Chapter 44

CHAPTER 44

I stand in a large tent in the main camp of the human allies, looking at a detailed map of the UK. It's a fresh map, clean, the paper sheet crisp. Little round markers signify the army positions. They seem so innocuous, but every X marks the place where thousands were killed and tens of thousands injured.

You can't smell the blood on the map. You can't hear the screams. You don't see the vacant eyes of the dead staring up at the sky, their jaws hanging open. Nothing on the map shows you the mangled limbs, the broken bones, the empty chair at dinner, the ashes scattered in a garden. There's no symbol for the man I saw on the way here, weeping by the side of the road, his entire body shaking. No marker for the moms rifling through old photos of the sons and daughters they'll never see alive again.

Sir Kay clears his throat, and I look up, blinking tears away. Raphael and Nivene stand by my side.

I feel Viviane's absence like a hole in my chest.

"Thanks to your intervention," Sir Kay says, "the Fey ambush failed. Without the reinforcements they tried to send, we've crippled their army." He points at a cluster of green pieces representing the Fey.

Even before the invasion of Britain, Sir Kay was growing quite old, but the war has taken its toll. He's pale and gaunt and walks with a noticeable limp. Before, he always wore his armor, but now he's dressed in simple clothes. He probably can't carry the armor's weight. Dark circles under his eyes make it clear that he's hardly been sleeping.

"Three dragons attacked the logistical base," Nivene says, pointing at another section of the map. "Because of Nia's intel, we were prepared with an enormous battery of Anti-Dragon Guns. Even with those, they were nearly successful in demolishing our base. But we wounded one dragon, killed another."

Her arm is bandaged. When I asked about it, she waved it away as a superficial burn. But I can see how she winces every time she shifts her arm.

"First time we managed to kill a dragon in this invasion," Sir Kay points out. "Ever since Auberon made them resistant to iron."

"Still," Nivene says, "if the Fey decide to attack us with all of their dragons, there's nothing we can do to stop them."

"Hopefully, the loss of one dragon and the crippling of another will make them hesitant," Raphael says. "And hopefully, they don't know how limited our capabilities are."

Raphael looks pale, haunted. After the battle, his healing powers were in high demand, draining him completely. And he's still injured, since the one person he can't heal is himself.

"For now, this failed assault of theirs bought us valuable time," Sir Kay says. "We're evacuating Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as the surrounding towns. And we're amassing more allies. Denmark and Italy are sending reinforcements."

"But it won't be enough," Nivene says grimly.

"No." Sir Kay sighs. "This is what we're here to discuss."

A soldier hurries into the tent and hands Sir Kay a missive, then quickly slips out. He unfolds it and reads it carefully, his brow creasing.

"What is it?" Nivene asks.

"An update from our Seneschal," Sir Kay responds shortly. When he raises his eyes from the message, his face is even grayer than before.

"Is Avalon Tower all right?" I ask.

"It's fine. Things there are strained but…under control. For now."

Nivene and I exchange glances. We both know how much things are "under control."

"But this," Sir Kay continues, raising the missive with his hand, "is just another reminder that we need to move quickly. If the war doesn't end soon, Avalon Tower will find itself in its own civil war. Tearing itself apart. And without us, the human allies don't stand a chance."

"So, what's the plan?" Raphael asks.

"I go back to Brocéliande," I say. "Get closer to Prince Talan. Cooperate with a team of assassins to take out the prince and the king. The loss of both of them at once will sow complete chaos."

"What?" Raphael snaps. "You told me you thought that he might have sensed you on the battlefield. You said he knows there's a spy in the fortress. He'll execute you as soon as you step back in Brocéliande."

"I think he sensed my magic. I don't think he knew it was me . He thinks I'm a harmless farm girl. What he sensed was the Avalon Tower agent he'd encountered before. He hasn't connected us."

Raphael's fists tighten. "And how long until he puts one and one together? Sir Kay, we can't allow this to continue. Nia isn't properly trained for this kind of undercover mission. There hasn't been time."

"I'd argue that she's already demonstrated quite the opposite," Sir Kay says softly. "Dame Nia has met our expectations and even exceeded them. She is truly worthy of her Avalon Steel rank. But yes, it's risky. Nia, are you sure you can pull this off?"

"Is there any alternative?" Nivene asks impatiently.

His eyebrows knit together, and Sir Kay glances at the missive in his hand. Then he folds it and pockets it away. "No. Nothing that I am willing to consider right now."

"I can do this." I glance at Raphael. "You're right. Talan will put one and one together, but only if I don't go back. If I'm there, I can convince him otherwise. I have a connection with him. I'll deepen the bond, make him trust me."

"The man is a killer. He doesn't trust anyone," Raphael says.

I ignore him. "Get the assassination plan ready. Nivene and I can go back through the portal we used before."

"This is insane." Raphael's voice is pure ice, and his silver eyes bore into me.

I shake my head. "Not insane. Desperate. We have no other options."

Back in Brocéliande, Nivene and I have been riding for days in the cold, our journey slowed by storms. As we draw closer to Corbinelle, lightning sears the sky, illuminating Perillos rising in the distance.

Corbinelle's city walls stretch out before us, carved with gargoyles. Torches line the walls, little orange specks from here.

Thunder rumbles over the dark landscape. Strange how they have lightning storms through the winter in Corbinelle.

At least we're already past the hailstorm that hit us yesterday, which rained enormous chunks of ice down on us. Or the blinding blizzard that lasted for hours and set our journey back a full day.

I've heard so many rumors at this point about Talan controlling the weather that I have to wonder if it's true. Is this his doing? The prince is probably furious. His plan has failed. Is nature raging on his behalf?

As we get closer to the city gates leading into Corbinelle, I feel it—a caress in my thoughts. The dark, silken murmur. The Dream Stalker is looking for me, and I'm back in his city. He's focusing hard, trying to find his mistress. I have to concentrate to keep the veil raised in my mind, making it thicker and stronger. He's working harder than ever to get into my thoughts.

Is he looking for me because he wants to kill me? Was Raphael right—and am I riding directly toward my own death?

Nivene pulls her horse to a halt before the open city gates, and I turn to look at her. "I'll leave you here," she says. "I'm heading off to find Meriadec."

"He might be at the farm, still."

"I'll find him. Then I'll meet you back at Perillos as soon as I can, yeah?"

I turn, riding through the city, past crowded timber-frame houses and taverns that beam with warm lights, the raucous sounds of laughter piercing the glass. My horse's hooves clop over the cobblestones. These little homes with their warm lights and jutting oriel windows look so cozy right now, but I'm heading for the terrifying castle that pierces the clouds.

I take the winding road up the gently sloped hill to Perillos and head for the main gate.

As I reach the gate, I nod at the soldiers.

One of them shouts up to me. "My lady, the prince has been looking for you."

I smile at him. "Well, I'm back."

They exchange looks that make me wonder exactly what sort of mood the prince might be in, but I ride on with feigned indifference, my heart thrumming in my chest.

As I bring my horse to the stables, this starts to feel like a terrible mistake. Coldness creeps over my skin.

Surely Talan has figured out the truth by now.

As I walk inside the fortress, I half expect armed guards to accost me, to chain me and drag me to the dungeon.

But no one does. Is Talan just biding his time?

I climb the stairs to my room, dread climbing up my throat.

There's no turning back now, though, is there? The soldiers have seen me.

I open the door and stagger into my room, out of breath.

Talan steps out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist. Water slides down his tan, muscled body.

It's hard to believe that just days ago, I saw him riding a dragon's back, ready to light a city on fire.

"Where have you been?" A knife's edge slides under his velvety tone.

"In hiding," I say in what I hope is a breezy tone. "I left a note behind. Arwenna wants me dead, and you were incapacitated. There was no one to protect me from another attempt on my life."

"I could have protected you if you'd stayed close to me, even at death's door." Ferocity laces his voice. He prowls closer, and darkness slides through the copper rings in his eyes. There's something in his expression I haven't seen before, something that I can't interpret. "Why did you not tell me where you were going? I searched everywhere for you. Your father said you visited the farm but left again. Even he didn't know where you went."

I swallow. "I'm here now."

"We have only hours left, you know. The moment my spies received word that you were returning through Corbinelle, I sent for Jasper. " He stares down at me, and the fresh scent of jasmine soap coils off him.

"A few hours left until what?"

"If you'd been here, Nia, I could have filled you in. You missed Arwenna's sham trial. She's already been found innocent of an assassination attempt."

My jaw drops. "She shot the crown prince with an iron-tipped arrow. Why would they find her innocent?"

He shrugs. "We had no proof, and Auberon needs her money. You were our only witness, and you were gone. Her family is wealthier than mine at this point. My father is demanding that I marry her tomorrow. He's hungry for the considerable dowry she'd bring, since he ran out of money to pay his soldiers long ago. He needs funding desperately. But I'm not letting it happen. We cannot let her get that close to the throne. And you shouldn't want it to happen, either. If she gets that much power, she will tear you to pieces like a child pulling off a moth's wings. And that's why you need to get moving, my beautiful mistress. Jasper will be here any minute to get you ready."

I blink. "For what?"

"He'll be designing your wedding dress. I can't marry Arwenna if I'm already married." He's searching my face, but I'm not sure what he's looking for. "I'm afraid we only have a few hours until we wed. Nia, this is the only way."

Thank you so much for reading Vale of Dreams!