Page 169 of A Crown of Lies

“It’s not that bad,” said Saya with a shrug. “It’s just a big crack in the surface. Maybe we can fix it with a little paint and glue.”

The desk groaned loudly before collapsing completely into a pile of wood and splinters.

Aryn winced. “That’sgoing to take more than a little paint and glue.”

Fifty-One

Thenexttwodayswere a mix of joy and misery for Rixxis. Rowan brought in a young woman named Emily Evans to help with Aleks. Emily had a one-year-old who was fascinated with Aleks. Watching the two boys interact only made Rixxis more certain that she wanted children in the future. Definitely more than one. Maybe three… or more.

When she wasn’t helping to take care of the baby, the dead took up her time. Either she was at the wall dealing with the ones that wandered up to the castle gates, or she was in the mourner’s tent, helping the Brotherhood identify remains. Loved ones trickled in from the far reaches of Greymark. Mothers, wives, sisters, fathers, brothers… They all came to check the list of the fallen. Some collapsed in tears as soon as they heard the news. Others just walked away and sat.

At the end of the second day, she was so exhausted, all she wanted to do was go straight to sleep, but she had to check on Ieduin, so she went to trudge up the stairs.

It happened on the third stair. She’d been dizzy all day, chalking it up to exhaustion, but the vertigo that hit her on the stairs was something else. It felt like the bottom dropped out of her stomach and the world tilted. Her vision blacked out.

When she came to, she was in Rowan’s arms, and he was pressing a cool cloth to her forehead. Confused, she looked around. Somehow, she’d gotten to the sitting room in his private quarters.

“Try not to move too much,” Rowan said, dabbing the cloth to her forehead. He looked unusually pale.

She blinked up at him. “What happened?”

“They found you in the stairwell,” he said quietly. “I was lucky enough to be in my office when it hit me.”

Rixxis stared at him, trying to understand what he was saying. It hit her suddenly, and she shot up to sit. “Ieduin!” The world tilted and her hand went immediately to her head, feeling as if it wasn’t on straight.

“Shh, he’s stable now. They’ve put him in a stasis spell to stop the bleed. Giza said…” He choked on the words, turning away to stare at the closed door to the bedroom. “I’m afraid we’re running out of time.”

The room finally stopped spinning. “Kat’s been working on it nonstop. It’ll be ready in time.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to reassure herself or Rowan.

“I just keep thinking about that moment. He was right there. Right in front of me. I should have done something, should have…” He swallowed. “I should have saved him.”

Rixxis put her arms around him as he broke, pulling his head to her chest. “He’s going to be okay,” she promised, kissing his forehead and running her fingers through his hair. “Ieduin’s too stubborn to die. He’s going to make it through this. All of us will. And then we’re going to win this war.”

He shook his head against her. “I don’t know how. Even when it was just Trinta we were fighting, it felt like us against the world. Now, it really is. We can’t fight all the Free Cities by ourselves.”

“You won’t be by yourself,” Katyr said from the doorway. He stepped in looking utterly exhausted, his fingers black from whatever work he’d been doing, his clothes wrinkled and stained with sweat. “Forgive me for intruding. I couldn’t help but overhear from the hall.”

Rowan sat up and twisted away to hide his tears.

Rixxis shifted and stood, putting herself between Rowan and Kat. Katyr would never judge, but she knew Rowan wouldn’t want to be seen that way. “Is it ready?”

Kat nodded once. “They’re laying the sterilization spell now. I sent word to the healers. Some of the College’s most talented healers arrived with Sir Ben. Ieduin will have the absolute best care.” He took another step forward. “I’ve also dispatched a pair of riders to D’thallanar. Ruith and Aryn went there to drum up support. There are some uncommitted forces there, enough to make a difference. And they should know what happened, both here and in Brucia. I have no doubts that you will have the full support of the elves in D’thallanar and Roque. We will take Brucia back, and we will deliver a decisive blow against Michal, ending this once and for all.” He nodded to the bedroom door behind Rixxis. “But first, let’s get him back on his feet.”

Rixxis nodded.

They brought in a long table on wheels and took it to the bedroom. Rixxis and Rowan had to stand by, helpless as the mages lifted an unconscious and pale Ieduin onto the table. They followed as the mages wheeled him to the sterile room that Kat had prepared, but had to stop a hundred paces from the door. There, both she and Rowan kissed Ieduin’s still lips and said their goodbyes, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time they were all together.

Rixxis had never felt more helpless than she did as she watched them taking him away. Rowan’s hand closed around hers and squeezed. He leaned in and kissed her shoulder. There was nothing left to do but wait, and so they waited.

And waited.

Minutes became hours, much longer than she thought it should take. Her feet grew tired from pacing, and then her ass and back sore from sitting.

There were things she should be doing, tasks to carry out, preparations to make, troops to train. Yet she couldn’t do anything or be anywhere but there, waiting for the first hint of news.

After a while, Katyr came to join them, holding Aleks. The baby was a happy distraction, at least. Over the last two days, she’d caught snippets of his story. An orphan from Ostovan, he’d lost his parents during the coup. A sad way to start life, but at least he’d gotten all his tragedies out of the way early.

She watched as Kat played a game with the baby, hiding behind his own hands. Whenever he lowered his hands, Aleks squealed with delight.

---