Page 133 of Faeling
Eydis’s eyes glittered. “As a fellow monarch, Vallek would be within his rights to request a parley,” she said over Vallek’s growing unhappy growl. “We say it’s important enough that the king comes himself but can only deliver his news to the queen herself.”
“Would she fall for it?” asked Hilde.
“Maybe not a few centuries ago,” Ravenna said, “but she’s grown evermore spiteful and paranoid. If she thinks Vallek means to hand me over, there’s a good chance she’d come herself.”
Eydis grinned viciously. “There’s a spit of land at the mouth of Dyfan Bay. Where the Treaty of Spearhead was signed. We draw her there with the promise of neutral territory.”
“No army, no war,” said Ravenna. “An ambush.”
“It could work,” Vallek grumbled, “if she takes the bait. But—” he lifted their clasped hands to hold over his heart “—I don’t like it. It’s too much risk to you.”
“It has to be me,” she reminded him gently. Ravenna leaned over to kiss his chest, right where the fresh scar of her first bitewas. “You’ll be there to keep me out of mischief.”
He grunted, drawing his arm around her to tuck her tightly to his side. “I would prefer you stay safely here and let me bring you her head.”
“I know. But Asta’s right, you can’t be the one to kill her.”
“I will do whatever I must to keep you safe,” he growled.
Ravenna held his serious gaze, knowing that they wouldn’t agree, at least not that morning. For now, that was all right. There was still time to plan and plot—and convince him.
Never had the chance to fulfill her vow for vengeance felt closer, her blood running hot with fresh hope. She wouldn’t let anyone take that from her, not even herazai.
“There are many fae who despise Amaranthe. With her gone, the faelands may finally know peace,” she told them. “We can send word to my father’s friend Allarion. He brought me to safety after my parents were killed. I know he went north, to Eirea, to try to find refuge.”
Vallek nodded. “Messengers can be sent. Kennum has a growing partnership with one of their cities.”
“Dundúran,” provided Eydis.
“Yes, that’s it. He can facilitate contact.”
Eydis clapped her hands, looking a little too gleeful about the prospect of assassinating the Fae Queen. “Let us lay our trap and lead her into it.”
If nothing else, Eydis loved a good plot.
Hilde just sighed.
31
For all the excitement of planning their next moves, once they were put into motion, there was little to do but wait and see. Messengers were sent to Fallorian and Kaldebrak, and Ravenna had to stop herself from looking out on the horizon any time she passed a window, to see if she could spot their return with news.
After the first fortnight, the messengers sent to Kaldebrak returned with confirmation that Kennum would send word north in search of Allarion to pass on Ravenna’s handwritten and sealed missive. While there was some small relief that her note, written in a cryptic form of ancient faethling even a fae scholar would have trouble deciphering, continued on its journey, Kaldebrak was the last known waypoint. They wouldn’t know when the message reached Dundúran, nor how long it might take to pass on from there.
The weeks bled into one another, and to keep from going mad with waiting, Ravenna decided she had to find other ways to prepare.
Vallek worked closely with his berserkers, checking overevery member with Mattias to root out any more traitors. Thankfully, none were found, and the unit began to heal together through training, overcoming the shame of a traitor in their midst.
If he could train, so would she.
However, Ravenna knew how he felt about her being the one to ambush Amaranthe. They still hadn’t come to an agreement on what the attack would look like.
And so it was to Asta she went instead, finding her one morning in the courtyard outside the garrison barracks. “Train with me? And teach me to fight like an orc.”
The orcess tipped back her head and laughed from her belly upon hearing Ravenna’s request. “You are bold,tristah. I’m glad you aren’t my enemy.”
“Worse. I’m family.” It was the first time she’d quipped about it, and her belly flipped with nerves as the words hung there between them.
Asta huffed a laugh. “That you are.” Putting down her cup, Asta rose and grinned. “All right then, let’s see what you can do.”
