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Zander shakes his head. “Not until we were running from Cirilea. It was a shock to me, at first.”
“And now?”
“Now …” Zander’s smile is soft. “I know Romeria’s heart. I know she speaks only the truth when she says she wants to undo all that Ybaris has done to us.”
Can he sense the relief that’s swelling inside me?
One secret is out, and no one’s drawn their sword … yet.
“Where did he find you?” Radomir asks.
I laugh. “That is a question for another time. Trust me.”
“But how? How does one rid us of this terrible poison that is tearing apart Islor, murdering its people every day?” Telor looks to me. “I will admit, I do not know much of caster affinities or what a key caster is capable of, but I assume if you were capable, you would have done it already.”
He might not know about caster affinities, but he’s wise and his words are sharp. And they offer a new clarity. “You’re right, I can’t do it. Not on my own. I need help.”
“From whom? Mordain?”
“No. From the nymphs.”
Telor’s eyes widen, but he remains quiet.
“They built Ulysede. Their power is at its pulse. You’ve been inside the city for hours now. You’ve felt the difference, haven’t you? You’ve seen what it can do?” I gesture toward Radomir.
Telor studies the sapling. “I did not see this transformation that Zander claims, no. But I do feel the difference in myself.”
“That’s because the blood curse is gone. That’s what the nymphs’ power is capable of—reversing the fates’ summonings. Their power can take away the blood curse, making the poison not matter.”
“That is in here. What about out there, beyond these great gates, where people are dying? How do we help them?” Telor pushes.
The answer is right there in front of me. It’s been there all along. “By opening the nymphaeum door and releasing the nymphs. It’s the only way forward.” I look to Zander. “It’s always been the only way forward. We just didn’t want to see it.”
He nods slowly, my words finding purchase.
Telor’s eyes are wide as he shifts between the two of us. “You can’t be serious about opening the nymphaeum door!”
I swallow my nerves. No more lies. “We already have. We didn’t know it at the time, but when we unlocked Ulysede, we started the process. The nymphs will return on Hudem, and their power will rid Islor of the blood curse. It’s what prophecy has foretold.” And what Lucretia has promised.
Elisaf’s hand smooths over his mouth, but the move doesn’t hide his shock.
Zander drops a hand on his friend’s shoulder—a silent apology for not telling him sooner. “Romeria is right. As much as I have not wanted to admit it, as much as we have fought the idea of it, through the fire is the only way to get to the other side in this. Queen Neilina’s summoning started a chain reaction that has now forced our hand. The nymphaeum door had to be opened, whether we meant to or not. Things are now in motion that we cannot stop, so we must focus on what we can. One enemy at a time.”
Kienen frowns. “But will the Nulling—”
“Yes. It will open, and untold creatures will emerge.” Zander nods. “But that is an enemy we can see, that we can slay with our blades.” His jaw is set with determination. “We did it once before, and we will do it again, if we join forces.”
Will Malachi be so easy to slay once he’s taken over Elijah’s body and his feet touch Islor? Gesine is right. There are some truths better left unsaid.
“At least her casters will have something else to focus on when the Nulling opens,” Elisaf notes.
“Do you think Queen Neilina will abandon her aim to invade Islor?” Kienen asks.
“I do not,” Zander admits. “And I would never trust any alliance with her.”
“What about an alliance with the heir to the Ybarisan throne?” Radomir asks. “It seems to me the easiest way to solve the problem of Ybaris would be to kill Queen Neilina. The throne would go to Romeria.”
“Me?” I already have one throne I didn’t want, and now he’s suggesting a second?
Zander smirks. He knows what I’m thinking. “The thought has crossed my mind, and it is true that we will never see peace while Queen Neilina breathes. But she will not join the battle. She will not even cross the rift until she can declare victory.”
“And she will travel with a circle of Shadows and elemental casters,” Kienen adds. “No one will be able to spit on her, let alone kill her.”
No one except perhaps her daughter.
“Unless our odds change, our main strategy must be to keep Ybaris from crossing the rift pass.” Zander slides the stone that represents our various bands toward the rift on the map. “The king’s army is scattered across Islor, trying to contain this poison. I have written Atticus to inform him of what we know, but I imagine he is too occupied with protecting Cirilea from Kettling’s aspirations to risk focus on the north. That leaves us to hold Islor. I hope, with forces from Lyndel”—he holds up a navy blue stone to represent the city, and then another stone, this one purple—“and Bellcross, we might present a viable defense. Whatever happens, they cannot cross the rift. In that, we must be united.” Zander turns to Telor. “Will you march with us and face this threat together?” It’s a tentative rallying cry.
