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‘I may not be able to give it back when I’m done,’ she said.
‘I’m sure you can do whatever you put your mind to,’ Torj replied. ‘But if that’s the case, so be it. Serves me right for not questioning it before.’
Audra took control of the meeting. ‘So, it’s settled. Elwren will investigate the poison and report back if it’s anything we can use to prove Artos’ part in all this.’
Wren looked to Farissa, her mentor, for approval before giving Audra a nod.
‘Good,’ the librarian said before motioning for Anya to continue.
Anya’s gaze shifted from Wren to Dratos. ‘You’ll have one of our shadow-touched see if they can find out more at the source, yes?’
Dratos made to stand. ‘I can go myself.’
But Anya stopped him with a subtle wave of her hand. ‘You’re needed here.’
He hesitated briefly, but sat back down with a nod.
Before the shocked quiet could sink into the room, Anya ploughed on. ‘We know that Artos is slowly making his way across the midrealms, attempting to curse its people and devour its lands with darkness. We’ve all witnessed the fading daylight, the tears in the Veil and the barren forests. Reports from the other kingdoms share similar findings. Rivers are turning brown. Crops are wilting on the vines, buds are no longer blooming… The world festers with each passing day, with more monsters encroaching than ever before – many of them cursed with the same blight of the wraiths and reapers.’
‘I’m assuming you have a broader proposal for us? A plan of attack?’ Thea asked. Wilder noticed that she hadn’t touched her wine; she had been watching the conversations unfold intently, her hand still covering his.
Anya nodded. ‘Adrienne?’
Adrienne stood, wearing the same hardy expression Wilder had seen several times during his time in Naarva, whenever she spoke to her rangers.
‘First,’ she started, her voice clear and confident, ‘the midrealms need to be made aware of what’s happening. Artos can’t hold the wool over their eyes forever, and they need to pick a side… Light or dark, men or monsters.’
Dratos made a noise at the back of his throat. ‘I resent that.’
Adrienne rolled her eyes. ‘You know what I mean. The remaining kingdoms need to be united against Artos and his host of reapers, wraiths and cursed creatures. Yes?’
‘Yes,’ several voices sounded.
‘Good,’ she said. ‘Thezmarr also needs to be united against him. We need the Guardians, the shieldbearers, and most of all… we need your alchemists.’
What?Wilder twisted in his chair to look at Wren and Farissa. Both women sat with their shoulders back and their hands clasped neatly before them, completely calm. Wilder supposed he shouldn’t be surprised, given what Thea had told him about her sister’s talents – he’d seen them in action himself on occasion. But alchemy? To face an army of monsters?
‘Audra told us we would be needed,’ Farissa said, her voice smooth. ‘We’re listening.’
Adrienne bowed her head in respect. ‘And we are grateful to you. We have reason to believe that your particular skillset will serve us well in Naarva —’
‘Naarva?’ Thea demanded. ‘You want to send Wren to Naarva?’
‘And the Alchemy Master, yes,’ Adrienne replied patiently. ‘We have been working on a substance over there that could turn the tides of a war against the reapers and their kin.’
‘We have already created an alchemic gas to patch the Veil, though we’ve had very few chances to test it… What kind of substance do you speak of?’ Wren’s curiosity was clearly piqued.
‘We do not talk of it outside of our safe houses, but know that it is heavily guarded and protected by the most powerful of our kind.’
Wren stared at Adrienne. ‘So, you expect us to turn our backs on Thezmarr, become known traitors to the midrealms, and go with you willingly to a fallen kingdom to meddle with some substance we know nothing about?’
‘Sounds like your dream come true,’ Wilder heard Thea mutter to her sister, who shot her a disapproving look.
‘I’ll give you more specifics after this meeting,’ Adrienne reassured them. ‘But as for the rest of us, the tasks are clear. Anya and Dratos are to gather the shadow-touched folk into a unified fighting force. I will be gathering intel and doing what I can to free prisoners from the shadow camps we’ve mentioned. We need a party to go to Tver to speak with King Leiko; we need another to convince Queen Reyna of Artos’ treachery. And we need more to cut out the rot at Thezmarr and install fair rule there.’
‘Is that all?’ Cal mumbled.
Adrienne ignored him. ‘There’s one more thing. Audra… you may have called this meeting, but there’s something you’re not sharing —’
