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A hefty promise. I had meant what I said. But now, looking at Odessa, I realized I had no idea where we stood.
“You believe the war in Eskira is not of mortal design. That there is more at play here.”
Slowly, she nodded. “Some things are too great to be coincidence. You sought a weapon of great power.”
“Excalibur.” I had not forgotten. I had met my mate along the way to that cursed sword. Some day, I looked forward to telling Morgan’s brother face-to-face just how overvalued the blade was compared to his precious sister. Some day.
“But all along, it was being sought by another. A mortal king who had been schooled in its usefulness.”
“Fae and mortals have both used that sword,” I pointed out.
“When was the last time all three items were together?” Odessa asked. “Excalibur slipped from your grasp.”
“I saved Morgan Pendragon instead,” I reminded her.
“The blade’s worth pales in comparison to her life. I am well aware. Yet you returned here with the grail. Now the grail and sword are gone.”
My sister had taken one. Morgan’s sister had taken the other. Ironic? Perhaps. Depending on who they had taken them to.
I gave a short laugh. “And here I thought you’d balk at getting the Siabra involved in an intercontinental conflict. Youwantus there.”
“Iwantus ready,” Odessa replied. “I want us prepared. We are nowhere near that point.”
I stared at her. “What do you mean?”
“The Siabra barely retain a hold on the city above us. Let alone this continent. We are polarized, disorganized, and yes, shockingly weak.”
“Do you really think Sephone cared for anything outside of this court?” Hawl growled.
“She did not have your father’s... grasp... of politics. Or logistics,” Odessa clarified. “She let many things fall by the wayside during her term as regent.”
“Including our defenses,” I said as understanding dawned.
Odessa nodded. “Our defenses are practically nonexistent. As you know, various Siabra nobles rule over their own smaller courts across Myntra. All of them owe allegiance to the Umbral Throne. But it has been a very long time since that allegiance has been tested. Since any of them have had to pay anything but the minimal fealty.”
“And our army? Our resources here, in Noctasia, and in the ports of Sorega?”
“All sorely diminished due to a lack of support and funds. There is much work to be done if we are to face the Valtain on firm footing, whether here or on the battleground of Eskira.”
I glanced at my stepmother’s body lying on the floor. There was no point in blaming her now.
I felt no remorse as I looked at her form. No grief. Her end had been a long time coming. Hawl had acted ruthlessly. But at least the death had been swift.
There was a time I had similarly excelled at delivering swift and merciless deaths to my foes.
But since returning home to the Court of Umbral Flames, something had hindered me. I had stayed my hand more times than I could count. And my friends had shielded me despite this. Morgan had shielded me.
I looked at Odessa. “I swore I would be at her side. I swore our power would be her power.”
I had also told Morgan I wished for peace.
I still did. But based on what Odessa was suggesting, peace was no longer a likely prospect. At least, not yet.
Only from the crucible of battle could the elixir of peace be distilled, my old tutor had claimed.
“And it will. Now you can get down to the brass tacks. You won’t have to waste time giving Sephone a trial she didn’t deserve in the first place, or lose time listening to her sycophants and dealing with more assassination attempts from her delusional supporters.”
“Instead, you want me to move ahead and do what?” I already knew where I longed to go. Now I wondered how I’d managed to hesitate this long.
