Page 108 of House of Embers
Viviana lifted a shoulder as if she hadn’t paid her a compliment. “You could always jump Darby here and back.”
“It takes a lot of effort.” Then Kerrigan saw the sadness in Clover’s eyes and reconsidered. “But we can try, okay?”
“Sure.”
Viviana stepped through the portal. “Good luck.”
The portal clicked closed with another twist of the bangle, leaving Kerrigan alone with Clover, who reached for a loch cigarette. She’d found a supplier in the city and had offered to send some back for Amond if he needed it, but he’d been fully clean since he’d been almost too drugged up to heal Kerrigan’s injury. She hoped he meant it this time.
“Anya willkillyou if you smoke that in here,” Kerrigan told her.
Clover groaned, stuffing the cigarette back away. “Just be careful in there. Gerrond has me convinced this is a trap.”
“Gerrond probably isn’t wrong, but we still need to go.”
“I know.” Clover tugged her in for a hug. “He’s going to give you the all clear once Bastian has left. Don’t move until you get his go-ahead.”
“I know the plan, Clover,” Kerrigan told her with a smile. “And you’re heading into danger too. So look out for yourself.”
Clover waved her hand. “Nothing like the belly of the beast.”
Kerrigan couldn’t argue that, but Clover was leading drifters andher human recruits into a battle they’d never faced before. Kerrigan trusted Fordham with her life. She wasn’t sure about all these new magic wielders. It was going to be a good test.
Clover tipped her head to the side, and Kerrigan followed her out of the room and down the hall.
“How are you holding up anyway? I’m sorry about Thea,” Kerrigan said.
Clover sighed. “It’s been hard alone. I have all these recruits, and I worry I’m only training them to die.”
“Tell me about it,” Kerrigan said. “All these new dragon riders, and they’re all on my shoulders. It’s terrible.”
“The worst. Why should we have people’s lives in our hands?”
“I try not to ask the question too much or else I get paralyzed.”
“Yeah. It’d be easier if I was near you.”
“And Hadrian and Darby.”
“Yeah,” Clover said as she finished her cigarette. “That certainly wouldn’t hurt.”
Hadrian and Fallon had stayed in Galanthea. Fallon had bonded a dragon back home, forging the alliance anew. Kerrigan would check in with them again after tonight was over—so long as it went well.
They stopped at the base of the stairs to find Alura Van Horn standing in wait. She was a tall, onyx-toned Fae who was formidable on a good day, and today she looked every inch the military general in a silver metal corset in the style of a dragon’s scales and fitted trousers, a matching silver cane in her right hand that she leaned against. She had a Society emblem on her breast that indicated she was a council member.
She and Kerrigan both were. Well, before Bastian had stolen Kerrigan’s magic and tried to kill her. Before that, Alura had won the dragon tournament and then trained Kerrigan’s contingent of riders. They’d flown into battle together. She had saved Alura’s life, leading to her permanent injury. They were as close as riders could be.
Until Kerrigan had accused her father, Lorian, of treason and gotten him executed. She had believed she was in the right only to discover that it was a Red Mask conspiracy and Lorian was innocent. She wasn’t sure Alura would ever forgive her. Even if they were on the same side.
“She won’t stop giggling,” Alura said in greeting.
“Who?” Kerrigan asked, her eyes lifting to the stairs to find Anya Van Horn with her hand on Kerrigan’s father’s arm. “Oh.”
“I think they’re happy,” Alura said on a sigh. “I can’t begrudge anyone happiness with the world in utter chaos, but must it be with your father?”
“Kivrin!” Anya said with another giggle. “Stop.”
“Well, that’s adorable,” Clover said.
