Page 99 of Of Realms and Chaos

“I agree that the fae king and queen need to be eliminated, as well as the traitor, but at the cost of our morals? Our souls? That is not worth it. We cannot be like them, murdering the young and destroying innocents.” Adbeel looked impressed by my words, his small smirk and slight nod making me feel oddly proud.

Perhaps he was too. After nearly two centuries of desperately wanting revenge and death, I was finally learning.

“I agree. Noe, can you do more reconnaissance on The Capital? Maybe we can plan for a time when they will all be securely in their quarters. Or, if we can speak to them, there is a chance we can evacuate the younglings before we attack.” Noe nodded, bowing when her king finished speaking. But something inside of me recoiled at the idea of her going. I needed her, now more than ever. Without her, how would I convince Asher to come home before she was finished speaking to all of the Mortal kings and queens?

“Noe needs to stay. She has an important mission. Luca can go, though. He was in and out of Betovere for the last two years. He likely knows it better than any of us.” My words were firm, unwavering in their commanding tone. Marjorie huffed in annoyance, the other three council members shaking their heads with disapproval, but I did not care. Especially when Adbeel nodded, siding with me as he almost always did.

“Then let us—” Lian’s words were cut off by the entrance of Henry, who burst through the door with a look of poorly masked nerves. His all-black ensemble hid the deep red shade of blood, but he reeked of it.

“I need to go,” I said, not bothering to look at those around the table before I got up and made my way to the door. More than one of them muttered insults under their breath, but I ignored them in favor of offering one last comment. “Prioritize plans for attacking The Capital and ending the traitor, but if we fail, we must consider laying siege on Isle Shifter.”

“Bell,” Adbeel said, his voice deepening as if he were prepared to chastise me. I turned slightly, looking at his eyes that held far too much knowledge within them. “Do find time later to speak with me. I think we need to discuss the absence of a certain council member.”

Shit.

With that, I left, following an uncomfortably silent Henry. His facial hair had grown, the stubble becoming an actual beard. Subconsciously, I pondered how he felt about me having my own face shaven and my hair trimmed. It was not that I wanted anyone other than Winona to cut it. Rather, I felt like I had no choice but to maintain appearances. Did he understand that? Did he hate me?

Then, of course, I remembered the look on his face, and my panic took a different turn.

Instead of speaking, he grabbed my hand and portaled us, the gray stone turning to a world of white. We were in the infirmary. “Where is she? What happened? Is that her blood?”

Without thinking, I grabbed onto the front of his tunic, nearly lifting him from the ground despite him being two inches taller. When he did not laugh or deny anything, I shoved him to the side and ran to the end of the medical area, where a set of curtains had been drawn around the last bed. Throwing them open with more force than was necessary, I tried and failed to find those stormy eyes.

White irises looked up at me, the worry so stark and raw that I nearly collapsed under the weight of all he did not say. My hands met the mattress, and I quickly shut my eyes. I could not let the panic win. No one said she was hurt. Our future was written. If I followed that path, it would be okay. She would be okay.

“Farai’s eardrums burst from the wavelengths of the screaming crowd at the Temple of the Gods. It caused a pulmonary embolism.” Ranbir’s calm voice sounded from behind me, not so much as fazed by the fact that the Shifter almost died. Or it sounded like he almost did. I was not quite sure what he was talking about.

“Asher?” I asked as I faced Henry, not sparing another glance at Farai. Henry’s face looked like an odd mixture of nerves and relief, as if he was unsure which to feel. I narrowed my eyes, despite knowing that there was likely nothing I could do to make my best friend—my brother in a way—fear me. When he cleared his throat, I relaxed slightly.

“She stayed behind with Trint to speak to the people of Gandry. She was in pain but overall okay enough to continue.” My shoulders slouched, relief fizzling out the terror like water thrown on a fire. Still, I would need to go to her as soon as possible, just to make sure she was okay. Asher could take care of herself, but that did not mean I wanted her to have to. She had been alone in that for far too long. “You know, I had thought you were insinuating Asher was not fae when you accidentally let it slip that she possessed magic.”

Memories of Pino repeatedly reiterating the importance of these truths being revealed in a particular order flashed through my mind. This conversation was too risky, even admitting to Henry what I had those months ago was pushing the boundaries. I went to shake my head, to tell him to drop it, but he continued on.

“The noise of the crowd hurt her. I saw the pain in her eyes and watched as she was forced to cover her ears. It was nearly as bad as Farai. Which makes me wonder if she is more like you than I thought before. Her magic, was it infused? Is she like the navalom? I watched her steal the memories from Lara, the way she seemed to rip them out with ferocious accuracy.” Henry’s gaze was distant, as if he were living within his head as he spoke his thoughts aloud.

Asher and Adbeel first, then I can tell him. Then I can tell all of them. These secrets were not forever. I just had to remember that.

“I think it is different.” My casual tone was enough to bring his eyes back into focus, shooting me a glare that was likely twin to my own from moments ago.

“I think you know more than you are leading us to believe. In fact, I think those secrets of yours span much farther than just where Ash’s magic came from. So, what was it that Pino said would happen if you told us the truth?” Henry questioned, crossing his arms and tilting his head. Behind me, Farai sat up in his bed, clearly eager to listen in. As heinous as I was for it, I wished the bastard still could not hear.

“There are only so many futures in which Eoforhild survives.” Ranbir snorted from beside Farai, quickly covering it up with a cough. The sound startled me. He had shown so little vibrance since losing Winona, and I was baffled to hear it come out now when we were talking about something so serious. It made me smirk despite how horribly the conversation was going.

“I just do not see why Pino told you anything at all when he knew it would be dangerous. Why not just say you needed to get Asher? You would have been more than willing to steal her away. There was a time when you were set on convincing Adbeel to allow us to eliminate her.”

I flinched at Henry’s casual tone when talking about the fact I had once wanted Ash dead. I hated myself for it. What if I had succeeded? Suddenly, I felt sick. I needed to go get her, immediately.

“I think it was important for us to love one another. I can feel it in my soul, a tug towards her. I was meant for her, and she was meant for me.” Henry scoffed, rolling his eyes. I forced a smile, knowing I could never explain it. “Either way, Pino is…gone. I cannot ask him to elaborate. I can only go on and hope I am doing what is best.”

“I miss him too,” Henry lamented.

Ranbir abruptly stood, walking out without a word. How did you help someone who had lost everything?

Asher would feel that way one day, likely sooner rather than later. Maybe Henry was right. It probably would have been better if Pino had not told me so much. Maybe Asher would have been better off not loving me at all.

“Yeah, I miss the sound of his creepy voice,” I concurred. Henry laughed softly, as if he too could hear the horrifying way Pino spoke when prophesying.

“I do not think you are supposed to call the dead creepy.” Farai’s voice from behind us was sobering, forcing me to straighten.

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