Page 24 of Requiem of Silence

“And me, too,” Ulani spoke up, jutting her little chin into the air.

“I’m sure that Grandmama would love a visit with you, since Papa is out of town,” Ella said softly.

Ulani shook her head stubbornly and crossed her arms. Ella met Kyara’s eyes with an exasperated gleam. “We’ll talk about this later.”

Ulani’s mulish expression didn’t change, and Kyara suppressed a smile. She didn’t expect the conversation to go extraordinarily well.

“We’ll have to find a way out east,” Kyara said.

“I will make some calls. I’m not sure we’ll be able to find transportation before morning though.” Ella’s voice was thick with worry.

“Mooriah will not hurt Tana,” Kyara reiterated. “And she is formidable. Nethersong is more powerful than you can imagine. I can’t conceive a scenario where the girl will come to any harm in her company.” She kept to herself the fact that the woman could no doubt kill anything around her for kilometers if she so chose. Ella might not find it a comfort.

No, Mooriah would not allow the child to be injured in any way, but stealing a little girl, no matter her reasons, was unforgivable. If the prophecy was coming to pass and Nethersingers wereneeded, would she truly force a child to fight? Given the ruthlessness of the Cavefolk, Kyara already knew the answer.

Manipulations and deceit were exactly why she’d refused the woman in the first place. Why she had no love for the Cavefolk. And now this.

Kyara wished she could ignore Tana’s plight and return to her cozy cottage by the sea, but how could she leave an eleven-year-old girl to deal with those vipers on her own? Mooriah had done her job well and pushed Kyara’s back against the wall very neatly. But Kyara had a lot of fight left in her and an aversion to being handled in such a way. She would not walk away, but she would not give in easily.

Mooriah would need to answer for what she had done.

CHAPTER NINE

A whole split into parts

does not corrupt, unless the

parts lose their integrity

and weaken once apart and

soon forget

their nature is not many

but one.

Complete.

—THE HARMONY OF BEING

Jasminda strode into her office, her evening gown billowing around her. She was pleased that everyone she’d gathered was already here. Nadette Gaviareel, the royal event planner, stood with perfect posture behind a straight-backed chair at the small, round conference table in the corner of the room. Next to her stood Camm, Ilysara,and Darvyn.Two Elsirans, two Lagrimari, and one half-breed,Jasminda thought to herself with a chuckle.

“Your Majesty.” Nadette gave an extremely proper curtsey. “The guests have already begun arriving to your brothers’ birthday party, and there are still some details that I would like to check on and make sure of.”

It was as polite a way of inquiring as to her reason for being here as any. Jasminda crossed the room and took a seat at the table. The others did the same, except for the planner. “Your staff is impeccable, Nadette. I’m quite sure you’ve already checked everything twice. The twins will live if the ice is delivered late or the decorations droop. I need to talk to you about something very important.”

The woman raised her brows and sat, clasping her hands before her on the table. When they’d first met during the planning of the royal wedding, she and Nadette had butted heads, but Jasminda had come to respect the woman. Certainly she was a frivolous aristocrat, but she truly wanted the best for Elsira. She had recommended Camm for the assistant position, and that morning Camm had pointed out that Nadette held a degree in public relations from Adara University. Jasminda had requested the woman stop by her office before the party started, along with Darvyn and her two assistants.

“I’m putting together an… advisory board,” Jasminda began. “Tomorrow we will be announcing a public referendum on the subject of unification versus separation. The vote will be held in ten days. I want to create a media campaign to influence the results.”

Silence reigned as several pairs of eyes blinked owlishly.

Camm and Nadette shared a glance, but it was the assistant who spoke up. “Your Majesty, the palace must be seen as an impartial party during referendums.” He shifted uncomfortably.“Otherwise how would people have confidence that the results will be properly carried out?”

“There are few in the land who do not already know my position on the matter,” Jasminda replied. “The other side has been waging media warfare practically since the Mantle first came down. Unification needs a strong voice. I realize it can’t be mine, and in public I will do my best to appear objective. But you must understand that I, above all people, have a personal stake in the results of this vote. My family could be split down the middle if the Lagrimari are forced out into a separate territory. My very existence here could be questioned.”

Camm swallowed and nodded. Ilysara’s expression was grim.

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