“Both kings, really,” added Nox.
Kit nodded. “While Sephone and Raefe were doing their ‘reporting’ in Luminaria, they stumbled upon a lead on the Cult of Malakar.”
That had Elyria’s attention. “I’m listening.”
“They observed cultist activity in the Lost City. Were able to follow a trail to Dawnspire. It’s a small town just on this side of the Chasm. Sephone says that Varyth Malchior himself is rumored to meet with contacts there.”
“How didLady Tempusget this information, exactly?”
“Shockingly, she wasn’t forthcoming with the particulars. But she showed no signs of lying. And it’s the best lead we’ve had since coming here, Ellie.”
“It’s theonlylead we have,” corrected Nox.
Elyria sighed. “Fine. The more the merrier, I suppose, as long as Raefe stays as far the fuck away from me as possible.” Though, she supposed she wouldn’treallymind if he tried something again. The sounds he’d made when choking on her vines in The Sweltering Pig had been a sweet sort of symphony.
“For whatever it’s worth, he seems contrite over his actions,” Nox said, brushing a stray hair out of their eyes and tucking it behind one of their horns.
“Tenebris,” Kit warned, giving them a tight shake of her head.
“I’m only saying. Knowing now what he had done, I don’t begrudge the Revenant for reacting as she did. But had she given him the chance to speak, I do suspect an apology would have been the first words to tumble out of his mouth.”
Elyria scoffed, her fingers twitching over her thighs. “If he did apologize, it would only be because hismasterdemanded it. A man like Raefe does not change his tune so easily.”
“Agreed,” said Kit, her lip curled into a sneer. “Though Master Tartanis does seem to have already punished him for the role he played. Which does not absolve him of his actions, of course,” she added quickly. “If I had the power to stop him from going with you, I would. But it would appear that he and Sephone are a package deal, and, again, they’re the ones with the lead on Malchior.”
Nostrils flaring, Elyria nodded. “Is Shep staying here with you then? You didn’t name him as part of our ‘jolly crew.’ ”
Kit and Nox exchanged a look. “King Callum has asked Young Shep to accompany the other mission.”
“What other mi—Oh.” The reminder of Cedric’s own imminent departure felt like a swift kick to the gut.
“Given their destination, the king thought it wise to send a sylvan along with Sir Thorne and Sir Hale.” Kit bit her lip. “It’s a good thing, Ellie. It means they might be able to get through to the sylvans moreeasily, might convince them of their help to locate the princess, to recover the other half of the crown more quickly.”
Elyria exhaled through her nose, rolling her shoulders back. “Did I say it wasn’t a good thing? It’s great. It’s fine. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Why indeed?” Nox said, suddenly swirling a glass of something dark and fragrant in their indigo hands. They took a sip before tutting at Sid, who had resettled in a new position directly on top of Kit’s pillow, shadows trailing off her small body like wisps of smoke. “Let us worry about the logistics of preparing for tomorrow. I suggest you spend the rest of the day working on replicating whatever you did to finally be able to walk through the shadows to us.”
Elyria blinked slowly, the nocterrian’s words sparking a seed of realization within her.
Holy shit. I shadowstepped.
“I...I’m not exactly sure how I did. I didn’t reallymeanto. It just sort ofhappened.”
“So, make it ‘just sort of happen’ again. If you can shadowstep into Kit’s chambers by barely thinking about it, I’d say the possibilities are quite endless now.”
“I wasn’t thinking at all,” Elyria said, heat blooming in her cheeks as she realized just how very true that was. “That’s the problem.”
“You were feeling,” Nox suggested, a proud look on their face. “Which is precisely what I told you to do.”
“You told me absolutely no such thing. You told me I cannot leash my shadows the same way others might, and that my being a wildshaper made this all something new.” Elyria glanced at Sid. “Now, of that last bit, I will admit you seem to have been right.”
Nox rolled their crimson-black eyes. “Always the tone of surprise. Of course I was right. And I’m right again now. You were feeling, embodying your shadows, rather than activelytryingto bend them. So, just try to get yourselffeelingthat way again.”
Elyria sunk into her chair, raking her hands over her face. Shadowstepping here and all the talk of leaving tomorrow had been an excellent distraction from the swell of thoughts and emotions that she’d been staving off in the aftermath of what happened with Cedric, but now...
Whathadshe been thinking? Why did she let it go so far? And then,most glaring of all, why did she bite him?
Holy fucking shit. I bit him.
