Page 212 of The Trials of Ophelia

“I hope we’ll return to Damenal soon so I can see it again,” I said, setting the fake adornment atop his head.

He laughed, removing it and crowned me instead. “That’s where it belongs.” Closing his journal and wrapping the leather strap around it, he pulled me to him, and together we looked over the jagged mountain range. “Where to next, Revered?”

I considered. “We have two emblems left to find. Two more pieces to unlock before we can fulfill this Angelcurse.”

“Soulguiders and Starsearchers,” Tolek said, and I could tell he buried his worry.

I tracked the clouds drifting across the sky, and though my heart longed to return north to Damenal, I said, “Looks like we’re heading west.”

Back into this search for tokens. We had no indication of the final two locations, but we’d uncovered many secrets of the Angels in the hunt thus far. Though it may hold death and dismay, a piece of me wanted to uncover the next steps.

“I miss CK,” Tolek sighed.

I laughed. “It’s only been a week since you’ve seen him.”

“Yes, but I was worried about him before he left. I hope this mission with Vale works in more ways than one.” Tolek rested his chin on top of my head.

“I hope so, too.” Not only did I want them to find answers to healing Vale’s sessions and deciphering why they malfunctioned around the emblems, but I hoped, for their sakes, they could work out what was between them.

I trusted they would, once they finally spoke about it. With that assurance, I allowed myself to relax.

Until a deep voice behind us barked, “Revered.”

Lancaster and Mora emerged over the ridge of the mountain, and the harsh look on the fae male’s face twisted my stomach. Tolek and I both immediately pushed to standing, his hand bracing my back.

“Yes?” I asked, donning my mask of Revered. Both fae had been given clean tunics and places to wash, their warrior leathers looking out of place on their bodies.

“We won’t be staying.” Lancaster’s canines caught the light, peeking over his lips. I supposed the fae could not make themselves comfortable in our camp. Most warriors would not understand this tentative peace.

“I understand,” I said. “We appreciate you coming to our aid.”

Mora grinned, but where her brother’s smile was tight, hers was gleeful. I couldn’t decide if it was friendly or unsettling. “We will be back.”

I stilled. “What?”

“Our queen is calling in debts.” Lancaster’s eyes fell to our bargain charm resting against my chest. “From the both of you.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Lancaster gestured to Tolek. “When he used your charm to summon me, the indefinite bargain tied the two of you together.” Foreboding tightened my gut. “It is now not only your life indebted to mine, but it is both of yours. And last I counted, I have fulfilled three requests so far.”

And Tolek and I had completed none. Now, the queen was summoning Lancaster to call in debts she requested. I swallowed the fear stirring in my gut.

“And if one of us breaks the bargain?” I asked, already searching for a way to get Tolek out of this.

A cocky smirk twisted the fae’s lips. “If one of you fails, the other suffers the consequences.”

“Consequences?” Tolek asked.

“Death,” Lancaster said, darkly.

Dread tingled through my limbs, my heart pounding in my ears. Beside me, Tolek stilled.

We were tied together, our lives and fates, by the promises of the trickster fae. If one of us failed—the other died.

“I’m making the first request of the bargain by order of my queen,” Lancaster continued as if he had not just twisted my world. “She and her court are on their way. We will be in touch to establish details of where you’d like to host her.”

The Queen of the Fae was coming to Gallantia.

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