60. Veli

Chapter sixty

Veli

Elianna let out a gasp for breath as she returned to her physical body. Her arms flew out as if reaching for something until they met the stone table.

“Lia, Lia!” Jace boomed. “It’s okay, you’re back. You’re alright.”

Zaela’s eyes kept flashing back and forth to Elianna and myself, as if I had any answers for her.

Once Elianna finally caught her breath, she looked around the room at each of us, a sadness in her eyes that told me all I needed to know—her last resort for allies had refused.

“What happened?” her mate asked in a whisper.

Her deep breaths caught my attention, and I raised a brow.

“They will not be fighting for us in the war,” she stated, and everyone's shoulders sagged in defeat. “But I did learn something of value.”

“And what might that be?” I asked.

Elianna had been unraveling at the seams for some time now, and this certainly wouldn’t help on top of losing Avery. I knew centaurs were the most stubborn of creatures, but even I had hoped they would prove me wrong—and I loathed being wrong.

She told us everything the leader of the herd said about how they had ventured beyond the Sylis Foret over a century ago and murdered the queen’s father and brother.

My eyes flared at what she had uncovered—these moronic half-horse beasts started a war they had no intention of fighting in. I had half a thought to break into their minds and force them to finish what they accidentally began, but that would go against everything I stood for.

Jace placed his head in his hands as his elbows rested on the table. “I can’t believe this.”

“I know,” Elianna whispered.

“And they won’t even help us end what they started,” Gage growled.

“It appears that way,” she answered.

“Can this information be used in any way for us? Could we use this against that bitch queen by letting the realm know she started all of this on false accusations? Fae have died, not just humans. Your people will be upset that they have lost family members for her failed revenge,” Zaela stated.

I truly liked this blonde girl. Quite a bit.

“I’m not sure that we have the time, but if we could somehow get this information to them, it could cause a revolt in the city,” Elianna said.

“What about that witch whispering spell? Could we try that again?” Gage asked.

“Azenna is shielding the city. No one would hear it but her,” I reminded him .

“Not if we kill her first,” Elianna stated, and all our eyes shifted to her. The heir’s face was void of all emotion—nothing but calculation in her stare.

“Kill Azenna? The High Witch? We would have to remove her heart from her body, or find a way to get it to stop beating. Do you know how difficult that would be?” She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. “Actually, do not answer that. I know you are clueless as usual.”

She rolled her eyes at me, but I ignored her tantrum.

“Then, if we manage to kill her, the spell will be broken, and you will cast the whisper. Idina’s city will come undone beneath her,” Elianna said.

“We could take the city easily without their magic at work. We wouldn’t even need the citizens to revolt,” Jace said.

“They deserve to know,” his mate answered. “Everyone deserves to know the truth about what happened over a century ago.”

“Agreed,” I chimed in, and she gave me a nod.

Elianna cleared her throat. “This was our last chance at obtaining more allies. We’re out of time, and we need to move out. We’ve done all we can, and I want you all to know how sorry I am that this is what our reality has become. I truly thought we would have more on our side. More time, more allies…more hope .”

“We haven’t lost hope yet, Lia,” Zaela said.

The commander put his hand on top of his mate’s, and her shoulders visibly relaxed at his touch .

Elianna then turned to me. “You will need to rift walk to Elora and alert the sirens of their task. They will need to swim fast.”

“That will not be an issue for them. It is part of their magic,” I stated as I stood from my seat.

“You’re going now?!” Zaela nearly screeched at me, and everyone looked at her with a raised brow.

“Well, it is what your queen wishes. And as we have stated, we are running out of time.”

Her eyes quickly averted my own. “Right, well…be careful.”

I smiled at her. I never smile, but her concern for an all-powerful sorceress was…cute.

“Aye, Zaela. I will be careful.”

Her cheeks flushed a bright pink as everyone else stood from their seats.

“Now that dawn has risen, we will check in with the general in the meantime,” Elianna alerted me.

“I will meet you once I return.”

And with that, the four of them left me alone in the war chamber.

I sucked in a sharp breath and held out my hand, focusing all of my attention on the isles. “ Odium Embulae .” I cast the spell and a small gateway appeared that held The Elora Isles on its other side.

I stepped through the portal and was instantly transported back to the marsh where we had met the sirens.

I walked to the riverbank's edge and rested my hands atop the water, sending a pulse of magic out toward the sea, calling for the wicked creatures that roamed the deep.

Within minutes, multiple heads emerged from the seawater several feet in front of me. I counted at least nine at a quick glance.

I recognized the two that Elianna had set her barter with. They hissed at me the second we locked eyes.

“Wonderful to see you, too,” I greeted them as I crossed my arms. “It is time for your debt to be paid.”

“We have no debt ,” one of them hissed. “Your queen stole something from us, and we want it back. She stole our sister.”

“Ah yes, just how you tried to steal her mate.” I paused for a moment. “And eat him, I might add.”

Feral grins crept up their faces, as if they didn’t regret it for a second. “He was a handsome one,” the other cooed.

“I am here to give you orders. You will receive your sister’s conch back so long as you swim for Isla’s harbor and rid the males on the ships, if there are any, in four days’ time.”

“You think we can swim to Isla in four days?”

“I have no doubt in it. You forget I know of your abilities, siren .”

Her tail lashed out of the water and splashed the murky water at me, but I threw up a shield just in time for it to bounce off and slam back down into the swamp.

“Your orders have been given.” All of their eyes narrowed in on me as their mouths remained beneath the surface of the water. “Fight for Elianna Valderre in Isla’s harbor and you will receive your sister’s conch. It is quite a simple bargain.”

I cast the portal spell back open behind me and slowly marched backward towards it. “I would just hate to see our queen crush her shell and punch one of you in your pretty little faces again.”

With that parting threat, I was back through the portal in the valley, and they disappeared beneath the tides once more.