Page 54 of Kingdoms of Shadow and Ash

'No?' said Starfall, scornfully. 'What did you think they intended? Merely to kill the Queen?'

The man went white. 'No. No, of course not. I swear. I didn't know … I just … I had to protect my family!'

'Where is your family now?' asked Fyia.

'They fled the city. I had to get them away from those people … in case they went back on their word.'

'Convenient,' said Starfall.

'Please … you have to believe me!'

'Where are the others?' said Fyia.

'I … if I tell you, they'll kill me.'

'And what do you think will happen if you don't tell us?' said Starfall.

The man cast his eyes around wildly.

'Nobody needs to get hurt,' said Fyia. 'Tell us where these people are—and anything else that might help us. If you do, I'll reunite you with your family. I might even give you a reward.'

The man looked from Starfall to Fyia and back again. 'I … I need protection; they’ll kill me if they find out.'

'That can be arranged,' said Fyia, 'but only if you tell me everything you know. Right now.'

'They planned to return to Moon,' said the man.

'They told you that?' said Fyia.

'No. I overheard …'

'Really …' said Starfall.

The man started spluttering … about how he was loyal to his Queen, would never really betray her … how he'd had no choice.

'Where were they staying in the city?' said Fyia.

'I don't know, Your Majesty,' he said. 'They came to my house. They never said … Please, that's all I know.'

'We need to move,' said Edu. 'Now. If they know about the tunnels, we've been here too long already.'

Fyia nodded, and Sensis pulled a hood over the man's face.

'I need to go back to my workshop,' said Essa. 'My assistants, and the things I have there … I need to make sure it's all safe.'

'You're coming with us,' said Fyia. 'Sensis will stay here and see to the rest.'

Sensis nodded.

'And keep this man in a cell until the Spider returns.'

Sensis nodded again, then hauled the man to his feet. If what he'd said was true … if those responsible for the bombs were truly from Moon, then her problems were worse than she'd wanted to admit.

She'd always known it would be difficult to unite five disparate kingdoms. Each one of her lands was fiercely independent, with an identity that was unique and firmly rooted. Each kingdom was proud … trusted their neighbors only so far as they had to, for trade and mutual benefit. What she was asking, for them to come together as one, would take time to accomplish. It seemed the dissenters had taken the lead in that regard, for members of Moon planting so many bombs could not have gone undetected by the people of Selise.

And Fyia was not a man. She was not a warrior. Her people did not respect her, and they wouldn't … not until she gave them a reason so compelling they had no choice. Not until she had dragons.

Chapter Nine

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