Page 246 of Blood Feast

And this was the price he had paid to restore her power to her. She would save him, if she had to march into Kallikrates’s own mind to do it.

“So, Black Roses,” Mak said. “All agreed? Our quest ends at Castra Justa.”

Lyros nodded gravely. “Victory or defeat, we face it as a circle.”

“You have my gratitude,” Cassia said.

“We’ll be with you every step of the way, tonight and always,” Lyros promised.

Mak eased Cassia’s wrist off of Lio’s fangs. “Let us step you.”

Cassia picked up her dagger and avowal cup. “I don’t want to move him. I’ll bring the Charge to us.”

Mak and Lyros exchanged a glance, but neither questioned her.

As she tapped into her power, the murmurs from her pendant grew louder. She sent out a lone wolf’s call through the Lustra. Her heart beat. Again. A third time.

Kalos appeared at the edge of the Ritual circle. His gaze swept over them all and settled on her. “By Hespera’s Cup and Habuch’s Wings, do you know how glad I am you finally let me find you? I’ve spent every waking moment tracking you across the kingdom, fearing what had become of you. All we had to reassure us were tales. The Lustra itself hid your trail from me until I heard your call.”

Kalos had seldom said so many words at once. She held out a hand to him. “I’m glad to see you, too.”

He knelt beside her. “Silvicultrix, what can I do?”

“Bring Rudhira. He can do as he wishes with me, if only he will heal Lio.”

“And we won’t leave Lio and Cassia’s side,” Mak said. “Those are our terms of surrender.”

Kalos shook his head. “Our prince doesn’t want you to surrender.”

“Ha,” Mak replied bitterly. “What do you call his attempt to arrest us Paradum, then?”

“Soothsaying,” Kalos said.

Lyros frowned. “What?”

A suspicion came over Cassia. “Kalos, please explain.”

Kalos leaned forward, his hands on his knees. “Whatever words you thought you heard come from Rudhira’s mouth, that’s not what he truly said. It was because of the letting site’s wounds. You saw how it affected the animals and plants, didn’t you?”

Mak still looked wary. “Yes. The damaged beast magic scared them off.”

“And the loss of Cassia’s plant magic made the land barren,” Lyros supplied.

Kalos nodded. “The third power of the Silvicultrix was running amok there, too. The corrupted soothsaying twisted Rudhira’s words to you—and yours to him.”

“I knew it,” Cassia said. “I couldn’t believe Rudhira would say such things. I sensed that something wasn’t right. If only I’d trusted my instincts….my magic.”

“What did he think we said?” Mak asked.

“I explained all of this to him,” Kalos answered. “He knows you didn’t mean what he thought you said, either. Please, hear him out when he comes.”

“We’d appreciate a warning about Rudhira’s frame of mind,” Lyros said grimly.

Kalos rubbed the back of his neck. “He could explain it better. But Goddess forbid he talk about feelings. So I’ll try.” The scout gestured helplessly at them. “You’re warriors. And Hesperines. You know how easy it is to blame yourself for things that aren’t your fault. But he’s also a healer, and our prince. He always fears he’ll fail those of us who need him. Meeting you at Paradum rubbed that wound raw. He doesn’t deserve to feel as guilty as he does.”

Cassia had never thought of her Ritual father as someone who needed to be handled with care. But after everything the Black Roses had seen, she thought she understood what lay under Rudhira’s eternal strength. And that gave her hope of clemency for Lio.

“We’ll be gentle,” she promised.

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