Part of the bridal test today would have revolved around sound, or lack thereof, and a bride’s capacity for hearing the truth in unconventional ways.
Alas, that part of the trial hadn’t happened.
I swallowed and gave a nod of my head. “Their losses will be avenged. I swear it.”
“Thank you, my liege,” he replied, his soft tone deepening with an emotion I understood—the need for revenge.
Alas, that required knowing who was responsible for this.
Camillia certainly appeared to be guilty, especially since she’d known how to close the portal. However, we’d intimately connected when she’d tapped into my power, and I’d sensed her genuine desire to help. But that could have been a manipulation of some kind. It also still didn’t explain how she’d known what to do.
Maybe she’s working with someone, I considered.
If that was true, then I needed to find out who was helping her.
Or using her, I added, frowning. The thought had been instinctual, almost as though my source had whispered it into my mind.
This woman is fucking with me, everything I hold dear, every piece of me—magical or otherwise.
Clearing my throat, I refocused on Viper and asked, “Have you seen Erebus?”
The Naga King sneered when I mentioned his Unseelie counterpart, which was out of character for Viper.
He and Erebus were friends. Their camaraderie was why they successfully shared the Marsh Lands territories.
Even the Unseelie castle held caverns and an underground lair for the Nagas to use as they wished, caverns that linked up directly to the Nagas’ central domain.
Other kingdoms lacked the homeostasis these two kings had established.
Of course, having a shared enemy—the soulless creatures that plagued this kingdom—had linked the Nagas and the Unseelie, giving them a common enemy to fight.
Sometimes I helped, but usually I stayed out of their way.
Alas, I’d failed today.
And already I could see the damage my failure had caused.
Not just the destruction of stone or the loss of lives—but the fracturing of a kinship that should have lasted for thousands of years.
“The last time I saw Erebus, he was chasing a bride,” Viper hissed out as a slithering sound entered his words. He clearly disapproved.
That must be the runaway bride Az mentioned from the status update,I thought.
“Was she hurt?” I asked Viper. Because while King Erebus was many things, he would not abandon his people over a rogue female. He’d need a much better reason to pursue the errant bride, such as a need to heal her.
“Allof the Marsh Lands are hurt,” Viper replied, his long tongue snaking out before he reined it back in. “Wounded are being gathered in the medic quadrant. Survivors are still being found, and it was just discovered that there are Nagas trapped in collapsed tunnels.”
“They can’t dig themselves out?” I asked. The Nagas were the ones to build those tunnels in the first place; it seemed strange that they could be trapped underground.
“The blast rendered many of them unconscious,” Viper explained. “They’re helpless and losing air, so unless we do something, the casualty number will rise.”
“I see.” This must have been why Viper was frustrated with Erebus—the Unseelie King would be able to use his magic to move the stone. Yet he was off pursuing a female. “Are Erebus’s people unable to reach him?”
Some of the Unseelie possessed telepathic capabilities with their king; they should be able to find him fairly easily.
“As I said, he’s chasing a bride. When Erebus doesn’t want to be found, no one can reach him.”
I nodded. “I will speak to him after we save your Nagas.”
