“You’ll help anyone?” she pressed.
I nodded. “Yes. Anyone who sincerely needs me.” That was the one tenant of the position that Kaylin had enforced consistently:The island is supposed to be a neutral entity, keeping the history of the realm; we do not answer to those in power or bow to royalty.
I elaborated further. “If it’s power or political gain you’re after—I can’t help you.” It was a lofty claim for me to make, given how little I truly understood about my office. In truth, I was just about one penetrating question away from being exposed as a charlatan. I didn’t even know moonstones were the desired currency for a midnight bargain until a few weeks ago, but she didn’t need to know how clueless I was, that I had no idea how to determine whether her intentions were pure or not.
If I could just play this out…
Terani pocketed the moonstone and cupped her hands, summoning a small flame into life between them. A faint golden glow emanated from her skin. She looked me in the eye. “I am only the fifth woman to become a phoenix warrior in Sivell’s history.”
I gaped at the flame. “That’s an impressive accomplishment. I can’t imagine the tenacity that took.”
When Terani responded, her voice was laced with bitterness. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew everything that has happened. That I allowed a fate worse than death to befall my bonded phoenix, Eterna. She’s only on her first birth cycle. She’s young and vulnerable, and someone took advantage of that fact to take her away from me.”
“What happened to her?” I asked delicately.
“Someone sold her to the highest bidder they could find.”
My mouth fell open. Theysoldher phoenix into captivity—a living, free creature? The sheer hypocrisy of it all as well. Didn’t Sivell venerate their relationship with the phoenix above all else? Anger blossomed in my chest, hot and heavy.It wasn’t right.“Who would do such a thing?”
“I don’t know who’s responsible. I wish I did.”
“Why would someone target you and Eterna?”
“There has been resistance to my presence in the army.” Terani began to pace back and forth in front of the basin, handsclasped behind her back. “And I’ve certainly won no favors with General Rokuba ever since he was promoted. I’m unhappy with the direction he’s taking our new recruits. Probably too vocal about my thoughts. For too long, Sivell has utilized our bonded phoenixes for war alone.” Her voice was growing increasingly passionate. “We’ve secured the phoenix’s breeding grounds. It’s time to put aside our thirst for mindless expansion. Now is the moment to rise from the ashes of war and rebuild a kingdom worth living in, not flame the fires of war with Kothia once again.”
Terani gestured wildly with her hands.
“Why don’t we value the phoenix’s capacity to heal in equal measure? What of their connection to life, to rebirth, to forward progress? We should invest in their ability to heal the same way we invest in their ability to protect our borders. But for men like Rokuba, there is only glory in wartime. They look uneasily upon times of peace, desperate to cement their own legacy. Assuage their own ego. Peace is worth protecting too. Andthatis why I put myself through the flames to join their ranks. And now, because of that, I’ve put Eterna in harm’s way.”
“Do you have any idea where she might be?”
“Yes. It’s taken me longer than I would have liked, but I figured out they sold her to a buyer in Kothia. The one place I cannot travel myself for threat of instigating a war.” She pointed to the prominent tattoo on her arm. “She’s still alive, because I can still draw upon her magic like I showed you. But our bond is too new, too fragile, for me to communicate with her from a great distance.”
“Who was the buyer?”
“His name is Rogam Vunzaver. He’s a collector of rare and valuable things. He regularly hosts a dinner party for interested patrons at his mansion. On the surface, it all appears to be above board—old books and imported goods and the like. But it’s alla ruse. Rumor has it that he caters to a less discerning clientele as well. Those with no qualms about purchasing dangerous artifacts or living creatures. That’s how he’s really made his fortune.”
“That’s horrific,” I said, fighting a wave of nausea at the thought of it. “How did you figure all that out?”
“With help. From the older phoenixes like Fiere. He told me about what you did, by the way. Told me I should seek you out.”
Terani watched my reaction with an expectant look. I stared back, my hands starting to tremble. Suddenly, everything felt very real. It was one thing to think about a midnight bargain as an abstract concept. It was another thing entirely to gaze into somebody’s eyes and see their need reflected back at you. Suddenly, there was someone depending on me. And she deserved somebody who could help make this situation right. I struggled to believe I had what it took to be that person. Could I really pull it off? With Eterna’s life and freedom on the line? Sweat began to pool on my brow, and my hands turned clammy.
“Terani, hearing your story, I want nothing more than to help you. But I don’t know if I can,” I said, the confession causing something inside of myself to shrivel. “You should find someone else. Someone with more experience.”
Terani’s voice was grim. “There is no one else.”
And that was the crux of the issue, wasn’t it? The reason someone like me should exist. The true purpose of my office in shining clarity. When the people and institutions who were meant to protect you failed, therewasno one else. That was it, the answer I had been searching for all my apprenticeship.
The injustice stung. And I was angry. Angry thinking about Eterna’s circumstances, imprisoned against her will. Angry thinking about the men who had targeted Terani in the first place. All her training, sacrifice, and dedication—only to have it ripped away, told she didn’t belong. Doing nothing was not anoption. Not after her bravery in traveling to my island. Not after everything she shared with me.If there’s no one else, then I will do everything in my power not to fail.“Then you have my word. I will attend the party and I won’t leave unless it’s with Eterna. Do you have any idea how to get invited?”
Terani nodded. “If you know about it, you’re invited. The next event is three weeks from today at Vunzaver’s mansion. Outside the City of Kincardine. Once you’re there, you’ll need to convince him to show you his hidden wares.”
She took the moonstone out of her pocket. “Oh, can’t forget about this. Does it go in the basin?”
I looked at the moonstone and then back to the ceremonial basin. “Err—yes.”
Nix spoke up from the shadows. “Not until the bell tolls midnight.”
