Page 105 of A Legacy of Poison and Lies

“Kopi!” Zylah whispered, holding out an arm for her friend. He seemed completely unperturbed by their time apart, no sign of the distance he’d just travelled, even though he must have flown without pause to reach them so soon.

“Don’t even try to convince us he isn’t Pallia’s,” Kej murmured.

For a moment, Zylah considered explaining. Hewasn’tPallia’s. He wasn’t hers, either. He belonged to no one. But for whatever reason, he’d come back to her again, and she was grateful. She tucked him into her hood with a scratch to his head, and he responded with one of his little satisfied sounds. It was a comfort, to know that whatever came next, he would be with her, even though she knew she had no right to rely on him for that.

Another thrall cried out from deep within the mine, the noise following them as they stepped through the wards of Rin and Kej’s camp. Zylah ignored the wave of magic pressing against her as they passed through, focusing on Holt’s explanation as he filled their friends in on Raif’sappearance, and mercifully, they said little about the topic. Zylah wasn’t sure how well they’d known him, but she took their silence to be out of respect for her and Holt.

They met him a handful of times over the years. But you’re right, it is out of respect,Holt told her.

And because you might be unpredictable?Zylah followed Rin’s explanation of where the wards ended but focused on the teasing, lightness to the tone of her thoughts, reluctant to let herself dwell on anything to do with Raif and eager to keep herself centred on the task ahead.

On your behalf? Always,Holt replied. There was a playfulness to his words, too, despite the weight of his admission. She caught the way his lips twitched as he listened to Rin.

Ass.

“You were right, Zylah, about the priestesses,” Rin continued as they entered a large tent. It was sparse, sections split off with fabric, the area they stood in housing only a few rugs and tree stumps for them to sit on. “They’re running things down there. Their acolytes are in charge of the miners.”

Slaves.“That has Marcus’s involvement written all over it. Using others to do his bidding.” Zylah said nothing else about him, though. Kej and Rin were understanding about Holt’s predicament, even though she had no idea how much detail they knew.

Enough to know I can’t harm him.Holt smoothed a hand over the map Kej handed him, a layout of the tunnels beneath the waterfall.

“Is this the only mine?” Zylah asked, scanning the parchment for passages and exits. She was confident enough with her evanescing now that once she was inside, knowing the layout would be enough to get her around, regardless of whether she’d seen every part of the mine or not.

“One is enough,” Kej said. “We’ve had reports of carts of vanquicite being hauled into Virian.”

Zylah thought of Jilah and the children, the friends she’d made at the botanical gardens. The idea that Marcus might use vanquicite on them turned her stomach. “What is he doing with so much vanquicite?”

A beat of silence, and then Holt said, “Creating cells.”

The thought of anyone, human or Fae, caged and frightened, waiting for whatever fate Marcus held in store for them, turning them into one of his monsters or using them for more mining only fuelled Zylah’s anger. “Any Black Veil stationed out here on the perimeter with us?” she asked Holt.

“They’re on their way. I sent instructions to the safe house whilst you were recovering.”

When he’d been sat at her bedside, no doubt. Even then, he’d been keeping things in motion, convincing Nye to depart with the army. And though Zylah had no doubts about his leadership or the plan he’d laid out for the task ahead of them, being here, beside the mine… Zylah didn’t like any of it. The lack of patrols, the absence of any presence above ground. It was a deserted area, she knew that from studying maps, but leaving it unguarded seemed… off.

“What are we missing here?” she murmured, tracing a hand across the tunnels representing the mine. A ripple pressed against her skin. “Did you feel that? I think the wards were just breached.”

Kej tilted his head to listen. “It’s probably Nye. I’ll go check.”

“I’ll come with you,” Holt offered.I want to hear about this bargain when I return,he told her. There was a hint of anger with the thought, but not for her. For himself; that she’d been pushed into the situation because of him.

“He’s here, at the mine,” Rin said quietly when the sound of their footsteps had long faded.

Marcus.Zylah willed her breaths to remain even, focused on the wall of vanquicite in her mind to shield the thought from Holt, guilt licking at her insides that she needed to keep something from him. “Does Kej know?”

Rin’s reaction could barely be considered an answer, but it was enough. Kej hadn’t seen Marcus, and Rin hadn’t told him.

“Can we keep this between us?” Zylah whispered, as footsteps approached the tent. Holt and the others. Rin’s answer was nothing but a flick of her eyes up to Zylah’s and then away again as Holt and Nye entered the tent, followed by Kej and Daizin.

“Blessings,” Nye said, a hand on Zylah’s shoulder as her attention moved between Zylah and Holt.

“Thank you.” Zylah returned her friend’s smile before turning to the other Fae. “Daizin.” She didn’t miss the way Kej watched him closely, and though they had every reason to suspect him of working with Marcus, Zylah knew Laydan’s betrayal must have stung.

“How did you all meet anyway?” Kej asked, offering a bottle to Daizin. Wine, knowing Kej.

The Fae took it with a dip of his chin. “A fighting ring in Varda. This one slipped through my shadows like they were nothing,” he said, raising the bottle in Zylah’s direction.

She shared a look with Holt, realisation washing over her. The deceits and wards. Daizin’s shadows. Even the compulsion. The way she could pull it all back, like a layer. Unravel it.I think I can nullify the vanquicite, or at least withstand a large quantity of it. I think…

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