Page 49 of Realm of Crows (Wings of Ink #5)
Thirty-Six
Ayna
“The most unbearable thing about this war is that I’m feeling idle,” I say from where I’m buried in magic books on the sofa in Rogue’s study.
My head rests against Myron’s shoulder as I flip through pages of nonsensical incantations and descriptions.
If anyone ever managed to use that to do magic, it’s an art form in itself, and unless we find something to stop projections from happening, it won’t help us in this war.
“Whatever we do, it’s all reactions to something Erina or Ephegos has done.
None of our tactics are actual attacks that have us setting the pace of the battles.
And if we do, it backfires like going after Erina. ”
I barely dare speak of what happened after chasing the false king’s projection to the inn for fear Kaira will fall apart, but the Flame has proven nothing but steady and collected since our brief conversation.
Now, she’s sitting on the floor, back resting next to my legs against the sofa and legs crossed at the ankles under the table. Silas sits beside her, cross-legged like he’s meditating, while the rest of us are combing these books for something about projections.
“We’ll attack,” Rogue promises from his seat behind his desk.
He returned an hour ago, and after we caught him up on what happened at the inn, he informed us about King Dimar’s newest considerations of his involvement in this war.
“We know where Ephegos is sending the Tavrasian troops, we know about the projections, and we know about Erina’s magical abilities—not that I am a fan of any of those three.
” He laces his fingers together and braces his hands on the edge of the desk. “We’ll deal with it.”
Perhaps it’s centuries of existence and having fought and won wars before that give him such confidence, or perhaps it’s him not wanting to unsettle his pregnant mate.
Whatever the reason, I wish I had a piece of his calm to work with because all I feel is dread creeping deeper into my bones with each passing moment.
“We’re just waiting for the right timing,” Royad takes over. “Tori and Clio need to recover more before they can go back onto a battlefield, as do the rest of us.”
“We’ll be fine in a day or two,” Clio agrees from her chair between Sanja’s and Tori’s. “And if Dimar was serious about reconsidering his position in this war, he’ll need a little time to move his legions.”
I still can’t believe the Cezuxian king came around, but apparently Rogue’s arguments were convincing.
There’s a small part of me that isn’t sure the decision was entirely based on reason, and I’m not certain I want to feel sorry for a man who was ready to abandon the rest of Eherea only to hold on to his own peace for a little while longer.
“What did you say to get him to change his mind?” Sanja asks again. She didn’t get a response when Rogue initially told us about the outcome of his mission, and I’m wondering if she’ll be more successful now.
“Who says it was something I said ?” A roguish grin ghosts across his features, but I recognize it for the mask it is.
Myron lowers the book he’s been reading to study the Fairy King more closely. “What did you do , then?”
That wipes the grin right off Rogue’s face. “Nothing. I did nothing. ”
Myron lifts his eyebrows. “ Nothing ? What were you even doing there if you did and said nothing?”
That costs Sanja a chuckle, and Rogue blushes like a kid caught sneaking candy from the kitchens.
“It’s not about what I said or did,” he explains, leaning back in his chair and closing the book he was studying.
He’s still in his leathers, and his hair is wind-torn or simply disheveled from repeatedly running his hands through it. “It’s more about what I promised.”
Clio rolls her eyes at her brother. “Is it just me, or does anyone else feel nauseous from not knowing what he bartered away this time? ”
“As long as you didn’t promise our firstborn to a foreign kingdom, all is well,” Sanja says with what is probably supposed to be humor, but a slight hysteria has entered her voice. “You didn’t promise our child to anyone, Rogue, right?”
He’s on his feet so fast all I can make out is a blur of dark wind; then he’s on his knees beside Sanja’s chair, kissing her belly and covering her hand with his. “Never.”
While the rest of us melt for his display of affection for a brief moment, Myron doesn’t lose focus on the topic. “What did you promise then?”
Rogue shakes his head as if he’d rather not say it, but he answers anyway. “I am reopening the Hollow Mountains.”
Kaira’s eyes shutter as she turns around to silently ask if I know about the Hollow Mountains.
Before I can answer, Rogue explains, “It’s the stalactite caves under the mountains where the borders of Askarea, Tavras, and Cezux meet.
” With a light wave of his hand, he gestures at the glimmering pieces of stone adorning the walls and ceiling.
“It’s also where my ancestors used to get this type of rock from.
The entrances to Tavras and Cezux were closed off a long, long time ago, and part of the remaining caves collapsed a while ago.
” Sharing a knowing look with Sanja, he continues.
“It will open new pathways. For trade between Askarea and Cezux, a faster route between Brolli, their harbor city of trade, and our capital.”
“That’s good news, right?” Kaira glances around the room. “Trade is what makes our territories flourish. Trade between the Flames and fairies was one of the best parts of my life in Jeseida’s clan. It brought an outside perspective and culture I would have otherwise never seen. ”
It’s only when our eyes, from where her childlike enthusiasm spills into this world, meet mine that I understand how closed off her life must have been before she fled Jeseida’s estate to follow me to Tavras what feels like centuries ago.
While I’ve seen different regions of Tavras—Meer, the village where I spent most of my youth—then all those years aboard the Wild Ray, even Fort Perenis and the Seeing Forest, my sister’s life used to be only what the Flames wanted it to be.
They didn’t even take her hunting very often.
“It’s different now, and that’s all that matters.
” Her words wrap around my mind like an embrace, telling me things will be fine, but I want to cry for what was denied, for being made to believe she’s worthless when she’s the brightest light of us all.
“I have you now. And Myron and Silas and Royad. Even Herinor,” she adds quietly, her hand finding mine and squeezing.
“You have all of us,” I answer in my mind, a smile warring with my unshed tears. “You have this court. You always will.”
“Not as good as you’d think,” Rogue responds to the question she phrased aloud. “Every pathway we open is one their military can use. If Tavras knows about the Hollow Mountains and they find them unblocked, it’s a way for them to get into both Cezux and Askarea even faster.”
“True,” Myron agrees. “But that also means Cezux can get onto Askarean soil faster and, more importantly, unnoticed.” A knowing expression blooms on his beautiful face, and as I study him, the way his brilliant mind works behind those ocean eyes, the quiet depth beyond a clear, near-turquoise surface, I realize I don’t give him enough credit .
Yes, he’s not as assertive about discussing military strategies as Rogue, Tori, or Royad are.
When it comes to the future of this court, of what is left of our people, Myron is deliberate, thoughtful, and strategic.
He observes and connects the information he’s absorbing from every conversation and makes it into something new.
Something that might just have given us the edge we’ve been hoping for.
“Dimar can move his armies through the mountains instead of having to go around them in the north or the south. It will save them weeks if not months.”
Myron gives me a winning smile when I continue weaving his idea.
“They’ll exit the mountains right where the action will be happening.” He brushes back my hair, planting a brief kiss on my temple before he turns back to Rogue. “And your armies will make that action happen.”
I don’t know how long we sit there, discussing details of our new plan.
Rogue agrees that with Tori’s help, forging safe passage through the collapsed caves should be easy.
All he needs to do is melt down tons of rock and reshape it into stable tunnels wide enough for three to four soldiers to pass through shoulder to shoulder.
Despite his exhaustion, Tori headed out with Rogue immediately to get to work, while Clio and Kaira went to check on the healers’ progress on the drug, antidote, or other variants of the substance they extracted from the vials Myron and Kaira brought back from the battlefield when I gave myself up to Ephegos.
Silas and Royad went to bed early, so they’ll be rested to help with updating the Askarean commanders on the changes in our plans first thing in the morning.
If everything goes well, we’ll be heading out to our chosen battlefield by the end of the day.
Sanja is still poring over the magic books, searching for anything on projections, but without access to the mage or the Mage Stone, there is little we can do—at least, that’s the consensus we realized before we all went our separate ways for the night.
Now it’s only Myron and me, sitting on the fir and creme patterns of the bathroom floor in our quarters, the fingers of one hand each laced together as we stare at the marble-tiled wall.
“If Tori and Rogue manage to reopen the mountain caves, Cezux will be able to join us in battle as soon as a few days. Dimar already has a major part of his forces stationed at Brolli after Tavrasian soldiers were sighted marching through Cezuxian territory.” Myron summarizes what Rogue already told us before leaving for the Hollow Mountains.