Page 14 of A Court So Dark
I shook my head. “I don’t think so either, but let’s forget about that. What matters is that we find Kalyll. We need to track him. My sister. My sister can find him. We have to go and get her. She can find anyone. Anywhere.”
“We have trackers here, Dani,” Cylea said. “Kalyll used several. They found no trace of Cardian.”
“My sister is better.”
“Wherever he is, Cardian’s using powerful magic to conceal his whereabouts.”
My sister had once found someone who had been kidnapped by a powerful vampire. That vampire had also used powerful magic, and Toni had still been able to find him.
“My sister can find him,” I insisted.
Arabis tried to place a hand on my arm, but I stepped away. “Kalyll had already thought of that, but he didn’t want to involve her. He already felt guilty for bringing you into this. He derailed your life, and he didn’t want to be responsible for bringing more turmoil to your family.”
I grabbed my head and backed into an armchair. I collapsed into it, the whirring of Larina’s wings serving as background noise to the whirring of my own brain. Itwould notbe fair to bring my sister into this. She had her own life, which she would abandon the moment I asked for her help. And if the obstructing magic Cardian was using interfered with her tracking skills, then what? She would be stuck in an impossible situation, feeling responsible for her inability to find Kalyll.
No. I couldn’t do that to her. Kalyll had been right not to bring her here.
“If you would allow me… I can help you find the murdering prince.” A new voice called from the door.
I looked up to find a sprite in the room. I had seen her before, the day I made that blood pact with Queen Eithne. She had allowed me into the queen’s workroom. Her wings were iridescent, like Larina’s. Her skin was gray and her eyes were narrow slits with all-black eyes. Her nose was flat, almost non-existent, and her thin-lipped mouth was filled with rows and rows of curved teeth. She was a creature of beauty and terror.
Larina turned violet and dashed behind Cylea. She hovered over her shoulder, her blue skin camouflaging perfectly with Cylea’s hair. She was intimidated by the new arrival, which seemed odd since they were the same size.
Arabis examined the sprite with care, though her expression was skeptical. “Shadow, I’m not sure how you could help us find Cardian. Not even the court spies know where he is. Wequestionedall of his allies and got nothing.”
The way she saidquestionedmade me wonder exactly what they’d done to the people who had offered their support to the younger prince. Something told me they were now regretting their alliance.
“We, minor folk, have our ways,” Shadow said.
She and Larina exchanged a knowing glance. Larina abandoned her hiding spot, as if she were reassessing Shadow.
Arabis still didn’t look convinced, but she said, “We’ll take any help we can get.”
“There is one condition,” Shadow said.
Cylea bristled at that, and Arabis also appeared displeased by this. For all we knew, the sprite was one of Cardian’s supporters, and she would send us on a wild goose chase, straight in the opposite direction of where we needed to be. Or worse yet… into a trap. We couldn’t have that. At Cardian’s mercy, Kalyll’s days were surely numbered. There was no time to waste.
“What condition?” Cylea demanded, looking ready to throttle the sprite if her stipulation turned out to be something ridiculous or outright extortion.
“I want to be the one to kill Cardian Adanorin,” Shadow declared, surprising us all.
Larina nearly choked.
I stood up, anger and darkness driving me to my feet. Before I could think what I was saying, Dark Dani was in control. The image of Cardian driving that knife into Kryn’s throat took center stage in my mind.
“Iwill kill that bastard,” I said.
“As eager as we all are to take our revenge,” Arabis said, “our king may not want his brother dead. So it isn’t up to us to decide Cardian’s fate.”
“I could content myself with plucking his eyes out.” Shadow huffed and thrust her hand forward in a stabbing motion.
Cylea shrugged. “I’m sure something can be arranged.”
“No.” Arabis shook her head. “Those things are not for us to decide. Our only concern should be to find the king and bring him back safely.”
Shadow rolled her eyes. “Fine. I will make this request from the king when I find him.” Rotating her fluttering wings slightly, she turned in midair and left the room.
“She’s mad,” Larina said. “I kind of suspected that already, though.”
