Chapter 61

Two days later and Blackcastle was still a fucking nightmare.

There were ten thousand soldiers camped outside the city's front gates with no food or shelter, clogging the streets and demanding to be fed and housed. Raziel and Lyrae had taken charge, but the situation was slipping into chaos.

Southwell had blocked off access to anyone but shop owners, claiming they were protecting their interests, but Torin had gotten word Trubahn was organizing a revolt.

Magic was everywhere.

And not just any magic. Raw, wild magic that mutated common types of magic into something more exotic. Something dangerous.

We had dream weavers now, haunting everyone's sleep, golems wandered the confines of Blackcastle's alleys, and a group of necromancers were caught out on the battlefield trying to bring some soldiers back to life.

All of which would have been wonderous, except none of these people knew how to control their powers or the damage they could cause.

A fire wielder burned down two houses and the stables that very first day, a young girl accidently conjured a nest of basilisks in the town market, and the already overtaxed healers spent a full day administering antivenom to those bitten.

Zephryn had transformed and perched for an entire day on the ramparts, roaring out his rage over all of Blackcastle, and after that the magical accidents had diminished considerably.

"We must take back full control of the military," Cosimo told Zor for the hundredth time. "Your soldiers are wreaking havoc on Blackcastle. If they remain, the streets won't be safe for anyone."

"Disband them," Tavion suggested. "Let them go back to their families. We don't need an army." His lips quirked as he threw his feet up on the table. "We have Anaria."

"Some of these men don't have families. The army is all they know. They existed within that structure their whole lives, and now that it's gone they don't know what to do."

I rubbed my aching brow, a wicked headache already brewing. "What about the barracks behind the Keep?"

"Not enough room and it will take us months to build more. Wood is in short supply since we're forbidden from cutting down the forest."

"Because it's sentient," I pointed out, tired of sounding like a broken record.

"And rations are running low. Another few days and we'll be out. Not so much as a loaf of bread in the entire city."

"So we freed this realm from a tyrant, only for our citizens to starve to death." I sighed. "Unfortunate that a monster took better care of his people than us."

"That's not a fair comparison." Zorander bristled on my behalf. "We are waiting for the supply wagons to arrive from the Havens. There is enough food in those fields and orchards to feed this city ten times over. Those wagons have to get here."

"On the road that no longer exists because there's a forest there now? Across a river with no bridge?" I shook my head. "That's not happening in a few days. Suggestions?"

"Raziel and I could use our magic to transport supplies back and forth. We can set up a staging area where the old market used to be."

"You can't carry enough to feed this city plus the army," Cosimo pointed out evenly. "Even if you make fifty trips a day. We need that road opened back up. Today."

He drummed his fingers on the table. "Then again, if we could get Southwell to fucking cooperate, there are mages who could conjure up a building with a wave of their hand. Your housing problem would be solved." The astrologer had attended every single meeting, and so far, his counsel was invaluable. Cosimo knew more about strategy and city planning than we did, and he was right. We were dead unless we had a lifeline to those fields.

"Okay." I shoved to my feet, exhaustion threatening to drag me right back down.

Nothing—not a single thing—had gone right since the wall fell. Magic was only making the situation worse, and when Tristan stumbled in holding a hand to his bleeding side, I had fucking had enough.

"Southwell?" was all I asked.

He'd gone into Southwell to see what the mages were plotting now that their magic had been restored. Cosimo was right. They should be here in the Keep helping—I remembered how Bexley had conjured up an entire buffet with a flick of his fingers—but they wanted to overthrow us instead.

"Worse than we imagined," Tristan croaked, Raziel healing his side in an instant.

"Trubahn has them uniting, and they have magic, some of them more powerful than us." His hazel eyes slid to mine. "They're planning a full-on assault tomorrow night and they're scouring the city, looking for anyone who will join them. The soldiers are hungry and ready to listen to alternatives to their new queen."

"Fucking arseholes." Zorander pushed to his feet. "That is not happening."

"Sit down, Zor." I laced my fingers and leaned forward. "This city must be fed. Nothing breeds discontent faster than empty bellies. We have to get that road open. When will we run out of food?" I looked to Zor, who sat back down heavily.

"Three days if we ration. Two if we don't. The road was…thirty miles long, give or take, and the river's getting wider by the day. We can't go around."

"We have two days to get the road open and the bridge built. Then convince the farmers that traveling through a newly emerged forest born of pure magic is safe. And profitable. How full are our coffers?"

"Filled to the brim." Tavion's smile was grim. "Too bad we can't eat gold."

"No, but we can use it to entice the farmers to risk traveling on our brand-new road. We'll build it as straight as we can. No sense in wasting their time and resources on travel."

"We'll head to Siltbrook and map a road leading straight to our front gates. Then we'll use our magic to build it." I lifted my chin. "If our magic can't be used to make things better, then what good is it? We can't let people starve."

"Who's building the bridge?" Tavion pushed off the wall. "I say give that task to the astrologer since he seems to be full of suggestions."

Did I mention tempers were running hot?

"Get me to Siltbrook and let's get started. Anything is better than sitting around here and tearing each other apart. This is our kingdom now, and we're responsible for these people. There are children down there, and okay, some bad-tempered arsehole soldiers, too, but we can't let them stop us. We feed this city, we fucking bribe the farmers if we have to, and then…" I sucked in a breath.

"We prepare ourselves for the Oracle's arrival."

By sundown the following day,a road stretched from the town center of Siltbrook straight to the front gates—and the main market—of Blackcastle. There was even a bridge, cleverly spelled to expand with the ever-growing river, though we expected Cosimo's magic would take some routine maintenance.

The wagons were already on the move, a caravan of them heading to the city.

"Not too shabby." Raziel squeezed me as another wagon rumbled past, horses straining against the weight. "This is good, Anaria. Really good."

I nodded. There was a warm, tight feeling in my chest as I watched the caravan of wagons head toward the city, fully laden with food.

"This is what real power is all about, Raziel. Changing things for the better."

Building something like this, something useful, was better than sitting on a throne any day. And we'd built this road to last, with a little help from the forest which had cleared a straight path through the now-towering trees.

If I squinted, I could see the Keep from here.

And the forest had made me a promise. Safe passage for those who bore no ill will toward the city or its citizens. So no need for soldiers or armed guards.

"We'd better get back," Raziel reminded me with a wry smile. "Or we'll miss Trubahn's uprising."

"Maybe he'll call off his revolt." I slipped my hand into his. "Or postpone it. I'd really like to get some sleep tonight."

Raziel kissed my forehead. "You and me both, but we have a revolt to stop, and we don't want to be late."