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“No, that’s—” Gods, they were serious. “Learning to rule a continent is a far cry from whatever this is. We’re talking about people’s lives. Hell, if Niall raises an army, we’re talking about another war.”
“Which is why we’re here to weigh the pros and cons,” Raevina said.
“Oh sure, let’s not pretend if it wasn’t half-breeds that you’d even hesitate,” Zylah spat.
“You know that has nothing to do with it. He didn’t just target half-breeds,” Raevina countered.
Talon folded his hands. “But if we wait and those shadows really are part of an army he’s gathering . . .”
“What army would rise against the queen?” Ellie questioned.
“A hired one,” Saoirse said. “He has access to countless funds, and mercenaries will fight anything for a high enough price.”
Ellie rolled her eyes. “Humans, maybe.”
“Don’t underestimate humans,” Raevina warned. “They have iron weapons at their disposal, and let’s not forget how our ancestors ended up on this continent in the first place."
Arianna had the very distinct impression the entire group had already settled a few arguments.
“Say we storm the manor,” Talon said, his gaze focused on Whelan. “Are you able to see whether we’d emerge victorious?”
“Don’t ask him such complex questions. A seer isn’t able to see whatever they wish to see,” Eimear said.
“Then how does it work?” Zylah asked.
“I cannot explain it. Call it destiny, the universe, the gods. Something out there sends the visions our way when we need them.”
“Are you sure you can’t see if your visions would be any more detailed?” Gavin asked.
Saoirse gave him a warning growl but Eimear’s stare was icy as she said, “Unless you wish for Niall to find us from the sheer force of my abilities alone, then no, I can’t.”
“What do you mean?” Talon asked, though Arianna was certain it had more to do with curiosity than anything.
“My power wants out. I started to feel it crawling beneath my skin after a decade. It’s angry and ready to burst from its cage in a way I don’t think anyone is prepared for. Myself included.”
“Is that safe?” Arianna asked. “For you, I mean?”
Eimear offered her a gentle smile. “It’s one of the reasons I’m waiting until I’m stronger before setting it free.”
Rion finally leaned forward and clasped his hands together. “You mean to tell me that you expect Arianna to choose between saving the half-breeds and leaving them to their fate?”
“It’s her choice to make,” Avalon said. “Either way, we’ll have to retake Ruadhán eventually. We may or may not have the numbers to do so now. A lot of that rides on how many would follow their queen over Niall.”
Talon unfolded his arms. “If we allow Niall to remain in his current position, he could try to rally others to his cause. But if we advance now, we can eliminate all that and place Arianna where she belongs.”
“We have the numbers,” Raevina said. “I estimate at least half won’t fight for Niall after what he did to the council, and the other half only follow because they’re scared out of their minds. It’ll be easy to rally them to our side."
“If you go in swords swinging, he’ll kill the half-breeds,” Zylah said. “You need to consider stealth as an option.”
“It won’t do any good,” Gavin said, his eyes studying the patterns in the floor. “He’ll know you’re coming. He likely already knows you’re coming.”
“I told you he had a flair for the dramatics,” Ellie said.
“I’m serious. He’s always three steps ahead. No matter what you plan, Niall will have a second plan in place.”
“So we’ll have a third,” Rion said, unfazed. “No one is unbeatable.”
“So are we saving the former slaves?” Zylah asked.
