Page 80 of Burning Crowns

‘See how the north-east curves like a snow leopard’s tail?’ she went on, triumphantly. ‘And there, the southern peninsulas look just like the jutting fangs of a wolf!’ Anika clapped her hands, delighting in their confusion. ‘Carrig is a remote island off the coast of Gevra. More beasts than men roam there. It’s where Captain Iversen hails from!’

There was a stretch of stunned silence.

Shen was the first to break it. ‘Well, thatwouldexplain the sudden chill in my toes.’

‘Are yousure?’ said Rose, dubiously. ‘The starcrests aren’t usually so … well,literal.’

‘Surer than sure.’ Anika flashed her teeth. ‘My father made my brothers and me study maps every evening when we were children. He said every great leader should know their own land, and that of their enemies. The shape in the sky is Carrig. I would wager my best tiara on it.’

‘She’s right,’ murmured Celeste, who was on her feet now and tracing the birds’ movements with her finger.

‘Clever girl,’ said Grandmother Lu, gently bopping Anika on the head with her cane.

Anika glowered at her, but remarkably, held her tongue.

Celeste went on. ‘But there is a warning in these skies, too. Blood. Bones. Death.’ She looked to Rose. ‘I don’t know if it’s a good idea to traipse across the sea to search for Oonagh in a land we do not know.’

‘It’s better than waiting here,’ said Rose, recalling all too well the terror of seeing Oonagh in her own bedroom. ‘We must attack her while we have the advantage, Celeste. If we wait for her to return at full strength, with an entire army of undead beasts, we will be at her mercy. But if we sneak up on her when she’s not expecting us, then we can catch her off guard.’

‘Rose is right,’ said Shen, joining her side. ‘In war, the strongest weapon is the element of surprise.’

‘Now you sound like the king of the Sunkissed Kingdom,’ said Grandmother Lu, proudly. ‘A true warrior, and a true leader.’

‘I know Carrig,’ said Anika, eagerly. ‘I visited it many times as a child. My father had a great interest in the wranglers who live there. I imagine it is not much changed. It’s the kind of place where time stands still – this little land of beasts and hills.’

‘And Oonagh,’ added Shen, darkly.

‘We must go now,’ said Rose.

Shen gripped his daggers, squaring himself to the task. ‘Grandmother Lu, I’m trusting you and Lei Fan to watch over the Sunkissed Kingdom in my absence. Can you do—?’

She tsked and bopped him on the head with her cane.‘Of course I can.’ Then she shooed him. ‘Now go, before another stampede comes and destroys my herb garden!’

‘What about Wren?’ said Celeste. ‘Won’t she want to join in the capture of Oonagh?’

Rose shook her head. ‘Wren is too weak. She would want us to go on.’ Even as she said the words, she knew her sister wouldn’t want her to leave Eana without her, but Wren had left Rose behind plenty of times before. She would understand. The sooner they stopped Oonagh, the sooner Wren could recover in peace, and then the sisters could finally focus on ruling together. The way they were always meant to.

As the last of the starcrests scattered into the night, Rose smoothed her gown. She realized that it had stopped glowing at some point in the evening but she couldn’t quite remember when. Magic could be unpredictable like that. She sighed. The dagger, witch-made though it was, might not be enough.

If they were going to face Oonagh, might for might, they needed another seasoned warrior on their side. And Rose knew who the best one was.

‘Shen,’ she said. ‘Is that cousin of yours still in the dungeons?’

Wren

CHAPTER 25

Wren stood up abruptly, rivulets of water cascading from her sopping underclothes as she stepped away from Alarik and climbed out of the bath.

‘Please call for Maeva,’ she said, looking everywhere but at Tor. ‘The healing water isn’t working. We need to try something else.’

‘Oh, stop glowering, Iversen,’ said Alarik, with a chuckle. ‘We were improvising. Trying to make these waters do their job.’

Tor said nothing at all.

Wren scurried off to the side chamber, all too aware of the soldier’s eyes on her as she went. She couldn’t shake the look of betrayal on his face. Her cheeks burned as she waited for Maeva to return. Herheartburned. What had she been thinking, curling up with Alarik like that? As if they were lovers, indulging in a secret embrace.

She paced back and forth, waiting for her heart to stop rioting. But the pounding only got worse. It was in her head, too. She was getting dizzy again. She knew it would pass – or at least pause – if she returned to Alarik’s side, but she couldn’t bear to see the hurt on Tor’s face again.

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