Page 70 of Fae Reckoning

“Fair enough,” Ivar said, echoing my earlier sentiment.

I wiped the blade on my breeches and slid it back into El’s. Thank the Ethers my mate was the sole female in all the Mirror World who’d trained to defend herself should I be unable to protect her myself.

“So,” I prompted Ivar. “The land magic?”

He was guiding Lisbeth’s head back to his lap to resume his detangling efforts. “The land magic recognized Talisa as the queen. Why, I can’t say. The land is mysterious and wise in ways I can’t pretend to comprehend. The land saw fit to allow Talisa to do whatever she wanted with its power. But it wasn’t enough. As she grew more … like she is now, it was as if the land’s power was … drained by her nature. Or perhaps … nullified by it.”

“Her darkness, you mean,” Hiro interjected.

“Aye, I suppose I see that now.Her darkness. The … darker she became, the less the land’s magic fueled her, the less she was able to use it to extend life force to the Mirror World. Which as you know is the responsibility of the reigning bloodline monarch of Embermere, the rightful heir of Prince Borromeo.”

“So she started stealing it from others,” West said bitterly.

Ivar nodded. “Aye, though I didn’t know she was doing it.”

“You yerself told us ya went with ‘er everywhere,” Roan pointed out.

Ivar’s mouth tightened into a grim line. “I thought I did. But I didn’t know about Odelia, Zelia, Inaya, or Nazira, and I certainly didn’t know about my sister.”

“How about mine?” I asked. “Did you know Ramana was alive?”

“I didn’t know.”

There was something about how he said it—too carefully. “But you suspected,” I guessed.

“I did.” When West hissed and unsheathed his sword, Ivar hastened to add, “In general terms only. I didn’t actually know how Talisa was doing it, only that she was gaining power from others.”

“You knew about the dragons though, didn’t you?” Elowyn asked.

He hesitated. “I did.”

“Is she drinking their blood?” she asked.

Again, he hesitated but finally nodded.

Hiro drew in a long, affronted inhale. “The most noble creatures in all the Mirror World, and you stood by while she imprisoned them anddrank their blood?” My gentle friend’s eyes blazed.

Ivar jerked his hands free of Lisbeth’s hair to gesticulate with them. “And what was I supposed to do, exactly? What do you think I could have done to stop her?” When none of us offered a reply, he pressed, “Huh? What do you think I could have even done? She would have just killed me too!”

“No great loss there,” West muttered.

“No, probably not,” Ivar snapped. “I know I’ve done hideous acts in her name.”

“Youenjoyedhideous acts in her name,” I corrected.

He yanked his head around to face me. “Yessss, I did, alright? I did. I lost my sister, the only person to ever matter to me, and the world was a horrible place—and I did.”

At that unexpected admission, I didn’t know what to say. It was difficult to accuse a fae already condemning himself.

“I did, okay? And I’ll be the one who’ll face the consequences of that when my essence leaves this world. I’ll be the one sharing the Igneuslands withHer Highness.” For the first time ever, instead of the title dripping with obsequiousness, it dripped with venom. “But that won’t help us save any other fae she has captive. She said she’d kill them all, if she hasn’t already.”

“We have no way of finding them,” El said miserably. “My map is gone.” Her head canted. “Hey, do you know where my map came from?”

“I do not. Talisa was as shocked to see you branded with it as I was, though neither of us realized what it was then. I’m not sure she knows yet.”

“Well, that’s something,” El said. “A respite, perhaps.”

“Maybe.”

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