Page 146 of Soul Forge

“You really need to learn to read the room,” Sypher muttered, scowling at his friend and sitting up again.

Julian gestured to the gardens. “You’re notina room.”

“Moron,” the Soul Forge muttered.

“Did you get any news from the king?” the vampire asked Elda, ignoring Sypher burning holes in his head. “I tried to ask Gira, but he told me we should all talk about it together.”

“He’s right,” Sypher sighed. “No doubt Lillian will be a nightmare if we don’t keep her in the loop. I don’t have the energy for her attitude right now.”

“Do you ever?” Elda asked.

“Nobodyhas the energy for her tantrums,” Julian glowered. “I’ll get everyone together in the kitchen.” He cast a glance over Sypher. “After that, you should eat something and sleep.” He rose and turned away to find the others.

Elda studied the Soul Forge. “He’s right. You look awful.”

“Gee, thanks,” he muttered, but the corners of his mouth quirked upwards. “I could use some rest. I’m still replacing the blood I’ve lost.” She saw him wince when he rolled his neck to ease an ache, wings shifting behind him. He glared at them over his shoulder. “These things get heavier by the day. I haven’t been able to train properly for too long. I need time to get used to fighting with the weight, but things have been coming at me one after another.”

“Hopefully, you can take that time before we have to find the Corrupted,” Elda told him. “Come on, let’s go to the kitchen. Thesooner we get there, the sooner you can sleep.” She got to her feet and offered him a hand, helping him up with one quick tug.

“You’re getting a lot stronger,” he remarked.

“I have you to thank for kicking my ass whenever you get the chance,” she grinned, leading him to the kitchen by the hand. It didn’t take long for the others to congregate around the large wooden dining table.

“Let’s get this over with so I can go back to ignoring you all,” Lillian muttered. Sypher didn’t even react, giving away just how exhausted he was.

“Pleasant as always,” Clover commented dryly.

“Try not to start an argument today,” Reiner muttered, fixing Lillian with a glare.

“There are far more important things to deal with than you upsetting everyone in the room,” Gira agreed. The fae rolled her violet eyes but kept her mouth shut.

“King Artan sent his scouts into the valleys the moment he got word of the Corrupted attacking Arden,” Reiner began. “He contacted King Hrothgar in Eden, who also sent his scouts out to find them and report back. The last sighting of the Corrupted by Artan’s men was at the eastern border of Saeryn. They used the cloud cover to hide from there.”

“They were sighted again at the northern border of Eden, skirting the edge where Darkhold and Eden connect,” Gira continued. “King Hrothgar’s soldiers reported seeing them still travelling the border several miles east.”

“So, they travelled towards Darkhold as we thought, but they didn’t cross?” Julian frowned. “Why would they make a journey that long if they weren’t going home?”

“They must have their base settled somewhere else then. Perhaps in the valleys?” Yani suggested. “Eden borders with Darkhold. It would make sense.”

Sypher shook his head. “Too many villages. Word would reach Hrothgar that the Corrupted were camped on his territory. They’re dangerous, certainly, but not enough to take down an army.”

“Even one that’s dwindling?” Lillian commented.

Elda and Reiner glared at her.

“They don’t know the army is depleted,” Sypher answered coolly. “They don’t have scouts capable of monitoring the soldier’s movements across a kingdom as big as Eden, and they can’t observe the army themselves without risking discovery.”

“We think they’re holed up in Rift,” Gira stated, folding his thick arms across his broad chest and leaning back against the kitchen counter.

Yani frowned. “The desert has been inhospitable since Nova fell. Even the Corrupted would struggle to operate from that wasteland.”

“Would they?” Sypher countered. “I’ve been thinking about this, actually. They’ve spent decades navigating Darkhold, a land teeming with monsters and cut through with rivers of lava. Every step they take could kill them. Living in the desert would be simple by comparison. They’re close to Darkhold, which means an easy escape if they’re caught. They’re protected by the mountains, and the only thing on the other side of the desert is the ocean.”

“So, we follow them,” Lillian suggested with a shrug. “There’s two of them and a bunch of us.”

“Out of the question,” the Soul Forge asserted. “The mountains are dangerous and enormous. There are too many of us to fly over, which means climbing them after days of travel. We’d be too exhausted to take the fight to them.”

“We’re wielders,” the fae argued.

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