The priestess sighed as she rose, adjusting her headdress. “Those are pretty words,” she said, “But if you are willing to let the world perish out of selfish desire, then you do not deserve to complete the ritual.”
Icy fear crackled through my veins, and I desperately wished I could take back what I’d said. I couldn’t afford for the priestess to reject me, even if she and I bore an instinctive enmity toward one another. “If it comes to choosing between Einar and the people of Ediria, I will choose the people,” I said evenly. “But I do not need to make that choice today.”
“Maybe not,” she agreed. “But your time is running out, Lady Adara. And so is everyone else’s.”
27
Leap
Leap watched glumly from one of the central tower balconies as Uncle Oren and his advisors departed. The airship they boarded was sleeker and faster than the one that had carried him here from Angtun, the yellow and blue flag of House Reatha flying from its masts as it lifted off from the courtyard.
“Well, well,” Ryker murmured from behind him as the ship picked up speed, getting further and further away until it disappeared into the cloudy winter sky. “Looks like it’s just the two of us now, huh?”
Leap turned around to face his cousin. He hadn’t seen Ryker since he’d stormed out of his father’s rooms the other day. “I wouldn’t say it’s just the two of us,” he said dryly. “We are in a palace full of guards and servants.”
Ryker grinned. “Yes, but they all answer tome,” he said in a gleeful tone that sent a shiver down Leap’s spine. Leap tried to take a step back as Ryker closed the distance between him, but his cousin knotted his fingers into the front of his tunic, preventing his retreat. “There’s no one to protect you now, Leap. No one to stop me from punishing you for running away.”
Leap balled his hands at his sides to keep himself from attacking Ryker. Without his magic at his disposal, he didn’t have a chance of winning in a physical altercation, and he knew his cousin was waiting for any excuse to give him a physical beat-down.
“Why are you doing this?” he asked instead through gritted teeth. “Don’t you have better things to do than make my life miserable?”
“You mean do I have better things to do that punish the traitor who abandoned our family?” Ryker sneered. “Maybe. But I’m good at multitasking. I’m sure I can manage.”
Without warning, he flung Leap away, sending the younger fae sailing through the air. Only years of training and agility prevented Leap from smashing the back of his head into the ground. He back flipped through the air, landing on his hands, then did a back handspring to get back to his feet. Lifting his fists in a fighting stance, he looked wildly around for Ryker as he prepared for another attack.
But his cousin had disappeared into the palace.
Bastard,Leap thought as he trudged back into the tower. He headed back through the central courtyard, picking his way through the maze until he arrived at the south tower. Leap braced himself for a confrontation with the guard posted outside the door, but the male said nothing, allowing him to open the door and go inside. He climbed the winding staircase until he reached the room he and Mavlyn had shared on their first night here.
“Mav?” he pounded on the door, half-afraid that Uncle Oren had moved her into the dungeons. “Are you in there?”
“Leap?” Mavlyn’s anxious voice filtered through the door. “Is that you?”
Leap fished a knife he’d filched from the breakfast table out of his pocket and set to work at the door. In seconds, he had it open, and rushed inside.
“Giant’s Teeth!” Mavlyn rushed over and scooped him up in a hug, squeezing so tight Leap feared his ribs would pop. “Thank the Radiants you’re here! I thought your uncle had shipped you off to the mines, or worse, had you executed.”
“He hasn’t, but if you don’t let go of me you’re going to finish the job for him,” Leap wheezed.
Mavlyn released him, an apologetic look on her face. “Sorry. I got a little carried away.” She raked a hand through her auburn hair, which had seen better days. Judging by the disheveled state of her appearance, Leap guessed Mavlyn had gone into a bit of a depression. Guilt wracked him—she must have been worried sick about him over the last few days. “What’s happening, Leap? I saw an airship leaving the palace through the window this morning. Did Lord Oren leave? And how did you get out of your cell?”
“Uncle Oren’s left on a diplomatic mission,” Leap said. “He seems to be feeling guilty, because he came to me yesterday and told me he’d pardon my crimes and allow me to join the Lighting Guard. Of course, that's only if I swear a blood-oath allegiance to House Reatha, and promise not to aid any of the other houses without his permission.”
Mavlyn recoiled, a look of disgust on her face. “And you saidyes?”
“Of course not,” Leap snapped. “I may be a thief, but I’m not a sellout. What kind of person do you think I am?”
“Right. Sorry.” Mavlyn scrubbed a hand over her face. “I’m just… I don’t know.” She sighed, dropping heavily onto the edge of the unmade bed. Books and miscellaneous items were strewn all over the place, drawers pulled out and upended. “I’ve been searching for a way to pick the lock on my shackles so I can get out of this forsaken place, but I haven’t found anything.” She gazed hopefully at Leap, but the light in her eyes died when she noticed the manacles still attached to his own wrists. “You can’t get these off?”
Leap shook his head. “The locks are magical,” he said ruefully. “Trust me, I tried. Uncle Oren’s allowed me ‘free rein’ of the palace while I wait for him to return, but he wouldn’t take the shackles off. He thinks if he gives me the illusion of freedom, I’ll be more likely to agree to his demands.”
Mavlyn shook her head. “Even if we escaped, we won’t be able to break out Quye with these magical bindings. You have to find a way to steal the key or something, Leap.”
“Trust me, I’ve been thinking of nothing else,” Leap said. “Have you had any more dream visits from Quye?”
“No.” Mavlyn bit her lip, worry shimmering in her green eyes. “I think the shackles are preventing me from receiving them. Or there’s something wrong on her end. I hope nothing bad has happened to her.”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Leap said. Uncle Oren might treat Quye more like an object than a real person, but he would never allow anything to happen to her, and neither would her guards. As far as the air fae were concerned, Quye was practically a goddess—they wouldn’t dare risk harming her for fear of being cursed by the wind spirits. “I have to go now, but I’ll be back as soon as I can to break us out of here.”