“Azenna is shielding the city. No one would hear it but her,” I reminded him.
“Not if we kill her first,” Elianna stated, and all our eyes shifted to her. The heir’s face was void of all emotion—nothing but calculation in her stare.
“Kill Azenna? The High Witch? We would have to remove her heart from her body, or find a way to get it to stop beating. Do you know how difficult that would be?” She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. “Actually, do not answer that. I know you are clueless as usual.”
She rolled her eyes at me, but I ignored her tantrum.
“Then, if we manage to kill her, the spell will be broken, and you will cast the whisper. Idina’s city will come undone beneath her,” Elianna said.
“We could take the city easily without their magic at work. We wouldn’t even need the citizens to revolt,” Jace said.
“They deserve to know,” his mate answered. “Everyone deserves to know the truth about what happened over a century ago.”
“Agreed,” I chimed in, and she gave me a nod.
Elianna cleared her throat. “This was our last chance at obtaining more allies. We’re out of time, and we need to move out. We’ve done all we can, and I want you all to know how sorry I am that this is what our reality has become. I truly thought we would have more on our side. More time, more allies…morehope.”
“We haven’t lost hope yet, Lia,” Zaela said.
The commander put his hand on top of his mate’s, and her shoulders visibly relaxed at his touch.
Elianna then turned to me. “You will need to rift walk to Elora and alert the sirens of their task. They will need to swim fast.”
“That will not be an issue for them. It is part of their magic,” I stated as I stood from my seat.
“You’re going now?!” Zaela nearly screeched at me, and everyone looked at her with a raised brow.
“Well, it is what your queen wishes. And as we have stated, we are running out of time.”
Her eyes quickly averted my own. “Right, well…be careful.”
I smiled at her. I never smile, but her concern for an all-powerful sorceress was…cute.
“Aye, Zaela. I will be careful.”
Her cheeks flushed a bright pink as everyone else stood from their seats.
“Now that dawn has risen, we will check in with the general in the meantime,” Elianna alerted me.
“I will meet you once I return.”
And with that, the four of them left me alone in the war chamber.
I sucked in a sharp breath and held out my hand, focusing all of my attention on the isles. “Odium Embulae.” I cast the spell and a small gateway appeared that held The Elora Isles on its other side.
I stepped through the portal and was instantly transported back to the marsh where we had met the sirens.
Iwalked to the riverbank's edge and rested my hands atop the water, sending a pulse of magic out toward the sea, calling for the wicked creatures that roamed the deep.
Within minutes, multiple heads emerged from the seawater several feet in front of me. I counted at least nine at a quick glance.
I recognized the two that Elianna had set her barter with. They hissed at me the second we locked eyes.
“Wonderful to see you, too,” I greeted them as I crossed my arms. “It is time for your debt to be paid.”
“We have nodebt,” one of them hissed. “Your queen stole something from us, and we want it back. She stole our sister.”
“Ah yes, just how you tried to steal her mate.” I paused for a moment. “Andeathim, I might add.”
