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“Only an immortal can.”
“Isn’t your soul immortal—couldn’t you do it?” Nava asked.
“My soul, yes. But my body is as mortal as the tree standing in the middle of this lagoon.” Ari pointed at the aforementioned tree. The morning mist covered its roots and part of the trunk. It lost its leaves long ago, although Nava could see the ribbons of life weaving around it, even at this distance.
Well, that brilliant plan lasted about two seconds.
“You could search for a god’s artifact,” Ari added, although they could all hear the doubt in his inflection. “At the beginning of time, many Caztanians stole these items from the gods. They soon learned that most mortals can’t wield godly weapons, so they perished, and the artifacts went missing. Some deities have sent their emissaries on a hunt to collect them. Yet some remain.”
“Why does everything have to be so difficult?” Nava groaned and stabbed the fire with the stick holding her food until its embers were dancing and sweat beaded on her temple. “Does the Society of Crows keep artifacts in the archives?” she asked, looking at Arkimedes. Because if so, she would gladly crawl back down that long tunnel of nightmares to retrieve one.
“Not in the Copper Kingdom. Perhaps in its main headquarters. But even if they do, Nava, we can’t touch them without triggering an alarm. They will send the Corvus, and we can’t win against the entire Society on our own.”
The sunlight changed from silver to pink as morning fully embraced the forest. And they still had no clue how to move forward.
“It’s rumored that the founders kept some artifacts hidden from the deities. Your father might have one inside your castle.”
Arkimedes’s breath caught. His eyes fixed on a spot in the distance, almost as if he could see it—feel it, even. “My father wouldn’t give it to us even if he had it. He’s mentioned nothing about the prophecy of our bloodline. He kidnapped me and lied about my mother’s death.”
“What are you saying?” Nava asked.
“I wonder why the emissary is letting demons into the kingdom to get revenge against my father?” Arkimedes’s gravel voice trailed off as he reached toward the fire, opening his palm. The flames slowly suffocated, leaving behind a thin trail of smoke that dissipated into the open air.
Nava stood, dusting her pants off with more vigor than necessary. She needed to vent some of her frustrations. “You’ve said many times that the fires started right as you came to the kingdom. But what if they began before and that’s the reason the king had you taken from our home?”
Arkimedes nodded. “When I went into his study to get the keys to free you from the bracelet, I saw a piece of art that depicted a king tossing a babe into a cloud. It looked ancient, like something that recorded history. I believe the emissary is my father’s brother and that he wants to take the throne.”
“And if there aren’t any living members of the royal line, then the God of Shadows would release his emissary. It’s a failsafe to protect the godly magic they gifted to the founders.”
What Arkimedes was saying made sense. It would be a good enough reason for a mad fae to try to kill the prince as well. He needed everyone from his bloodline gone so he could be free from his ties to the god.
“Do you think they are twins?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said with enough confidence that she believed it.
There was bad blood between the twins, and whatever had caused it, it had roped Aristaeus, Ark, and Nava into this mess.
“Why not ask the king himself?” Aristaeus reasoned, and his confusion was plain in the way he tilted his head to the side. “If he possesses the artifact, then he can part with it for his own benefit.”
“I’ve been dreading having to go back to the castle and ask for help when he is far from an ally. He’s all I have left of my family, but he wants to hurt Nava.” Arkimedes shook his head and rose from the ground, shrugging on his coat, and offered Nava his hand. It was probably time to go and heal the forest. But then he carried on speaking, avoiding everyone’s gazes. “I remember why I stayed away from here and why I didn’t ask Nava to return with me. My father can’t be trusted. I was gone for thirty years, and he didn’t miss me. It seems odd that he is suddenly interested in being my father.”
True.
“It’s the nature of the fae to be cunning,” Aristaeus agreed with a quiver in his voice that hadn’t been there before. “But your power has connected with the land. You are one with it, like the king. If I can sense the shift, so can he. I don’t believe that putting you in danger benefits him.”
“Sure,” Arkimedes agreed. He sounded stern. “A few days ago, I would have marched right in there and asked him if he has an artifact.”
“So why the change of heart?” Nava asked.
“After finding out the emissary is after him, it gave me pause. What if he always wanted me to come back to deal with his brother? Just because he shouldn’t hurt me doesn’t mean he won’t hurt you. He can keep you away from me and make me do things I don’t want to—just to keep you safe.”
Her mouth felt dry all of a sudden, and she fought the urge to wrap her arms around herself. He was right. They should try to defeat the emissary by themselves before attempting to forge an alliance with the king.
Ari shook his head, causing pieces of moss and bark to fly off him. “If you’re the heir, then she is the heiress. I’m not a human, nor a fae, but I know that much.”
“The king doesn’t want a human queen, Ari, and neither do the citizens. Not since Ark’s mother betrayed them.”
Nava had tried not to think too hard about the spirit that had haunted her at the safe house, but now, the memories she’d shared that afternoon clicked into place, bringing with them a sudden burst of clarity.
