Bullshit,” I snort. “You dropped the bomb that she’s your reincarnated lover the same day she had to see Theren pining over Eilish like a lovesick puppy.” I pause. “Aima isn’t okay, Pyre.”

He nods. “I should have handled it better, I admit, but I have known Aima for quite some time and she deserved to hear the truth.”

“And what exactly is that truth?” I ask.

He sighs. “That there’s a possibility she and I could end up with our bodies being…”

“You’re not going to die,” I snap, cutting off his words. “Prophecies can be broken. All of us are living proof of that.”

“Hope, in this case, is dangerous.” Pyre reaches over and rests his hand on my shoulder. “You are a friend that I value greatly, Baron. We’ve formed a bond and I would be in pain if it were ever broken. It’s perfectly normal to feel emotional about these things.”

“It’s not just our friendship, jackass. What about Eilish?”

“What about her?”

I frown at him, not appreciating this silly game we’re playing. “It’s clear you two feel strongly about each other. And for fuck’s sake, stop with the ‘we’re just friends’ bullshit!”

Pyre scowls and returns to where he was leaning. “You think I harbor feelings for Eilish that go beyond friendship?”

“I believe you and Eilish are just friends about as much as I believe Kolvar loves Aima like a sister,” I scuff.

“What is this about Kolvar?” Pyre asks, eyebrows reaching for the night sky.

I chuckle. “Our satyr friend is in love. And I bet she’ll be sleeping curled up with him tonight, just like every other night.”

“I never noticed.”

“Because we’ve all been blinded to anything that doesn’t involve Eilish.”

Pyre looks down where his hands are clasped in his lap. “Is my affection for Eilish so apparent? I thought I’d been more careful in concealing my thoughts.”

“You’ve gone out of your way to save her many times.

She all but carried you to the Echoing Spire so you could replenish your power.

You broke your vow of chastity to lay with her.

She killed her father to save you. You mentor her as you do me, helping her become the best version of herself.

” I take a breath. “All of those things… bond people to each other.”

“I assumed it wasn’t so obvious.”

I sigh and glance at my friend. “When you seek the eyes of another just to feel the comfort of their presence, that’s a pretty good indication.” I watch as Pyre’s eyes widen and he chuckles.

Just then, Cambion climbs the ladder up beside me. I eye him suspiciously as he settles in, but won’t deny him the right to be near us. “My brother is tending to Eilish before the meeting,” he announces.

Pyre chuckles and I quirk a brow at Cambion. “That’s a cute way of saying they’re in there fucking?” The elf gives nothing away in his expression as an awkward silence falls over us. I can’t stand it. “Say what you came to say, Cambion.”

He chews his lip for a moment. “I’m sorry.” He grows quiet for a moment or two. “I should have apologized a long time ago, but I was arrogant. I thought if I waited long enough, my feelings for Eilish would diminish and I’d be free to carry out what I deemed to be our mission.”

Something stirs within me as I see the look of uncertainty in Cambion’s expression. He’s struggling and has been.

“My life has been trying since the day I was born. All I ever had was my brother,” he explains. “Theren stood tall to shield me from the worst of my father’s anger. And, still, that was barely enough. The day Eilish came to me for help…”

“The day you bartered sex with her for the safety of her family, you mean,” I correct him, unable to keep the anger from my voice.

Cambion nods as though he accepts the ugly truth of my words, as though he’s already made peace with them. “Yes... I knew she was the girl from the woods Theren often spoke of. At first, I envied him because he was able to live some normalcy while I was stuck in an endless cycle of expectations.”

“Get to the point,” I bark.

He nods. “Eilish had come to me, asking me to protect her family. I pushed aside my envy long enough to feel guilty for all Theren had done for me. So, I made the deal with Eilish, thinking I was finally bearing his burden.”

“But you fucked everything up.”

“Yes,” Cambion admits, to my surprise. “I fucked everything up. And I thought going after Theren, when I left the Veil, was my chance to set things right and save my brother. Again, I fucked things up.” He goes silent and his lips firm to a white line.

He faces us again. “I didn’t come here to give you a sob story. I came to ask your forgiveness.”

I stare at Cambion for much longer than I intend. He fidgets beneath my gaze and I finally look away. Humility has never been something I associate with the proud elf. “I accept your apology, but I withhold my forgiveness for now.”

“You have both my acceptance and my forgiveness,” Pyre mutters as he glares at me. I glare right back at him over my shoulder, resisting the urge to shove him over the wall for always one-upping me.

But Cambion seems more than alright with the turn of events and I feel some of the tension between us dissipate.

Dragan shouts from the ground that Eilish is ready for the meeting.

While Pyre, myself, and Cambion have somewhat come around to the idea that Theren is here to stay, Dragan hasn’t been so keen to accept the rightful Unseelie King.

In fact, he’s downright murderous whenever he’s in a room with Theren for too long.

***

EILISH

Theren opens the door to the meeting room and I move to the head of the war table.

Thanks to Pyre, there’s an illusion on the map that allows us to view detailed replicas of each realm and kingdom by simply touching their location.

I stare down at it, where we recently added the Delendren Glade and Cogost Mountains.

Theren touches my arm. “Are you alright?”

“I have people restoring the Glade. They’re making progress, but darkness has lingered there for a long time. I’m afraid it can’t be reversed.”

“Have faith, hassa ,” he whispers, placing a kiss on my brow.

I look up at him, not recognizing the word. “What does it mean?”

The doors bang open and Dragan stomps into the room. “It means beloved in the ancient tongue no longer used by the fae,” the gargoyle hisses. Dragan stands at his full height as he takes his seat at the table. “He has no right to speak to you at all, much less to call you by that word.”

Theren steps in front of me and slams his hands on the table, getting into Dragan’s face. “I thought we were past this. You don’t get to condemn me for my mistakes. If you would like to settle our disagreement, then I would be happy to meet outside these walls…”

“Enough! Both of you!” My voice echoes within the room.

Kolvar and Aima enter the meeting room with Baron and Pyre following close behind them.

Flumph and Noni come in riding Cambion’s shoulders.

Cambion’s gaze locks onto mine and light begins to simmer beneath my skin.

I miss him. Dealing with Theren’s trial and the other politics between the clans means I haven’t had much time with Cambion.

And I need that time because I need his light.

It helps to keep me balanced, helps to keep the demon side of me from completely taking over.

Cambion sits in his seat, breaking our stare as he faces the others. I clear my throat and speak to Dragan directly. “You have no right to judge Theren. None of you do. Not anymore.”

“He is a traitor!” Dragan growls.

“Theren is now one of us and I will hear no more about it,” I spit back at him. He frowns but holds his tongue.

Dragan and Theren return to their seats. I stand as the others look at me. Now is the time for strength. “What we have to focus on now is stopping Morrigan. Aima, Cambion, and Theren, you all studied beneath the Midnight Queen. Is there any information you can give us?”

Cambion remains quiet, simply choosing to observe rather than take initiative.

Theren, however, stands and uses the map to display the Cogost Mountains.

“This temple was where Morrigan once dwelled. It has a gateway that leads to the academy where we were taught. She is strongest here, in the Cogost Mountains and in the academy, even without her power.”

“What are her weaknesses?” Pyre asks.

Theren looks at him. “Abedon. Her greatest weakness has always been Abedon.” He takes a breath. “Despite everything, she still loves him. Her actions, though inexcusable, were driven by love and fear of Abedon.”

“Theren is right,” Aima says.

Baron rolls his eyes. “Of course you would agree with him!”

Aima stands up, causing the legs of her chair to scrape against the floor. “If you have one cell left in your brain, then use it to tell your mouth to shut the hell up.” She stands over Baron until Kolvar eases her back into her chair. I can’t help my smile.

Cambion speaks up finally. “Morrigan trapped Abedon because she was afraid of him. She plotted for years to hide that fear, turning it into malicious intent until she convinced herself that she truly wanted to kill him and take his power for herself.”

Theren turns me around so we’re standing face to face.

“Hating him was easier than acknowledging her true feelings,” he whispers.

I know he’s thinking about what we discussed earlier.

Morrigan doesn’t deserve my sympathy, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t understand her.

Had we not all made similar mistakes out of fear and love?

Pyre’s voice forces me to look away from Theren.

“Morrigan was injured by Theren when they fought in the glade. She won’t be in Oronrel, but perhaps Earlann or the temple in the mountains.

Silvanus has left his sanctuary, as well, so we must assume that Variant and Morrigan have Silvanus at the forefront of their plans. ”

“Plans?” I repeat.

Pyre looks at me. “Plans that would allow Morrigan to restore her power.”

“Are we safe for now?” I ask.

“For now.”

A knock on the door signals Myerdoth’s arrival.

He hands me a scroll from King Galmer. I unroll the delicate parchment and paraphrase the royal decree.

“King Galmer has written a law against blood magic and catoptromancy within the walls of the stronghold. Any spellcaster or mage suspected of dabbling in forbidden or taboo arts will be exiled indefinitely. The only exceptions to this law are: practice with the king’s direct consent or in the case of an emergency. ”