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“Easy for you to say that when you remain here while we go out there and fight.” Perhaps this was disrespectful, but Fel was getting desperate.
The First Mage didn’t seem bothered. In fact, he chuckled. “Quite easy because I know what my part entails, and I know its value.” He raised his hand and pointed behind Fel. “There. Through that circle.”
It was a floating fire ring, like the ones the dragons flew through, but small. “Am I supposed to jump through it?”
“You can always stay here to chat some more, but I might not be in the mood to grant you passage home again. I’d jump if I were you.”
Again Fel would leave this place knowing nothing, with more questions than answers, with more confusion than clarity. But then, he wasn’t going to risk his luck. He jumped as if he had to go over a high fence.
On the other side of the ring, he found an abyss. He was near that cave that led to the passage to meet the First Mage, except that he’d jumped too far and now he was falling on the water. No way he would be able to swap forms now, and the height was too great, meaning that the impact on the water could be deadly. Was he supposed to turn back time or not? How would he do it if he was dead? Unless it was an illusion, a trick. Goodness, he had to think fast, or the surface of the ocean would squash him.
* * *
Naia staredat the water around her, still half in disbelief at her plan. At first she’d been in shock, when River had ordered her to be sent to a room, and then these two fae women came, armed with swords and bows… But all they did was fill a bathtub with water. They were servants doing double duty as guards and chambermaids.
Now they stood in the room, watching as Naia bathed. This was someone’s bedroom, but Naia didn’t know whose. She did think that a bath was a huge waste of water, considering the situation in the Ancient City, but she didn’t have much say when the order had come from the king himself.
She wondered about the magic keeping her as a queen, and how much power she truly had. It was more than a queen consort, and yet less than River, which was a problem.
The door opened and Naia wondered how many people exactly were going to see her naked. While nudity was not taboo among fae, or even among human women, she had grown up only with her brother and father, and appreciated some privacy for these moments.
At least it was only Anelise, which was a relief. The fae was Naia’s only ally in this place, perhaps the only person who understood what she was going through.
“Stay where you are,” River’s sister ordered the two guards, then she kneeled by the basin, put a hand inside, and started shaking the water. Smart. She wanted to muffle their conversation. “Should I assume you have a plan?” she asked Naia.
“Not… exactly. But I want to mix our magic.”
Anelise nodded. “It will make him more powerful.”
“It goes both ways.”
“And then what?” She stopped moving her hand and stared at Naia, then seemed to recall why she was doing it and continued.
Naia tensed. The truth was that she wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen. “I’m hoping I’ll figure it out.”
Anelise looked at the water, then whispered, “Are you going to try to kill him?”
A bitter taste came to Naia. This was one possibility, and could be a necessity. “What if I do?”
“You might not survive your attempt.”
Naia had rather been expecting some censure about trying to kill Anelise’s brother. Not that she was going to do that. Still, she had a question. “I gave you power to act in my stead. If something happens to me—”
“Your order will be void. I will have no more power.”
“What if we both die?”
“The next in line is Forest.”
Naia didn’t really like him, just based on what River had told her, but then, he couldn’t be worse than Cynon’s vessel. She decided to be even more honest. “I want to save River, not kill him. Do you have any suggestions? Advice? Ideas?”
Anelise took a deep breath. “Delay. Delay as much as you can. Allow yourself to soak up his magic as much as you can, and then do what you have to do.” Her tone was grim.
“You still think I’m going to kill him.”
At first, the only answer Naia got was silence, broken only after a long while. “You will be in a privileged position. Few will be able to get that close to him.” Her voice was so quiet, even Naia could barely hear her. “Shall you waste your chance? And what is the alternative?”
The truth was that Naia didn’t know. She was acting on a hunch, a very vague hunch, and hoped that there would be another solution. “You think I should kill him.”
