Page 98 of Blood of the Stars

Gaeren let his gaze drift to the fire. “Thank you,” he mumbled. He could say more—he was sorry for dragging Riveran into that mess; it had been a mistake to meet with the sprites—but the two words had been hard enough after years of hatred.

From the corner of his eye, he caught Orra trying to hide a smile. Suspicion flashed through his mind. Had Orra somehow orchestrated this moment?

“What happened with the sprites?” Orra asked. “Riveran hasn’t been willing to say too much.” The question made Gaeren want to hold the information close. For once, Orra didn’t know everything, and maybe that was a good thing.

“They chased us out of their cave.”

Riveran’s frown deepened, but he didn’t contradict Gaeren’s half-truth.

Gaeren shifted so he could lean against one of their packs, the motion making him aware of just how weak he was. He closed his eyes, the sounds of his companions preparing a meal almost musical enough to lull him to sleep. He forced himself awake, focusing in on Orra.

“Can you still trace her?”

Orra’s gaze sharpened at his use of “her.” She gave a slight nod of acquiescence. “Even though I sense them moving farther away, the pulse grows louder. She’s gaining strength.”

He didn’t fully understand her meaning, but it was enough. Daisy was safe, for now. “Where to next?”

“You aren’t going anywhere for at least another day, but then we take the roads north. They’re headed for Islara, but they’re taking the easier roads. We can keep your familiar face from prying eyes and catch up faster if we take the switchbacks out of the valley.”

Gaeren frowned. Islara was safer than the smaller southern towns they’d skirted, but lately the Islarans hadn’t been clear supporters of the Elanesses. Most southerners were Recreants who despised the royal family’s rule; they had enough distance that they wanted to rule themselves. But the Islarans were far enough north to play both sides. Throughout his parents’ rule, they’d been docile, but as Mayvus’ authority had grown, the Islarans had pulled back. Some had started defying the guards sent out for their own protection, while others refused to pay taxes from their hard-earned money.

Enla had wanted to send him as an ambassador, to feel out where their loyalties lay. But he would have arrived with an entourage of guards. Now, if they figured out who Gaeren was, they might not welcome him in their midst. Not without Larkos to defend his intentions at the very least. Still, he could assess the risks of them defecting and report back to Enla. It might appease some of her frustration at his change of plans.

Even Larkos would be grateful for the update. If the southerners gained support from a city like Islara, they could very well try to overthrow the throne. Gaeren appreciated their aim for democracy, but that would be a much bloodier end to the monarchy than Gaeren wanted, which left him a fine line to walk as he felt out loyalties.

“Enla’s going to kill me,” Gaeren muttered.

“Maybe we should go straight home, then,” Riveran suggested without looking up from his task.

Did he miss his wife and child? The familiar hostility burned within Gaeren’s chest, but it was tempered by curiosity. What kind of woman had taken Riveran’s attention off Enla?

“I’ve likely already missed the dignitaries, but there will always be more of them to meet.” Gaeren left the rest of the statement unspoken. There was only one Daisy.

He tensed as his memory retraced the horrible mistake of meeting with the sprites. Before they’d tried to kill him, they’d given him hints and clues to the starbridges, but who knew if he could trust them? Enla might not be ready to go up against Mayvus, but she certainly hadn’t aligned with the questionable priestess. Had she? Her plans to define Mayvus’ role as a spiritual leader had sounded more like a way to put Mayvus in her place.

He met Riveran’s eyes across the fire. For once, he was more aware of Riveran’s solemn gaze than the awful X tattooed on his forehead. Riveran had said the sprites couldn’t be trusted, but he’d also believed they would exchange Gaeren’s life for Enla’s. He’d trusted them to exact a price even if he hadn’t trusted them to give good information. And yet he’d stopped Gaeren from sacrificing his life for Enla’s. Should Gaeren be grateful? It was hard to feel grateful when he would always pick Enla over himself.

He wished Larkos could have stayed with them. What would he give for the older man’s advice right now?

Gullet stood by Riveran’s boot, pecking at some entrails Orra had thrown his way. Gaeren frowned, recalling the way Gullet had found him in the forest outside Valorian.

“Does Gullet remember how to send messages to Enla?”

“I don’t think he could forget.” Riveran hesitated, glancing at his hawk. “But he’s never traveled across a distance like this with a message. Would it be worth the risk?” His eyebrows rose, asking a different question.

Should they involve Enla?

Gaeren was tempted to ask Orra’s opinion, but Riveran had already pointed out they had even less reason to trust her for true words. Even though she’d clearly nursed him back to health, he might not know how well he could trust her until they reached the starbridge and Daisy.

Until he saw what Orra wanted from her.

“Enla will want to know about the delay—and why.” Gaeren said the words slowly. Orra might be fully occupied with preparing dinner, but she was also fully listening. “The sprites can’t be counted on for support”—Riveran snorted at the understatement—“so finding Loyalists in Islara might make the additional stop valuable in her eyes. Besides, she’s not just my sister; she’s my future queen. I trust information with Gullet and Enla more than couriers.”

Riveran stopped cutting the fruit, staring at the fire as though looking through it. He leaned toward Gaeren and whispered, even though both of them knew Orra could likely hear everything with her undefinable magical senses. “I’m not questioning Enla. I’m questioning you. What did you mean in the cave about uniting all of Rhystahn? About making the world bigger?”

Gaeren tensed, but Orra continued roasting the meat without pause. “Exactly what I said. I want to see Lorvandas and Vendaras together. Sayhleens and Dehvlonians, even Ahmranans. I want to see our world united again.”

“Under whose leadership?”

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