Page 59

CHAPTER THIRTY

IN WHICH THE PARTY PREPARES TO brING THE CAMPAIGN TO AN END

After finding Luthri a bathroom and leaving him there at his urging ( “Trust me, Mar, you don’t want to be around for this. I’ll find you all afterward.” ), we wandered the halls of the manor for some time before Hohem had the nerve to speak up.

“You have no idea where Narille is, do you?”

“We’ll find her,” I assured him. “I’m not worried.”

After being released from more than a year of mind control, she was probably hiding in a room somewhere, alone and confused. To be honest, I half expected her to find us. Either we’d stumble across her, or we’d use Luthri’s nose to sniff her out when he returned.

I couldn’t wait for this day to be over.

Hell, I was even eager to be back on the road again.

My unpracticed transformation had left my body one giant bruise, and I struggled to keep my eyes open.

After this, I’d need a long nap, a hot meal, and another bath.

The order wasn’t important. We might need to stay in Munarzed another evening or two to recover.

There was the shipping schedule to worry about, too—when did Gerda return next? I couldn’t remember.

Even thinking hurt. My next exhale bordered on violent .

Vyrain must have picked up on my discomfort, because he kindly offered me his canteen. Mine must have joined my shoes, lost in the kerfuffle at some point.

I helped myself to a generous swig and replaced the cap with a satisfied sigh before handing it back. “Thank you. You guys got here in the nick of time, you know.”

“Well, I should hope so.” Vyrain returned the water to his belt. “We were waiting on that signal, but much longer and we would have stormed in regardless. We’ve never been so bored.”

Hohem was quick to chime in. “I can’t believe we missed all the excitement.

Crazy to think that all this was because of one power-hungry madman.

Though, I can’t blame him… If I had the opportunity to take over an island, I would have done the same.

I mean, look at this manor—it’s a work of art.

Well, it was before Mar gave it a new skylight. ”

“Open floor plans are all the rage these days,” I quipped.

“What would you know about real estate? We live in tents. The last time you were in a building with four walls was an opashi ’s shack in the woods.”

“It was a shrine,” Vyrain chastised before I could. “A holy place.”

His brother waved him off. “Yeah, yeah.”

We neared a familiar door—the parlor off the courtyard, if I wasn’t mistaken. The last time we’d seen Narille had been in the courtyard, and my mam?e used to say that when you lost something, you should be sure to check the last place you saw it.

I stopped Vyrain with a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go this way.”

Hohem, a step ahead, had to turn back. He held the door as Vyrain and I ducked inside, and we were outside a second later.

The roof and pillars cast long shadows over the paneled floor of the veranda, most of the day stolen one way or another.

This better not have been the day the shippers returned; if we just missed them, that would be the icing on top .

“Mar?”

The thread of caution in my name got my attention, along with a burst of motion.

Across the way, half-hidden by the vibrant greenery decorating the courtyard, ruby eyes observed us.

Upon noticing she was caught, Narille emerged from behind the dense bush.

It was impossible to miss the long, curved blade in her hand as it reflected the sun.

My heart thumped in warning. The twins drew themselves upright by my side. Adrenaline giving me energy I didn’t have, I raised my hands. “It’s okay! Lady Narille, it’s okay, we’re friends. I know things are confusing right now. Do you remember me?”

Something—my words, the nonthreatening gesture, an unknown influence—gave her pause. As quickly as she’d taken an aggressive stance, her pace slowed, and she came to a stop.

“Do I…?” Narille’s head tilted as she considered her answer. “Yes, I remember. Mar.”

“So you know who I am.” I nodded at the twins, who had yet to relax. “Hohem and Vyrain—they’re also with me. We’re here to help. Now that Rugaveld’s spell is broken, you’re free to do as you wish. We hoped that you might be open to leaving the island?”

Understanding dawned. “You’re leaving,” she repeated.

“Yes,” I confirmed. “There’s a shipping vessel that will take us. You too, if you want.”

“We hope you’ll come with us,” Vyrain added from beside me. He vibrated with the impulse to make her acquaintance but restrained himself given the fragility of the moment.

Any remaining tension leeched from Narille’s body. The blade twirled in her hand and came to rest with the tip pointed at the ground. “I need to get my things. Will you wait?”

A breath whooshed out of me. “Of course! Or we can accompany you?”

We had nothing better to do, and I would be more comfortable being able to keep an eye on her. Maybe it was nerves left over from my fight with Rugaveld, or perhaps Luthri being out of sight so soon after his life was threatened unsettled me, but I hadn’t relaxed yet.

“Yes, let’s do that. I know a way off the island that we can take advantage of.” Narille’s gaze bounced from head to head. “There was one more… What happened to him?”

“Ah, the sweets didn’t agree with him. He’ll catch up.” I cherished the thought that this would be an inside joke soon. If Narille knew a way off the island, we could be back to the mainland in no time. I could breathe easier knowing familiar territory lay within reach.

“Lead the way.” Hohem stepped aside with a flourish.

Narille angled her body in the direction she’d come.

“This way,” she said, and waited for us to start moving before she did.

Vyrain took his chance to inspect her when her back was turned, eyebrows crawling his forehead.

Hohem mouthed something at me. At my questioning gesture, he shrugged it off and followed after the rest of us.

The heiress appeared to know the manor layout intimately, leading us inside to the second level.

Would we be crossing the skybridge to the other section of the manor?

But no, we kept to the main area, ending up toward the glass rear of the building.

As she retreated into her room to gather her things, leaving the door open behind her, I considered her weapon.

It wasn’t out of the ordinary to see such a thing.

While many fae used magic, not all of them had the ability, and a blade, bow, or rudimentary pistol went a long way in evening the playing field.

For most, it would be an additional thing to carry.

Had she brought it with her to the island when she first arrived?

Or borrowed it from Rugaveld’s collection?

The twins stood in the doorway, observing Narille as she packed.

Pushing myself to my tiptoes, I leaned into Vyrain and peered over his shoulder.

The willowy woman navigated the room from one side to the other.

She could have sped it up, perhaps, but maybe she needed to think about what to take with her after living here for so long.

If not that, maybe there was some mental fog left over from Rugaveld’s magic.

When she joined us at the door, she had a single bag slung over her shoulder, smaller than the one Hohem carried. She’s lived here how long, and that’s all she owns? I wouldn’t have blamed her for cleaning out the place, but all right.

“You sure that’s everything?” I checked.

“All I need,” she confirmed. “We should collect your friend before proceeding, no?”

“He’ll find us. At least, he said he would.”

“Maybe we ought to check on him?” Vyrain’s suggestion received a blank look. “I mean, I’m all for letting him find us, but that might be difficult if we’re halfway back to the mainland.”

“Do you remember where we left him?” Hohem asked, running his fingers through his shaggy locks. “I haven’t had the chance to map out the manor yet. It’s a labyrinth.”

I studied the hall nearest us, opposite the way we’d come. “I think it was that way, but it’s not that big. We’re bound to stumble across him eventually if we stick to familiar routes.”

Narille took the discussion in stride, inquiring, “Do you often lose each other?”

“This particular one, only if we’re lucky,” Vyrain quipped, putting on a charming smile as though that would soften the blow of his words. “Unfortunately, he has a knack for not staying lost. Hard to shake off—like a bad cough after staying out too long in the cold.”

Seeing as Luthri wasn’t there to defend himself, I chimed in. “Well, that’s not very nice.”

“I mean it in the nicest way possible, of course?—”

“Better leave it there,” Hohem remarked, clapping his brother on the back.

Vyrain took his advice, though not without muttering something about ‘finding his stride again.’ How Narille maintained a stony expression throughout the exchange was a mystery—a structured upbringing left her immune to such antics, perhaps.

Poor Vyrain’s usual low-reaching jokes and indiscriminate flirting wouldn’t stand a chance.

After a brief discussion, we agreed to let Narille show us her route off the island, with the expectation that Luthri would catch up before we made it too far.

She brought us back toward the front of the building and down the staircase to the main level.

Several steps ahead, Narille disappeared around a corner moments before a resounding OOF carried our way.

The twins and I exchanged a look and hustled to cover the remaining distance.

“Pardon me,” Luthri exclaimed as he steadied the heiress with a hand on her elbow. His eyes widened at noticing the unsheathed sword. Upon seeing us, he relaxed somewhat, mirroring my own relief. “There you are. Where did everyone go? The house is a ghost town.”

“No idea,” I answered, giving him a once-over. “How are you feeling?”

“As well as can be expected. Things may be iffy the next day or two, but I’ll live.”

Hohem interrupted our cheery reunion. “Killing their leader and bringing down a few walls might have had something to do with the change in atmosphere,” he commented. “Can’t imagine anyone would take kindly to that sort of insurrection.”

“Rugaveld is dead?” Narille’s voice went strangely high-pitched.

“Yes,” I confirmed. It didn’t occur to me that the place would clear out immediately. “People were in a hurry to leave, I guess. They’ve got a lot to figure out now that they’re free.”

Luthri nodded thoughtfully. “As do we. What’s the plan?”

“Lady Narille knows of a way off the island,” Vyrain informed him.

“If it works, we won’t have to wait for the shippers to return,” I added. “Let’s get going. The sooner we can be off this rock, the sooner we can get on with our lives.”

A shadow flitted across Lu’s face, but he made a sound of agreement.

The heiress, finding herself the center of attention once more, took the lead without protest. “This way,” she intoned, pointing toward the building’s main entrance.

We walked together down the long hallway, past the gaudy drapes and statement pieces of art, to the great double doors, which were no longer propped open.

Narille applied her shoulder to the wood.

Vyrain rushed forward to help, his brother hot on his heels, and together the three of them pried the panels apart enough to slip out into the waning daylight.

Narille held the door and waved us through. I crossed the threshold second to last, Luthri behind me, and nearly walked into Hohem’s back as he stopped short.

“What—” The back of my neck prickled.

Framed in the space between the twins’ braced shoulders, Savreen stood tall before the manor, gripping a sword that seemed too large for her slim hand. A number of townspeople stood around her, many bearing weapons of their own.

Fear rooted my legs as a rush of adrenaline flooded my body. How could puppets still move with their strings cut? Killing Rugaveld should have ended his control. Unless…

Unless it wasn’t Rugaveld’s magic at all.

Things came together, too little too late.

Scenes flashed through my mind: Savreen offering us sweets the first time.

Narille asking us if we’d have the chance to try her cooking.

Savreen’s proud announcement: “ I have a recipe for suncakes that will change your lives. ” The lady we came across right after entering the city said exactly the same thing. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

Savreen was the amafarin , the witch. And I’d killed… Well, not an innocent man, but not the one directly responsible for this. How did I not see it? What could be done now ?

In my current condition, I’d be no use in a fight. Could the boys take all of them? Unlikely. Could we hide somewhere until we had the opportunity to make a break for it, either commandeer an island boat or wait for Gerda’s crew…?

My head turned at the sound of a click to see Narille shutting the front door behind us. She dropped her bag and kicked it to the side, forgotten, as she held her sword ready.