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Saoirse’s brows rose. “And why is that?”
“Because someone caused all this. Someone who had enough knowledge and power to plan it. I intend to find out who before I move on with anything else they might try to destroy.”
Saoirse smiled. “Now you’re thinking like a queen.” She clasped her hands. “But this is going to be tricky. Those in power have an infinite amount of time and resources. They’ve waited centuries to enact their plans and they’re not about to make a mistake now. But Rion—” Saoirse chewed her lip. “I’m not sure how much time he has.” Fear welled up in Arianna and her stomach clenched. “My brother is alive, right?”
Arianna nodded. “But he’s been quiet. I can’t sense anything from him.”
“Whoever has him knows exactly how powerful he is, which, sadly for us, tells me they’re not stupid.”
“So how are we going to find him?”
Saoirse inclined her head toward Ellie. “I think this one has been doing a bit of digging, have you not?”
Ellie didn’t hide her smile. “I might have found a lead. But I need a distraction to get to him.”
Arianna whirled on her sister. “Who is it?”
“Wait,” Talon said, interrupting the females in the room. “Should we be discussing this with her here?”
“Her has a name,” Raevina replied coolly.
Arianna chewed her lip. “It’s fine.”
Talon looked between them. “It’s fine? That’s all I get?”
Arianna’s face heated, knowing he was likely to reprimand her. “I—well, I kind of went to her room a few nights ago and healed her.”
Talon shot Raevina a look. “You said you were fine.”
“I was. Mentally.”
“So you were hurt?” He stepped closer as if he might examine her himself, but Raevina stopped him with a glare.
“It was an old injury that’s no longer a problem.”
Talon was looking between them like they’d lost their minds. “I still don’t understand.”
Arianna took a breath. “Okay, there’s a whole conversation you missed out on because you were out in the field.” He crossed his arms as if to say he was here now. Her gaze flickered between Raevina and Talon. “Raevina was sent here to kill me.”
Talon’s mouth went slack as he observed the room, seeming to note that no one had a weapon drawn on the female. Arianna was surprised he hadn’t drawn his own.
“Care to elaborate on that?”
Raevina pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “My father send me here to kill an imposter.” She tilted her head. “Well, I doubt he’d care whether she was an imposter or not, but once I realized she wasn’t, I decided to forsake my father and dedicate my life and my people to our queen.”
Talon arched a brow. “Just like that? No loyalty to your family?”
Raevina’s eyes darkened. “If you knew how things were run in Fiadh, you’d understand family means absolutely nothing. My father has killed all but a few of his children, either because he deemed them too weak or he saw them as a threat. The High Lord’s seat is something constantly fought for. It is not kept with respect, only fear and strength.”
“Still not seeing how that makes you trustworthy.”
“I’ve wanted to overthrow my father for a very long time. Longer than you’ve been alive. Fiadh lost their honor when the last Divine died. We were meant to protect her and we didn’t. I wish to restore that honor.”
Talon seemed to scent the air, slowly accepting the truth in her words. Arianna glanced at Saoirse, who seemed amused by the whole scene.
After a few silent moments, Saoirse cleared her throat. “While that was interesting, I’d very much like to return to our previous conversation.” She nodded toward Ellie. “You were saying?”
Ellie eyed Talon, waiting for another interruption. “Right, I think the assistant to Niall, Gavin, knows something.”
