Page 85 of The Storm of the Empire

“I don’t know how it could be empty. We saw what we saw,” she confirmed.

“Is it possible you were mistaken?” Nyx asked.

“Not unless there is another island exactly the same as that one.” I was at a total loss.

“It’s not another island,” Hazel backed me up. “I flew back here from there. I have been trained in navigation since I was a child.”

“I don’t like this. I don’t like any of it,” Nyx grunted.

I couldn’t believe they cleaned out the whole place in such a short amount of time. They must have noticed Kol was missing pretty quickly to have acted so fast. I pressed the heels of my hands into my eye sockets, anger pushing out all the frustration and sadness. Every part of me became rage. All the time and work I’d put in. All the leads I’d followed. The risks.

All of it had gone up in smoke.

It was worth it, of course, to rescue Kol, but it didn’t take away the loss, and the anger consumed me. Now that they knew we were on to them, we may never unravel what the priests were up to. It was tied to the war, but how were the priests involved with the undead? We’d never get those answers now, let alone bring home Alora’s egg or any of the others taken by the very fae the parents put their trust in. All over the kingdoms, there could be dragons told their eggs weren’t viable when they had been stolen and smuggled to the Goddess only knew where.

“I want to see the Flight Captain as soon as he lands.” Nyx sat back in his chair, putting his hand over his mouth. “This whole thing is fishy.”

“Of course, sir.” The sentry bowed and left.

“Fuck. I want to hear everything you two know again,” Nyx said to Hazel and me. “And Faolan. I want every detail spelled out so I can understand. This all ties back to the undead army Octavian was amassing, and we need to figure out what the big picture is, or we will just keep twisting in the wind. They’ve been too quiet, and if the priests are involved…” He rolled his neck, clearly exhausted.

Kiera went to find Jaxus, who was running point while Nyx was by Kol’s side, and through him, they found Faolan. I’d barely slept, and my mind reeled. I knew it was important to be here but all I wanted to do was go wallow in my own anger.

“Walk me through all of this again.”

We went over it and over it with Nyx. From every angle. Mine, Hazel’s and Faolan’s.

“But what were they doing there?”

“I can only assume mounting what would have turned into an attack on the First Kingdom.” Jaxus held the report from the flight commander “But something tipped them off enough to cover their tracks.”

“Could they have seen you leaving?” Nyx asked Faolan and I.

We both shrugged.

“Sure, anything could have happened. We were trying to get Kol out of there fast, not be stealthy.” Faolan sat back, hanging his head over the back of his chair, and anyone who didn’t know him would think he was fucking around, but I knew he was trying to work it through.

We’d been over it five times.

The door banged open again.

“What now?” Nyx growled.

A sentry entered. “The King is upon us. He wants the room. Only Nyx may stay.”

The rest of us stood and filed out of the room. An entire unit of the guard stood positioned outside the room. It didn’t feel right leaving Nyx to debrief the King on the failed raid when we were all in it together, but in the King’s eyes, only Nyx’s words were worthy of his time. I wasn’t even really a member of his court. I was no one other than the fae who’d invested a year into fitting into the darkest of places only for it all to come to nothing.

“I want it all stopped until we know what in the pits of Uriel this is,” the King’s voice echoed through the walls. “Not another damn mission. Not another flight is to leave to chase ghosts until I approve it.”

“Would you have liked me to leave reports of the undead so near Amaya ignored?”

“I refuse to endanger our relationship with the Goddess’ chosen to chase phantoms. Do you understand me?”

“I do.”

We all exchanged glances.

“Now tell me what the fuck happened?” the King said at length.

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