Page 156 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

“Why would my father—” My eyes drew shut and an angry laugh shook my body. “Melanthe was my father’s lover?” She’d betrayed her oath to Red Coven because she was my father’s lover?

“She was your father’s property.”

“Speaking about your father’s property,” Nia said. “We have news on the beast. Kilian obtained some of the beast’s spittle from the Solaryan caves and Visha tested it. The thing is a product of Caligo.”

Confusion rushed to my head all at once making me dizzy. “What?” But Kilian had reassured me. And he was rarely wrong.

“Further reason for you to return to me now,” Kilian said.

“Further reason for me to stay longer,” I said, reaching the mirror close enough that I almost bumped my head to it. “Seraphim—the gates to Empyrea, this is how my father would have reached it. This thing is made of magic from heavens.” I turned to Kilian. “You said—”

“And I still stand by it, love. I don’t know how your father unearthed this thing, but it is not of heavens and that I am sure of. I also believe it transforms. It turns into a human. The Abendrot exits leading to sea from where it had escaped after retrieving the sceptre piece in Solarya were too small to fit its size. Unless it turned.”

Human? It was human?

“Keep your eyes open, Snow,” Nia said. “It could be anyone around you. Perhaps even a servant.”

“You’d be suggesting I’d even closed them in the first place.” The way Kilian’s brows pulled together after I said it made me regret saying it.

The Bruma halls went starkly quiet when I strutted inside. Soldiers halted their sparring and bowed while I made my way through.

Renick stood between the courts, observing and shouting orders to his Aura.

“Nick dearest,” I said, creeping behind him and I could swear he flinched a little. “Where is your whip? You liked using that more than your voice.”

He bowed his head. “Your Highness.”

Verglaser Aura were doubled in mass from the last time I’d been in Isjord, they blasted their magic from all corners ahead, yet none as powerful as I’d expected them to be. None as powerful as the ones I’d fought in the ruins last year. “Your recruiting has expanded. Is father lowering his standards?”

“We’ve lowered the age of acceptance.”

Children. My father was using children in his battles and cleverly thought that forcing people to pray would help him garner godly approval of his good heart. Bet Krig was enjoying this more than anything. “Have you stopped giving your soldiers mirk root?”

“Yes, a couple weeks ago now.”

I clicked my tongue. “Need you to start giving it to them again.” See, I never claimed to be the nobler monster—if there was ever a competition for the better sort.

“What?” he stuttered out. “I cannot do that. Symptoms are showing quicker now. The Bruma command lost one hundred Aura last week alone. It won’t be longer before Silas catches on to it.”

“Renick dearest, I do not care. Give mirk root to them. It is a command,” I said, pointing to his wrist where our band of bargain was hidden. “Besides, it would be a shame to slit Fiona’s throat before your eyes and let wolves pick her organs apart before I let your soul be consumed by the bargain.” If we faced war, I needed father to lose as many of his Aura as possible even if it meant we had to double our troops in Myrdur to handle their attempts of breaching through the zgahna.

He breathed furiously and distressed, running his hands over his greyed hair over and over.

“There is not much of a choice. Don’t act like this is a struggle because it's not. You are scared of dying, Nick dearest. So is your daughter considering how much she begs me to spare her,” I said, a wicked smile on my face. How much fun this was. Reaching close, I brushed the pad of his shoulder with the back of my hand. “Renick. Your life hangs by a little thread that I am pulling. Ah, did you know I also hold a massive pair of scissors over that thread, too?”

He nodded. “I will give them mirk root.”

“That’s it, good pet,” I said, patting his chest. “Break apart, just like that.”

He shook a little, his jaw tightening with anger. “You are the same as your father, worst even.”

My grin was vile. “You worked hard, Nick dearest. Time to reap what you sowed.” That same sensation blew in the air rousing my magic to alert, and I turned to look around. The beast was hiding around the castle, I was sure of it. “Tell me,” I asked, still looking around. “Where does father keep his little green pet?”

Renick’s stare jerked about the court space. “You…you know?”

“Not my answer,” I crooned.

He swallowed. “No one knows. Besides the witch and Silas no one does. I’ve seen it once in passing in Moregan’s camps. Heard the rest from my Aura.”