Page 111 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

“The same way I am able to do most things on my land—I am an Obscur. Atlas found an old article about an Obscur travelling the mountain range for science, to see if what grew in the mist had any effects on the vegetation—”

“Henrik,” she said, interrupting me. “You’re babbling and I am a blink away from falling asleep.”

Mal chuckled, leaning back on his door frame, watching the two of us with amusement. “I’m going to love watching him make everyone in Adriata call him Henrik. He has always hated using that damned name.”

Snow frowned at my brother and then at me.

“Point was,” I said, breaking whatever thought was crossing her mind. “I can go inside the Danics magic.”

“We can go in it,” she said, pointing at the two of us.

I laughed. “No.” Not taking her anywhere near danger.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes. What makes you think I trust you not to ruin this.”

“Why would I want to ruin this?”

Her face shifted all malice, her eyes sharpening. “Perhaps get the sceptre for yourself and do what my father wants to do.”

That made me guffaw. “Love, if I wanted to ruin the realm. I wouldn’t need the sceptre to do it.” Only a thought and the lands of gods would never see sun or light and life again.

Mal plopped on our bed beside me. “I can second him on that.”

Snow glared at him. “How proud you must be to be the brother of death.”

Mal took a deep breath and murmured, “Very proud.” He fished something out of his jacket. “Adriata is all clear and so is Hanai, including Sayuri island. Visha is preparing for my next trip inside Isjord. I met Albius at Highwall early today and he is going to map out everything for me. He has some doubt they could be in the Islines, beyond the old Krigborn lines. Aryan apparently had a lot of spies inside the court of the barbarian king that kept an eye there for Silas. It is not impossible that they could be there.”

She took the paper from him. “You will not go without me inside the Islines. Eren travelled with father once inside the old Krigborn lands and returned half astound. If you lose your mind, who will do all my dirty work?”

“Ah, all this love fills me with such joy.” He pushed up, leaning on his elbow to face us. “Brother, how do you do it? It must be so overwhelming.”

She read the wrinkled thing with narrowed concentration. “This is why I stab him now and then, so the overwhelm can just pour out of him.”

“That so?” I asked, lying down in the little space between the two. “Get out, Mal.”

He stretched, yawning and turning to give me his back. “Sleep well.”

Sigh. “Malik.” My brother had gone to sleep at the click of his eyelids.

Snow stood up a little and blinked at Mal who’d begun full on snoring. “I want to be in the middle.”

There was a breeze in my meeting room. A grey leather clad breeze, with deadly green eyes, curly dark brown locks and a scowl. The Zephyr stood tall and unforgiving with his arms tightly crossed over his chest. “I’m coming with you.”

Snow stopped fiddling with her grey leathers and gave him a glare. “Why?”

“Not a chance I’m leaving you to go inside this…mist with him alone,” he said, pointing to me. “Not with what Nia told me about it.”

“Not mist,” Mal corrected, lifting a finger.

“Fine,” Snow said. “Come if you must.”

My brother stood up. “If he is coming, I am coming, too.”

“What?” Snow and I asked at the same time.