Page 79 of A War of Ruin and Reckoning

“What are you saying?” Clarke asked them, frowning. “She can use the Wild Hunt in battle against us, despite you all being on our side?”

Legion hesitated. That ripple of discontent vibrated again through the Six. Dread dropped like a stone in Leaf’s gut as he read between the lines.

“Or is it that she can control you while they’re trapped inside you?” Leaf slowly ventured. “She can blackmail you?”

Each of the Six replied as one. “Yes. But the instant she frees them from our bodies, her death is imminent.”

“Don’t you need a queen?”

Legion’s lips curved enigmatically, but he gave no reply.

“Okay.” Leaf rubbed his temples. “Let me get this straight. You’re warning us that Maebh has one shot to use the Hunt against us. But you’ll have time to attack her if that happens?”

All six sets of black eyes blinked.

“Fuck me,” Rush growled.

Leaf scrubbed his face as a realization hit. “You’ve all remained hidden for this reason?”

“Correct. She knows the moment she relieves us of the Hunt, we will have nothing holding us back. Her death is imminent.”

“You said that already,” Leaf snapped, pacing alongside the line of Sluagh. Why couldn’t they speak plainly? They watched him with narrowed eyes, but he was beyond feeling unsettled by their rapt attention. His mind had already shifted to damage control.

If the Wild Hunt got loose, they were in trouble. So the only solution would be to either kill the Six—

That will release the Hunt,Legion explained.

Okay. So that option is out,Leaf thought. Not that they knew how to kill the Six apart from using Violet’s ultraviolet summoning power. Even with Nova’s help to avoid the taint, Violet must kill all Six to survive. It was risky. Too many ways it could go wrong.

If they couldn’t kill the Six, they had to kill Maebh—or rather, unmake her. He stopped pacing at a worrisome thought.

“Does Maebh know you plan to kill her when she releases the Wild Hunt?”

“Yes,” they replied.

“So this battle is a suicide mission.” Leaf’s blood drained from his face. “She’s not planning on surviving. This means she doesn’t care about anything left in the world. The Prime probably hasn’t told her about their daughter being alive.”

She was either too emotionless to care or didn’t believe Leaf.

“We must hasten our plans to unmake Maebh sooner rather than later. We need to get a message to her, and likely to Rory—maybe to find a way to entice her to our side, or at least for Maebh to believe she will join us.” He rolled his eyes to the moon, shaking his head at the ludicrous plan. “If Willow is still loyal to us, then perhaps she has already persuaded Rory, but if she’s not…”

He failed to see how a child growing up behind enemy lines would owe anything to their fae enemies. Nero had successfully brainwashed and convinced many people that his cause was just.

“What do you mean, if she’s not?” Rush growled.

“You haven’t spoken to her in years,” Leaf pointed out. “What if she’s under Nero’s control? Or what if she’s grown up and hates her parents for abandoning her?”

“She’s there because it’s safest.” Clarke’s anger riled. “She knows this.”

“Safest?” Leaf balked and glanced around. The Order of the Well was gated and protected by lethal soldiers who wielded magic. “Thisis the safest place for her. You said you left her in Crystal City because she refused to come with Forrest.” He slid his gaze to the Six, who had grown quiet and watchful, almost as if they didn’t want to say something they shouldn’t. Suspicion drilled into Leaf’s mind. He turned to Varen, their Seer. “You said that if Clarke continued interfering with Willow’s fate, she would make it worse. What aren’t you telling us?”

Clarke and Legion stared at each other for a lingering moment, clearly having a private conversation the rest weren’t privy to.

“Enough,” Leaf snapped. “We are about to enter a battle for the very survival of the Well. That includes the existence of each and every one of you. It’s obvious you’ve been colluding on something, and quite frankly, I don’t give a shit unless it affects our chances of surviving this battle or clearing the taint from the Well.”

He raised a brow and waited for their answer, but neither were forthcoming.

Rush stepped between Clarke and Legion, folding his arms. He didn’t seem happy with whatever it was. Leaf had the sense the seasoned Guardian would tell Legion if he thought it would hurt the Order, so he left it. For now.

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