55. Keelan

Chapter 55

Keelan

I staggered forward as we Traveled back to the Palace.

I took two steadying steps, then threw up all over the audience chamber floor.

“Well, that is a first during my reign.” Jess raised a brow from her seat at the Council table.

Chancellor Marks, Sheriff Cribbs, and Atikus turned.

Declan grinned back at our audience and bowed. “My carriage rides are a tad bumpy for the uninitiated.”

I retched again.

A servant standing in the shadows rushed forward, curtsied, and vanished, returning a moment later with two others, a bucket, and a mop.

I stumbled to the bottom step leading to the throne and sat with my head in my hands. I was certain my face glowed a putrid shade of green.

Declan stepped up and placed a palm to my forehead. Light exploded from his hand, then winked out.

I looked up with wide eyes. “The nausea’s . . . gone,” I exclaimed. I scrunched up my face at my brother. “You could’ve done that all along, couldn’t you?”

Declan grinned and shrugged. “Honestly, I didn’t think of it until now. That’s the first time I’ve used Healing since gaining all these new powers, but I did owe you for ruining my breeches.”

I gave Declan one last annoyed glance before attempting to stand, surprised how solid the ground now felt under my feet. Declan and I took our seats and joined the Queen’s meeting.

“Atikus was just about to tell us of the scrying he did with our Mages, but I think we should hear from you two first.” Jess turned to me and gave me a hint of a smile. It felt like my insides were jelly again, this time nothing—and everything—like my nausea from before.

My return smile was far more than a hint.

Declan grinned.

The others shifted in their seats.

“Your Majesty,” I began. “Most of the interviews were fruitless. However, we spent a good amount of time with the witness to the latest killing. He is familiar with the robes of the Priests and is convinced the killer wore those same robes when he resumed his human form.”

“The Order again.” Jess strummed her fingers so hard her knuckles whitened.

I cleared my throat and continued. “We also questioned the local Priest. By all accounts, he is well respected throughout the town. We found no evidence he knew anything of the killer or anyone else in the Order with the ability to shift. Among Declan’s new abilities, he can Truthread.”

I looked to my brother and tried to keep the bitterness from my voice. The idea of turning to someone else, someone who wielded my Gift, was almost more than I could bear.

Declan eyed me a moment before responding. “I sensed no lies, nor did I find either of them to be hiding information. They were both forthright and credible.”

Cribbs leaned forward and shook his head. “Incredible. I was certain this was a talk of a drunk or mad woman.”

“I was, too, until we met him and the Priest,” Declan said.

“Did you find anything else, a motive, anything connecting the Order to the killings?” Marks asked.

I shook my head. “No, nothing. The witness recalled seeing the victim talking in hushed tones with another man at the local inn a few hours before he was killed, but he only overheard a few random phrases, nothing that made any sense.”

“What did he hear?” Cribbs asked, quill in hand.

“Something like, ‘This has to end,’ he thought. He wasn’t completely sure and had no idea of the context.”

Cribbs scribbled a note. “What would they be plotting about that could cause one of them to be killed? Oliver is a small town, but they enjoy healthy trade from both the ocean and roads. There hasn’t been a serious crime like murder or kidnapping there in years. What changed?”

Declan opened his mouth to speak, then stopped.

“What? No holding back at this table,” Jess said.

“It’s just . . . the Priest. I know we’re already wary of them, and I don’t want to jump to conclusions because of that, but he showed up, what, five or six months ago?” Declan asked.

“Right, but you heard Liam. He’s basically the town saint,” I said.

“If they can shift into murderous animals, they can fool us into thinking they’re good people.”

“What about preaching against the Crown? Did you hear any more about that?” Marks asked.

I shook my head. “Not really. A few of the people we interviewed said they’d heard the Priest talk about unifying under the One, but they thought he meant as an addition or support to the Crown, nothing like rebellion.”

Silence lingered a moment as our report sank in, then Jess spoke. “Thank you both for going down there so quickly. Atikus, would you tell us what you and the Mages found?”

The old Mage leaned forward. “Mage Ernest suggested we scry for Irina using the crumpled flyer she was holding before she vanished. It had only been a couple of hours since she possessed it, so he hoped we might get a reading. If we had waited another few hours, it would not have worked at all.” He paused and took a sip of water. “We are now certain she Traveled to Irina’s Seat. The image in the scrying bowl was the Children’s stone Temple in that village.”

I sat back and scratched at my scalp. “Irina’s Seat? I hoped to never see that place again.”

Jess muttered. “That makes two of us.”

Declan cocked his head. “Atikus, what aren’t you telling us? I can sense you’re holding something back.”

“Bees get ya?” I asked with a smirk.

“Shut it,” Declan said with a grin of his own.

Atikus looked between us and shook his head. “I thought of something while you were talking about your trip to Oliver, but it may be too crazy, even for this situation.”

“I doubt this could get any stranger. Let’s hear it,” Declan prodded.

“Well, the flyer referenced an upcoming meeting the local Priest was holding.”

“Right,” Declan said.

“It highlighted a message about the Return of the One. We always assumed that ancient prophecy referred to Irina’s return. What if this One is using her prophecy for their own gain? How do you think she would react when she learned that her legacy was stolen?”

“She would want to rip their eyes out,” Jess spat.

Atikus nodded. “She just Traveled to Irina’s Seat, and Declan, the last person to see her before she went there, said she looked angry as she read the flyer.”

“Holy Spirits. That makes sense,” I exclaimed. “Dec, Atikus, we need to go there right now. We may not get a better shot at her.”

“Woah. Hold on, big brother. Remind me what magic you have to fight an all-powerful, wildly angry sorceress.”

I glared a moment, then deflated. “Fair point, I guess.”

“Atikus and I are the only ones who stand any chance of banishing her once and for all. I hope she really is the only other person with magic. If she were to team up with this One and they both had power, it might be more than we could handle.”

Atikus grunted. “That is true, but we have to try. Keelan might not be able to join us, but he was right about not missing this chance. We need to go quickly.”

No one objected as all eyes shifted toward Jess.

She stared into table for a long moment, then nodded.

Everyone wished Declan and Atikus well, and the pair vanished.

The Councilors retired for the evening, offering bows to Jess and polite nods to me.

“I hope we did the right thing sending them,” Jess said as she and I stood alone—save for her guards—in the Throne Room.

I wrapped my arms around her and held her close.

“Me too,” I whispered into her neck. “They’re the only family I have left.”