Page 210 of Of Masks and Fury

“Yes, we just arrived,” Trew said, his voice carrying an edge that warned against further questions.

Coralee studied us both, taking in our travel-stained leathers, our exhaustion, and the careful way we held ourselves. “We need to speak. There are matters that require immediate attention.”

Trew’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Send for Naveah. Council chambers in a quarter hour.”

They departed, leaving us in the corridor. I wanted nothing more than to collapse in Trew’s bed, but we needed to get the rescue mission settled first.

The walk to the council chamber passed quickly. Pherin remained on my shoulder, leaning against my neck. Gavelle flew ahead of us and into the room, equally subdued. The other companions had peeled away when we entered the castle, maybe heading to wherever the beasts lived when they weren’t with their bonded.

The council chamber felt different now, tainted by the knowledge that one of Trew’s trusted advisors might be a traitor. I took the seat beside Trew’s at the head of the table. We were equals, not king and princess of a distant court.

Coralee and Grayson were already waiting, and Naveah arrived moments later, her face creasing with concern as she read the tension in the room. She took a seat across from Coralee, her clever eyes missing nothing.

Tension filled the room. Maps covered every surface, marked with troop movements and supply lines. Grayson kept gulping. Swallowing hard. Coralee’s usual composed demeanor showed cracks, her hands trembling as she gestured to the defensive positions. They’d been preparing for war while we rescued prisoners, and the weight of that responsibility showed in their faces.

“Where is King Cyril in his war preparations?” I asked.

“Our spies indicate his army hasn’t left yet, but when they do, he’ll be marching with them,” Coralee said.

Grayson grunted. “We believe he’ll march with them after the Day of Mercy.”

“That’s just like him,” Naveah said dryly. “He’ll kill some of his people before leaving to try to kill most of ours.”

I nodded, my face hot with the truth of it.

“We have battalions in place along the border, and we’ve evacuated our remaining villages who might be in the line of fire,” Grayson said. “Dragon fliers have been patrolling the north, keeping watch for any sign of mobilization among those living in the southern Caldrith territories.”

“They’re not patrolling too far north, I hope,” I said.

“They’re flying at night to avoid being seen.”

”I’ve consolidated supplies,” Coralee said, studying the paper lying on the table in front of her. “If need be, we can hold them off for at least a month here.”

“With those from the surrounding villages residing within our walls?” I asked.

She gave me a satisfied nod. “Yes.”

“Good.” As silence descended, I studied their faces. “Anything else about the war preparations?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“We have news,” I said. “We found Isi’s mother’s property in the wasteland, in a valley protected by wards, untouched by the corruption. She’d been researching the veil breach, the Skathes, everything.”

Coralee gasped. Grayson frowned and nodded. Naveah barely twitched.

I described what we’d discovered, using only broad terms, not mentioning Lord Alfred.

“There are multiple controllers,” Trew said, his voice hard. “At least two working together to command the Skathes. We found evidence of coordination, of planning that spans years.”

I watched each advisor’s reaction. Coralee’s expression remained neutral, though her fingers drummed on the table, a nervous tell I’d noticed before. She loved Trew; I’d seen it in how she looked at him. But she had the most knowledge about bloodfire magic. Could she be using it herself?

Grayson’s eye twitched faster, his hands trembling where they rested on the table. He’d served Trew’s father for years before joining Trew’s advisor team. I couldn’t imagine him commanding Skathes. But assumptions were dangerous, and I’d learned not to trust my instincts about people’s capacity for betrayal.

Naveah sat quietly, absorbing the information with the same attention she brought to her leatherwork. She’d lived at Syllavar most of her life after fleeing Caldrith. She was trustworthy by all accounts, but that would be the perfect cover if she chose betrayal.

We shared what we could while hiding what we must, making no mention of our friends disguised as Skathes and how they were searching for Fenmark. They needed enough information to be helpful, but some truths were too dangerous to speak when a traitor might be listening.

“We must act before the Day of Mercy,” Coralee said, taking charge. “Five days remain. If we could leave today, two days’ flight to Caldrith by dragon will leave us three days to infiltrate, execute the rescue, and escape. The window is tight but achievable.”