Page 118 of Forged in Flame and Shadow

That just leaves Alastor. He hesitates, looking between Harman and Leon. Then, with an apologetic glance at his captain, he raises his hand. I try to give him a look that says he shouldn’t feel guilty. The votes are already overwhelmingly in favor of Harman’s plan. The Hand clearly has faith in their leader, and I do too. I believe his cause is just, and his determination to make this world a better one is steadfast.

But Leon…Leon sees the world in more complicated ways. To him, it’s not about right and wrong, it’s about survival and protection. His courage and strength have kept me alive and safe. More than that, they make him the solid, unshakable presence I always want to return to, to wrap myself up in and never let go. Those qualities may lead him to disagree with my choice now, but I can hardly resent that. Not when I’ve come to need them so much.

When I turn to him now, his eyes are on me, but I still can’t read his face. The meeting’s been adjourned until the rebels can draw up a preliminary strategy, and they’re peeling away in small groups to discreetly leave the cave.

“You go back to the Crossed Keys,” Leon says to me. “I need to speak to Harman.”

Anxiety gnaws at me. “Be nice,” I say. “Or least, don’t be too terrible.”

That at least earns me a small smile before I leave the cave with Tira.

“I wonder how we’ll get inside,” Tira says on our walk back to the inn. “Harman and Esther seemed pretty confident they could pull it off, so maybe they have some tricks up their sleeve. Do you think there’ll be a lot of security on this place? I mean, it’s a school, so it can’t be too bad, right?”

As she talks, the anxiety that flared up in the cave chews at me more ferociously. When I pictured this mission, Tira wasn’t anywhere near it, but the way she’s talking about it now makes it clear she intends to come.

The last time I took her anywhere, she was nearly ripped apart by the ruined.

“Tira, about Bastion…I’m not sure you should go.”

Her shoulders stiffen. “This is about Hallowbane, isn’t it?”

“It’s about keeping you safe,” I say, annoyed by the way I sound like Leon—and doubly annoyed at how much sense his perspective suddenly makes.

“And what about you?” Tira shoots back. “Do you really think after my entire family was killed, I’m going to let my best friend go off and do something dangerous without me?”

“It’s different for me,” I say miserably.

“Why?” Tira demands. “Because you’ve got some big scary fae prince watching your back?”

I wince at her tone. If she’s upset already, she’sreallygoing to hate what I have to say next. But itdoeshave to be said.

“No, because I can defend myself better. Tira, ever since I found out I’m a solari I’ve been training with the fae—learning how to use my magic in combat, how to fight hand to hand and with asword. I may not be an expert, but I can hold my own. Can you really say the same?”

I see the frustrated anger rise to Tira’s face because we both know she can’t argue this point. She’s never had to learn how to use her magic like a weapon, or how to swing a blade. Why would she? She grew up happy and safe in Otscold, thinking she’d have an ordinary life. And that would have been entirely true, if it weren’t for me.

“I have just as much right to fight the Temple as anyone here,” Tira says. We’ve stopped behind the inn now, and she jabs her thumb against her chest. “I’ve lost more than most of them.”

I can see how angry she is, and I know Tira’s stubborn. It’s one of the things I love about her. But that means I’m going to have to be forceful if I’m going to break through that anger and make her see sense.

“And that won’t make a blind bit of difference when we’re at the Bastion, up against clerics trying to murder us. If you want to fight the Temple, I support you, Tira, but you have to work for it. You saw the rebels defend themselves against the ruined in Hallowbane—they’re trained in how to use a weapon and their magic. Right now, if you came to Bastion, you’d likely just get hurt, and that could hurt the mission too.” I reach out and take her hand, hoping it will soften the blow of my words. “And Ireallydon’t want that to happen to you.”

Tira snatches her hand back, tears shining in her eyes. “I can’t believe you,” she says. “I was there for you when you had nothing. I supported you. But obviously I was wrong to expect the same in return.”

I want to keep arguing. To tell her Iamsupporting her. Instead, I let her storm away into the Crossed Keys. I hope she just needs time to deal with the disappointment and pain of being left behind. I’d feel the same. Maybe missing this mission will even give her a needed push, providing something to pull her out of her grief and give her focus.

Right now,Ineed to focus too. The last time we went up against the Temple in Otscold, I nearly died, but I’m stronger now, and this isn’t just some heist we’re planning. While we might be facing acolytes and clerics, in many ways this will be a direct attack on Caledon and his goals.

And I’m ready to take the fight to him.

Chapter 36

Leon

Itried to get Ana to leave Tread. I tried to convince her to abandon this idea of going up against Caledon with the Hand, at least for now. I wanted to get her to focus on Oclanna before she became too entangled in one of their risky schemes.

I guess I didn’t try hard enough. Now the rebels are busying themselves around Harman, unfurling maps and making notes about this absolute insanity of a plan that’s going to drag Ana directly into harm’s way. I’d give anything to keep her out of it, but I know Ana will follow wherever her brother leads.

Which is why I have to get to him first.

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