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“Ah, indeed.” After a small nod, Reginald guided them through an alleyway made of canvas and cloth. A symphony of buzzing creatures hummed in her ears as she passed tent after tent.The ropes strung across them gave the illusion of a giant spider web, and Thessa was strolling into the heart of it.
Minutes passed before Reginald said, “Here’s the one.” He held a flap open, gesturing them inside.
Thessa went in first.
It was a simple set up. A stack of blankets lay in one corner and an ewer and basin in the other. The roof of the tent was untied, allowing moonlight to stream in.
Reginald added, “I’ll have a proper tent prepared at first light, of course.”
Soren stepped inside next. “Thank you.”
“And I’m very sorry to hear about what happened, sir.Your father’s in Stenmeier’s tent—twenty tents south. I’ll let him know you’ve arrived.”
Soren swallowed as if he’d been the one force-fed bark and nodded. “Tell him I’ll meet with him in the morning.”
His father is alive.
Reginald tied the tent flaps. “Of course. Sleep well, General Whitfield.”
Thessa’s eyes popped. “What did he just call you?”
Soren exhaled, facing her. “It’s only a title.”
“You mean to tell me you left out the part about youcommandingthis army of shadow-wielders?”
“It’s not only shadow-wielders who fight, and this is more than an army. This rebellion protects the ones who’ve lost everything because of the blood inourveins. Families live here.”
“You could’ve told me.”
“It’s not a title I wear on my sleeve, nor a position I wish to hold, but one out of necessity. The experiments were part of my father’s master plan.”
“Master plan?”
He paused, rubbing his temples. “This all began without a leader, so he created one.”
Thessa shook her head, sitting down. She supposed she was an experiment in her own right; one crafted by an overzealous goddess. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not looking for your sympathy.”
“But your father’s here Soren. He’s alive. That must mean your mother …”
His stare went cold.
“Surely if your father made it out, he’d?—”
Sighing, Soren took a seat across from her. “Remember when you fainted?”
Slightly embarrassed by the memory, she said, “Yeah.”
“Well, my father left. He came here to review the grimoire with our council. When you and I took the horses out, my mother was still at the house … alone.” He blinked, and silver lined his black eyes. “I knew they killed her.”
It explained the terror he’d unleashed. Thessa’s heart sank. “This is all my fault. If I’d not taken you away.”
Soren exhaled. “Let it be your fight, but it’llneverbe your fault.”
She groaned and began to unlace her boots. “I’m sorry, nonetheless.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry too.”