Page 113 of The Last Syphon

“I am not referring to the Borderlands.”

“Then what?” Lady Armanie sat forward, a thoughtful frown on her face. “You talk of even further south?”

Lord Howling’s blue eyes widened in shock. “The Dead Kingdom?” Fear dripped from his voice. “You must be joking.”

“Do I seem like a joking man, Lord Howling?” Prince Walder asked, brow raised.

“Hardly, but given this instance, it is the only appropriate response. Tolanaa is in ruins. What possible urgent matter could you be referring to?”

Inara wished that she was not behind Prince Walder so she could see his face. She wasn’t exactly an expert at reading him, but she would take anything at this point. What in the Fates is going on right now?

“The cursed land is spreading.”

Inara wasn’t the only one to stiffen in shock. Even Lady Armanie’s guard seemed to recoil in surprise—the first movement she had seen from the man yet.

“That’s impossible.” Lord Howling’s voice quivered.

“What evidence do you have to support this?” Lady Armanie questioned instantly.

Prince Walder picked up a stack of papers and offered it to them. They took it, reading over them as he spoke. “We sent several scouts to investigate. At first, they reported a clear shift within the land markers. The boundary line between Tolanaa and the Borderlands has extended. Where the Borderlands first ended and Tolanaa began is no more. The black, rotted land has expanded exponentially, encroaching into the Borderlands, and it increases with each day.”

No. No. Surely not. If something like this was happening, Inara would surely know about it, would she not? Guilt hit her hard—no, she wouldn’t. She stopped caring about the other villages within the Borderlands a long time ago. Looking after Deadhaven was more than enough for her. She didn’t need the added pressure of all the other villages on her shoulders too. If it didn’t involve or concern Deadhaven, she never wanted to hear about it.

Lord Howling shook his head, refusing to believe the eyewitness accounts written right in front of him.

“You said, ‘at first?’” Lady Armanie swiped a lock of her copper hair out of her eyes. “And the last date on these reports was several months ago…”

“Yes.” Prince Walder sighed, almost as if he wished they would not notice. “Our attempts to find out more have been unsuccessful.”

“Unsuccessful? What does that mean?” At Lord Howling’s clear signs of agitation, his Guardian rose up upon its tail and stared. Inara dropped her gaze immediately to the floor, knowing better than to look into the eyes of a Basilisk, but she kept her peripheral vision on high alert.

“Our scouts have not returned.”

Relief washed over Lord Howling’s face. Inara had no idea why. It didn’t sound like something to be relieved by, in her opinion. “So, what you’re saying is you have no idea if the situation has improved?”

“What?” Prince Walder questioned in confusion.

“Well, you just said it’s been a while since you’ve last received a report.”

“I said our scouts have not returned.” His words needed no further clarification. It seemed pretty fucking clear to Inara.

Lady Armanie shifted in her seat. “Where are they?”

“I do not know. They have simply…not returned. All attempts to locate them have failed.”

Agitation wafted from Lord Howling. “Meaning?”

“Several search teams have been sent to the south over the last few months in an effort to locate them, but”—the prince paused, and Inara had a feeling she was not going to like what he said next—“they have yet to return either.”

That explained why he’d had such a visceral reaction to her comment about the rumours circulating between travelling merchants. There was truth to it. It wasn’t just ghost stories. People were travelling to the south and going missing.

Lord Howling shook his head. “It doesn’t mean anything. For all you know, they’ve defected. Decided to live out the remainder of their lives in the Borderlands. Just because they haven’t come back doesn’t mean something bad has happened to them.” It sounded like he was saying that more to himself than them.

“Our Chosen are dedicated warriors. Honourable. They would not abandon their kingdom or defy their king,” Prince Walder said adamantly.

“But you’re not the king, are you?” Lord Howling spat. His fear was showing his true colours, unable to keep the facade he usually put on for others in place.

Prince Walder did not react, but Tydus growled, no doubt feeling the anger and frustration emanating from his Chosen.