Page 189 of Of Nine So Bold

In the magic mirror, Dathan smiled and nodded as well.

I bit back a growl of irritation, but Clay got there first. “Someone want to fill us in?” he prompted.

Ignatius smiled. “The wall is the shield of Erenelle. Its power responded to King Niko—and it appears it extended to protect him even in the castle at Lumilia.”

“Perhaps this is what joining their powers truly meant,” Dathan told him.

Ignatius nodded. “To share the protection of Erenelle.”

I glanced at the others, wary at my own hesitation, because I was no scholar. Who was I to question? I hated books.

But I loved stories. Their winding tales coursed through twists and turns like prey determined to flee. Yet when all was said and done, the predator always hunted down their meaning and caught them in the end.

And true,thiswas no story, just the random path of real life.

Yet somehow, the scholars’ conclusion didn’t quite track.

“Whatever it means,” Dex said with all the incisive logic of a general determined not to let hypothetical musings make him lose sight of the war. “At best that only protects the nine of us, and only for as long as the wall still stands. We need a strategy beyond merely trying to outlast the queen’s current attack.”

Ignatius sighed, nodding. “I agree. Syloria is the safest place in Erenelle right now, given that the waters are flowing and fueling the defenses here again. But that and the wall itself are only half the battle. As I’ve said before, Erenelle cannot stand on its own forever. We must reclaim the nexuses. Starting with the princess’s home in Lumilia.”

“Um, why Lumilia?” Lars asked warily.

“Because I suspect Queen Melisandre has made that her base of power. She has twisted Aneira from the start, and to take bend the nexus beneath its capital would be too irresistible a victory to resist. But Lumilia was Queen Eira’s home as well, and the home of Princess Gwyneira’s father’s ancestors for generations.” He gave Gwyneira a pointed look. “The magic there knows you, just as the magic of Erenelle knew King Niko.Of any nexus in the world, you’ll stand the best chance of reclaiming the one beneath your home.”

Casimir scrubbed a hand across his chin thoughtfully. “Reclaim the nexus, reclaim the throne. Fate is efficient for once.”

At my mate’s worried look, Casimir gave a small shrug, sympathy in his eyes.

“Indeed it often is,” Ignatius agreed, “even if it doesn’t always appear as such at first. And now it brings together the representatives of reality itself. Each of you were drawn from three nations that—in their own ways—both possess strong magic and are fighting to be resurrected from death because of it. It makes sense that you are the ones chosen to fight for our world.”

I had no idea what he was talking about, but I also didn’t care. Gwyneira had turned away, her eyes on the window.

Shame suddenly filtered through our connection, coming from her.

“What is it?” I asked, confused. The worry, I understood. But shame?

She remained quiet.

“Princess?” Niko urged. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just…” She closed her eyes. “You talk of strong magic, but I’m no match for my stepmother. She has decades of training, strength from the Voidborn…” The shame deepened. “Her power has been hunting me, and every time it’s found me…I’ve almost died. And that was without meintentionallyseeking her out. Even in the gateway, she almost…”

My mate trailed off, the worry inside her mixing with a questioning feeling that also made no sense.

“What?” I urged her.

Exhaling, she turned back to us. “I don’t know how to stop her. Not really. I tried and she just came back from the empty realms stronger. But I think the gateway demons want to help. Or the, uh… thebig onedoes.”

Clay made an incredulous sound. “Big one?”

“It told me when the time was right, I should call.”

Ignatius’s brow furrowed thoughtfully.

“Call…” Byron said like his mind was running the simple word through a maze of meaning. He cast a glance back at the magic mirror.

Dathan nodded as if answering my friend’s unspoken thought. “Gateway demons often have more than one meaning to their words.”

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