“Don’t.” She set a hand on my forearm, her voice raw, rough. “Don’t say anything.”
We all knew the consequences for going to Lirien without permission—and this time we had no one to turn to for mercy. Madoc would never be coming back. If I knew Tara, the news wasn’t just painful—it was like a death to mourn.
I could barely think of Madoc without feeling sick. I wanted to be proud of him for what he’d done … my brother was the most honorable of men and I understood, now, why Father hadn’t let me be a part of Esme’s rescue mission.
But none of it changed the fact Haldron had orchestrated a plan that had destroyed my family. Nearly destroyed me. I’d spent weeks drowning in guilt … only to learn that I’d been played like a puppet.
“We don’t know what the future holds, Tara,” I offered as optimistically as I could. “If we succeed in getting rid of Haldron, maybe we can get him back.”
“Fine.” Determination showed in her face—a fierce, protective light in her eyes. But she was done talking. “Then tell me what the hell we’re going to do, Seren, because if you’re expecting me to sit here and do nothing while Esme suffers, you can go straight to Nyxva.”
“Get our people out of Emberstone. Get Mother out. If I fail to kill Haldron, who knows what the retribution will be.”
“That’s a job for Seth and Darya. Not a job for someone who stands to lose just as much as you do,” Tara snapped.
“Thank you,” Amahle said.
Of course they would be on the same side of this. “Do you really think we can trust Seth?”
“Seth was weeping after the skinwraith attack,” Tara said. “He may be foul in other ways, but he loves our people as much as we do. And don’t forget … he stood for you and Rykr in the encampment. He’s not a complete villain.”
Thoughts crowded my head.
Could they be right?
Despite Amahle, Ciaran, and Tara’s assurances, I wasn’t so sure. And I’d sensed Rykr’s hesitation, too. He’d left the decision up to me, but I couldn’t help but worry. My prejudices made it hard to see clearly.
And then there was Tara’s resistance to leaving. Gods knew that she could hold her own among the Vangar and her bravery surpassed mine. But my mother …
“Mother needs your help, Tara. You’re the only one of us that can help her right now. Father and Madoc are being hunted and I’m walking into the Skorn. One of us has to protect her.”
“You’re underestimating our mother, Seren. She’s an Ibarran priestess—your spells and tricks are children’s games compared to what she can do. And she’s not leaving here without Esme, either.”
I drew a slow, deep breath. “If I can’t convince my own family and friends to listen to me?—”
Amahle leveled a determined look my way. “We are listening. And we’re all telling you the same thing. We’re not going anywhere. Now, why don’t we do what we can do and get Seth to help?”
Maybe I should have expected this, but frustration bloomed inside me at their stubbornness. But I was out of time and options and every moment I spent here arguing with them was a moment lost.
“Fine,” I said, at last. “Let’s go.”
Seth paced in the room, Darya watching him closely. Worry was written on her face, though neither of them had spoken yet.
“And why is it that you think we need to leave Emberstone again?” Seth asked, his emotions guarded. The old Seth—the one I’d known—never revealed too much. He’d risen to his position by being cautious and smart. Of course, I couldn’t say he’d followed that pattern the last few weeks.
“Haldron has Esme, Seth.” I chose my words carefully. “My father managed to get a message to me through secure channels, but Haldron is using her to manipulate him. What Haldron did to coerce my father is evil. It violates all our principles as Viori.”
“If your father did as Haldron wished and killed the king and his sons, why hasn’t Esme been released?” Seth asked.
“I don’t know. Only that Haldron won’t release her. Maybe he wants to conceal what he’s done. Esme may know that it wasn’t Liriens who took her.” The lie was necessary. At least, that’s what I told myself. We couldn’t risk telling Seth and Darya about the prince my father had allowed to live.
“And you think he’ll retaliate against the tribe if you attempt to rescue Esme.” Darya bit her lip, then nodded slowly. “That makes sense. He won’t want a whole tribe that knows of his treachery this close to Emberstone. He’d see us as a threat. He’s not a king, after all, and he can be deposed if the public turns against him.”
“How are we supposed to move our people out of Emberstone without him noticing?” Seth shook his head. “We can’t just declare that we no longer need refuge. The skinwraiths may still be out there and most of our tribe needs time to resupply. We have wounded.”
“Tonight, during the Skorn. The trial is held outside the city in the Havamal, right? The amphitheater holds thousands, so take one large group there while another group of Vangar remains and leads the wounded and the weaker members of the tribe out of Emberstone. Then, when the trial is over, the group that went to the Havamal can join them, rather than return here.”
Seth exhaled sharply, pacing again. “That’s assuming Haldron doesn’t have men watching the exits. You’re talking about moving hundreds of people without arousing suspicion.”
