Page 95 of Fate and Flame
“I have bad news.” Temir stepped forward, yanking me from my memories. “I know what he has released. He told Nadra there are dangerous creatures trapped somewhere within this world. Behind a hidden door. Autus intended to find it and release them upon Alewyn. I’d bet a coin that’s what it was.”
“When the fuck did Nadra have a talk with Autus?” I asked.
Rhogan and Temir shared a look.
“She was his prisoner, of sorts,” Temir whispered. “He enchanted her to love him, though he wouldn’t let her touch him. Essentially, he tried to drive her to madness. Haven’t you told her?” he asked Fen.
“Told me what?”
“He’s found a way to control your power. He just needs a few more items and you.”
Tell me this isn’t what you were keeping from me, Fenlas. Tell me you didn’t know this,I begged him. A single look was answer enough. I shoved the feelings of betrayal away.
Temir cleared his throat. “That’s not the biggest concern right now, though I think we need to search for the lost artifact in the dunes before he finds it.”
“I’m so confused,” Gaea said, shaking her head.
“Later,” Aibell answered as she popped into the room. She faced me and placed her hands upon her staff. “The creatures of the book.”
I blinked, trying to process what she’d said. “No,” I gasped.
“They rattle,” she answered.
I didn’t want to consider creatures so strong they rattled Aibell’s bones. She was not of this world. What did that say of them?“The banshee was released from the book, but it wasn’t the only creature locked within,” I told the others, then turned back to her. “I thought releasing the book into the Soul Repository destroyed it?”
“Every door has two sides. You destroyed one, child.” Aibell’s large eyes dropped to the ground. “He’s been hunting its match.”
“You seem all powerful,” Temir said with more disdain than I’d ever heard from him. “Why can’t you take care of them?”
“I am but one. I will hunt them, but you will have to destroy them.”
“Get Kai,” Fen ordered Greeve, and immediately he was gone.
“I will return. Prepare.” Aibell looked gravely around the room, letting the tension in her words settle before she vanished.
Fen took over. “We won’t be able to hunt in big groups. We will be slow. We need to break up. Gaea, you’ll have to take one team and Greeve will have to take the other.”
“What are the teams?” I asked.
“You and I stay together,” he answered. “We have to.”
I wanted to argue, but he was right. If I needed to use as much magic as I had with Morwena, he would have to protect me through the aftermath. While I faced the price of my magic. “We can take Kai with us as well, since he is a tracker.”
“And Gaea, because she can sense where Greeve is, which means we can always get to them.” Fen answered.
“Right. So, Rhogan, Temir and Greeve will fight anything close by that Greeve can get to quickly. We will take anything farther away that Gaea can spirit to.” We turned to the room of eyes watching us.“Any objections?”
“Wren and Nadra?” Temir asked.
“Nadra can’t fight at all, she would only be in danger,” I said.
“I’ve been working with her, but I think you’re right,” Rhogan said. “She can hold her own against a simple fae, but probably not an ancient beast.”
“Wren can stay with Nadra and Inok. Someone has to be here at the castle,” I answered.
“Let’s go. Everyone meet in my study in no more than ten minutes.” Fen grabbed my hand and we were tearing through the palace, searching the halls until we found Inok.“I need you to watch the castle. There’s no time to explain. Send word for everyone to go to their homes. I want no one on the streets of the city. No one outside. Wren is to join you here. Get word to Sabra to lock down the refugees.”
Inok didn’t say a word, simply bowed and sprung into motion. If Fen was worried, he didn’t let it show at all. He was militant. Commanding. Poised.
