Page 141 of House of Ashes

That we were to stand behind Asura, to bow down to her or be exposed before the world.

I set my jaw, as though Chantrelle stood right there, smirking at me.

I would not bow down before a fresh-from-the-Training-Grounds girl, no matter what she thought she had over us. And the fact that she had exiled a scion of her House to accomplish this…Chantrelle must be positive that she held a sword over our heads.

“That doesn’t matter,” Elinor said, looking thoughtful. “She’s a royal princess, and she’s mate bonded into another powerful House.”

I glanced up at Rhylan, wishing I could share my thoughts with him.

Chantrelle was trying to send a message, but…in a way, she had almost helped us.

The Shadowed Stars and Undying Light could not be swayed to join our Court now—but neither would they join Yura.

Between the two of us, my sister and I still held the largest share of the land. We would refuse to acknowledge Shadowed Stars’ claim, leaving them with only two Houses in their Court, while we held three.

Kirana would get the news while she was in Everael Eyrie, wooing Undying Light. She might already have heard.

And as soon as she did, she would leave for the Wildlands, to find her father’s friends.

If her plan succeeded, we would have a Horde in our Court. Yura would remain outnumbered in terms of might, now that Kalros was dead or dying, and the Shadowed Stars and Undying Light would hardly figure into the greater equation.

And with Chantrelle pressing her suit, the Jade Leaves might be willing to reconsider a negotiation for alliance. Tyria could not afford to stand alone in this war. There were no neutral territories during an Interregnum.

We needed to get a message to Kirana as quickly as possible, to divert to Sylvaene Eyrie once the task of courting the Hordes had been accomplished.

But right now, I needed to stop thinking in terms of wins and losses…and just be a friend to Maristela.

I didn’t know how to provide comfort. It was never something I’d been taught. I didn’t have the faintest idea of what would make her feel better after her life had been cut away.

But I did know what it felt like to be blindsided in such a way. The sudden shock of my ancestral home being taken. The feeling that I didn’t belong anywhere in Akalla anymore, that ‘home’ was a luxury that had ceased to exist.

“I’m so sorry. You’re always welcome in Varyamar,” I told her quietly. “If you ever need somewhere to go.”

“Or in Jhazra.” Rhylan leaned on me heavily as we stepped closer. “You’re going to Diraek, I assume?”

Gaelin nodded his enormous head, his spined ruffs still standing upright with rage.

Maristela wiped one cheek with the back of her hand. “Yes. At the very least, I’ll become one of the Mourning Fangs with him. I don’t even give a damn at all that she named Asura over me…” She blew out a breath, blinking into the distance. “I just…I’ll never be able to speak to Illiae again. She’s been advising Chantrelle to back down, that she’ll only make it worse, but my mother has never cared for her advice.”

Elinor tapped her claw-like nails against the stone wall. “Well, the Interregnum is no time to back down. The future of all of Akalla will be decided by this. If there’s any time to take a leap of faith, this is it.”

Gaelin rumbled, staring at her, but Maristela didn’t seem to hear her.

I quietly gave in to my absolute dislike of Elinor. She didn’t seem to care much at all about Maristela, her own cousin…although perhaps she was like me, unused to showing emotion towards others.

And she was still tidy and clean. Clearly she hadn’t gone to the bookshop to tend the wounded, and now she looked a little too thoughtful over the matter of Asura’s succession for my taste.

At least her mate, Doric, was Rhylan’s old friend and a firm ally at his side. Their staunch friendship was the only thing that made me feel sure that the Lunar Tides would not back out.

“We’re leaving for Diraek Eyrie now,” Maristela said, coming out of her daze. “If you need to send any messages to us, send them there. Rhylan, Gaelin wants to know when you’ll be able to return home.”

Rhylan looked up at the pale dragon when she spoke. “A day, maybe two.”

Maristela nodded vaguely, listening to whatever Gaelin was saying in her head. “Good. He says we need to meet soon, come up with a new plan of attack. This has…set us back. And he wants you to mind what he told you.”

The dragon’s burning gaze swung to me, and I nodded.

Maristela’s expression gave nothing away—he would have shared his warning in her mind. But Elinor looked curious, her gaze flicking between us.

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