Page 305 of Sky’s Edge

“You ask a question you know the answer to. In this case, you know she is the Visitor,” Clover, one of the Council of Three, reminded Felenia with strained patience.

“And you know my nephew is also in the line of this fire,” Felenia did her own reminding.

“Prince Cormac is being watched,” Clover retorted.

“Watched!” Elspeth threw up her hands, exasperated, but she said no more.

“We were informed your son made contact,” Juliliel, another member of the Council of Three, noted.

“Dinyn did,” Elspeth replied. “But he couldn’t exactly say, ‘Hey, my mom is a Sister of the Tribe. You can trust me. I’m an ally.’”

“He can now,” Salyna murmured. “Monique spilled the beans.”

“She had no choice,” Clover stated. “She had her orders. Intervene covertly, unless the danger level was such, exposure was necessary. The danger was such, exposure was necessary. Therefore, she followed her orders to the letter.”

Elspeth eyed Monique where she sat under the shining sun across the open-air oval space on a bench carved in white stone.

“We need to send more Visitors,” Salyna declared.

“Monique seems to be working just fine,” Elleliese, the last member of the Council of Three said.

“And it is my future king who’s on the line. I don’t have to remind you, me, and all my ancestors, have been assigned to serve the Dayrise Dynasty since it emerged,” Salyna said.

Before any of the Council could reply, Calisa’s voice rang out.

“I call a vote on sending more Visitors!”

As the noise of the stamping feet and snapping fingers rose, Clover snatched up her staff and struck its edge against the white stone by her feet.

A great wave of light flashed out from the strike, rushing over the space, and the assemblage went silent.

“It is up to them to fight this battle,” Clover told them what they all knew. “It is a test of the gods they must best on their own.”

“We failed the last time,” Felenia returned.

“It is up to them,” Clover repeated. “As it was the last time.”

“With some help,” Elspeth put in.

“As with the last time, the Visitor was chosen by the gods,” Clover shot back.

“We haven’t exactly stayed tucked safe on this isle,” Felenia pointed out. “Calisa is Queen of Night’s Fall. I’m a Royal Princess of Land’s End. Elspeth is the mother of a representative of the Center. Salyna is an advisor to the crown of Dawn’s Break. And our lost sister Darynda birthed the current king of Sky’s Edge. We’re entrenched. We’re involved. And the beings we love, and some of us birthed, are in mortal danger.”

“Unless the gods speak, those beings will save our blade of realms—” Elleliese began.

“Or they’ll die trying,” Calisa bit. “Yes. Yes. Save the grand clichéd proclamations. We know. What we’re saying is, we were made warrior for a purpose. We are not made simply to watch. We are made to defend.”

“We are made,” Juliliel began soothingly, “to perform the will of the gods.”

The white oval fell silent.

For they all knew this to be true.

Calisa, Felenia, Elspeth and Salyna looked at Monique.

She lifted her chin nobly.

Monique was a consummate sister.