Page 98 of The Source of Storms

“We could also smuggle them by boat,” Byrgir added. “They’ll be looking for us, for any refugee families, on the roads. But I doubt they’ll be patrolling the sea nearly as heavily.”

“You’ve sailed with the Ironguard before,” El said thoughtfully.

“Plenty.”

“Talk to the captains. See if getting refugees to Astruiath via boat would work. I’ll speak to the Council first thing in the morning and contact Astruiath. Or would you like to, Crow?”

“No,” he said sharply. “Just because I was born there doesn’t mean it’s my home. And it certainly doesn’t make me a good option for an envoy.”

“Then Celestine and I will send them a message in the morning and plan a meeting in Astruiath.”

The three of them fell into thoughtful silence for a moment, each pondering the tasks of the days to come. But I still had so many questions.

“How did they find Rhyanaes that night?” I asked. “With the wards up, I mean.”

The mood darkened again as we all remembered the attack on the city.

“They followed us when we came back from our first visit to the Temple to ask after Eilith,” Byrgir explained. “Evander’s spies, or the High Priestess’s.”

“One and the same, now,” Crow mumbled.

“They tailed us,” Byrgir continued. “Followed us straight to the valley and studied the city’s wards. Once they knew where it was, they could get close enough to see it.”

“But we still don’t know how she knows who you are,” Crow said with an abrupt change of subject, his keen mind running far ahead of the spoken words.

“I don’t know,” I said. “But I do know that her god is real. I’ve seen her and her acolytes wield his power. He may have had a hand in telling her, somehow.”

I remembered that dark, torturous voice from my dreams.I know who you are, Halja. I know you belong on a throne, he had whispered. Zisorah was not the only one who knew who I was.

“They came for you even at Eilith’s,” Byrgir said, looking at me with deep concern. “They weren’t only after her, you just managed to get away.”

“How would they have known so long before I did?” I asked.

“I don’t know. But Eilith knew too. She told me that if anything ever happened, I was to get you to safety above all else. At the time, I thought she was just being protective. You know, looking out for you above herself. But she must have known something.”

“She did know. We have to go back for her,” I said, directing it mostly at Crow.

“Hal, I–” he started.

“We have to at least try. I owe it to her to try.”

“We all want to get her out just as much as you do,” El said. “But getting back into the city will be nearly impossible.”

“Zisorah will kill her now,” I said. “She told me that as long as I cooperated, Eilith would be safe. Eilith was her bargaining chip, her hostage, and now that I’m gone she has no reason to keep her alive.”

“Unless we offer something in exchange for her,” El said. “And quickly.”

“Like what?” I asked. “The only thing she wants is me.”

Byrgir’s voice took on a familiar menacing calmness as he said, “I’ll drown the city of Avanis in its own blood before I let you go back into that Temple.” I recognized the controlled, icy intensity of threatening violence I had heard before. There was no arguing with him on this matter.

“We’ll try to break her out, then,” Crow said. “I still have Rangers in the city, although nobody in the Temple, not that we’ll ever get in there again anyway. Could we get the High Priestess to bring Eilith out into the city?”

“She’ll make it public,” I said. “The execution. She was making an example of me when you rescued me, and she’ll do the same to Eilith. She’ll want us to know. Want me to witness it, if she can get me there.”

“Then that’s our shot,” Crow said, and rose from his seat. “Thank you for dinner, El, and I’m sorry to leave so early, but there isn’t time to wait if we’re going to try this. I need to contact my crew in Avanis, and we need a plan.”

He started toward the door but suddenly turned back, walked to me, kissed the top of my head, and then swept out of the room on near silent footsteps. El stared at me, wide eyed and eyebrows raised in shock. I looked back at her the same way and laughed.

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