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‘I felt the same as you,’ she told her sister. ‘But there’s a reason —’
Wren scoffed. ‘A reason she bound me in shadow and lured you out into the darkness?’
‘Yes,’ Thea insisted.
Still standing a few feet away, Anya watched their exchange, her jaw set in a hard line. Wren’s expression was murderous as she surveyed their older sister, but Thea drew her attention away.
‘I want you to listen…’
Wren gave a derisive snort. ‘To her?’
‘To everyone here today,’ Thea said gently. ‘Then I want you to speak to Anya in private. To hear her out. As I did.’
She gave Anya a fleeting glance, trying to convey that it would take time, that her existence and history was hard to process for anyone, let alone the sister she’d held hostage.
Wren’s eyes narrowed. ‘If you think I’m going anywhere alone with that monster —’
‘Please, Wren. It’s not like you to make a judgement without all the information.’
Guilt bloomed in Thea’s gut as the words left her mouth. Wasn’t that exactly what she’d done with Wilder? Her face flushed and she refocused on Wren. She could practically hear her sister’s teeth grinding, but thankfully, Wren sat back with astiff nod, folding her arms over her chest, her gaze flitting back to the door.
Thea sighed, the tension tight in her shoulders.
Adrienne and Gus entered next. Adrienne gave Thea and Wilder a wave of acknowledgement.
‘Had your horses taken from Aveum and stabled next door,’ she said by way of greeting.
‘Thank you.’ Thea smiled at the crease between Wilder’s brows. She imagined he didn’t much like the idea of someone else riding Biscuit, but he said nothing.
Nor did Gus as he moved past them into the room, his lumpy, oversized knitted jumper making him look younger than his nineteen years. Wilder made a noise of disapproval, clearly not liking that a youngster was to sit in on their war council.
Dratos’ gaze cut to his. ‘We had words about it,’ the ranger said, jutting his chin towards his younger cousin, making it clear he didn’t want Gus there.
‘And the majority won,’ Adrienne said firmly, throwing an arm around Gus and guiding him to a chair, ensuring there was adequate distance between the two family members.
Torj and Cal looked particularly unsettled as several shadows still danced around the room. But they looked to Wilder, who subtly raised his hand from the table.Wait, he signalled.
Thea had to stop herself from shaking her head in disbelief. It was more than surreal to see the shadow-touched alliance out in a public space like this, let alone sitting opposite Thezmarrians. It had been only a week or so since she’d been hunting Wilder through the hinterlands with vengeance in her heart. Her loyalty to the rulers of the midrealms had been unflinching, unquestioning. And yet now here she sat. The two worlds were colliding with a force that left her momentarily stunned. The strain between them all had her on edge. She was sure a fight would break out at any moment —
Wilder squeezed her thigh under the table, as though sensing the shift in her.
However, Thea wasn’t the only one who was having the realisation. The various groups from all over the realms stared each other down, almost a challenge as to who would break first.
‘Someone better explain who called this meeting,’ Torj said, eyeing Dratos suspiciously.
‘Don’t look at me, Bear Slayer,’ Dratos replied. ‘I can think of a dozen things I’d rather be doing —’
‘Is the fate of the realms so low on your list of priorities?’ Adrienne snapped.
‘In case you haven’t noticed, the realms haven’t exactly been fair to —’
‘Fair?’ Anya cut in. ‘You want to talk aboutfairness?’
The scrape of a chair cleaved through the tempest brewing between them, and Audra, the librarian of Thezmarr, stood at the head of the table.
‘I called this meeting,’ she declared, peering over her spectacles to pin each of them with a discerning gaze. But when her attention landed on Anya, her expression softened. ‘For whatever it’s worth… I’m sorry for all you endured so young.’
Thea started with the realisation that Audra hadknownAnya as a child.
