Page 23 of The Trials of Ophelia

“And?” I asked, turning back to Rina.

“It seems the muscular repair work we did while he was unconscious worked better than I hoped. His thighs are strong enough to keep him up and Astania is intuitive, catering to him.” A hint of pride warmed her voice, then she added, “I wish he’d wait longer?—”

“No need,” he interrupted. “We leave today.”

“Tolek,” Rina lectured, “You really shouldn’t risk?—”

The door slammed open, and Barrett rushed in, Dax on his heels.

“Good morning to you, too,” Tolek said.

“It’s so much easier when you’re all already gathered,” Barrett observed, lacking his usual energy.

“It’s barely dawn. I don’t know how you knew where they were,” Dax grumbled, but he followed his prince to the table. They were both half-dressed, Barrett’s tunic untied and the lieutenant shirtless as if just pulled from bed.

“I figured something out,” Barrett said, without any prelude.

The queen’s scar writhed. “What?” I asked.

“Since your induction, I’ve been thinking about how my mother reacted to the Angellight you showed on Daminius.” When he and I had faced Kakias down and she’d done her immortality ritual, my blood had spilled on my necklace and Barrett’s ring. It was the first time it had happened, and the burst of light was shocking. I’d been close to unconsciousness, though. I barely recalled Kakias’s reaction.

“It’s always bothered me that she fled,” Barrett continued. “Why would she?”

Dax added, “She nearly had you, Ophelia. Wouldn’t it have been easier to end it there?”

They were right. It seemed odd she left. I’d thought it was some effect of the Angellight dulling her powers, but maybe?—

“You think she recognized it?” Cypherion asked.

“I think it’s entirely possible.” Barrett leaned against the table. “So, I wrote to Lyria late last night and asked where her network of spies reported my mother was last.” The Master of Warfare had a private legion specifically ordered to keep tabs on Kakias. One we knew little about.

“Where is she?” I hissed, hand tightening over my scar. Tolek came around the table to stand by me.

“She’s been moving west, toward Seawatcher Territory.” The note from Ezalia burned.

“She can’t cross into their land,” Cypherion reminded us.

Dax’s expression was grave. “I don’t think she cares much about alliances and territories she doesn’t have a right to. And Lyria reports she’s moving quietly.”

“You think she’s after the emblems?” I asked, blood chilling. “That she knows about them?”

“Lucidius might have known,” Malakai blurted, and every head swung toward him. “His journals make it seem like he was trying to summon an Angel. There’s no mention of emblems, but he was working on something. Traveling all over the continent. If he knew, who’s to say Kakias doesn’t?”

“We don’t know for sure,” Tolek said, trying to soothe me, but his eyes burned with hatred for the queen.

“But we can’t rule it out either,” I argued. “We have to assume Kakias knows about the emblems and can use them. And she’s heading right toward the only one we know of.”

“What does that mean?” Jezebel asked.

“It means Tolek gets his way,” Rina answered. “We are leaving today.”

“We have to get to them before her,” I said, eyes on that one, barely-visible word on Ezalia’s note. Brontain. And as I pictured wind whipping against cliffs and Angellight burning through my veins, Kakias’s scarred face swam across it all.

Four hours later, I was steadied, packed, and seated atop Sapphire. Kakias’s presence followed my mare’s swishing blue tail as we exited the palace grounds; as we wound our way through the city and to the eastern limit; as we parted ways with Malakai, Barrett, and Dax.

“We’ll take care of him,” the prince whispered as I dismounted my horse, and he hugged me goodbye.

“Thank you,” I said. “But take care of yourself, too, Barrett. Please.”

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