20. Evan

20

EVAN

E van tried to roll the tension from his shoulders, but seeing Reese beaten within an inch of his life brought back the memory of Teddy bloody and lifeless. Evan squeezed his eyes shut, trying to rid himself of the memory.

Reese had been such a mess when Chris brought him in that Evan worried some of the damage might have been permanent. Sylvie had done an expert and meticulous job healing every cut, leaving only one faint scar that Reese insisted gave him a roguish mystique.

Reese was fine and he'd had a full day to recover and be doted on by Chris and the priestesses. But Evan still felt rocked.

Now Reese leaned casually over a pew, finishing a joke that had Cal laughing until he cried. It was a relief to see him joking again.

Chris crossed the temple to where Evan stood leaning against the marble wall.

"Thank you for hiding us," he said.

Evan nodded. "Happy to have you. Sorry that Reese had to take a beating to get here."

Chris shrugged a shoulder. "I think he's more upset that his wanted poster doesn't do him justice. "

Reese held a paper high in the air. "I'm a little offended that someone drew my nose so big. Aren't they supposed to have memory witches do these wanted bulletins?" He angled the poster toward the crowd of priestesses and gestured to his nose. "While I admit it's hard to capture this perfection, I don't think this was a very good attempt. Wouldn't you agree, ladies?"

The priestesses giggled.

"I know we had a lot of urgent fires to put out before now, but I received word that Raven Whitewind is in town," Chris said.

Evan shook his head. "Why on earth would she respond to Vincent's summons?"

Chris rubbed his chin. "I can't imagine, truly. But Vincent was confident she was coming right before I escaped and I asked one of the hunters who works for me to keep an eye out. He sent word along a few minutes ago that it's official."

Evan's gut roiled. Vincent working with an ancient witch was dangerous. He tried to catch Sylvie's eye, but she was too distracted by the news. "It can't be for anything good. You weren't able to get Vincent to spill his plan?"

Chris gestured to Reese. "Neither of us were. It was clear from the beginning that he didn't trust us. He knew already from Spellman that we were Xander's most loyal supporters. I think he was just waiting for his moment. It's very lucky that Cece was able to make it look like she'd wiped his mind to keep him from being killed."

Reese scoffed as he sidled up beside them. "I resent that no one is congratulating me for my excellent acting skills."

Chris rolled his eyes and threw an arm over Reese's shoulder. "Yes, you are an unparalleled talent, but we have a bigger problem. Whitewind is officially in town."

Reese frowned. "We can't let her help Vincent figure out how to keep power. If she sees all the different paths forward, she could show him how to get rid of Xander. She could show him how to get rid of all of us."

"You're all looking at this the wrong way."

Cato's voice made all of them jump .

Evan turned and found the trickster lounging across the altar as if it were a chaise. Evan's fingers brushed the dagger at his waist.

Cato cocked his head and gave Evan a patronizing look. "As the only one of us that has truly dealt with that wretched hag in the recent past, I can guarantee that no one manipulates Raven, not even me. I doubt some traitor king with little impulse control is going to be able to. If she's here, it's for a reason that has nothing to do with giving him what he wants."

Sylvie arched an eyebrow and Evan startled. He couldn't get used to seeing her expression on the face that Cato had given her. The differences were subtle, but he knew every inch of her face like the back of his hand.

"Maybe you're just losing your touch in your old age," Sylvie said.

"Easy, witch, or I'll consider feeding you to that vicious king who seems to have taken a fancy to you," Cato said with a wink.

Evan bristled. He had suppressed reacting to Sylvie being in danger for so long. Since she'd been wounded, he'd completely lost his composure. Evan loved and hated caring because it gave him a vulnerability, and the last thing he wanted was someone hurting Sylvie to get to him. She'd been through enough .

"Watch what you say. You're on thin ice in another god's temple," Evan said.

Cato grinned, holding up his hands. "Oh, calm down, boss. I'm joking. Honestly, you've all been in hiding too long. You're far too serious these days. Makes me miss Cece. She may have stabbed me in the heart, but at least she has a sense of humor."

"So, you think the seer is here to help us?" Sylvie asked.

"I think that ancient witches serve one master: balance. I should know." It was amazing how condescending Cato could sound while talking about his own mistakes.

Sylvie seemed satisfied with that response, but Evan needed to know more. "How could she help?"

Cato sighed exasperatedly. "Gods, you're thick. What does Raven Whitewind do most of the time—or rather, what did she do? "

"Bond guardians and witches," Sylvie said. "You think she's here to help Rainer and Cece."

Cato shook his head. "No, I think she's here to pass along cryptic riddles that might aid Cece—but she knows a lot about memory magic, so it's possible she might help by accident. She seems to have a soft spot for Cece."

"She was friends with Cece's birth mother, Selene Carrick. She and Raven and two other witches helped create the Gauntlet. Or do you pretend to forget the time the ancient witches of Olney tricked you at your own game?" Sylvie taunted.

Cato glowered at her.

"Regardless, if there is anyone who knows about memory recovery and the complexity of giving and taking and storing memory, Raven would know," Sylvie said.

"Exactly!" Cato swiped a finger over the altar as if testing for dust before jerking his thumb toward the statue of Aurelia on a raised platform behind him. "You ever met her?"

" Goddess Aurelia ?" Chris asked, wide-eyed.

Cato shrugged. "A bit high-maintenance. She's known for her neutrality, but she's actually much like Goddess Sayla when it comes to men who commit violence against women."

Sayla, goddess of the hunt, Cecilia's half-sister, was known for inflicting vengeance upon sexually violent men. When Evan had met her, she'd been both enigmatic and terrifying, but he'd never heard tales of Aurelia avenging women in the same way.

"She understands how to manage her image," Cato continued. "You could take note, Farlan. But she's been known to help women avenge themselves." His gaze raked over a group of priestesses clustered in the front pews. "Isn't that right, ladies?"

The women eyed him suspiciously, then went back to whispering amongst themselves.

"You mean to tell us we have been hiding among Aurelia's avenging army?" Sylvie asked.

Cato threw his head back and laughed. "I hardly think they function in the way you're thinking." He narrowed his gaze on the women in the front row. "Unless something has changed."

Evan looked to the high priestess, Kenna, who'd stepped forward from the group. "Is that true?" he asked.

Kenna looked at her peers, and they all nodded. "Yes. Most of the women here have either been witness to or victims of violence by men. When they arrive, part of our program, if they choose to participate, is to empower them to defend themselves. We are hardly an avenging army, but we have some basic skills, not to mention a talent for poisons as our goddess is of the harvest, which includes many herbs that can be both medicinal and poisonous."

Evan stared at Kenna. He'd known her for a long time and the temple had served as a hiding place for any of his spies that had been discovered over the years, but the omission of that information made him see their relationship in a whole different light. He knew that the place was a haven from violent men, but Evan hadn't thought Kenna put him in that category.

As if reading his sudden doubts, Kenna turned to look at him. "It's not about you, Hunter Farlan. Healing is paramount here, and part of that requires the ability to defend oneself."

"I would have helped train them if I knew," Evan said.

Kenna cocked her head to the side. "I'm sure you can understand the need for discretion. We make decisions collectively and on the basis of what information is critical. Until now, this information has not been something you needed to know to work with us."

Evan wanted to defend himself, but then thought of how Sylvie had kept her own secrets about the violence that had been inflicted on her. It wasn't about him. It was about women needing to be able to share in their own time in order to heal.

"Well, now that we've settled everyone's hurt feelings, we know where to get our little army. Now we just need to figure out when to use them," Cato said.

As if it was truly as simple as that.

Kenna conferred with the priestesses in the front row before turning to look at Evan again. "We are willing to help, but I am responsible for these women. I won't approve a plan that puts them in steeper peril than necessary. You'll need a good way to be certain which side everyone is on, because I won't have them pay a price for your mistakes."

Evan nodded, nervousness churning in his gut. Distinguishing friend from foe was exactly what they were trying to do, but his failure to see what was right in front of his face for months had left him doubting his ability to do so. He didn't want these women to suffer any more than they already had.

Sylvie's soft hand slid into his and squeezed. She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Is this a good idea?" he whispered.

"Don't take on the responsibility for them, Evan. They chose to help—don't be another man that underestimates their ability or takes away their agency. Let them help, and trust them to tell you where the line is," Sylvie said. "Allowing them to help gives us the advantage of surprise because Vincent is too much of a pig to suspect women. He would certainly notice if we tried to sneak in a battalion of our own men."

Evan looked around as more priestesses flooded the temple. "I'm sure they know basics, but this is a lot of women to train in a very short period of time."

"Then we better get started and come up with a plan," Sylvie said.

Cal joined them. "You really think that we can train all of these women to take out Vincent's men? I'm all for evening the battlefield, but Vincent's hunters have years of combat training."

"I think it's the only viable option we have," Evan said. "Sylvie is right. Vincent will suspect something immediately if he gets a bunch of male staff hired at once, but if we manage to sneak women in, he will think nothing of it."

Cal sighed. "What about our friends still inside?"

"Yes—are we concerned at all that our resident brainwashed guardian is set to marry another woman in a few weeks' time?" Sylvie asked .

Evan sighed. Word of Rainer's engagement to Eloise Spellman had reached them earlier in the afternoon. It was a complication they did not need, and no doubt Cecilia was beside herself. She wasn't known for her even temper. That concerned Evan the most.

"You're looking at this all wrong," Cato said. "A wedding is a great opportunity for outsiders to get into the castle. You should know that by now, all things considered."

Evan sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Cato seemed just as keen to antagonize them as he was to help.

"You think Vincent won't be ready for that?" Evan challenged.

Cato shrugged. "I don't think he'll be ready for much. He's frustrated he can't get information out of any of your people. He's even more frustrated that the common people are protesting at the castle gates. But where he really loses focus is when it comes to taunting Xander and Cece. His penchant for psychological warfare distracts him from rational decisions. If he was thinking rationally, he wouldn't be rushing an event that invites a bunch of strangers into the castle so soon after the transition of power."

Loath as Evan was to admit it, Cato had a point. Shaking his head, he wondered what the world was coming to with the trickster god making sense.

"What if we train any of the priestesses who volunteer and have them come in for the wedding?" Sylvie suggested.

"Can we rely on them?"

Sylvie glared at him.

"Syl, I'm not doubting that women can do it," Evan said. "I'm acknowledging the considerable grief, fear, and anger that they would need to manage to do so. Is it more damaging to send them into an environment where we can't guarantee their safety?"

Sylvie's face softened. "Don't you think we should leave it up to them? By empowering them to decide for themselves, we're giving them the opportunity to make things right."

"We will have the element of surprise on our side," Cal added.

It could work, but there were so many variables. Still, it might be their best option to get inside with minimal casualties. They could always abandon the plan if it was too dangerous.

"We already know the basics," one of the women said. When Evan turned to look at her, she took a tentative step closer. "We certainly aren't warriors, but we are quick learners. Some of us also have magic. We can be a resource. Please, at least give us the opportunity to stand up for ourselves and our kingdom."

Her conviction was compelling. Evan had relied on the talent of female spies for years. He didn't doubt their ability to unearth valuable information or their cleverness and strength. What concerned him was the brutality of Vincent's men and their willingness to scheme and play dirty.

Sylvie grinned at the woman, looking thrilled at the prospect of leading an army of ladies against Vincent's men. Still, Evan worried it wouldn't be enough. The problem with Vincent's meddling was that it had stripped him of his confidence, and he had much more than his own bruised ego to contend with. He knew things were bad. It was Evan's job to understand how the changes Xander was making to Argaria's deeply ingrained classist systems were affecting the overall mood in court and in town.

"Cal, can you sit with them and figure out what they know? That will give us a good place to start. We can try to come up with a plan that gives advantage to the skills they already have," Evan said.

Cal nodded and crossed the room to Kenna and her priestesses.

Sylvie hooked her arm in Evan's and led him to a quiet place at the back of the room. "So, Cato's turning out to be more helpful than expected. I don't know whether to be skeptical or grateful."

"Do we have to pick one?" Evan asked.

"You're tense," she said, rubbing her fingers over his jaw.

"Is there another way to be right now?"

Sylvie grinned. "I could take you in one of those meditation booths and we could find out."

Evan laughed, pulling her into a kiss. "That sounds good right about now, but it's strange to think about being with you when you look like someone else. It feels like cheating. "

"I don't know, I kind of like this gruffer, older version of you," she said, playing with his hair.

Evan sighed. "I can't stop going over how this might work and what other resources we might be able to get access to."

"Always so responsible, though I suppose you wouldn't be the man I fell in love with if you didn't consider all the angles," Sylvie said.

"That's how I got you, after all."

Sylvie rolled her eyes. "You got me because I took a dagger to the chest for you."

"That seems to be a theme for our group of friends, doesn't it?" Evan teased.

She shuddered. "Here's hoping that trend ends."

"What else do you think we should do, Syl? You've been so quiet."

She worried her plump lower lip with her teeth, a maddeningly distracting habit that drew Evan's mind back to sneaking her into a meditation booth for alone time.

"I wonder if our friends in Aldrena would like the opportunity to pay Vincent back for using their princess's name to commit crimes against another kingdom. Now that we know those fake princesses were just Vincent's plants, I have to think this is an opportunity for alliances," Sylvie said, startling him from his dirty thoughts.

"You think they'd work with us to help hide some of our people in their delegation for the wedding?" Evan asked.

"It doesn't hurt to ask. If we know they haven't responded to Vincent's correspondence, they're probably at a loss for what to do, but it doesn't take a genius to know that Xander makes a far less volatile neighbor," she said.

Evan smiled. That was his Sylvie—always seeing all the political angles of things.

"Sure," she continued, "it would be a risk to them if Vincent finds out and our plan doesn't work, but no more of a risk than waiting to see what he does when they don't want to work with him."

He kissed her.

"You're brilliant," he whispered as he drew away. "Marry me. "

Sylvie blew out a startled breath. "I already said yes."

Evan squeezed her hand. "No, marry me before we charge into one more dangerous situation."

He braced himself for teasing or for her to say she couldn't possibly find the right dress while they were in hiding.

Instead, she smiled brilliantly and said, "Yes."