Page 7 of Crown of Darkness
I consider the map again. A little circle of enemies surrounds the Kingdom of Asturia. “Ravenal to the south of her. Evernight to the north. And Stormlight holding the seas.”
It’s a trio of knives at her throat. My mother never does like to be backed into a corner.
“But she’s not alone. And Aska is not her only ally.” My gaze slides north, to the edge of the map. Thick dark trees carved of pure ebony are placed there, and several scarred castles and ruins peak from their depths. The wild lands of Unseelie hide all manner of creatures, and few among the Seelie Alliance know the true depths of the lands.
“Mother was working with Angharad.” The witch-queen rules the Unseelie, and if you bring her into the equation, it changes the dynamics quite significantly.
Because now it’s not a small island of two kingdoms desperately trying not to sink, but an enormous crashing wave of Unseelie poised to flood into the Alliance kingdoms.
And Evernight suddenly becomes the piece between the wolf’s jaws.
My heart sinks.
“It’s Angharad. It’s got to be Angharad.”
If Unseelie rises against us, then Evernight will be crushed.
“Surely your mother wouldn’t invite Angharad to invade,” Thalia says. “It’s one thing to be working with her, quite another to offer her the Alliance kingdoms on a gilded platter. Once Angharad gains a singletoeholdin the south she’ll never be removed.”
Thiago leans over the map, making swift decisions behind those devilish eyes. “Eris. Send Gwydion to Eidyn and give him command of our border armies. Send Noaz north with several companies to guard the borders we share with Unseelie. If Angharad strikes down from Unseelie, she’ll come through Mistmere. She won’t be able to get through the mountains in the north of Evernight.”
“Gwydion?” Eris demands. “AndNoaz?”
If there’s anyone who can hold Angharad at bay, it’s Eris of Silvernaught.
“You’re both with me,” Thiago tells her coolly. “Vi and I have a rendezvous to attend.”
“Where are we going?” I ask.
Thiago squeezes my shoulders, then presses a kiss to the slope of my neck. “I have news of my own. Your mother wants to meet with us. She has a gift for us.”
“A gift?” My stomach drops. I know all about Mother’s gifts. “No. We don’t want to meet her. We don’t want anything she can give us. This is a trap. She’s—"
Thiago reaches out and places something metallic on the table before removing his hand.
A golden ring rattles before it slowly settles into stillness. It’s thick enough to grace a man’s finger, and the sigil is that of a howling wolf.
“Xander,” Baylor blurts, shoving to his feet.
“Yes. We finally know where your brother is. Adaia said she’s willing to talk peace. In exchange for Lysander. Vi is right. Eidyn isn’t the danger. It’s a distraction.” Thiago slowly straightens. “You have your orders. And only today to fulfill them. We leave at dawn.”
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Chapter Two
Andraste
Sometimes I think the silence is the worst.
It’s a time when you’re alone with your own thoughts, your eyes blinded to the world, and nothing but the incessantdrip-drip-dripof water in the distance offers any respite from the horrors of your memories.
Pain can be ignored. Pain is nausea twisting your stomach. Numbness flooding through your hands. Pain is an old friend, and maybe my mother thinks she can use it to break me, but she doesn’t know the truth.
I’m not afraid of pain.
But silence is the whip that breaks my soul.
Silence. Loneliness.
