Page 98 of Trials of Dusk and Dreams
“I saw this map,” I whisper to Geraldine. “In Legion’s study.”
“And?” she replies, brow rising.
“The pins mark recent Nightmare sightings around Avorlorna.”
Before I finish my sentence, the Earl stands beside Legion, commanding the room’s attention.
“Instead of the usual drivel they’ve given us, the Knight Commander and I have decided to give you something useful, something real.”
Murmurs rise like the tide. Legion raises his hand. Everyone hushes. His aura commands the room, even with his true demigod self sealed.
He asks, “Who can tell us what’s meant to happen to the watergates during the Gentle Interlude?”
Multiple hands raise in the air. He points to a random person I’ve never met—a female with dark hair and green eyes. “Yes, you,” he says.
“They’re meant to be frozen,” she replies.
Legion gives a curt nod. “Now, who can tell us why?”
No one responds for a moment. Then, another puts up their hand. “To stop the nightmares coming through, of course.”
Legion’s stare hardens at the mocking tone, and the exhibitor looks at his feet, a blush staining his cheeks.
“Yes, they’re meant to be frozen,” the Earl says, then points to the pins on various points across Avorlorna. “So these are?—”
A hushed whisper catches my attention, drowning out the reply. Two students behind me gossip, their voices low.
“Did you see how haggard the Earl looks?” one murmurs.
“I heard it’s because of his wife,” the other replies. “Apparently, she was a Never.”
My breath catches. I strain to hear more, my heart pounding.
“What happened?”
“They were caught. She’s exiled to the Cabinet. They stripped him of magic for a year. He hasn’t been the same since.”
The weight of their words settles heavily in my chest. I glance at Legion, wondering if he heard. His jaw is clenched, eyes fixed firmly forward. But there’s a tension in his shoulders that wasn’t there before.
The Earl’s voice cuts through my racing thoughts. “These pins represent Nightmare sightings and known locations of watergates. Now, who can tell me what’s wrong with this picture?”
I force myself to focus, but the implications of what I’ve just heard linger. Bodin warned me not to be facetious about showing public affection to them, but I didn’t think the consequences would be this bad.
“Nothing. That’s normal.” Alfie dismissively tosses his hand at the map. “In fact, it’s not much at all compared to last year.” A smug look crosses his features. He addresses the rest of the room and boasts, “I’ve served for multiple years. I’d know.”
“Unless . . .” Geraldine starts. Everyone looks at her, and she lifts her chin. “Unless they’re sightings from after the Gentle Interlude started, not before. Then it wouldn’t be normal. It would be worse.”
Legion smiles at her. “Correct.”
The Earl steps forward. “You’ll notice most activity is concentrated outside the cities . . . where it’s barely snowing, if at all. The queen’s slumber should expand the Holly King’s power across the land for the entire Interlude. Now, he can hardly hold the cities in his icy grip.”
A chill runs down my spine as the implications sink in. The watergates should be completely frozen by now, but Nightmares are still getting through. Is this the same thawing occurring in Elphyne over the past few hundred years? The only problem with that theory is that the Well flourishing there is the reason why.
“What does the Earl’s revelation tell you?” Legion prompts the class.
“It tells me someone isn’t doing his job,” Alfie sneers.
My fists clench. I can’t believe he has the nerve. Legion is one of the highest-ranked Radiants in Avorlorna. The Alfie I knew did anything for Nero’s approval, but he now seems to have little respect for leadership. I look at him across the room and see a stranger.
