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She managed to reach Wildspring, a wildbringing kingdom. It was an attendant who replied, and all he did was take note of what she said. Karsal then contacted her. Naia was still embarrassed that his brother had talked so much to their princess when he had never meant to propose. It was a reminder that even her sweet brother could be cruel. Well, she hadn’t heard him making any promises. The Karsal king came to the mirror, and listened to her attentively, without interruption.
He was thoughtful. “Do you have proof that this happened? I’m not doubting you. It’s a question.”
“There are bodies here, and some burned uniforms.”
He looked away. “And what’s the proof it was the fae?”
Naia paused, trying to come up with some explanation, but nothing came to her. She sighed. “None. Other than logic, that is.”
“Does your father think it was the fae?”
“He’s ill.”
“Yes, but did he say anything?” His question was phrased slowly.
Naia didn’t want to put lies on her father’s lips. “I haven’t asked him. The soldiers who fought them were saying that the men looked like they were from Ironhold, but that it could be the fae.” For some reason her throat hurt.
“Are you sure?”
“We can’t be sure of anything, but I can tell you what I saw. I need to try to contact other kingdoms now.”
“Of course. These are dark times, girl, and your kingdom is in a delicate position.”
“I know. But I trust in the friendship among human kingdoms.”
“Interesting trust. Do you need anything from us?”
“No.”
“The connection can be severed.”
Naia stared at the blue mirror. Great. She’d been trying to do exactly what her father would never do, as a way to surprise Ironhold, and it was backfiring. They could still say Umbraar was making baseless accusations, even if she tried to make it seem that she had no intention of implicating the iron kingdom. Perhaps her attempt had been stupid. Super stupid, with that ridiculous-sounding lie. Perhaps she hadn’t been cut out to be queen after all.
As she was about to try Eaglehold, the mirror shone brighter, and a voice said, “Ironhold, Frostlake, Greenstone, and Wolfmark.”
Five was the maximum in a communication mirror at the same time. And this was Ironhold. Not only Ironhold, but their biggest allies as well.Nowshe would see if she was fit to lead a kingdom. For the sake of Umbraar, she hoped so.
* * *
Azir staredat the waves crashing on this strange beach, in a strange world. Everything so different from what he had always imagined. He rested his face on his hands. Ursiana. Why? Why? After all this time, why would she choose to hurt him like that, staying back to die in his place? Perhaps that hadn’t been love but hate. Perhaps she had known that she had hit him where it would hurt the most.
So much to do, so little he could control. Leandra—his daughter. In Ironhold clutches. Fel—in Umbraar. He should be safe—the question was for how long. Naia—it hurt so much to think about her, to remember those hateful last words. He shut his eyes tight. At least she was safe. Perhaps he didn’t approve of the life she was leading, but at least she was away from any conflict, with the man she had chosen, and it was up to him to respect that.
That left Leandra and her mother. Ironhold had taken Frostlake. What a harsh, strange move to hit their closest allies and so soon. Perhaps they had done it because Leandra would give them legitimacy, whereas they wouldn’t be able to take control of another kingdom as easily. Dirty move, but it made sense. The girl had said she was safe, and yet Azir should still rescue her. But then, Ursiana was in much more immediate danger. And her daughter could walk in the hollow. She could find Fel. Azir had to trust that she would do it.
That left Ursiana. He couldn’t just walk blindly in the hollow. That would only get him killed, and he would not be able to help anyone if he was dead. There was, or rather, there had been a weapon—now buried under all the debris of a fallen city, under so many lost lives, so much pain. But it was his answer, and the only way to get back there and get both of them out of the hollow alive.
He’d sworn he’d never return to Formosa. Just the thought of seeing the ruins of the city he had once loved wrung his heart—but he had to do it. More than ever, he had to know what had been left of the castle.
He’d need to be fast—and make no mistakes.
* * *
River foundhimself alone in a room with a bed and a sofa, surrounded by walls lined with iron. Not only iron, there was metal magic throughout it, to increase its barrier, to increase its efficiency against an Ancient. River could sense layers and layers of metal magic in it, as if they had designed this place carefully, as if they’d planned to imprison him.
Hilarious—and predictable.
This cage was freedom, and this imprisonment was the moment he’d been expecting for days.
