Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 235897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1179(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 786(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 235897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1179(@200wpm)___ 944(@250wpm)___ 786(@300wpm)
“Battle-Ax is a plant wielder?” I whisper.
“You don’t have to whisper, Vi.” Mira grins. “The sound shield is still active even though we nullified the warmth rune. It should cover us to almost the edge of the hall.”
“Are you sure?” I ask.
“I’m sure. It’s cool to the touch, and…” Mira places a gold coin over the center of the levitation rune, and it floats. Nullifying a rune is mind-blowing. Figuring out how to do it without affecting the others? Incredible. “We’ve got it. It’s not without risk, but we can do it.”
My heart starts to pound. “We can save the negotiations.” The fliers will stay, and I can keep my deal with Tecarus.
“If they agree,” Imogen says slowly, “which you know they won’t.”
“Incoming,” Bodhi announces, tilting his chin toward the hallway. Brennan slowly makes his way toward us, his gaze focused on the floor like he’s deep in thought. “We’re heading out.”
“Don’t tell the others yet,” Mira rushes, shoving the disk in her pack at her feet. “We have to give the Senarium a chance to do the right thing, and the fewer people who know, the fewer people who are executed for treason.”
Bodhi and Imogen both nod, and I blink as they start walking away. “Hey, what did you need? Why were you waiting?” I ask Imogen.
Bodhi crams his hands in his pockets and continues walking, and Imogen glances sideways at Brennan as they pass. “Just wanted to make sure you were…getting some sleep,” she calls back as they turn the corner and disappear.
Bodhi. Garrick. Imogen. My stomach tightens. They were checking to make sure Xaden hadn’t killed me.
“You look like shit,” Mira says as Brennan reaches us.
“I feel like shit.” He rubs a hand over his face. “Poromish politics are nothing like ours. I only have a few minutes before I need to get back in there and beg Cygnisen to stay at the table. Neither side speaks the language of middle ground.”
“I would think not wanting to be killed by venin would encourage them to learn quickly,” Mira states, tilting her head just like our mother, which tightens my throat.
“You would think.” He shakes his head. “The only thing everyone can agree on is that the fliers will be allowed to tour the quadrant today with their squads’ first-year riders—apparently they’re not as threatening—and the task force going with you,” he says to me.
“Where exactly is she going?” Mira snaps, moving to my side.
“We’re being sent to find the rest of Andarna’s kind,” I answer for Brennan.
“You what?” Her eyes widen to impossible proportions.
“Andarna wants to. I should have told you before you left, but the Empyrean hadn’t approved it yet.” Guilt thickens my throat at her stricken expression. “She was always going to go. At least Andarna was able to make some demands this way.”
“You let this happen?” She glares at Brennan.
“Mira—” I start.
“Quiet, cadet, the officers are speaking,” she snaps.
Rude.
“Beyond our needs, Queen Maraya hopes the seventh breed might know how to defeat the venin, given the age of Andarna’s egg.” He’s not far off from our own train of thought. “Mira, that hope is all that’s keeping Poromiel at the table, and we’re still negotiating for flier safety and conferencing with Navarre for the Aretian cadets to stay. You know, behind the functioning wards. This is more complicated than it looks.”
Mira bristles. “Simple question: Did you tell them over your dead body is our sister flying through what’s likely enemy-controlled, wyvern-filled territory on a fool’s errand?”
“They should worry more about what will happen when we do find them,” Tairn growls. “If a den of our kind chose to leave—chose to hide—they will not welcome our intrusion.”
“You don’t know that.” Hurt laces Andarna’s argument.
“You are naive to assume otherwise.” His tone sharpens, and Andarna slams our pathways shut. “She needs to prepare herself,” he says. “And so do you. There’s every chance this mission will kill us.”
Or it could save us all. Freaking pessimist.
“He couldn’t say no.” My grip tightens on the conduit. “Aretia needs another of Andarna’s kind to fire their wardstone.”
Mira whips her face toward mine, horror widening her eyes before they quickly narrow back on our brother. “Is that why you sent me off to evaluate the status of the wards? So you’d know how long you have before using our sister like a gaming chip?”
“That is not how it happened.” His jaw ticks. “I’m trying to support what she wants.”
“It’s not happening. We have six months, Brennan!” She digs into her pack and retrieves a bundle of missives, then shoves them at his chest, hitting him right next to his Aisereigh name tag. “Given the rate they’re diminishing, I calculate six months before total collapse if we’re lucky. Finding Andarna’s kind could take decades. By the time she finds them—if she finds them—Aretia’s gone. You’d be risking Violet’s life for nothing.”