CHAPTER 14

No one else seemed to notice Seraphine and the surviving Asps melting from the crowd of disembarked fey. I did. Likely because I expected it, the end to their service coming the moment our ship anchored off Icethorn shores. The Asp faded into the surrounding night, all without a second glance.

I thought she’d have at least said goodbye. To my discomfort, I was proven wrong. I reminded myself that her presence had always been a transaction. It was never personal. She owed me nothing. Our debt was now paid, just as our contract stated. As soon as we reached Wychwood, I’d only ever see her again if I’d the money to pay.

Since this time, it wasn’t coin that had been exchanged for the Asp’s assistance.

I was the only one who knew of the assassin’s next destination. It was the price I paid for Seraphine’s help and sacrifice. Being in Lockinge, I found it easy to offer the Asps a new place to nest. It was the only price she would accept since the rest of their dwellings were now husks of scorched timber and stone.

I paid with something far more meaningful.

The offering meant little to me before. But now, standing on Icethorn land with its spiritual presence thrumming through me, I felt otherwise. Too late, I reminded myself. There’s no going back now.

I couldn’t grieve over what I’d given them when I’d barely seen the place of residence before. It had only ever been a speck in the distance, the promise of a past I never had the chance to experience. Before Erix had been the one to point it out, I’d never have even known its name. Imeria Castle. Even now, weeks later, it was Erix’s voice chiming through my mind as he spoke the name of my mother’s home. Somewhere I could have claimed as my home. Except home was a place that earned that title. Which is what made it so easy to give this away.

I’d have to tell my allies soon enough. When one of them noticed Seraphine had disappeared, they would ask questions and I couldn’t pretend not to have the answers. If I even attempted to mislead them with a lie, Althea would see right through it. Part of being a king was standing on your decisions with confidence – a skill I was growing rather used to.

Perhaps they’d react better if I told them first, before Althea, Duncan or the rest of them found out by other means. I hardly imagined they’d think well of me for forfeiting Icethorn’s castle to the Asps.

But it wasn’t my home. It was the gravesite for everything I’d lost before I even knew I had it. The human village of Grove still laid claim to that title. And I’d never want to return there, either. Not without my father beside me. Even in some warped reality, if he was still alive, I don’t think the welcome would’ve been merry after what I’d done to James Campbell.

Forcing the tangle of thoughts to the back of my mind, I focused on what was ahead of me.

“The shifter looks like she wants to claw the skin from my face,” Kayne said out of the corner of his mouth, daringly glancing toward Gyah, who had her arm wrapped protectively around Althea.

I stood between him and Duncan, watching Gyah and Althea reunite. There wasn’t any point telling Kayne that he was wrong. Every time Gyah laid her golden eyes upon him, I sensed her desire to carve the skin from his body and devour it. Her intention was evident.

“Don’t worry about her,” I said. “She has better taste than the likes of you.”

Apparently my attempt at lightening the mood had failed. Kayne grunted, not bothering to offer me a reply. I clawed back the desire to tell him I was joking, because I hardly imagined that would’ve made a difference.

“Mate, the last time she saw you was on the better side of a Hunter’s cage,” Duncan added, leaning around me to give his friend a wink. “You can hardly blame her for wishing to eat you whole.”

“Explain the smile she gave you, then,” Kayne replied. “Last time I remembered, you were beside me outside that bloody cage.”

Duncan shrugged, looking rather pleased with himself. “Perhaps she’s an excellent judge of character.

“Believe me when I tell you this, Duncan.” My heart swelled in my chest as we drew closer to her. “Gyah’s smiling at you for an entirely different reason than you think. I wouldn’t think you are above the potential of a late-night snack.”

The fierce Eldrae was adorned in the deep, autumnal-coloured outfit of a Cedarfall guard. Her belt was decorated with the hilts of weapons, each one a story of her skill. Even beneath the sea of snow-covered pines, the breeze was confident enough to twist her burgundy cloak at her back, mimicking the wings that hid within her concealed Eldrae form. Snowfall covered her hair in silver stars before melting into nothingness. As more snowflakes fell upon her, Gyah’s skin glistened as though she was painted by jewels – until Althea gently caught them with her thumb and brushed them off.

I’d seen Althea focused before, like when she’d fought against a group of Hunters the first time I’d met her. But in the presence of Gyah, it was as if nothing else mattered to the Cedarfall princess other than the woman beside her.

“Interrupting anything?” I called out, feeling heat rise in my cheeks as they both settled their gazes on me.

“No,” Althea replied.

“Yes,” Gyah said in the same breath.

They both stood beyond a sharp-tipped tent, far larger than the others we passed. A village of them had been erected beneath the cover of Merrow Forest, which Althea had explained was only a short ride to Imeria Castle. Logically, she believed it would be our next destination, but I had yet to tell her that she was wrong.

Gyah released her passionate hold on Althea and threw her arms around me. “Come here you reckless fool.” Her powerful limbs squeezed me around the middle, forcing a laugh out of me. “It’s really good to see you in one piece, Robin. Although, between you and me, I can’t say the same for the two stragglers behind you.”

Although the way she said it suggested her words were only meant for me, Gyah made sure to raise her voice so Duncan and Kayne could hear.

“It’s good to see you too,” I replied, resting my chin on her shoulder as I returned her embrace. It was a surprise when tears prickled in my eyes, a stinging at the back of my throat almost choking me. “Sorry for the delay, although I’m sure you know all about it already.”

“Oh, I do.” Gyah pulled back as quickly as she had hugged me. Gone was her smile. Instead, she regarded me with a sudden snarl that made me think I’d said something wrong. There was no time to register as her fist pulled back and delivered a swift thud into my shoulder.

“Fuck,” I groaned. It hurt a lot, but even I knew she’d held back her full might. “What was that for!”

“ Never do that again, Robin.” Gyah pointed a finger at me. Her tone oozed authority.

Duncan shifted a step closer, but I shot him a look which told him to stand down.

“You’re going to have to be a little clearer than that,” I replied, as pins and needles raced down my shoulder to the tips of my fingers.

“We are a team. We decide everything together. If you ever put me in a position to choose you or Althea again then I promise my fist will connect with your face the next time. Am I clear?”

I nodded, watching Gyah’s body tremble with tension. Her eyes looked heavy, her lips drawn with lines around them that had not been there the last I had seen her. “Is now the moment to say that I think your decision will always and only ever be Althea?”

“Shut up,” Gyah snapped, eyes narrowed. “Although, you’re not wrong. But still, shut up.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, massaging the ache out of my shoulder to no avail.

Althea slipped a hand into Gyah’s fist, preventing her from striking again. Upon contact of her soft touch, Gyah melted from her sudden fury into something more tepid. “You better be.”

“I am.”

“Do you know what, Robin, I hate nothing more than when people need to say sorry. It suggests they have something to be sorry for, which you, Robin, seem to do a lot. Leaving you that night was one of the hardest things I’ve done and I’ll never forgive you for making me choose.”

“Turned out okay in the end.” I looked around us, to the fey bustling through the crowds, carrying wooden bowls of food, dressed in fresh clothes. There was no denying the morale of the camp was light.

Gyah’s expression softened, her body leaning into Althea’s side, not for support, but to eradicate as much distance between them as possible. “You’re lucky for that. Any other outcome and I would’ve torn the muscles from your bones. Which, by the looks of it, you have a little more of than when I last saw you.”

My body had changed from training with Seraphine and a few weeks of decent meals. I felt stronger because I had to be, for the people I’d done everything to save.

“And you…” Gyah snapped her attention to Duncan. He recoiled slightly from the beast lurking in her gilded eyes. “Where do I begin.”

“Perhaps this is the best moment to reintroduce myself?” Duncan added, stepping to my side with a hand extended to Gyah. There was no denying the slight shake of his fingers, but I gave it to him, he didn’t back down. His confidence, although forced, matched Gyah’s demeanour. At least he didn’t share the same hesitation that Kayne still showed as he sulked behind with Lucari chirping quietly on his shoulder.

If anything, Gyah would smell the fear off Kayne and relish in it.

“No need, Hunter, I remember you perfectly fine.”

Althea leaned into Gyah’s ear and whispered something. I couldn’t make out a word, but whatever she said caused one of Gyah’s brows to rise as she looked over Duncan with a scrutinising stare.

“We will see,” Gyah said, replying to whatever Althea had said. Her words were entirely out of context.

Duncan lowered his hand awkwardly, fingers flexing as he put them back to his side. “So, what a lovely reunion, but I think we have a few details to smooth out before we set up bed for the night.”

“A few?” Gyah barked. “And the award for biggest understatement goes to you, Hunter.”

“Duncan,” he added. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d prefer that.”

“If you both don’t mind sizing one another up, my mother is waiting inside there with Elinor Oakstorm.” Althea gestured toward the large, pitched tent behind her. It was more like a small home than any tent I’d seen before, but then again, it was put up for royalty. What else did I expect?

“Let’s not keep them waiting then,” I said, gesturing for us to all move on.

“Ah, ah, ah, Robin. This audience is for you, and you alone.” Althea wrapped a hand around Gyah’s shoulder. “Whilst you put on your big king pants to discuss matters privy to the heads of courts, the rest of us will share a strong cup of ale to celebrate our return to Wychwood.”

“You’re not coming?” I asked, already knowing the answer but wishing for her to surprise me.

“Never has there been a moment where I was glad not to be wearing a crown. Robin, good luck, and we’ll have a mug ready for you when you finish up.”

I glanced at Duncan, who nodded in silent confirmation. “Go. I’ll look after Kayne. I will make sure he’s got some meat left on his bones once the shifter has finished with him.”

Gyah snapped her teeth in jest, and Kayne actually flinched. It was hard not to laugh, but that wouldn’t help my attempt at befriending him.

Anyway, it wasn’t Kayne I was worried about.

Duncan took my face in his hands and brought his lips down on my forehead. When he pulled back, he spoke through a gravelly whisper. “ I’ll be fine, Robin.”

“Come on, you unlikely band of allies,” Gyah practically shouted. “Let’s see if my enjoyment of humans improves after something strong to drink.”

“Careful with him,” Duncan said, cocking his head in his friend’s direction. “Kayne’s not accustomed to powerful women.”

Kayne swallowed hard, freckled face burning scarlet. “That’s not true–”

“That much has been clear,” Althea snorted. “We wouldn’t want to break him, Kayne has proven rather useful over the past few weeks. It’s nice to have another redhead around, reminds me of home.”

With that, the four of them sauntered away from the tent, three more willing than the other. I would’ve given anything to join them. Instead, I looked toward the tent and swallowed the stone of dread that had lodged itself in my throat.

Now was not the time for laughter between friends. I shed that skin, adorning the mask of king, as I lifted a hand to the dark grey material of the tent’s entrance. For a few more hours I’d don my crown and be the person I was trying hard to convince myself I was. Not that it would matter. If I couldn’t trick myself into believing it, how in Altar’s name could I deceive the formidable women who waited for me inside?

Jewels of orange flame flickered from the central brazier, emitting warmth and enough light to matter. It cast shadows across the leaning walls propped up by thin poles of wood, which caused the material of the tent to bow between each rod. I was glad to have something in my hands, to stop them fidgeting. Already the skin around my nails was ruined from the incessant chewing. Thank Altar for the warmed cup of leafed tea that helped, the taste of wild berry a welcome relief from the salt that had invaded my mouth from the days of travel.

I found my attention drifted between the two queens until I felt more like a fly on the wall than someone with something to add to the conversation. My eyes fell upon the makeshift table, landing on the tea-stained maps, candles covered in cream wax and a single sword with a spiked sun carved into the end of its handle. The weapon belonged to Elinor, but was currently being used to hold down the curled edges of Wychwood’s map. But as the orange glow licked across its sharpened edge, there was no denying its more useful purpose.

“Robin, you have had the most interaction with the Nephilim,” Queen Lyra added, lifting the lip of her mug to her lips. Unlike Elinor and me, Lyra did not need to blow at the boiling, berry-infused water. She seemed to enjoy the scolding presence it left as it trailed down her throat. Perhaps the fire within her body enjoyed such a feeling. “What do you have to say about them as a threat to the fey? Now they have reached our land, they have become the minority. It would hardly take much force to deal with them before their interest in us sharpens to something less friendly.”

“They aren’t our enemies,” I replied, trying to match the authority that coated Lyra’s voice. “Aldrick is.”

“The Nephilim are the unknown,” Lyra added. “And I do not like the idea that an entire realm has dwelled out across the oceans for as long as the time of the gods.”

I straightened my back in the chair, feigning authority in my tone. “If the Nephilim were an issue or threat, there have been years they could’ve meddled. And they haven’t. I’d suggest we don’t waste our time worrying about powerful allies who have promised to help us with nothing in return. Our focus should be on our shared enemy.”

“Robin is right. Now is certainly not the time to create new enemies, Lyra,” Elinor said, offering me a motherly smile.

I was glad to see that Elinor Oakstorm looked a world better than when I last saw her. Her skin glowed with the kiss of sun; her cheeks flushed with the red of apples. A tiara held back the mane of dark curls. The metal band was made from a gold, but woven to look like the knot of a vine. A pointed crystal sat upon her brow, decorated at its side by flowers made from yellow and red metals. Elinor certainly looked comfortable beneath the weight of her signifier, and I certainly preferred seeing it on her head instead of Doran Oakstorm’s.

But that didn’t stop a sliver of discomfort every time she blinked, flashing those piercing blue eyes through dark brown eyelashes. I couldn’t help but see Tarron in her expression. Even though her smile warmed me from the inside, as though she conjured rays of sunlight and bathed me in them, it was a reminder of what price she’d paid to sit here as queen.

“The Nephilim are responsible for the death of a few of my soldiers. They have ensured that some of my own have not returned home as I promised they would,” Lyra reminded. “Forgive me if I am not welcoming them upon the shore with open arms.”

“I don’t think they are expecting such a welcome either. They’ve not left their ship since arriving,” I said, mind drifting to the ship and the two-winged warriors upon it. “Lyra, I trust the Nephilim. During a time when such a thing is hard to find, I’m confident they’ll help us with our fight against Aldrick. We could do with all the force required to prevent another court from falling.”

My words were meant as the painful reminder to what happened to the spring court.

“I hate that he has a name now,” Lyra said, lowering her cup to the table as a grimace sliced across her freckled face. “Makes the Hand seem mortal, when in actuality the man is nothing but a monster.”

“Names also have power,” I replied, mind wandering to the echo of those very words I had heard before. “And we will need an abundance of it to go against him. Having the Nephilim by our side will help when the time comes. They know more about how to stop him than we do, we need them on that basis alone.”

“Which is exactly what we must discuss.” Elinor’s eyes scanned the map, resting upon the marker for the Elmdew Court. “The longer Aldrick is left to his own devices, the closer he is to making his next move. And, considering my court rests closest to Elmdew, all signs point to him paying me a visit first. Frankly, as much as I wish I was, I’m not prepared.”

“Then I put forward that we pay Aldrick a visit in Elmdew and evict him with fire before he has the chance to move,” Lyra snapped, leaning forward on the table with both hands. “You may not be ready, but we have the numbers.”

My nose itched with the kiss of smoke.

“Careful, my friend,” Elinor added, looking down at the tendrils of flame and the sudden scent of charred wood that followed. “Before you do the same to us here and burn us out of this tent.”

Lyra reluctantly pulled back her hands, extinguishing the small flames from her fingers with a single breath. “Enough time has passed where we have allowed that man to infiltrate a court and hold claim to it. He has killed our friends and forced innocents from their homes whilst keeping the rest as prisoners of war. In honour of Peta and Dai, we must deal with this threat once and for all. With force.”

There was no denying the boiling, raw emotion that rolled from Lyra in waves. Regardless of if she had her flames in control, her magic was potent in the air.

Elinor laid a hand upon Lyra’s, curling her fingers and holding on. Her touch emitted a golden glow that encased Lyra’s skin and melted into it. I’d seen this healing power before, but it was not a physical wound Elinor wished to treat.

It was the internal wound of loss. And from the way Lyra’s eyebrows softened, her mouth smoothing out of its pinched shape, and her shoulders lowering from the sigh she expelled, I could see that Elinor’s power was helping.

“There is another problem we must remember,” I said, drawing both of their attentions back to me. “By us going to Aldrick, we will give him exactly what he wants. We hold these keys to open Duwar’s gate. We are exactly what Aldrick wants. If we do so, the realms will face a far greater threat than Aldrick. I can’t help but think that Aldrick has not yet acted again because he is expecting us to go to him. He is lying in wait, not wasting his energy or forces until he needs to.”

“Robin, I am impressed with your line of thought. You are right.” Elinor smiled, her gaze lingering on me. When she spoke, she did so from a place of pride, the emotion so powerful I felt it careen into me. “I can only imagine Aldrick’s reaction when he figured out the truth of these keys he so desperately searched for. He had us both in his grasp, only to lose us. In a strange and twisted way, it brings me great joy to imagine him in his moment of dreadful realisation.”

“The question is how did he find out,” Lyra said. “How did he work it out if no one but the Nephilim seemed to have the insight? This is not knowledge that the courts have, and yet the moment the Nephilim come he suddenly works it out. See where my distrust comes from?”

“I do.” I inhaled sharply at a sudden pain in my finger. Looking down, I saw the skin around my nail bed swelled with ruby blood. I’d not even noticed that I’d put my cup down. “Then we invite them off their ship and give them the chance to explain themselves. I’m merely passing on information, they would be better to explain.”

“Aldrick is, I hate to admit it, a detailed man. He has means to information about Duwar, and that was before the Nephilim arrived. His information is coming directly from the demon. If he knows about the keys, surely it is through his connection to it?”

“Although I don’t believe the Nephilim are involved with Aldrick finding out about the keys, I also do not think Duwar has anything to do with it. If so, Aldrick wouldn’t have let me slip through his fingers.” I offered a forced smile to Elinor, keeping my hands beneath the table. “We can speculate all night how Aldrick has gained such knowledge. It won’t help. What might help is waiting on the Nephilim’s ship. One of them, Gabrial, can read the past of humans from a script that presents itself on her skin. Aldrick is onlyhalf-fey, which means he’s not above her prying. If anyone can help us gain information on Aldrick and put us, finally, a step ahead, it would be her.”

Elinor’s brow peaked at something I said. “Every movement of Aldrick is recorded?”

I nodded, noticing the same silent intrigue on Lyra Cedarfall as she gripped her cup again. Her fingers glowed a deep red, all to heat the tea she held, which soon hissed when she brought it back to her lips. “Unknown warriors beholding unknown magic. How many more surprises will we uncover until you see what I see?”

Lyra’s distrust was evident. It would be foolish of me to disregarded it, but I also couldn’t stoke the flames.

“Gabrial may be able to shed light on Aldrick’s doings. That’s the insight we will need to keep us a step ahead of him.”

I purposefully left out the bit about Aldrick messing with what she was able to see, but I trusted she’d find a way around it soon enough.

“What do you propose then, Robin?” Lyra asked over the rim of her cup. For a brief moment, I caught respect in her gaze as she regarded me, not as Robin, but as a king who sat before her.

I took a deep breath in, making sure my answers were in order. I’d had days to contemplate our next steps, and to ensure I had the support of my fellow courts, I needed to be convincing.

“Aldrick must be stopped before he gets his hands on another key.” Before he kills one of us like he has with Peta and takes the key, willingly or by force. “When he left Lockinge, he took some fey he’d imprisoned. What’s clear is that Aldrick will continue to mutate his followers, providing them with powers until he has an army to match ours. But I think he’s hand-picked them for his own benefit. And now he is in the heart of a fey court, he has access to more supplies of fey blood. The murder of Peta and Dai and the lack of the Elmdew power will mean humans can pass into the land freely. He will create his army. I don’t require Gabrial’s ability to know that for a fact. I suggest we fuck up his plans. What we don’t need is an army to deal with. If we stay together, we will be stronger combined than separated. Then, with the help of our own numbers and the Nephilim, we can deal with him once and for all.”

Lyra leaned forwards, lips curling into a smile. “And what do you suggest.”

“We draw him out,” I replied. “Greet him – not with the separated might of our powers – but with the joined force of all of Wychwood. Aldrick had the element of surprise to take down King Elmdew, but that is no longer something he has access to. We know his plans, so we best him at them. But we must stay together, the three of us cannot be apart. Otherwise he will pick us off, one by one.”

“You suggest we abandon our courts?”

I shook my head. “That’s not what I’m saying…”

“Then where do we go?” Lyra asked after sharing a quick glance with Elinor.

I wanted to answer her, but I couldn’t find the words.

“I never imagined a day when we would sit together, discussing the potential of our realms becoming the playground for demons.” Lyra stood up from her chair, gripping the back of it until her knuckles paled. “Yet our skies have already seen the likes of winged monsters, and I fear they are only the beginning.”

“And time isn’t exactly a luxury we have at the moment,” Elinor said, looking between us both. “Especially in my court.”

I deflated before the queens, trying hard not to show it in my posture.

“As much as I recognise the points you make, Robin, I have a family and a court full of innocents to protect. I cannot be seen to leave them and hide. There has to be another way.”

“I agree,” Elinor said. “My borders are flooded with Elmdew fey seeking refuge and protection. Besides the threat of Aldrick taking occupancy as my neighbour, my court hasn’t entirely accepted me as queen yet. Doran’s poison had seeped far inside the council. If I leave now, then they will waste no time jumping in and filling the place I leave behind, regardless of the Oakstorm power I have claimed.”

“Then that leaves us with two options,” I said, bristling at the idea that Elinor was coming up against resistance from the people she’d do anything to protect. “Kill or be killed.”

“What if the keys are destroyed?” Lyra asked.

“The Nephilim have sworn to protect them. It’s not an option.”

Lyra’s gaze narrowed, clearly not believing what I said was right. “I think it is best we invite the Nephilim from their ship and question them directly about the knowledge. Then we can make an informed decision on how we deal with Aldrick.”

“I’ll speak with Rafaela,” I replied, short and cold. If there was ever a time I wanted to shed the skin of a king and pick up a mug of ale, it was now.

“Keep us informed with your progress,” Lyra said, taking her moment to stand. “We shall hold council with the Nephilim before I leave for Cedarfall and return those fey you have freed back to their homes.”

“If they let you leave,” I added. “The Nephilim have become more of my shadow since meeting them.”

“They are welcome to come with me, Robin. But regardless, I will be leaving. We cannot stay here. Our power may be what Aldrick desires, but it is the only play we have to keep our courts safe from him.”

I swallowed the urge to remind Lyra that Peta had the power, and he was dead. Surprise attack or not, Aldrick was powerful. We shouldn’t underestimate him.

“Will you be returning to Imeria?” Elinor asked, her question catching me off guard. I looked at her, searching her azure eyes for a reason she might already know the answer.

“I have decided those fey who wish to stay in Icethorn will be taken to Berrow. They can dwell there for the time being.” The words came out before I could stop them. “Icethorn has been left empty for a long time. Before I know if Imeria and other places are safe, it is best they stay somewhere I can vouch to be free of dangers.”

It was not completely a lie, simply the truth bent. I’d decided, as part of the plan those weeks ago, that if we returned to Wychwood, it would be better to keep the fey in one place. There would be few, certainly not enough to fill an entire court, but regardless, I vowed to protect them. I could do so confidently if they were all together. However, I had no intention of ever returning to Berrow myself. Not with the ghost of memories left behind. Not when Erix’s presence was smeared all across it.

“You have a fortress at your disposal,” Lyra added. “If you wish to keep your people safe, then open your gates and let them fill Imeria’s rooms. Altar knows you have the space.”

I couldn’t form a reply. It jammed in my throat. Lifting the now-cold tea, I took a swig, hoping to help clear it. The silence soon became so taunting I was forced to reply. “I… can’t do that.”

“Don’t be ashamed if you hold little care for Imeria, but as king, it is your rightful home.” Lyra placed a pointed nail on the map, directly over the very place we discussed. “You must claim it. I know Julianne would have dreamed of a day of seeing you, her son, walking the halls.”

Elinor’s eyes bore through me, searching for the reason why I reacted in such a way. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t hide from the truth forever.

Swallowing my guilt, I raised my chin and revealed the truth before it consumed me. “Imeria is not my home. It never was, and now never will be. It was the price I had to pay to even have the pleasure of having this conversation with you.”

“Price you had to pay, what does that mean?” Elinor reached out for my hand, but I flinched away at her touch.

“What have you done, Robin?” Shock dripped from Lyra’s tongue as she questioned me.

Lifting my chin, I forged my expression to a mask of iron and replied, “I’m not the only one in this room who’s had the pleasure of making deals with the Asps. I couldn’t offer them coin, but I could provide them with security. Imeria belongs to them now, not me.”

“You threw away your kingdom, and for what?” Lyra blinked as she spoke.

“A castle, not a kingdom. I gave away a place of stone that meant nothing to me. And now I have an entire nest of Asps at my disposal, close enough to call on if and when required. I think, given my options, it was the best I could do. We all have a price to pay, and this was mine.”

I waited for them to argue. To tell me I had made a terrible choice and to demand I claim it back. But they didn’t. Neither Elinor nor Lyra provided judgement. I waited and waited, but it did not come as words. However, the look they both gave me spoke volumes. Lyra’s eyes were overwhelmed with disbelief and fury, whereas Elinor regarded me with understanding.

“Speak with the Nephilim,” Lyra said finally. “As Robin has said, let us deal with Aldrick before any more lives are lost. Then we will discuss what it means to be king and how best to make a decision in the future.”

Her words stung far greater than any slap.

“Lyra, that is not a fair assumption,” Elinor said.

“I am merely responding to facts, Elinor.”

It was as though someone had stabbed me in the gut and turned the knife.

“I’m sorry, Lyra.” I stood, body shivering with unspent tension. “Do you care to remind me what you have done in your attempts to free the fey that belonged to your court?” Anger twisted inside me, a cold blizzard of fury. “If I am not mistaken, you were complacent as the fey disappeared over the years, whereas I was not.”

Elinor stood and moved from the table next, and I followed suit. “Please, that is enough.”

“I do not deny that your actions have been valiant, but wearing the crown means you make a decision that benefits the many and not the few.” Lyra drew back, her posture rigid from the same tension that thrummed through me. “Remember that the next time you make decisions.”

“How about you tell that to the Cedarfall fey who fill this camp? Explain the meaning behind that to them and see if they understand why it took years to save them,” I snapped.

Lyra didn’t reply. I saw in the creases that spread across her forehead that she had something to say. Whatever it was, it never left her pale mouth. Before I could retract my words, Lyra bowed and left the tent swiftly, not without leaving a scolding kiss to the air around me.

I was left looking out after her, hating the internal, scoring pain born from knowing I’d disappointed her.

“I believe the decisions you make are for the best of not only your people but you, too, Robin,” Elinor said softly, laying the motherly touch of her hand upon my shoulder. “You are the heart of this court regardless of the crown you wear or the throne you sit upon. You should also remember that.”

I leaned into her, resting my head on her shoulder. Her arm dropped around me, keeping me close. I allowed myself a moment of selfish indulgence. Closing my eyes, I imagined my father and how similar his caring affection was to what Elinor provided me.

“Thank you for having faith in me,” I said. “Even if my decisions don’t make sense to you, they make sense to me.”

“And what matters is you stand by those decisions.” Her hand rubbed slowly at my back. Up and down. Elinor’s fingers glowed golden as they dampened the turmoil of emotion, untying it from its knot within me. Clarity overcame me so suddenly that my intake of breath was the freshest and lightest it had been in months.

“I can speak on behalf of your mother when I say that she would be so proud of you,” Elinor said. “Take that, keep it close, and remember it with what is coming.”

“From the moment this all began, I’ve been lost. Lyra sees that.”

“We all feel lost sometimes, Robin,” Elinor admitted. “Recognising that is the first step back toward finding your way out of the maze.”

I closed my eyes, allowing her words to settle over me like snow, where they then melted into my bones.

“Don’t fear the journey. Feel privileged you are on one. Many have already lost their chance to live. In their honour, ensure you make a difference. Live the life they are no longer fortunate to have, continue the Icethorn legacy so we can save its future against our new threat.”