Page 59

We sat around the table for hours, talking, eating, drinking.

Afternoon passed into evening as El caught me up on everything I had missed that summer: How Byrgir had told her and Crow who my father was after the battle in Rhyanaes was over; how they’d crafted a plan for my rescue quickly, but the Council had been divided on whether to allow them to use the forces of the Rangers and the Keepers to retrieve me; how debates had stretched for weeks, until El finally revealed to them who I was and what potential I carried.

“I’m sorry, Hal,” she said. “I know it wasn’t my secret to tell.

But we needed all the help we could get, and they were, again, uncertain it was worth risking open war.

Many of the Rangers and Keepers would have followed us, but they would have risked not only their lives, but their livelihoods too if they didn’t have Council approval. ”

“We knew we would only have one shot,” Byrgir added. “And if we went in with too few people, or without the right people, and didn’t get you out on that first go, we might not be able to get you back at all.”

“Once they knew who they’d lost, what an asset you could be, they were all for it,” Crow said. “Then we just had to get everyone to agree on a plan.”

“Which took even longer,” El continued. “We all knew there would be consequences no matter what we did, so we debated which way would be best to go about it. But Crow told us all along that getting you out would require an open attack on the Temple.”

“An attack everyone craved, though,” Byrgir said. “All of Rhyanaes was thirsty for blood after what they did to us.”

“But it had to be played right,” Crow went on.

“It had to succeed, and we couldn’t lose anyone else as hostages to the High Priestess.

We debated a stealthy extraction, getting you out with minimal losses and no living witnesses.

But that place is a fuckin’ fortress, and the wards make communication inside nearly impossible. ”

“In the end,” El said, “we decided that war was what the Paragons had asked for, so war was what we’d bring them.”

“It helped that you turned into a massive wolf,” Crow added.

“Yes, how long have you known you could do that?” El asked.

“I found out when you did.” I chuckled. “But, in hindsight, I should have expected it, right? Given who my parents are.”

El nodded. “Shapeshifting and power are in your blood.”

“Regardless of where it came from, it was effective,” Byrgir said, smiling at me.

“Definitely helpful for getting you out,” Crow agreed.

“And now we’ll face the consequences,” I said.

“They’ll be back for you,” Crow said. “For all of us.”

I did not drop my gaze when his piercing eyes met mine.

“Then we will meet them when they come,” I said.

“And we will meet them with hell. Fire and ice and all the power this city holds.” The knife-sharp edge in my voice was foreign even to me.

The potent rage I had felt in my wolf form welled in my chest again.

“We will,” El echoed, nodding. “The city began to fortify and prepare as soon as the attack ended. We’ve been stockpiling food and supplies, and ordering as much extra as we can. It’s been a struggle to find space for it all, and for everyone else.”

“Everyone who lost their homes?” I asked.

“Them, and the newcomers. We have more fae-touched refugees than ever. The rest of the region isn’t safe for them anymore.

They’ve been pushed out of other towns, including Avanis.

Not only has practicing the Old Ways now been outlawed, being fae-touched practically has been as well.

They’re only allowed in certain parts of the city in Avanis now, and can’t sell their goods at the same markets as regular humans. Many of them are losing their jobs.”

“Entire families have lost their farms and homes in smaller villages,” Byrgir added. “Even Skeioholm.”

“There could be massacres in Avanis and other cities if the fae-touched have nowhere else to go,” Crow said, “so we’re rebuilding Rhyanaes with space and resources for refugees in mind. But we took a heavy hit ourselves. Only have so much we can share.”

“It’s so much worse than I thought.” I shook my head. “How did it get so bad so quickly?”

“King Evander seems to be at the mercy of the High Priestess’s wishes.

She’s dripping poison into his ear every night.

Telling him it’s a holy cause, that her new god has told her this is the only way to keep humankind safe.

That all the fae folk should have gone to the other side of the Veil when the passages were sealed.

So this is the official policy the Crown has adopted.

Separation for safety.” Crow’s brow furrowed.

“I just don’t understand what she gets out of it.

She already has the king’s trust, and his bed.

Leading him into a war is a risk of her station. ”

“Maybe she wants proof,” I said. “Proof of his allegiance to her. To lead a country into war against its own citizens is a massive sacrifice. And to turn a king against the people he is sworn to protect takes skillful manipulation. He must be completely devoted to his mistress and her desires. She wants proof of his commitment to her, wants to see just how deep in her hooks go.”

Crow’s eyes widened in incredulity. “If it’s proof she wants that way, she’s a fucking mad woman.”

“I know her. I’ve spent too much time with her.

Zisorah has a hunger for power like I’ve never known.

She wants to be certain that the king is hers.

I have no doubt she will drive away the queen very soon.

And then the queen’s throne will be hers, and she will bear the king children that will inherit his throne. ”

Crow nodded thoughtfully. “And when he has torn apart his own country with war, murdered his own people, who else will be at his side? What other allies will stand by him through this atrocity? It will be only her. You’re right,” he said, leaning back in his chair.

“She’s isolating him. Consolidating all his power for herself, under the guise of a holy crusade. ”

I nodded as El exhaled a long sigh. “So she’s a power hungry maniac?” she asked, and I nodded again. “Gods below, we are dealing with a monster.”

“Like you said, she asked for a war,” I mused.

“And she will know Rhyanaes will shelter fae-touched refugees. She’s driving them here intentionally.

She already knows it’s the center of the last of the fae in Elvik.

We’re already a target for her. But once we hold all of Elvik’s fae and fae-touched, we’ll be the epicenter of her disdain. ”

“She’ll wait until her plan works.” Crow picked up my exhausted babbling and continued my line of thinking yet again.

“Until this upheaval and hate she’s conjured drives all of her targets here, to Rhyanaes.

She’ll let the situation deteriorate, let the massacres start, using the attack we just executed as an excuse, as proof that we’re dangerous.

And then she’ll march the entirety of Evander’s army to our doorstep and wipe us all out in one go. ”

I nodded again. “Can we send them anywhere else?” I asked. “For their own safety?”

“The refugees? Not unless we can get them across the southern border to Astruiath,” Byrgir said.

“We might actually be able to do that,” El chimed in. “We can’t keep them all safe here against Evander’s entire army, but if she is waiting for fae-touched folk to amass here before she strikes, and if we can get them out without her knowing, then we may be able to avoid the worst of it.”

I could see the plans forming in their minds as the three of them worked over the information.

“We should continue to bring them here,” Crow said, “and then secretly get them out. Let her see an influx of people into the valley, set up shelters like they’re all staying–”

“And then move them out when they arrive,” Byrgir finished. “Guide them to the border, stay off the roads, keep it quiet, and get them into Astruiath.”

“How do we move hundreds of people without King Evander and his whore finding out?” El asked.

“I don’t know. But we will find a way,” Crow said. “We already have the Rangers’ network of trails. Though they’ll need some repairs and improvements before we can reasonably get families through them. Most aren’t fit for carts.”

“Then we get the Rangers repairing them as soon as we can,” El said.

Crow nodded. “We could start tomorrow.”

“We could also smuggle them by boat,” Byrgir added. “They’ll be looking for us, for any refugee families, on the roads. But I doubt they’ll be patrolling the sea nearly as heavily.”

“You’ve sailed with the Ironguard before,” El said thoughtfully.

“Plenty.”

“Talk to the captains. See if getting refugees to Astruiath via boat would work. I’ll speak to the Council first thing in the morning and contact Astruiath. Or would you like to, Crow?”

“No,” he said sharply. “Just because I was born there doesn’t mean it’s my home. And it certainly doesn’t make me a good option for an envoy.”

“Then Celestine and I will send them a message in the morning and plan a meeting in Astruiath.”

The three of them fell into thoughtful silence for a moment, each pondering the tasks of the days to come. But I still had so many questions.

“How did they find Rhyanaes that night?” I asked. “With the wards up, I mean.”

The mood darkened again as we all remembered the attack on the city.

“They followed us when we came back from our first visit to the Temple to ask after Eilith,” Byrgir explained. “Evander’s spies, or the High Priestess’s.”

“One and the same, now,” Crow mumbled.

“They tailed us,” Byrgir continued. “Followed us straight to the valley and studied the city’s wards. Once they knew where it was, they could get close enough to see it.”

“But we still don’t know how she knows who you are,” Crow said with an abrupt change of subject, his keen mind running far ahead of the spoken words.

“I don’t know,” I said. “But I do know that her god is real. I’ve seen her and her acolytes wield his power. He may have had a hand in telling her, somehow.”

I remembered that dark, torturous voice from my dreams. I know who you are, Halja. I know you belong on a throne , he had whispered. Zisorah was not the only one who knew who I was.

“They came for you even at Eilith’s,” Byrgir said, looking at me with deep concern. “They weren’t only after her, you just managed to get away.”

“How would they have known so long before I did?” I asked.

“I don’t know. But Eilith knew too. She told me that if anything ever happened, I was to get you to safety above all else. At the time, I thought she was just being protective. You know, looking out for you above herself. But she must have known something.”

“She did know. We have to go back for her,” I said, directing it mostly at Crow.

“Hal, I–” he started.

“We have to at least try. I owe it to her to try.”

“We all want to get her out just as much as you do,” El said. “But getting back into the city will be nearly impossible.”

“Zisorah will kill her now,” I said. “She told me that as long as I cooperated, Eilith would be safe. Eilith was her bargaining chip, her hostage, and now that I’m gone she has no reason to keep her alive.”

“Unless we offer something in exchange for her,” El said. “And quickly.”

“Like what?” I asked. “The only thing she wants is me.”

Byrgir’s voice took on a familiar menacing calmness as he said, “I’ll drown the city of Avanis in its own blood before I let you go back into that Temple.” I recognized the controlled, icy intensity of threatening violence I had heard before. There was no arguing with him on this matter.

“We’ll try to break her out, then,” Crow said. “I still have Rangers in the city, although nobody in the Temple, not that we’ll ever get in there again anyway. Could we get the High Priestess to bring Eilith out into the city?”

“She’ll make it public,” I said. “The execution. She was making an example of me when you rescued me, and she’ll do the same to Eilith. She’ll want us to know. Want me to witness it, if she can get me there.”

“Then that’s our shot,” Crow said, and rose from his seat. “Thank you for dinner, El, and I’m sorry to leave so early, but there isn’t time to wait if we’re going to try this. I need to contact my crew in Avanis, and we need a plan.”

He started toward the door but suddenly turned back, walked to me, kissed the top of my head, and then swept out of the room on near silent footsteps. El stared at me, wide eyed and eyebrows raised in shock. I looked back at her the same way and laughed.

“Wow, the old Crow has a heart after all,” she chuckled.

“I think it’s time we go get some rest too,” Byrgir said. He stood and pulled back my chair, then scooped me from my seat into his arms. I wrapped my own arms around his neck and smiled as he carried me from the dining room.

“Goodnight to you too, then!” El called with an air of sarcastic annoyance.

“Thank you for dinner! I’m so happy to be home!” I called back over Byrgir’s shoulder.

“Alright now, settle down,” Byrgir joked. “It was hard enough to sit through that dinner. I want you all to myself. Now.”