Page 109 of A Deception of Courts

“No harm will come to you,” Duncan reassured him. He reached into his pocket and withdrew the spare vial of Mariflora tonic. “Aldrick’s attention may be diverted when we deliver the false body to him. However, that is not to say he will not have the chance to invade your mind. Take this, it will keep him out.”

“Duncan, no.” I longed to reach out and snatch the vial from his hand. “There isn’t any more to replace this.”

“I cannot and will not allow Daveed to risk himself on our behalf. The tonic is for him.”

“But…”But what?I couldn’t tell Duncan he was wrong, because he wasn’t. Daveed was a child, and he needed the protection more than anything. But that didn’t stop my internal panic, however, I could control how I acted in the face of it. “There is no knowing how long the tonic you’ve taken will last. What if it fades, and you need another dose?”

“Aldrick will be dead long before the tonic I’ve taken fades,” Duncan replied. “Because you are going to finish this. Swift, just like we agreed. In and out.”

“In and out,” I repeated, trying to convince myself that it would be just that easy.

Daveed’s hand shook as he plucked the vial from Duncan’s thick fingers. He popped the cork, the sound vibrated through my bones. I watched the vial empty as Daveed knocked it back. The small, protruding lump within his throat bobbed as he downed it in one.

The glass smashed on the cobbled path at his feet. “I’m ready.”

“Then let us not waste any more time,” Althea clapped, commanding us all into action. “Daveed, the next part is up to you. Get us into the nest, so we can burn it from the inside out.”

His smile was sinister, matching the thoughts coiling within me. “With pleasure.”

It was hard to breathe as we waited for Daveed to return. Each length of time between his teleportation grew longer. When he finally would return, he looked more exhausted than when he left. His face had paled to a deathly white, while his eyes were ringed with a dark crimson.

There was no warning before the air crackled, split and popped into a bundle of unfurling light as the human boy revealed himself. Each time, although I burned holes into the ground he would materialise back to, the shock of his return didn’t dilute. Perhaps it was more relief that he returned rather than surprise at his sudden appearance.

Althea and Gyah had been among the first group Daveed took. I’d made one final plea to Althea and Gyah before they left.Don’t come for me until you find them. Save Jesibel and the other fey he has imprisoned. Leave Aldrick to me.

I hoped they listened.

Unlike my pending destination, Daveed delivered the small, disguised army to another place within Elmdew. From what Daveed had revealed, the capital city, Rinholm, had become the heart of Aldrick’s efforts. The dead king’s castle was being used as his base of attack, so that was where we would go.

I wasn’t stupid though. There was no knowing Daveed hadn’t delivered the rest of them to Aldrick. With the deception that I’d grown accustomed to, it was easier to distrust the boy. My conscience reacted naturally to that emotion. Each time the air split, and he stepped through the spindle of light, my concerns only grew.

But Duncan trusted him, so did Rafaela. I had to lay faith into that for now – until I was proven otherwise.

Rafaela was the last to be taken to Rinholm. A heavy, black, woollen cloak was draped over her shoulders, barely concealing her wings. Her presence demanded attention whether they were hidden or not. No garment would conceal her for long. One look from the wrong person, and they would see the tips of grey feathers or the awkward bulge of a golden hammer protruding from the cloak like a bone out of skin. Which was why Daveed would drop her off far from Rinholm Castle. She would wait for our agreed sign before revealing herself.

“It is my life’s purpose to worry about you,” Rafaela had said before she departed. Part of me wondered if she spoke so slowly to give Daveed time to recover from his last jump. It was a term he had used when describing how his newfound power worked. He could only travel to a place he had physically visited before. “Do not concern yourself with me, Robin. I shall be fine.”

I knew she was still displeased I’d not given her Altar’s key that lingered within me, but even she knew we’d need that power.

“Until we are all reunited, I’m afraid the worrying will persist,” I replied, taking her hand in mine. Our grip on one another was strong. We stepped in close, connected as one.

“This is only the beginning. The first hurdle of many more to come. Stopping Aldrick will not undo the damage he has inflicted on the realms. He is merely a wall through which we must travel to get to the next. Remember, he is only one weak old man. We only give evil strength if we hold on to the fear of it… so be strong.”

Rafaela’s words occupied me whilst Daveed split the air and beckoned her through. It left Duncan and me alone. Except we didn’t utter a word to one another. There was comfort in just having him by my side. Even if he said something, I don’t think I would have heard it over the roaring in my ears.

Not long after, Daveed returned. Duncan had to catch him as he stumbled out of his spindle of light.

“You’ve done well, Daveed, careful now. One last trip to go.” Duncan offered his praise as he righted the human boy before turning his attention to the sheet-bound body at his feet. Until now, it had lain across the ground, hardly more than an afterthought.

Kayne’s limp body collapsed over Duncan’s shoulder. If this was another time, under different circumstances, I might have admired his unearthly strength. But I couldn’t spare much attention to the dead body nor the visible pain that sliced across Duncan’s dark gaze.

“Once you take us to Rinholm, I want you tojumpas far away as you can,” I said, focusing on the panting human who could hardly stand up without burdening his weight on his thighs.

Daveed blinked slowly, eyes heavy and mouth drawn thin with tiredness. “If I can manage it.”

“For your sake, I hope you can,” Duncan grunted as he balanced himself with the added weight of the dead he carried. “Let’s go.”

“Wait,” I snapped, and they both stopped to regard me.

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