Page 77 of Death Will Follow

“Where did you get this?” Nova asked, a hint of alarm lacing her words as she lifted her eyes to Bryn’s.

Callan and the others neared, drawn by the apprehension in her tone.

“I found it,” Bryn said, her brow creasing at she glanced at everyone suddenly gathered around her. “Among my things after we left the Autumn Court. I thought it was good luck. It saw us through the trials, after all.”

Callan snatched the stone from Nova’s upturned palm and drew his dagger. In one fluid motion, he set the stone on the table and brought the pommel of the blade down with a crushing blow, shattering the amber into countless jagged shards and sending them skittering across the onyx tabletop.

“That’s no lucky charm,” he said, looking to Nox and Lucan, who wore matching solemn expressions. “That’s a spy’s stone.”

“I thought it was for seeing loved ones.” Nova rose from her seat.

“That’s what salesfolk say, and most use them for that purpose,” Lucan explained. “But they’re also used for surveillance. The stones come in a pair. If you lift one to your eye like a spyglass, you can see where the other stone is, like peering through a windowpane.”

Someone has their eye on you.

Nova’s heart stuttered. She and Callan believed the medallion from Liv had been used to track their location as they traveled the Realm.

“So, if we’d looked through the stone, we might have seen who has been spying on us?” she asked.

Lucan snorted, flicking a bit of crushed amber in Callan’s direction. “Bit late for that now, isn’t it, Cal?”

Pressing her eyes shut, Nova recalled the day they departed the Autumn Court. “I can’t be certain, but I believe Evander may have planted the stone among our things. I saw him lurking near the horses. I thought he meant to make amends, but he left without speaking to any of us.”

“That prick,” Callan muttered under his breath. “He was the one feeding information to Omen all along.”

Nova laid a hand on his forearm.

Callan shot a glance at Bryn, his dark eyes flashing. “Did you have the stone out while we were speaking just now?”

“No,” Bryn insisted. She patted the small leather pouch hanging from her belt. “It was stashed away the entire time. I only took it out to give it to Nova once we were through.”

“But you sometimes held it while we were traveling?” Nova asked, already sure of the answer. It was the trinket she’d caught Bryn staring at as they neared Lotus Lake in Tundara.

Bryn’s face fell. “From time to time. It’s quite pretty, and holding it calmed me.”

Callan found Nova’s eye. “The ravens in Tundara. The repera in the Wylds. It was Evander all along.” He pitched his voice low so only she could hear him. “And to think, my medallion is drowning in a soggy patch of moss in the Spring Court.”

“Has it . . . heard all our plans?” Nova asked.

“No. It doesn’t work when covered,” Lucan explained with a shake of his head.

Nova blew out a breath. The worry in her chest eased a bit, but she frowned.

“Pyralis agreed to come to our aid,” she said, thinking aloud. “Why do that if they’ve been conspiring with Omen?”

Callan wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her against him. The warmth of his broad chest thawed the chill creeping across her skin. He sighed gruffly, a single word carried on the end of his exhale.

“Fawn.”

“I knew that fire heir was a tricky bastard.” Lucan jabbed a finger in the air. “He’ll do anything to get his sister back. Even align himself with the enemy.”

Nova looked at the floor, bits of broken amber scattered like stars on the polished stone. “It’s my fault she was taken. Can you truly blame him?”

“I can.” Callan curled a finger under her chin and tilted her face to his. “Fawn is like blood to me. We grew up together. That’s how I’m certain she would never blame you. Nor would she wish for anyone’s life to be sacrificed to save hers—least of all yours.”

“I stand by what I said.” Lucan leaned back against the edge of the table. “Having a kind sister doesn’t make him any less of a prick.”

“Perhaps not.” Callan dropped his hand from Nova’s chin and turned toward the others, assuming command of the situation. “But we don’t know for certain it was Evander who planted the stone, and we need all the help we can get. That tricky bastard has several hundred soldiers to spare. I have plenty I’d like to say to my cousin, but I’ll deal with him once we’ve rescued Fawn and stopped Omen.”