Chapter 13 Nox
Nox
Iraised an eyebrow. “Did you…climb a tree?”
“If by ‘tree’ you mean ‘big, scary Mysthelm ship,’ then yes, I climbed a tree.”
Murmurs broke out behind me as the other members of the Ashen Order took in her words. My eyes narrowed, gliding from her face to the leaf sitting in her hand.
“Start from the beginning,” I ordered.
Victory shone on her features. She glanced around the workshop, those keen eyes not missing a beat. When her gaze reached Milo, she gave him a little wave, and he blanched.
“Listen, I heard you all talking last night about the Mysthelm shipment, and I got curious,” she started.
“I convinced Milo here to drop the wards on the—what did you call it? The Keep. But just for one night. I wanted to know what was going on.” She looked back at me.
“I wasn’t lying when I told you I wanted to help, Nox. ”
My jaw twitched, but I said nothing. My Shifter hearing heightened the sounds of those behind me—Everett tapping his knuckles against my desk, the movement making his necklaces clink together; Tessa’s little scoffs and sighs; the rustle of fabric as Silas took his glasses off and cleaned them on his shirt, something he often did in stressful situations.
Milo’s heart was beating like a hummingbird’s wings. Kieran was silent, steadfast as usual.
Arowyn was the first to move. Her footsteps were heavy as she sauntered forward, curiosity lighting her normally uninterested features.
“So, this is her.” Arowyn nodded at Devora. “The prisoner.”
I rolled my eyes. There was that word again. “How did you find us?” I asked Devora.
“I watched you from the library, then borrowed one of the horses and followed you.”
My features hardened. “Did you summon the men to attack Everett?”
Devora leveled me with a cold look and took a step closer. “What was that you said last night?” Her eyes flashed. “If you would hold your tongue for five seconds, maybe you’d see you don’t know everything.”
Kieran stiffened at my side, and Tessa’s lithe shadow crept up beside me. Shifters knew their place in the pack. If someone disrespected their alpha, there were consequences. That was how our nature worked.
Heat unfurled like hot oil down my spine, but it wasn’t mere anger. This Shadow Wielder liked a challenge. It sparked my blood, setting my chest on fire.
A menacing smile curled the edges of my lips. I towered over her, relishing the split hesitation that crossed her face, and slowly reached for her hand. My fingers shifted into claws as I scraped them down her arm, not breaking skin but enough to leave faint pink streaks.
Her breath caught. The scent of her fear mixed with something else wrapped around me as I forced her hand to open, and the feel of her skin against mine sent fire to my core. I grabbed the leaf’s stem and dangled it in front of her eyes.
“Then tell me, Devora, darling,” my voice was an icy whisper, “how this little plant is supposed to save you now.”
The air around us snapped. She recoiled, slipping out from in front of me and clearing her throat.
“That’s what I was trying to do. Yes, I followed you to the port.
But, no, I didn’t summon anyone to attack Everett.
” Devora glanced around the room and stopped when her eyes landed on Everett. “You’re him, right? The Illusionist?”
Everett nodded curtly, his shoulders shifting beneath his dirt-smudged tunic. Those dual-colored eyes narrowed on Devora, as if still trying to get a read on the Shadow Wielder.
He could get in line.
Devora bit down on her bottom lip, and she actually looked remorseful.
“I was up on the rooftop next to you. I knew Nox and Tessa had left, so I followed. It wasn’t until I was almost to the ship that I saw the men going after you.
I—I had a choice to come help, but I decided to sneak onto the ship instead.
” Her throat moved as she swallowed. “I’m sorry. I should’ve gone back to help you.”
Tension hung between the two of them. As much as I wanted to step in, this wasn’t my apology to accept.
A muscle fluttered in Everett’s cheek, but after a moment, his posture loosened. “We made it out. Just tell us you got something good.”
Everett was almost as keen as I was about finding more information on Scarven’s whereabouts.
Besides myself, he was the only other member of the Order to have been one of Scarven’s prisoners.
He never spoke much of his time in the cells, but I had a feeling this was just as personal for the young Illusionist as it was for me.
“I did. At least, I think I did,” Devora said. “I found some broken barrels carrying what Mysthelm is exporting. This stuff.” She motioned to the leaf in my hand. “It’s called fatesprig. I heard some of Scarven’s men talking about it.”
Tessa snorted. “Fates, you’re good.”
“Don’t encourage her,” I muttered.
Devora continued, “This is what he’s been after. And it sounds dangerous. The men were afraid to handle it too closely. They didn’t say what he’s been using it for, only that…” She trailed off, pinching her lips with a strange look at me.
“What is it?” I barked.
“They said… They said, ‘I saw what it did to that Duma freak.’”
It was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over me. The room went still, nobody daring to breathe.
I clenched my hand around the leaf. Whatever this was, Scarven was using it on my sister.
More experiments. More torture.
“Silas,” I called, turning toward the Alchemist. “Can you figure out what this is?”
The older man extricated the plant from my grip. “Of course. I’ve never heard of it, so if they’re importing it from Mysthelm, it’s likely it only grows over there. I’ll run some tests on it and see what I can find.”
I nodded in thanks as Devora said, “Who were they talking about? The Duma—”
“Did anything else happen?” I curtly cut her off.
For once, she didn’t press the issue. “They caught me before I could hear much more.”
My eyes darted down her body, instantly checking for injuries. “And you simply walked away?”
“I told them I was from Mysthelm. They let me go when they thought I was part of the ship’s crew.”
Tessa chuckled. “Gotta admit, that’s quick thinking.”
Arowyn kicked off from the wall. “Great, so we know what Scarven’s been buying, all because someone here finally had the nerve.” She smirked at Devora. “I like this one.”
“Why am I not surprised?” I rumbled.
“You should use her, Nox,” Arowyn said. “She knows what she’s doing. And once she gets a hold of her shadow magic, she could be exactly what we need.”
“You don’t have to talk as if I’m not right here,” Devora said, quirking an eyebrow.
Two days ago, I would’ve shut Arowyn down and written off the entire exchange as ridiculous. I couldn’t have someone on my team I didn’t trust.
But tonight was our first breakthrough in months. A true step forward in figuring out how to beat Scarven at his own game.
Because of this Shadow Wielder.
An idea took shape in my mind. Slowly, carefully, the fringes of a new plan brushed against my doubts. A risky plan. A dangerous plan.
I didn’t have to trust her. I didn’t even have to like her. But I knew how desperate she was to prove herself, to discover more about her roots and her magic. It was what drove her to betray Clarissa in the first place.
I could use that desire.
The room seemed to hold its breath. “You want answers, Shadow Wielder?” I lowered my voice as my gaze raked up her form. “You’ll have to earn them.”
She squared her shoulders, rising up to her full height without breaking my stare. “On one condition,” she said, and I cocked my head.
“I want my dagger back.”