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“You mortals are so sentimental.” The Oracle paced restlessly to the windows, her feet clicking on the floor. “The Fae are expendable. The magic is all that matters. Once it is lost, it will never return.”
She crossed her arms behind her back, staring out at the mountains. “This room always did have such a beautiful view. It’s why I chose the Wynter Palace for our meeting today.” Her creeping gaze slithered over to Tavion. “The commander was kind enough to execute the Wynters for me, to make sure we had it all to ourselves. Isn’t that right, Tavion?”
Tavion’s lips pulled back as he bared his teeth at her, and in that moment, I wished he’d shift and tear her throat out, but her power kept us pinned down on our knees.
“As I said, time will look different to you after tomorrow. Fae lives are fleeting and insignificant. But I know I can count on mortals for one thing…” Her black teeth flashed. “Loyalty to your friends. Zorander and the Solarys army will be ambushed in a few hours.” The Oracle clicked her tongue at Raz.
“You know where they’ll be attacked, I’m assuming?” Raz asked through gritted teeth.
“Outside the entrance of the place they call the Caverns. The king’s new High Commander has stationed two hundred of his most deadly soldiers in those caves with their hunting hounds and fifty mages. A full complement of Taranth archers have been dispatched to the south to the bluffs.”
Tavion managed to lift his head. His mouth twisted in pain. “The commander’s name is Hightower, if I’m not mistaken. A brute of a male who will leave no survivors. But I know his tactics.”
The Oracle jerked her head in approval. “Then you’ll both know what to do, I expect. There are another few thousand waiting in the old forest, and they will trap Zorander between them. It will be a slaughter.” Her voice narrowed down to a hiss.
“You can stand by and watch, or you can stop this. It is your choice.”
“You bitch,” Tristan hissed. “You set this all up. What the fuck do you expect us to do? Stop the entire war?”
“You should thank me.” She scuttled over, clasped Tristan’s face in her hands, and lifted his face to hers. I lost my breath, waiting for her to snap his neck for his insolence, but she just brushed back his hair with horrific gentleness.
Worse. Oh gods, that was almost worse, and Tristan’s hazel eyes slid sideways and found mine, filled with the same horror I was feeling. “Do I even need you for this to work?” she murmured, pressing his face between her hands, his eyes bulging.
“Don’t hurt him,” I pleaded. “He didn’t mean it.”
She dropped Tristan, and I cringed as he hit the floor, but he was alive. “I’m offering you a chance to warn Zorander and prevent his death. The rest of his army, though, they will bleed.”
She’d trapped us so neatly, none of us could escape. Tavion glared steadily at the Oracle, so much rage in his eyes I lost my breath.
“You have two hours before the Solarys army reaches the ambush. Enough time for Raziel to come up with something…clever. Use those old, rusty skills as the king’s general to your advantage. If you arrive late, well then, I suppose we’ll just have to see who survives the carnage.”
Ever so slowly, her crushing power receded from the room and my body went limp, aching muscles, tired of fighting her controls, finally able to relax. I slumped to the floor, my knees sliding out from under me.
Zor was riding into a trap. If we didn’t make it to the Caverns in time…
No, I wouldn’t think like that.
“Fly, little thief. Fly to save your friend,” the Oracle urged as I watched her from my place on the floor. “Remake my world for me. Perhaps we will rule Valarian together, you and I, when this is done. Sisters.Queens.”
All lies. This jealous creature would never share,hadnever shared anything. I pushed up onto my elbows, putting every bit of rage into my eyes as I could muster. “You are a fucking monster.”
“I’m not the one who tortured Solok before I killed him. Tell me, how did it feel when you ended him, Anaria?” Her black tongue flicked out to wet her lips. “Did his death make you feel powerful?”
“We should get going.” Raziel lifted me to my feet, brushing his hand lightly down my back, his eyes never leaving the Oracle.
“We don’t have a lot of time.”
18
ANARIA
Our horses were already saddled and ready, courtesy of two Tempeste guards whose faces were as blank as the sheer face of the mountain towering over us. Raz, Tristan, and I headed toward our mounts, though Tavion was nowhere in sight.
We had to get moving. Every minute might mean the difference between life and death for Zorander.
The Oracle skittered down the castle steps with a look of such gloating triumph, I wanted to rip that expression right off her face.
“Give me back my world. Bathe this soil in blood so the land can live again.” The Oracle’s raspy command made me want to vomit. Made me want to tear these iron bands from my arms and burn this world, not remake it.
