Page 9

Daimon

Daimon moved through the grove somberly. Carvings had been etched into the crooked trees, marks of the rebels. This time, the symbols they’d left showed support only to Vidaris. Flames had been carved into a handful of trunks. Their devotion ran so deep that they stopped at some point in their attack and risked getting caught to leave the symbols.

He roughly scratched his jaw, the stubble itchy and hot, studying one of the markings, a jagged outline of flames. He would be expected to brief Keir after he surveyed the area. So, as he examined, he stopped to speak to several witnesses. Mostly Nox, but other races had come to help after hearing about the attack. Most of the stories were the same: they saw flashes of light—fire, he had gathered from another—coming from the trees. Shouts from the two Nox tending to the area were heard before silence followed and the flashes stopped. According to the Nox present, all orbs were still here and accounted for.

The rebels certainly proved a point in making it this close to the palace, but it was odd for them not to make a stand. Up to now, they seemed focused on inflicting the most damage possible. If they weren’t looking to make an attack, then what were they after ?

None of the stories answered that question, which only spurred on the unease in his gut.

It meant they had gotten what they came for.

Daimon passed through Nox Grove a final time, sweeping the perimeter. He stayed for hours to ensure there wouldn’t be any rebels returning to the grove. The deeper he moved into the grove, the thinner the crowd got. He heard a soft voice, familiar and quiet, from a few trees away.

Annora.

A flood of memories he hadn’t expected came rushing to the surface, bringing unwanted reminders of how many years he’d missed. And an even more painful reminder of who else had changed while he was away.

Annora might hate him for being away for so long, or she might not care at all. Even though they weren’t blood siblings, her parents had been like parents to him. And he still treasured the moments they’d shared, almost like he really had a sister, too.

Glimpses of the palace peeked through the trees. His veins turned into ice at seeing it again. This was the closest he’d been to Evelina in years. She was likely within the walls, roaming the corridors now.

Unlike Annora, there was no doubt in his mind that Evelina hated him for never returning.

He shook his head and turned, and the moonlight cast just enough light to see. Annora’s face was older, more mature, and her frame petite but fuller. When he saw who was with her, he paused, far enough back that they hadn’t noticed him yet. Aldric, another Nox, had her gathered in his arms. His hand stroked her hair as he murmured into her ear.

Daimon had met Aldric when he came to train at Zenovia’s edge. He was a fine soldier who talked of a fae he couldn’t wait to get back to. Judging by the way he was planting kisses on Annora’s forehead, it was clear now who that fae was. Aldric grabbed a strand of Annora’s long, onyx hair and tucked it tenderly behind her pointed ear. He had a quiet but authoritative presence that clung to the air around him wherever he went.

Daimon smiled to himself. He was glad that someone could find a glimpse of happiness in this dreadful war, even if it seemed they had to keep it to themselves.

He turned and backed away silently to make his way back to Maliena and Neve, finding Ren talking quietly with them. They turned to him, an air of expectancy hovering around them as he approached.

“I’ll find Keir and give him a brief on what I’ve seen so far,” said Daimon. “But it may be wise to spend a few more days here to make sure nothing was missed.”

Neve nodded. “That would probably be for the best. Queen Embry has already called for the council to gather this evening to continue discussions on the recent attacks.”

“We were just about to go to the meeting,” Maliena added.

Daimon nodded, eager to get the brief over with and find Keir so he could spend some time in the night sky with Zephyr. Despite it being a long day, he was wide awake. “I’ll be back before sunrise for another walkthrough.” He turned, his eyes already drifting to the clouds.

Neve cleared his throat, making Daimon pause, but his eyes were still set above. “The queen thought it would be best if you debriefed everyone at the same time.”

Daimon was fairly certain his heart stopped beating at those words. His gaze slowly lowered to Neve, Maliena, and Ren. Maliena was staring at him, her brow raised as if waiting for him to say something. It took him much longer than necessary to collect himself.

“What was that again?” Daimon breathed.

“They want you to come back to the palace tonight.”