Dark strands danced across Khayrivven’s forehead as he nodded. “And he hates magic wielders, so when he learned about my transfer to Ashthorn, he had a better reason to hate me than being the petty loser he was. He had finally found justification.”
“Who else knows about Ashthorn?” Another one of those questions she had never thought of because it hadn’t been relevant. But now that she was confronted with common military and Ulder’s court… She needed to know.
“Only the families with magic bloodlines who have pledged allegiance to Ulder and his reign. Leadership in the common military and units fighting in the Amrin Mountains, whereas the latter only know about the magical units fighting alongside them, not where we’re trained. It’s a complicated system of need-to-know information only, and usually the common military is glad not to be drawn further into themagic business, as they call it.” He shrugged. “Then there is Ulder himself, Lord Airmal Ycken, General Ycken’s brother, the guy you stole the Almelyte from?—”
“As if I’d ever forget,” she bit at him, the day she’d stolen the tall, lanky lord’s pouch vividly present in her mind. She’d stolen from the wrong man, she’d thought, but in truth, it didn’t matter whom she’d have stolen from. Khayrivven and General Ycken had been searching for her since the night of Evven’s death.
Khayrivven gave her an apologetic grin before continuing the list. “A few of Ulder’s advisors, of course, because someone needs to plan what to do with all those magical weapons, where to deploy them, and which ones to destroy, but that’s pretty much it.”
The way he said it, like thoseweaponsweren’t people, and their destruction didn’t mean yet another body to burn in the cremator.
“Brady Niely never got over it, but it’s not my magic he’s despising so much; it’s himself.”
Once more, Khayrivven’s blunt assessment of the situation caught Lory off guard. She’d become so used to the role of the cold captain he played at Ashthorn that she sometimesstruggled to consolidate how well he could read people, how on point his understanding of their motivations and struggles was.
“What happened with the girl?” She bit her lip, wondering if he’d consider her petty for wanting to know if he still had feelings for a ghost from his past.
“She left Dunai in the dead of night, leaving behind one young nobleman with a bleeding heart and one very angry Criu soldier.” His mouth curved in a half-smile. “Anything else you’d like to know? Ulder will soon be making his appearance, which means. Elina will be there, and I can’t miss her.”
His voice was steady, but Lory spotted his shaking hands as he folded his arms over his chest.
“Of course.” But the questions in Lory’s head didn’t ebb. “Just one more thing.”
With a nod, Khayrivven confirmed he was ready.
“What will happen with the three Flames in the dungeons?” Lory didn’t even want to imagine what Enya, Garrick, and Olive must have been enduring.
Khayrivven’s jaw worked. “They are alive. However, Lenya has been interrogating them about what happened in the cave, but so far, nothing much has come to light. They stand by their story, that they have been living in peace up there, away from society and unaware that their magic is forbidden.”
“When you sayalive?—”
“I mean, they arealive.” Khayrivven ran a hand through his hair, eyes on the floor. “But I don’t know how muchlonger they’ll survive if they don’t talk.” The compassion in his tone almost brought tears to Lory’s eyes.
“What does Lenya want to know? Maybe we could help spin a tale they could all stick to, and that would save the three flames.”
When Khayrivven’s eyes snapped up to hers, the ancient sorrow living behind his irises made her feel like a naive girl.
“Lenya already knows about the leonthor. He knows that the creature has been trapped up there, in the mountains. He knows the Flames have been gathering there, whatever they call it; it doesn’t change a thing. In his eyes, they are guilty because of the fire in their blood, no matter if they have been living in peace or preparing for war.” A quiet sigh moved his chest. “A lie won’t save them.”
“Then we’ll need to break them out of the dungeons.” It wasn’t right for them to rot in a cell on Lenya’s whim.
Again, that stare making her feel like a child for coming up with a suggestion like that.
“Don’t you think I’d already have gotten them out if there was a way?” He reached for Lory’s hand, wrapping his cool fingers around her too-hot ones. “If only Lenya would choose to execute them.”
Shock lodging in her chest, Lory pulled back her hand. “You meandeath would be a mercy,right?”
Khayrivven shook his head. “I mean that, if they are stabbed the right way, they stand a chance at surviving the trip down to the crematorium. They wouldn’t be the first ones I’ve smuggled out of Ashthorn.”
Lory’s jaw dropped. Literally unhinged as she tried to read Khay’s expression. “Youwhat?”
With a shrug, Khayrivven recaptured her hand, threading his fingers through hers. “If life pushes us to do unspeakable things, we need to become creative enough to work them to our advantage. In this case, to the advantage of a free Criulias.”
So many thoughts flooded Lory’s mind; she didn’t know where to start. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips. “It’s not like we’re safe to talk anywhere within Ashthorn’s walls, and I haven’t visited your dreams as much as I’d like to because Lenya makes sure to keep me busy during your bed hours. It’s not like he knows what’s going on between us, but he suspects there’s something more?—”
“What exactlyisgoing on between us?” Lory hadn’t meant to ask, and the expression on Khayrivven’s face made her wish she hadn’t.
