Page 64 of A Flame of the Phoenix

Her mouth fell open. She’d spent weeks trying to find that information in the minds of as many dark fae as she could capture, yet Nik had found it in a single night. She’d been racking the thoughts of rogue dark fae. It seemed her whereabouts wasn’t such a secret among her armies, however.

Faythe had a destination. For the first time since she’d lost her kingdom and her mate, Faythe had a purpose to throw her all into.

“Do you think that’s where she’s taken Reylan?” Nik asked.

Faythe’s thoughts were already reeling over that possibility.

“Her ruin is in Lakelaria,” Faythe remembered, adding sense to why the Spirit would have traveled West.

“Shit. Does Reylan have the potential to wield it?”

“Yes.” Faythe believed that without a doubt.

“We have to tell the others.”

By the time they reached camp, they were met with the disgruntled stare-downs of everyone who should be asleep in the dead of night.

“Oh look, it’s just two of the most important people on the continent, back from galivanting around the enemy without adequate strategy or persons,” Lycus scolded first.

Faythe winced. It was easy to forget who she was, who Nik was, and how their friends would view their recklessness.

Kyleer pointed a finger at her. “You—I understand your lack of self-preservation, being new to your role.”

Her expression lifted that he was kind of giving her a pass on this.

His reprimand shifted to Nik. “But you have no excuse. What were you thinking?”

Nik fought amusement on his mouth. Faythe knew he enjoyed being caught for his rebellion.

“I was thinking that two mind abilities are perfectly capable of remaining out of touch. A quick erasure of their thoughts, and we’d be on our way.”

He was enjoying the extension of his ability. Something Faythe had once been horrified to discover she harbored, Nik embraced the advantages of easily.

“You of all people know not every mind is the same. With Faythe on the loose, there’s bound to be more of the enemy training their minds against her ability, and they won’t be so easily evaded,” Kyleer argued.

“No one knows about Nik,” Faythe chimed in. “If they focused their efforts on blocking me, he could slip into their minds while they’re unaware. We make a great team, in fact.”

Nik nudged her side playfully, but the others weren’t so easily swayed.

Nerida and Tarly sat on logs around a small fire in front of their tents. Lycus mirrored Kyleer’s cross-armed stance of disapproval until they all started to break, moving to take up their seats. Livia and Samara had left for High Farrow.

Nik and Faythe joined them around the fire.

“What were you hoping to achieve anyway?” Kyleer asked reluctantly.

Faythe hadn’t been able get the Dresair’s words out of her head after this afternoon.

“Follow the eye.”

She divulged what she’d overheard from the general’s tent, and Nik explained what he’d found out through the minds of other soldiers.

Kyleer lost himself to thought for some time, and Faythe didn’t disturb him. He stared intently into the fire.

“They’ll be planning an attack then to lure Faythe out,” Lycus said.

“It seems so,” Kyleer agreed.

Nik added, “It’s masterful, really. They can lure Faythe out with Valgard soldiers, then they’ll have the Rhyenelle forces Malin still has to stop it. No one will know they’re actually working together. More savior appearance for him.”

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