Page 13 of Merciless Is My Crown

“Just…dear gods, are you all truly so pathetic?” Silence echoed through the room.

“How have any of you survived this long without learning to use magic properly? It’s seriously a wonder you are still alive. Here.” The mage waved his hand and a veritable feast of dried meats, bread, and plump apples appeared on a blanket before the fire. “I swear to the gods, you lot are absolutely hopeless except when it comes to killing things.”

Zorander poked at the bounty spread out over the low table by the fire. The food…looked real.

I sniffed the air and saliva coated my mouth. It smelled real.

“You can make food out of magic?” I blinked to make sure I wasn’t imagining things. From the way everyone else’s mouths hung open, they were every bit as amazed.

“Of course not,” the mage snapped. “This came from my workshop. An entire week’s emergency rations, I’ll have you know. The magic was a simple matter of transporting everything from there to here.”

Okay, that made more sense.

“While we eat, you can tell us how long you’ve known who our real enemies are, Torin.” Raziel’s voice turned cold as the grave. “Or perhaps Simon should, since he’s the one doing all the fucking talking.”

Since Raziel looked like he was about to throw down with the owl shifter before we got a chance to eat, I craned my neck to get a better view of my choices. “Could you bring me some of that meat? And a piece of bread? Oh, and an apple? Is there any water?”

Raziel dove at the food and arranged an assortment of dried meat and bread in one big, calloused palm before heading over to me and handing me a red, juicy apple. Up close, the meat looked suspicious enough I stuck to the apple, while Raz blew dust out of a glass before filling it with water from his canteen.

Delicious. I closed my eyes and tried not to moan out loud when my teeth sank into the tart skin then the sweet flesh below, sweet juices flooding my mouth.

Tavion took an assortment of food to my mother, poured her a glass, and set the cup beside her. Her pale eyes darted over each of us in turn, her face a blank mask against the shadows. My mother hadn’t said a word so far. I wondered if she was too frightened.

“You were saying…about Solarys and Anaria’s power?” Tavion prodded, popping a chunk of dried meat into his mouth, his eyes bulging the second he chewed.

He met my gaze ruefully and I had to smile. At least I’d made the right call.

Torin dragged a chair closer. “There is as much magic in Solarys as in Caladrius, but it’s contained differently. Here, the magic was slowly siphoned off by the king and the Fae population constantly drawing from it until there was nothing left.

“In Solarys, the magic is still there, trapped inside the earth by a layer of iron-enriched soil.” Torin nibbled on some blackberries. “That has been our working theory for centuries.”

Bexley sent another wave of magic over my legs, but he was listening intently to every word. I took another bite of apple, then another, my stomach rumbling. In gratitude or protest, I wasn’t sure; it was too early to tell.

Part of me wondered why Torin hadn’t sent the healer away, but I was thankful, because with every pass, the hideous wounds smoothed over, my head clearing as the itching began to fade.

“Slow down, Anaria, or you’ll be sick.” Raziel snatched my apple away and nudged the glass of water closer.

“I’m quite capable of feeding myself, thank you,” I groused, though I was secretly delighted by their fussing. When Raz just lifted a brow, I sighed and took a sip of water. “There? Are you happy now?”

“I’ll be happy when you’re completely healed up and safe at Nightcairn.” And it was that fear, shining deep in his eyes, that had me running my fingers down the side of his face, just so I could watch worry bleed into a relieved smile.

“What does that mean, exactly, that there’s magic in Solarys?” Raziel turned his full attention on the seer. “I’ve lived there a hundred fucking years and besides a few rare cases, me included, there are few magic wielders.”

“Once, Valarian was a united realm with no magical wards dividing us into three separate regions. When Anaria unlocked the magic, the rebirth did not extend past either border wall. Those wards contained the magic to Caladrius.”

“How can you be sure?” Zorander asked softly.

“I flew from the western edge of Caladrius to the eastern one as soon as I could get airborne.” Simon lay his hands on Torin’s shoulders. “The regrowth of the forest and the resurgence of magic stops at both wards, like someone drew a line.”

I plucked the apple from Raziel’s fingers and took another bite. “How could something created by the Fae King stop the wild magic? We saw the resurgence with our own eyes…That wave crushed everything in its path.”

Simon shook his head. “Carex was at the height of his power when he made those wards. Believe me or not, the wards are still intact. That wave didn’t get past either one.” He and Torin exchanged another meaningful look. “Which brings us back to our theory.”

“What theory is that?” Zor settled on my other side, the settee creaking under his weight, and Torin stiffened.

“If we remove the Shadow King, his death frees the people of Solarys from a ruthless despot. Then, once he’s gone, with the help of a simple spell, we can unlock the Solarys magic.” Torin’s eyes lingered on me for a moment too long. “Like in Caladrius, we believe that ancient power would answer to Anaria.”

I took a sip of water to make Raz happy, trying to stop my guts from heaving.

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