AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I jolted. The fae moved so quietly sometimes, they were constantly sneaking up on me. Rythos smiled at my reaction, and I nudged him with my elbow.“After everything that happened yesterday, I think I should be the one asking you that question.”
His father had been crueler than I could have imagined.
Rythos shrugged. “When I took Fendrel home, I told my father this was just the beginning. I warned him you’d be arriving one day soon, asking for his support. I wanted to give him time to come to terms with it. Time to understand what the repercussions could be if he said no.”
“He refused to even consider it.”
Rythos nodded. “I’d thought he would at least take it to the council after we were gone. But it’s clear from everything he said yesterday that he doesn’t think his territory is a target. He believes Regner will aim straight for Aranthon.” Misery flickered in Rythos’s eyes. A dark, sick kind of misery. A chill slid through me.
“You think he’s made some kind of deal with Regner.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time our people did whatever it took to stay neutral.”
No, it wouldn’t. Rythos had once told me his people could have helped the hybrids but voted not to. My people had lost by one vote.
“And if the fighting were to get a little too close to Quorith? What would your father do then?”
Rythos frowned. “The island’s wards are…different from anything you might have seen before. Quorith will automatically protect itself from any attack—without the need for intervention from my father or anyone else.”
Good.
If Verdion thought he could stay neutral in this war, he was wrong. He would either ally with us, or he would formally ally with Regner and turn his back on the fae forever.
But first, I’d attempt to force his hand.
“Are you ready for this?” Rythos asked.
“No,” I admitted. “But it has to be now. We can’t wait any longer.”
We would take the barrier down.
But first, I’d bargain with the pirate queen.
* * *
Demos was not happy about being forced to rest in the healer’s tent. Thankfully, he was too weak to argue. He’d spent the past few days going in and out of consciousness as Tibris healed him whenever enough of his power had regenerated.
Every time I closed my eyes, I could see those creatures. They’d enjoyed killing us. And they would have continued to tear through the camp, except that we’d managed to kill their leader.
Something told me they would make us pay for that.
I tiptoed close to Demos’s tent, peering inside. His eyes cracked open, as if he could sense me. I scowled. I hadn’t made a sound.
“Come, Sin.”
“You need to rest.”
He gave me an impatient, entirely male look. Rolling my eyes, I stepped inside.
“How are you feeling?”
“Fine. I’ll be out of bed tomorrow. I would have been up today, but Tibris clucked like a mother hen.”
I grinned. Demos’s gaze dropped to my mouth.
“You carried me. On your back.”
I shrugged. “It wasn’t as impressive as it sounds.”
