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Hywel let out a low, rattling growl and marched toward Robin, who'd remained watchful and silent as we'd argued. "Release him. We'd better get inside and decide what's to be done."
The roots relaxed around the puck's legs, retreating back into the ground, and Hywel grabbed him by the beard, tugging the yelping man along toward the open doors.
Conall held me in place as the others turned to follow, squeezing me close and pressing a long kiss to my temple. "Wiseandlovely,mo chroí."
I huffed and rolled my eyes, but I leaned into the press of his lips, savoring the moment, knowing what came next would unsettle the peace I'd been soaking up for so many weeks.
* * *
"We have yetto so callously dismiss one of our allies to Birsha's mercies," Hunter growled, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees.
Feathers rustled from the corner where Amon surveyed us all. "The Wyrm was never, strictly speaking, one of our allies. He certainly never claimed as much."
Asterion sighed, scrubbing a hand over his forehead. "He took no action against us. Offered us invaluable information. Led us to—"
"Yes, yes, the sword," Amon huffed, waving a clawed hand.
Hywel bristled at the dismissal of Excalibur but remained lounging at my side, his arm thrown over my shoulder. He might've been the most prestigious monster of our gathering, but when it came to the tactical elements of this war against Birsha, the generals of our group were clear.
Auguste cleared his throat from the shadowed end of the room, where I'd thought he was sleeping. He must've been resting and listening to us all for the past hour. "You have to admit, Amon, that the Sword of Victors in our hands is a coup. We might've gone the war without it entirely, but the devastation if it had ended up in Birsha's keep would've been considerable."
Amon bristled, eyes glowing. "A rescue mission at this time, when weknowBirsha has gathered the very worst he can still find—"
"Would be ludicrous, yes," Asterion said, catching the sphinx's attention.
A tense, sharp energy that had been gathering like a storm cloud in the room settled slightly, and both Asterion and I sighed, even at opposite ends of the small crowd.
Hywel had dismissed the puck after a thorough interrogation, and it had been Laszlo himself who went to the kitchens and returned with a collection of simple foods for us to eat. Not a single shadow figure had passed through any door or wall, only our three collections. It was curious that at the heart of each group there was a woman, I thought, each of us with some human blood. I was sure that if Birsha had ever expected an enemy to rise up against him, it would not have been in the figure of a girl like Esther Reed.
He was afraid of her, they said. She and her monsters were why he had run from The Seven Veils the night of my escape.
I wanted him to be afraid of me too.
Hywel twisted a curl of my hair around his finger, and Conall's hand squeezed around mine where he held it in my lap.
"I will not deny that of all of us, I owe Rolant most," Asterion said to Amon. "I can undertake an effort to find out what happened to him myself."
"Asterion!" I gasped, but my soft cry slid beneath Hunter's answer.
"I will join you, my friend," the orc answered easily, nodding to Asterion at the minotaur's glance.
Ronan murmured in Hazel's ear as she frowned, and there was a pause before she nodded, her cheeks pale but her expression firm. "I'll come along," Ronan said to Hunter. "Can't hurt to have eyes in the sky."
Hunter hesitated, staring at his nymph love before nodding. "The rest of you should remain here," he said slowly, probably afraid Hazel herself would jump into the fray.
A throat cleared, and Ezra flickered into view where he stood behind Esther, her hands twisting in her lap. "I'd be happy to help. Better to remove me from the temptation of Hywel's treasure hoard anyway," he joked. "I make as useful a spy as I do a thief."
Esther's breath was ragged, her gaze shuttered, but she reached behind her, squeezing Ezra's hand until her knuckles were white.
Conall cleared his throat and stirred uneasily at my side. "I should—"
Asterion wheeled around and shook his head. "No, stay here. You know how I feel about this, and anyway…I'm not sure I could stand you half-crazed and eager to return," Asterion said lowly.
Conall's cheeks flushed, and his eyes remained steadfastly away from my own.
"Amon," Esther urged softly, turning to face her sphinx in the corner.
Amon sighed and nodded, looking more amused than resigned. "Yes, my star. Asterion, I'll join your party. Someone has to keep MacKenna in line, after all."
