He came to a full stop before me and waited. Thoughts clicked into place in my mind like cogs in a wheel, one by one. Adrenaline crawled slowly up my limbs, and my lips parted in disbelief. “I can reach my parents through the beast realm. But how, if they’re not there?”
“It’s a theory that’s never been tested, but you have their bestiaries. You can travel to the realm and try to connect with their beasts. And one of them—”
“Can force their way out,” I said, words tumbling out in excitement. I thought of all the times Dominus had opened the door on his own, how young Charmers just learning to hone their skills often lost control of their beasts entering and exiting the realm. How it happened with Calem and Effie, Oz and Jax.
“More than that, there’s a chance you can follow them through the door when it opens,” Gaige said.
“This”—Kaori struggled to find words—“is unheard of.”
“Is it really possible?” Raven echoed, her words no more than a whisper.
“We won’t know until we try,” Gaige said. “I’ve never been able to verify the theory because Charmers so rarely remove their bestiaries, and only family members even have a chance of encountering each other or their beasts in the realm.”
“How is this the first time we’re hearing of this? As Council members?” Kaori asked.
Gaige lifted a shoulder and offered a weak smile. “Because I never told the Council? It’s a family secret. Supposedly one of my ancestors performed the act to get back to their loved ones. It’s an old story we were all told when we came of age and were sworn to protect it. Again, I haven’t proven it, as the only ‘family’ I have left is you all here.”
Power once again surged through me, and I channeled everything I had into my symbol. Rosewood light fractured around me as the sound of the beast realm door opening washed over us. “I’ll test it right now. We can save my parents. We can save all the Charmers in Wilheim. They can even join us in our fight, assuming—”
“Wait.” Noc gripped my arm and begged me to meet his pleading gaze. “We need to think this through.”
Slowly, Gaige nodded. “He’s right. I’m not saying we don’t give this a shot. Otherwise I wouldn’t have mentioned it. But we don’t even know exactly where your parents are. What if you suddenly appear in the very throne room of Wilheim?”
My gaze flicked between them.
“I’m not saying don’t go, don’t try…” Noc let his hand fall away. “I would never rob you of that. But I’m asking you to take some time before you rush into this. Please.”
Taking a deep breath, I considered his words. I wasn’t just a Charmer anymore—I was the Crown of the Council and soon-to-be queen of Lendria. My responsibility was first and foremost to my people. All of my people. If I raced off to rescue my parents, I would be putting myself in danger. All Noc was doing was looking out for my safety so I could continue to guide and protect others. We needed a plan, and then we could act. Calling back my power, I wrapped an arm around his waist and nodded.
“Okay, Noc.”
He held me tight and placed a featherlight kiss on the crown of my head. “Thank you.”
“Yazmin won’t do anything rash right away—that would be counterproductive. She’s baiting you, Leena.” With that, Gaige let out a sigh that suggested he hadn’t slept in days. “For now, I’d like to clean up and get some much-needed sleep. I suggest you do the same in case we do move forward with this tomorrow. Let’s regroup in the morning.”
“Works for me,” Calem said through a stifling yawn.
“We’ll need to meet with Isla, too, at some point about our joint strategy with Rhyne’s forces.” Noc rubbed the back of his neck, attempting to chase away the tightness that had gathered there. “There are a lot of moving parts.”
“Sounds like we all need to be well rested, then.” Kost abruptly made his way toward the exit. “See you in the morning.” He walked out without another word.
If Gaige was flustered by Kost’s sudden departure, he didn’t show it. In fact, he already appeared half-asleep as he too mumbled a good night and left the library, Kaori, Raven, Calem, and Oz close behind him.
Pulling me tight against his chest, Noc wrapped me in another hug. There was nothing but love in his embrace, and I never wanted to jeopardize that. Nuzzling against him, I breathed in his honeyed scent and the last of my rattled nerves settled. I wasn’t sure how much sleep I’d actually get, knowing my parents were out there, but at least he was by my side. We’d come up with a plan. We’d use my parents’ bestiaries to sneak into Wilheim and rescue not only them, but all the captive Charmers.
Twenty-Nine
Leena
There were a few things to consider when it came to opening the beast realm door through my parents’ bestiaries. First, we didn’t even know if it was possible. Second, if it was, I’d still have to find their beasts, and that could take time. Time that would eat away at my power, making it more and more difficult for me to remain in the realm. Third, we didn’t even know where the Charmers were. Yazmin had always insisted that Wilheim was behind the disappearance of our kind, but she wasn’t exactly trustworthy. We’d seen her with the Sentinels and Darrien, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t discovered the Charmers on her own elsewhere. While it seemed unlikely, there was no telling until we actually traveled through the realm and exited the other side.
Which brought up a fourth sticking point that Noc couldn’t get over: sound. The obvious, glaring truth that, whenever one of our beasts exited the realm, the sound of the door opening couldn’t be muffled.
“If your parents are being held captive in Wilheim, presumably with guards, it will alert them to your presence immediately,” he said for the fifth time, his hair practically standing on end from how often he’d shoved his fingers through it. “I don’t want you walking into a trap.”
After hours of back-and-forth, only Gaige, Kost, Noc, and I remained in my quarters within the keep. Originally, everyone from last night had gathered here for a light breakfast to discuss a strategy, but with no end in sight, the others had left to meet with Isla and check on our forces. Noc had made it a point to rise early and greet her, just in case our own private predicament took longer than anticipated. He couldn’t be an absent king when our alliance with Rhyne was so new. Isla needed to believe he was as invested as his comrades, but I knew that one quick morning recap would only tide her over for so long.
“There’s no way around it.” Gaige sighed and reclined into his plush armchair. We were seated around a low coffee table littered with empty mugs and plates, the fire across from us on the verge of dying out. No one had moved to replenish the wood.
