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“No, not yet. We made some progress, but I came home to regroup. The chance of getting caught is great, and the consequences of that are greater. This High Priestess isn’t fucking around.”

“Did you find out if there will be a trial?” I asked.

“I doubt it. Seemed like it was less of an arrest and more of a kidnapping, so I don’t think they’re planning on sticking to the usual trial system for this,” Crow said.

“Do you have to go back, then?” El asked.

“Yes, but not sure when yet, or who will go. I left a few Rangers to be my permanent eyes in the district for now.” Crow ran a tired hand over his face.

“Permanent eyes... You don’t think this will end soon, then,” Byrgir said, more of an observation than a question.

“No. It will get worse before it gets better. That Priestess is on a warpath. She’s one of the few advisers left to King Evander.

She has more influence than his remaining council members, and is the reason some of the others quit, or were forced to step down.

She isn’t just above the law, she’s becoming the law.

” Crow took a deep pull from his beer and glanced at El, bracing himself for her reaction to what he was going to say next.

“And, according to new laws just adopted by King Evander, Sourcery and practice of the Old Ways is no longer legal. In fact, they’re a criminal offense, deemed as heresy.

An offense against the Temple is an offense against the Crown. ”

El leaned back and blew out a long breath. She ran a hand over her wild red hair. “That bitch.”

“It’s… tense in Avanis, to say the least,” Crow continued. “Contempt is rising. And the resentment for the fae-touched is already high. I’m afraid this will only end in blood.”

A hush followed his words.

“You briefed Celestine already?” Byrgir asked, and Crow nodded as he chewed another bite of his dinner. Nax Celestine, I had learned, was the general of the Rangers and served on the Council.

“Council wants to discuss it in the morning,” Crow said. “All of us can attend.”

∞∞∞

The great waterfall of the Arcaena River roared above our heads, plummeting hundreds of feet from its birth in the cliff to meet the pool beneath with such force that the river was scattered into tiny droplets, suspended over the valley as fine mist.

A set of stairs carved into the cliff base led up alongside the waterfall.

As we ascended the lower portion of the staircase, the humidity and wind generated by the waterfall’s plunge reached us.

I pulled up the hood of my cloak as we began to be buffeted by wind and water, but as we drew nearer to the rushing waterfall itself, the wind calmed and the mist did not feel wet.

I felt us pass through an unseen barrier, and although I could still see the water smashing down into the deep pool at its base, I could no longer feel the turmoil it caused.

The stairs were steep and slick, worn soft by ancient feet.

We followed them up until they passed directly into the waterfall itself.

My friends stepped through it, one by one, in front of me.

I hesitated, left alone on the rock ledge, then took a deep breath and stepped through.

Of course the water didn’t touch me, and I was neither cold nor wet on the other side.

I passed into a cavern lit lavender by glowing magic orbs set into alcoves along its walls.

The lights glinted off crystal clusters protruding from the walls, some in small groups, others forming spires larger than me.

In the middle of the cavern sat a dark, still pool of water reflecting the light of an ornate chandelier of fae lights suspended above it.

Several members of the Council––I assumed, at least––were already seated in wooden chairs around it.

Others stood in pairs, talking quietly. A few of them looked up as we entered.

I followed my friends as we approached the pool.

“Welcome, Council members.” A tall man with broad shoulders, a salt-gray beard, and graying dark hair shaved on the sides and braided back from the top stood from his seat and addressed the room. He had the build and confidence of a seasoned warrior.

He inclined his head to our group. “And fellow citizens of Rhyanaes. Please, have a seat. I am Ragnaric Calder, councilman and general of the Keepers.” He bowed his head to us again, and I immediately liked him.

He continued the introductions. “These are Council members Fínán, Celestine, Torin, Loganach, Creag, and Magnus.” He gestured to the others around the pool in turn.

He took his seat again, and others of the council followed suit. We took our seats across from them. Both the seating arrangement and the setting were intimidating, but Crow, El, and Byrgir all seemed at ease.

Councilwoman Nax Celestine, a thin woman with dark, silver-streaked hair, the head of the Rangers, addressed the assembly.

“I have received the briefing from Kyrecrow on his crews’ progress in Avanis and distributed the information to the rest of the Council.

Eilith Morceran is being held prisoner in the Temple of Enos by High Priestess Zisorah and the Paragons of the Light.

We have had no communication yet as to the charges against her, or a potential trial.

“Members of the Paragon Guard openly attacked Eilith and Halja in their home,” Celestine continued.

She had the confident mien of someone used to dealing with conflict, used to giving orders.

“Eilith was taken by force. Several attempts to communicate with the High Priestess have been made, with no response. A team of Rangers remains in the city, and plans are currently underway to infiltrate the Temple itself for more information. Now, seeing as you all have a vested interest in her safety, and I know you would just harry me for details of action right after this anyway,”––she glanced at El and Crow––“we’ve decided to include you in our discussion of alternate means of intervention. ”

“More direct means of intervention, you mean,” said another councilman. He was an older man, his dark brown skin wrinkled with age, his hair trimmed short around his pointed ears. Calder had introduced him as Councilman Torin.

“Nobody is suggesting we break her out, or use any means of force or violence, so let’s get that out of the way now,” a small, round woman, Councilwoman Fínán, said. Her tone was definitive.

“Not at this point,” Celestine agreed.

“Do we even want to intervene on Eilith’s behalf?” Councilman Magnus asked. “She’s not a member of the Council, nor has she ever lived in Rhyanaes.”

“Of course we do,” Councilman Calder said calmly. “Might I remind you, Magnus, that our duty is to lead and protect all people of our faith, and all who follow the Old Ways, not just the city of Rhyanaes.”

“Indeed, but our influence isn’t what it once was, Councilman.

You of all people know that,” Magnus replied.

“We haven’t held a seat at the king’s table in over two decades.

And we don’t have the means to support ourselves in any kind of conflict with him, even just a political one.

Taking a stance against the king for the sake of one person may cost us the safety of the entire city. ”

“Which is why we won’t intervene with force,” Councilwoman Fínán said.

“We can voice our opposition to his decisions and advocate for the release, or at least the fair trial, of a woman who has committed no crimes. We should not fear backlash from our own king for stating our sovereign stance as a Council.”

“We shouldn’t, that’s true,” Magnus said. “And yet I do.”

“His relationship with the High Priestess runs deeper than we thought,” Celestine added.

“We have our right to our opinion as a Council. Our very purpose was, and still is, to be able to oppose the poor decisions of our leadership when needed. But I will be the first to admit that the High Priestess concerns me. We have let her become far more influential than we ever should have, and now we need handle her carefully.”

“Then let us go speak to her,” El said. Councilman Magnus scoffed, and she glared at him, then continued, “We can’t just sit here and keep waiting for a trial that may never happen.

We need more information. We know she’s in the Temple, so let’s go to the Temple and ask to see her.

A few friends asking about her is hardly a threat,” El finished, the hint of frustration already coloring her voice.

“And how do we know they won’t arrest you too? You’ll be walking straight into the den of the bear,” Councilman Torin said.

“They came for the residents of Eilith’s steading, not just for anyone,” Byrgir countered.

Councilman Torin continued, “All the more reason for you and Halja not to go, then.”

“The only people who saw Halja’s face, and my own, are dead,” Byrgir said with a cold directness that made me shiver. I remembered how easily, how precisely, he’d killed those men.

“And Eilith was under my guard when she was taken,” he continued, his voice was still clear and determined, yet weighted with guilt. “I failed her, and I need to make it right.”

“We have to do something,” Councilman Calder said in agreement.

“We must show the Paragons that they cannot get away with treating people like this, especially not our people. Eilith was guilty of nothing when they arrested her. Their twisted laws against Sourcery came after. The Paragons and their High Priestess can’t be allowed to do whatever they like to us, can’t think that nobody will come to her aid.

They need to know we are paying attention, know we still exist, still have power of our own.

And who better to send than one of our best Keepers and one of our strongest Sourcerers. ” He looked at Byrgir and El.

A few others murmured their agreement.

Councilman Torin sighed. “We can’t risk exposing more people to them. We don’t know what they know, don’t know what their intentions are.”