“And if we don’t?” Azyric asks, tone colder now.
Riven doesn’t flinch as his eyes lift to the wraith king. “Then we do what we came to do anyway. The wraiths and vampires are tasked with stopping any human from breaking away from their unit, but if they do manage to call for backup, we annihilate them alongside the ones already here.”
There’s no further argument and no wasted breath. After seeing the power and brutality in the fae courts and vampire nest, I’m no longer surprised to see this side of them. The side the rest of the world knows them as.
The ground shifts beneath my boots subtly, but insistently. This is the first sign of life from my connection to the earth in days, and it feels like dissonant urgency. A warning of its opposition to their plan and path.
As I’m left trembling and looking at the kings, a singular thought floats through my mind:What do you expect me to do?
Silence is the only answer I receive.
Unfortunately, with their short meeting seemingly already done, silence falls over the room again and I feel the weight of their expectation settling in with it, just as I’m grasping with the unknown expectation from the earth.
I feel it in the way Torryn’s eyes flickto me. The way Sylvin angles his body ever so slightly, shifting his chest toward me. Even Riven, for all his composure, balls his hands into fist before shoving them into his pant pockets
They’re waiting for my choice.
I’ve told them I need time to experience their lands and people to get a better grasp of this world and the war, and here we are. I glance between them, my throat tight and heart climbing toward panic.
I don’t know how to explain how the earth opposes them. I don’t know how to tell them what little information I discovered in the Summer Court about myself and my connection.
Not all at once and not in a way that makes sense to anyone who hasn’t lived it, but I have to try.
I draw in a breath and begin.
“I’m not here to be on your sideorthe human side,” I start gently, the words fragile in my throat but steady once they take root. “At least I don’t think I am.”
Their attention sharpens and it doesn’t escape me the way Azyric lets out a small huff of indignation.
“I've learned things about myself and my power during my time in each of your lands,” I continue steadily. “I don’t have the full clarity I hoped for, but it’s a starting point.”
Torryn folds his large arms across his chest andnods, encouraging me to continue. I offer a small, thankful smile in return before flicking my gaze to Sylvin.
“In the Winter Court, I saw threads that I soon learned are lines of fate presenting themselves. The threads show me two resulting pathways, leading from one person’s choice. I didn’t know what they meant initially, and I reached out to the one calling to me…” I trail off before taking a deep breath. “It changed the course of the Winter fae court. They were set to have their lands burned and many lives taken by the humans. Instead, the fae were alerted to their approach and acted accordingly.”
I leave out the fact that my choice resulted in the loss of countless human lives. They’d probably think this meant the earth is telling me to choose their side, but I know that isn’t the case.
Sylvin nods as the others swing their gazes to him. “It’s true. I didn’t see any of it happening, but I knew something was off. It felt like a glamor was over my mind.”
Riven’s gaze hardens as he looks at me with a level of hurt I’ve never seen. “Why didn’t you tell me about any of this over the past few days?”
My mouth parts, but I find myself at a loss for words. “Riven…I–I was still trying to process it and understand it myself.”
“Typical,” Azyric mutters, earning a glower from me before I turn my focus back on Riven.
“In the Summer Court, I found some answers. My power doesn’t belong to any of these factions but to the earth itself. Yet, I can’t use it whenever I demand it. It only flows through me when I serve its will.”
My gaze swings to Torryn. “You saw the long hours I spent trying to force it.”
A beat of silence follows before he nods. “I did.”
I swallow hard and my head shakes. “I don’t know how the threads of fate and my connection to the earth work yet. I just know right now that I can’t belong to one side of this war.”
Then my gaze slides hesitantly toward Azyric. If I’m getting all of the truth out now, I need to tell him what I saw that first night.
My voice wavers, but I force the words through.
“And there’s one more thing I haven’t told you.”
