Page 148 of Queen of War and Ruin

“The elves of the Kingdom of the Fall were locked underground,” I continue, “after losing their war with the Kingdom of the Summer, right? Until a magical weapon from the dragons let them out.”

“Shit,” Zarek hisses. “That’s where I’ve heard of it. That’s what’s on the other side of Vederill Pass. Dragons and the Kingdom of the Fall. That’s where the elves escaped from their underground prison.”

I swallow hard. Elrick and Anura stare at me with wide eyes. Zarek shakes his head, and Petrys looks like he’s about to be sick.

“That’s where we should go,” I announce. My voice comes out high and tight, like it’s being pinched. “We should cross Vederill Pass.”

Elrick shakes his head. Gerard laughs, like an explosion in his mouth.

“Why?” Anura asks.

“Because this kind of magic has been used before,” I say. “And that means someone over there knows how it works. They might even know how it can be stopped.”

Elrick pinches the bridge of his nose. Anura gives me a sad little smile.

“That’s where Varitan is going,” Zarek says in a somber voice. “I found his plans, his contracts with Malrik. He’s crossing Vederill Pass once Malrik’s done with him. Honestly, he might only be working with Malrik so he can get enough soldiers to cross Vederill Pass. And I think I know what he’s looking for.” Zarek takes a breath. “His son.”

Petrys mutters a string of curses under his breath.

“That’s all the more reason for us to go,” I say. “Before Varitan gets there. What if we can find what he’s looking for? What if we can stop him?”

“Shit,” Gerard mutters. “Princess, listen to yourself.”

I turn to him and frown. Gerard meets my gaze. He looks older, in the fading light. Older and somehow sadder.

“That magic bullshit,” Gerard says, waving his hand in the vague direction of Vsenrog. “That’s not our problem.”

“What?” I ask.

Gerard sighs, then looks at Elrick. “You and your brother, you’re all that’s left of the Kingdom of Marion. And this dipshit here,” he waves his hand at Petrys. “He’s got a point. Malrik will come looking for you. If you stay here, you’re endangering everyone who’s trying to rebuild their lives in this valley.”

Elrick winces, but he doesn’t disagree. My hands twist together at my waist.

“If Marion is going to have even one chance in the nine hells of surviving this damn war, then you need the Allied Kingdoms,” Gerard continues. “All the kingdoms that are left. Wherever you might find them. What you do not need to do is to charge off across Vederill Pass, looking for something that might not even exist, trying to be godsdamned heroes.”

The room falls silent. Distant laughter drifts up through the open window. Laughter from the people Malrik’s armies would slaughter if they knew Elrick and I were here.

“He’s right,” Zarek finally says. His voice is as soft as the dusk claiming the sky outside the window. He turns to me, and the expression on his face is so sad that I have to squeeze my fingers together to keep from reaching for him. “Even if we could find what happened to the Kingdom of the Fall,” he says, “there’s no reason to think that knowledge would be freely given, or that it would help us. Hells, Varitan’s son might be even worse than Varitan. And⁠—”

He takes a breath, then glances at Gerard. Gerard nods at him, almost like he’s granting Zarek permission. Zarek gives me a sad half-smile that looks almost like an apology, then turns back to Elrick and gives him a strangely formal little bow.

“Prince Elrick,” Zarek says. “The weapon. Varitan’s magic. I might be able to stop it.”

Chapter 73

Zarek

AND YOU CAN LIGHT A CANDLE

“What?”

Lilias’s question drops like a crystal vase on a marble floor, and I wince. Gods, I should have told her earlier.

“Zarek, you can’t,” Lilias continues. “That’s absurd!”

She turns to Petrys, who looks uncomfortable but doesn’t say a damn thing, and then to Gerard.

“You saw what happened,” she says. “Varitan has horrible magic! There’s nothing we can do against magic!”