Lady of Ashes (Lady of Darkness #3)

Chapter 11 Talwyn

CHAPTER 11

TALWYN

T alwyn sat at the desk in her room at the White Halls. Rinji had just vanished in a ?ash of soft, green light. He’d arrived in the same way, a scroll tied lightly around his neck with a vine of Azrael’s earth magic securing it, purple wisteria blooming along the greenery.

She’d read his note. They’d all arrived ?ne, although adjusting to not having their magic was affecting the magic wielders who didn’t bear Semiria rings. They had found the allies they were seeking in the mortal lands, and then apparently Sorin had nearly lost his godsdamn mind when he had somehow managed to hear from Scarlett down their twin ?ame bond. He’d wanted to storm into the Black Syndicate and burn everything to the ground to ?nd her. Brash and impulsive, as he had always been. When she was younger, she had admired his con?dence and surety. Now it annoyed her to no end.

Talwyn stood and crossed to the window, facing south towards the mortal lands. She’d never experienced that crazed mania when she’d been in the Trials with Tarek. She had always assumed it was because she was so powerful she was able to withstand the pull, but deep down she’d wondered if it was more so because the bond wasn’t strong enough. They had only completed the ?rst Trial. It wasn’t uncommon to take years to complete all the Trials. It had taken Cyrus and Thia nearly ?ve years if memory served her correctly, so the fact that it had been three years and she and Tarek had still been waiting wasn’t concerning. But she had often thought there should be something .

Finding one’s twin ?ame was rare, so there wasn’t much known about the bond and the path to Anointing it. Until Sorin and Scarlett, the only other twin ?ames she’d even known personally were Cyrus and Thia, and when she was going through her own Trials, she was already on rocky footing with the Fire Court. There wasn’t a chance in hell she was going to seek advice from the Fire Court Second on her own twin ?ame bond.

But how could they not have had one Trial completed? Not even the Joining? They had certainly done plenty of that physically, but there was a power component to the Joining too, that much she knew. Their magic needed to join, needed to mix and bond just as much as their physical bodies did. It was deeply intimate and based on trust and unwavering faith and loyalty to the other. She had trusted Tarek with all that she was. She’d lain awake at night wondering how she could possibly prove she trusted him more. It had driven her mad. One would think the Joining Trial would be the easiest one.

Talwyn lifted her left hand, studying where the Mark had once adorned the back of her hand, winding down her thumb. When Tarek had died, she’d felt … nothing. She’d grieved for a male she’d loved, yes, but she’d felt nothing in her soul. She’d felt no fracturing of some essential bond. Not like Cyrus obviously had. If Sorin had lost his mind over merely not being able to feel Scarlett, it was nothing compared to Cyrus. Sorin had locked him up in his mountain chateau for nearly six months, paying out of his ass for the High Witch to put up wards and enchantments to keep Cyrus contained. The male had been a walking ghost for years whenever she’d seen him, as if a piece of him had truly died when his twin ?ame had crossed the Veil.

Talwyn had ?gured she didn’t feel such a breaking because they were still in the Trials. Her Mark had taken another two years to fade entirely from her hand, but Cyrus’s had disappeared the moment Thia had stopped breathing. She’d attributed that to her bond not having been Anointed as well.

Despite all of that, despite all the frustration and confusion of the twin ?ame bond and Trials, for those few years, Talwyn hadn’t felt so alone. She’d had someone. Tarek had been by her side nearly every day from the moment they took that Mark. She’d met him on a trip to the Earth Court for some advanced earth magic training that she still did with Azrael on regular occasions. He’d been a part of Azrael’s Inner Court as his Third, and when Azrael had needed to go deal with a Court matter, Tarek had offered to entertain her. He’d taken her to some desert caverns outside the capital city of the Earth Court, and they’d spent the entire day talking. She’d found herself telling him things she’d kept shoved down in her soul. Hurt over Sorin abandoning her. Grief she’d never processed over her aunt leaving without a word. Azrael had seemed irritated when he’d returned to ?nd them out on a terrace of his Alcazar, iced tea in their hands, staring up at the night sky. He hadn’t said a word, though. He’d remained her stoic Second, and Tarek had become someone that had made her feel wanted, for the ?rst time in years.

Lightning crackled from her palm, drawing her from her memories.

Here she was, alone again. She was always alone, except for those few shining years with Tarek. Her parents had left her. Her aunt had left her. Sorin had left her. Everyone always left her. Even growing up, her only friend had been Ashtine. She couldn’t count on Sorin. He was more than a century older than her and her aunt’s Second, not to mention her personal tutor. If anything, he’d been more like an older brother.

Until he’d dropped her, like everyone else in her life seemed to do. “Ashtine,” she said into the empty room, knowing the winds would take her summons to the Wind Princess.

Talwyn stepped through a rip in the world and Traveled down to the part of Xylon Forest that ran along the Tykese river in the Wind Court. A dozen wolves of varying colors and sizes immediately came to her, rubbing along her legs and nuzzling into her hand. This pack answered to her, but they were Maliq’s pack. She was their alpha by default in a way, she supposed.

She ran her hands down their coats, soaking in their company. Her wolves didn’t leave her. Her wolves didn’t abandon her. Her wolves were there for her time and time again. She’d been told her mother could shift, that she preferred the form of a grey wolf. Talwyn, however, had never been able to do so. It had taken her years to get a handle on shifting energy. She’d never come close to shifting her physical form, not even her hair or eye color.

“For someone who prefers to be alone, you certainly spend a lot of time among pack animals,” came Ashtine’s lilting voice. Talwyn turned to ?nd her standing in a small clearing, Nasima at her shoulder.

“Clearly I do not prefer to always be alone. I summoned you here,” Talwyn retorted, her palm gliding along black fur.

Ashtine’s head tilted, her blue eyes studying her in that eerie way she had, as though she could see into her very soul. “You are troubled today. Are you still upset about no longer ruling over the Western Courts?”

Talwyn sighed. “I was never upset about that.”

“You seemed upset by that.”

Talwyn sucked in a deep breath, exhaling slowly and reining in her temper to deal with Ashtine. “I was upset because no one informed me Scarlett was missing.”

“I informed you.”

“Days later. Sorin should have told me immediately.”

“So you are upset because Sorin no longer answers to you?” Ashtine questioned, reaching to pet one of the wolves. Talwyn tracked the movement. She was the only other person her wolves let touch them.

“No,” Talwyn replied through gritted teeth. Ashtine stared back at her expectantly, waiting.

“Have you learned anything new?” Talwyn ?nally asked, turning back to the wolves and continuing along the path she had been following.

“I have learned many new things,” Ashtine replied, falling into step beside her. “Is there something in particular you are hoping I have learned?”

“About Avonleya. Have you learned anything new about Avonelya? Or these rips that we have been researching?”

Ashtine ran her hand along a brown wolf ’s back. “Avonleya houses many secrets. The winds would whisper of them at times, but they have gone silent since Queen Scarlett went missing.”

“What do you mean they have gone silent?” Talwyn asked, halting her stride.

“They no longer speak of Avonleya. They no longer speak of the things long forgotten on this continent,” Ashtine continued, her tone becoming hushed. “They are resistant to much these days.”

“What does that mean?” Talwyn demanded.

Nasima startled at Ashtine’s shoulder, and Ashtine reached up to calm her, casting a glare at Talwyn. It was rare for the Wind Princess to show any type of ire, except when it came to Nasima. When she really thought about it, she’d never seen Ashtine angry. She was always calm and collected, her thoughts among the winds.

“I … apologize,” Talwyn forced past her lips. “What do you mean the winds are resistant?”

“I mean they do not offer guidance like they once did. They do not allow me access to their secrets, and they often block my path these days,” Ashtine answered, her tone colder than Talwyn had ever heard it.

“Ashtine?” Talwyn ventured, stepping closer to one of the only friends she had. “Are you all right?”

“No,” Ashtine whispered. “Everything hangs in the balance, Talwyn. One wrong move and the scales will tip. One misstep and—” She stopped speaking, her head tilting to one side as Nasima clicked her beak. “Stellan is unhappy.”

Talwyn sighed. She could only assume it had to do with his sister being recruited for a mission to the mortal lands without his permission.

“I will go to him in a moment,” Talwyn replied. “Finish what you were saying.”

Ashtine ?ashed her a soft smile, reaching up to stroke Nasima once more. “It was nothing. Just chatter,” she answered.

“It was not nothing,” Talwyn insisted. “You were speaking as if you were a Seer.”

“I am not a Seer. I cannot glimpse what could be.”

“I know that,” Talwyn snapped before collecting herself once more. “I know you are not a Seer, but you are knowledgeable. And I need that knowledge to build the best defenses against Avonleya.”

“I already told you the winds no longer speak of there,” Ashtine replied. “Likely because they know of your plans.”

“Are you saying the winds side with Avonleya?”

“I am saying the winds answer to what lies within Avonleya, and you plotting against them is not wise,”Ashtine replied.

Talwyn stepped back as if Ashtine had hit her. “This is what we have been working towards from the beginning, since I took the throne. Since we were children. Are you saying you will no longer aid me in getting revenge against the people who led to our parents being slaughtered?”

“I am saying things may not be as we remember them,” Ashtine returned.

“As we remember them?” Talwyn spat. “I do not remember them, Ashtine. I was barely walking when my mother went to ?ght Esmeray. You were not even a month out of your mother’s womb when your own parents were—”

“Enough, Talwyn.” Ashtine’s voice was a vicious whisper. “You asked of my knowledge of Avonleya, and I have told you what I know.”

“You have told me nothing,” Talwyn hissed.

Ashtine’s eyes narrowed, her lips tilting up slightly. “I suggest going to see Stellan, your Majesty,” she said coldly, stepping back from her.

“You will tell me what you know, Ashtine,” Talwyn retorted.

Ashtine shook her head slightly. “I cannot aid you in this any more, Talwyn. It is no longer the best path.”

“That is not your decision to make,” Talwyn said, stepping toward her once more.

Nasima let out a cry, ?apping from Ashtine’s shoulder to circle around her, the wind picking up with each beat of her wings.

“I cannot be separated from the winds, Talwyn,” Ashtine replied, her tone almost desperate. “I cannot go against them.”

“No, Ashtine. You cannot go against me ,” Talwyn countered, the earth stirring beneath her feet.

Ashtine’s eyes widened. Nasima let out another cry, disappearing in a ?ash of light, as a vortex of wind appeared at Ashtine’s ?ngertips. “This is why you are alone, Talwyn,” she said softly.

Talwyn scoffed. “I am alone because the Fates stopped giving a fuck long ago.”

“That is not true,” Ashtine replied, shaking her head. “The Fates set things in motion, but they cannot interfere once it is done.”

“This is not done until Avonleya has paid for the lives they stole from us,” Talwyn cried. “If it were not for them, I would not be alone.”

“This is bigger than you and your revenge, Talwyn,” Ashtine replied. “You must understand that.”

“ My revenge? Not a month ago, this was our revenge.”

The wolves had scattered at the earth magic that Talwyn was struggling to keep under control. Yet Ashtine stood before her, perfectly composed, watching her carefully.

“You have nothing to say to that?” Talwyn demanded.

“Much changed when you sent the Fire Prince to ?nd his twin ?ame,” she ?nally answered, her feet coming off the path as she used her wind magic to lift herself from the shuttering ground. “In a way, Talwyn, you set this in motion.”

Wind gusts radiated from Talwyn as she lost control completely. The magic was sucked into Ashtine’s vortex, now swirling violently above her palm, reaching to the sky. She had risen higher, hovering several feet off the ground.

Before Talwyn could say anything else on the matter, a water portal appeared, the Water Prince stepping through with Nasima on his shoulder.

“What are you doing here uninvited?” Talwyn demanded.

“Nasima went for him,” Ashtine replied from the air, her hair whipping out around her while she continued to work to contain the winds Talwyn had unleashed.

“Why would she do that?” Talwyn sneered.

“Because Nasima is bound to protect her, as Maliq is bound to protect you,” Briar answered, striding to stand beneath Ashtine. He lifted a hand, reaching for her, and Ashtine slowly began lowering to the ground.

“I know that,” Talwyn snapped. “Why did she come to you?”

Briar shrugged as Ashtine placed her hand in his, her feet landing on the earth once more. “One would assume because Prince Azrael is unavailable.”

As if they had coordinated a dance, Briar raised her hand and spun her under his arm. With a long exhale, Ashtine released all the wind from her palm, blowing it away from them, before gracefully completing the spin to face Talwyn once more.

“I suggest taking a few moments to compose yourself before going to speak with Stellan.” She tilted her head once more, before saying, “But I would not wait long. He is very upset.”

Another water portal appeared, and Briar began leading the Wind Princess towards it, Nasima ?itting back to her shoulder.

“Where are you going?” Talwyn asked.

“The Water Prince and I have some matters to discuss regarding imbuing some new weapons. We had a meeting planned for this afternoon,” Ashtine replied, her tone returning to her usual lilt. “The winds will ?nd me should you need me.”

With that, she stepped through the portal to wherever she had been planning to meet with Briar, leaving Talwyn alone.

Again.

She’d given herself an hour. She’d Traveled to Jonaraja Forest and unleashed hell on those ancient trees, letting control slip entirely. When her winds had ?nally calmed and energy had stopped lighting up the sky, when the earth had stopped trembling; Talwyn had sat against one of the old trees, trying to catch her breath. Maliq had appeared then, coming to rest beside her, his head lying in her lap. She had idly scratched his ears as she’d regained her composure.

She couldn’t believe what had happened. Since they were children, they had dreamt of getting revenge on Avonleya. They had lain beneath the skies in Ashtine’s Wind Citadel in the Shira Cliffs. They had giggled as they’d used their wind magic to push in clouds and shape them into various pictures against the blue background. They had spoken of what their lives would have been like had they been raised by their parents rather than proxies. And as they had grown older, those talks had turned to what they could do when they had mastered their magic, when they were more powerful than their parents had been. They could go after those responsible. Not Deimas and Esmeray. They had disappeared shortly after the wards had gone up to separate the Fae lands from the mortals, once they had slaughtered the sitting Royals. Mortal history said they gave their lives to enact wards to keep the Fae and Avonleya contained. Fae history said the Fae enacted their own wards to keep Deimas and Esmeray out. And Avonleya?

Some accounts said they were banished. Others said they enacted the wards to hide behind, leaving their once allies to fend for themselves.

And die for a cause that was never theirs.

Deimas and Esmeray may have been directly responsible for the deaths of their parents, but this stemmed back farther than them. This was Avonleya. If they had not beseeched the Fae for help, neither she nor Ashtine would have grown up orphans. If Avonleya had fought their own godsdamn war, everything would have been different.

So they had plotted. Their daydreams had turned from fairy tales in the clouds, to how they could get revenge on an entire kingdom. Running and playing in the gardens turned into dueling with their magic as it grew stronger. It became training with swords and intense private tutoring. And when Ashtine ?nally mastered walking amongst the winds, she would bring back information for Talwyn, while Talwyn threw herself into her political lessons. She learned everything she could about running the Courts. Sorin taught her how to study people, how to watch for speci?c mannerisms that betrayed their emotions and to capitalize on them. Azrael taught her how to keep her emotions in check, how to keep a mask of cool indifference on her face at all times. Her aunt had been guiding her through dealing with the other territories.

And in the dark hours of the night, Ashtine would still come to her rooms on the winds, and they would discuss anything new either of them had learned. That was how Talwyn had learned that the physical war may have ended with Avonleya, but there was still a silent war brewing. She may not have known a thing about who was involved in it, but she knew the Avonleyans were causing some sort of unrest in her world. It only renewed her will to see justice brought against them. They simply couldn’t leave well enough alone. They couldn’t accept their defeat and just stay in their own lands across the sea.

Everything had seemed to be falling into place when the Oracle told her of Scarlett. She had an ally. She had a blood relative that possessed her aunt’s powers. They would have all four elements at their disposal. More than that, her union with Sorin would unite the Courts once more.

It was one more step in the right direction, one step closer to bringing Avonleya to their knees. In the three years that Sorin had been gone, she had begun building up their defenses with Azrael’s help, but Avonleya was frustratingly hard to ?nd information on. So much of it had been buried or lost in the years since the Great War. Ashtine would show up at times with useful information, but it wasn’t until Sorin had sent word asking Briar about the Semiria rings that the winds had really stirred. After that night, Ashtine had new information almost daily … until the day Scarlett claimed her throne. Since that day, Ashtine had seemed on edge, and now, apparently, she had decided that their lifelong quest for justice was no longer the “best path.”

Talwyn swore as she pushed to her feet. In a swirl of magic, her usual weapons were in place, and she stepped through the world and into Siofra, just outside the Alpha’s oasis home he shared with his sister. The guards at the entrance stiffened as she approached, bowing their heads.

“Is Stellan available?” Talwyn asked, keeping her tone as neutral as possible.

“Yes, your Majesty,” one answered. “I can have Keenan escort you if you wish.”

At his words, a tall male stepped from the gates. He wore a sleeveless tunic with linen pants, curved blades at his waist. His black hair was tied in a knot on the top of his head, and he bowed at the waist before turning and heading down a dusty road.

Talwyn followed his lead, already sweating in her leathers, as he led her around the various pools of water and past the cascading falls. They crossed a terrace before he stopped and gestured with an arm to a wide area where a huge lion was pacing back and forth in clear agitation. His large paws were leaving tracks in the sand, and his dark mane was tossed as he turned around and followed his own path. A jaguar was lying off to the side with a big, tawny-colored wolf sitting at attention. When she entered, the wolf was instantly on its feet, while the jaguar slowly curled up, stretching and yawning, leveling its golden-eyed stare on Talwyn. The wolf let out a low growl that had the lion halting its movements, a snarl emanating from his massive chest when he spotted her.

In a ?ash of golden light, a man was striding towards her. He was even taller than Keenan had been, his dark skin gleaming in the hot sun.

His black hair was cut short and close to his head, and dark tattoos spiraled down his arms. He wore loose linen pants, and his chest was bare. He didn’t have any weapons on him, but he didn’t need them. He could summon a lion’s claws in his human form, and he could shift energy at will. His olive eyes matched his sister’s, but where Arianna was ?irty and cunning and tended to keep her enemies close, you knew exactly where you stood with the Shifter Alpha. He was harsh and commanding and just as cunning as his sister. He also gave Azrael a run for the title when it came to being a hard-ass prick.

Today was no exception. Rage was written on every line of his face, his square jaw clenched tight, and energy crackled around his knuckles as he clenched and unclenched his ?sts. He halted in front of her, and Talwyn didn’t miss that he failed to bow. Instead, he barely inclined his head before he spoke in a low voice laced with ire, “Where is Arianna?”

She lifted her chin as she answered. “She is with Sorin in the mortal lands.”

“On whose orders?” Stellan demanded.

“His.”

The growl that emanated from his chest sounded like something that would come from the beast he had just shifted from. “Since when does he have the authority to order my sister to do anything?”

“Since he became the husband and Second to the Fae Queen of the Western Courts who is currently away. Thus, he has assumed command until she has returned,” Talwyn replied sharply, wind rolling off of her and making the sand stir at their feet.

“Did you know of this?” he asked sharply. “Did you know the Fire Prince was going to require her assistance?”

“Of course not,” she retorted. “You know I would have come to you ?rst, and if for some reason it had to be Arianna, I would have discussed it with you.” Stellan’s eyes narrowed on her further as she continued, “Judging by your current mood, I am going to assume that Sorin did not give you such a courtesy.”

Olive eyes bored into her jade ones a few more seconds, before he seemed to decide she was telling him the truth. He turned and began pacing again, just as he had been doing in his lion form.

“You need to take me to her,” he said.

“I cannot,” Talwyn answered. “Prince Luan has my ring to allow your sister to shift in the mortal kingdoms. I cannot Travel to the mortal lands without it.”

Another low rumble came from the Alpha. “When will they return?”

“I do not know. Prince Luan is keeping me updated. His latest report told me they all arrived safely and were adjusting to not readily having access to their power. It is my understanding that the High Witch provided them with potions to access their gifts inthe mortal lands should an emergency arise,” she answered, fighting the urge to clench her fists.

“What are they doing there?”

Talwyn gritted her teeth. “Apparently, Queen Scarlett went missing.

They have gone to retrieve her.”

“Went missing like Queen Eliné?” Stellan asked, pausing his pacing to look at her again.

“No,” she replied with a shake of head. “She was taken.”

“Why would he go to Arianna for this mission?” Stellan demanded, resuming his pacing once more.

“I am no longer privy to the Fire Prince’s reasonings, but if I had to guess, I would assume it is because he has previous relations with your sister,” Talwyn answered.

She hadn’t thought anything of it when she was younger, but as she’d gotten older, she’d begun to notice the way Arianna would sidle up to Sorin, brushing her ?ngers along his arm. He would often return the touches, leaning in to whisper in her ear. When she’d assumed her throne, more than once she’d hear of him visiting Siofra and spending his night with the Beta. Those visits had all but stopped after Eliné left. She’d still hear of him visiting Arianna every once in a while, but those visits became few and far between, and they had stopped completely when they’d gotten word of Eliné’s death.

“We have not even met the new queen, and my sister ?nds it appropriate to go off on a mission to search for her?” Stellan scoffed.

“She has not been a queen for long. I am sure Sorin would have had her come to formally meet you soon, but those plans were derailed by unforeseen events,” Talwyn replied.

“We should have been invited to her coronation.”

“She did not have a formal coronation,” Talwyn said. “Queen Scarlett is … unconventional, but I understand why you feel slighted, Stellan.”

He stopped his pacing, looking over his shoulder at her. He nodded once, before turning and beginning to walk into the desert palace. “Come, your Majesty. Since you are here, you may as well have dinner with me.”

She did not particularly appreciate an order coming from him, but it wasn’t as if she had anyone else to go home to. She would simply be returning to her empty chambers in the White Halls. She huffed out a small sigh before following the Alpha. The jaguar shifted beside her, a beautiful female with golden skin and dark brown hair that went just past her shoulders appeared instead. She wore loose silk pants that cuffed at the ankles, and her shirt of the same material stopped above her navel. The wolf stayed in its animal form, but Talwyn knew it was Ilyas. He and the female, Sariah, were Stellan’s two personal guards and lovers.

“Your Majesty,” Sariah greeted, bowing her head. “He is most agitated,” she continued, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“I gathered that,” Talwyn replied, stepping through the gauzy curtains into an open dining area. Servants were quickly setting another place at the table. Stellan was nowhere to be seen, and Ilyas padded past them, disappearing through an archway to the left. Talwyn glanced at Sariah in question.

“He will be right back,” Sariah said with a dismissive wave of her hand, moving to a drink cart and pouring wine into a chalice. She handed it to Talwyn before pouring her own.

“Do I need to be worried about his loyalties?” Talwyn asked, taking a sip of the wine. It was tart to the point of almost being bitter.

Sariah’s golden eyes swept up and down Talwyn’s body. She took a sip of her own wine, before saying, “You know how the siblings are, your Majesty. Stay on their good side, and their loyalties stay with you as well.”

“Yes, but, as you said, Stellan is agitated. And Sorin clearly chose Arianna’s good side over Stellan’s,” Talwyn countered.

A slight smirk appeared on Sariah’s lips. “I cannot speak for him, however, seeing as the new queen could not be bothered to formally meet him but has visited the High Witch not once, but twice, I would venture to guess you have nothing to worry about.”

“Do I need to do anything to make sure it stays that way?”

“You seem very worried about losing his allegiance,” Sariah said, taking another sip of her wine.

Talwyn pressed her lips together. She knew full well anything she said to the Shifter would be repeated to Stellan. “The Alpha and Beta are powerful leaders that I am honored to count among my allies. I simply wish to ensure there are no hard feelings between us due to misunderstandings.”

Sariah nodded once, her gaze moving over Talwyn’s shoulder. Talwyn turned to ?nd Stellan entering the room, Ilyas beside him in his natural form. He wore a sleeveless tunic over his broad chest, and Stellan had donned a sleeveless tunic as well. Ilyas’s black hair was nearly as long as Talwyn’s and was tied back at the nape of his neck. His hazel eyes landed on her with a glare as he stalked to the wine cart. Sariah brushed past him, taking a chalice of wine to Stellan, brushing her ?ngers down his arm before she made her way to the table. When they had all taken their seats, their plates were ?lled with roasted lamb, rice, greens, and ?atbread. “Thank you for inviting me to stay for dinner,” Talwyn ventured, cutting off a piece of lamb.

Stellan merely nodded in acknowledgement, biting off a piece of his bread. Despite what Sariah had said, Talwyn wasn’t so sure that she was still in his good graces, even though she’d had nothing to do with Sorin recruiting Arianna. But Stellan’s protectiveness of his sister rivaled a twin ?ame’s possessiveness. His agitation likely was not with her, but the fact that Arianna was not here.

After several more minutes of silence, Talwyn took a sip of her wine and cleared her throat. “May I ask you something, Stellan?”

He nodded, picking up his own chalice.

“Did you ever have dealings with the Avonleyans? Before they were sequestered across the sea?”

If Ashtine was going to refuse to supply her with information, she’d hunt it down herself.

The Shifters around the table all froze, Ilyas and Sariah looking at their Alpha.

“You know we fought in the Great War alongside the Fae against Deimas and Esmeray,” Stellan answered, slowly setting his chalice down.

“Yes, but did you personally interact with any of the Avonleyans?”

“Queen Henna and Queen Eliné handled most of that. As you know, we were not granted our gifts until the Sorceress was detained. Avonleya was banished shortly after she was captured, so I did not get much interaction with any of them, no.”

Talwyn nodded, stabbing some of her greens onto her fork. “Why did you ?ght with them?”

Stellan’s brow furrowed. “I did not ?ght with them. I fought with the Fae Queens. It was why we were granted our gifts. To aid the Fae in the ?ght against Deimas and Esmeray.”

“But you were alive for some of the ?ghting, before Avonleya was defeated, yes? Would you have sided with Avonleya if you’d been asked to ?ght in their war?” Talwyn pushed.

He sat back in his chair, his olive eyes studying her. She stared back, refusing to blink at his scrutiny.

“Why do you ask such questions this evening, your Majesty?”

“I have been studying the Great War and the repercussions of the event,” Talwyn answered with a slight shrug. “I have obviously never met anyone from Avonleya. I am just curious about those who did have relations with the kingdom before they were banished.”

“Some say they were not banished, but that they retreated themselves,” Sariah said, swirling her chalice of wine.

Talwyn met her golden gaze. “I am not sure which would be worse. To have surrendered and accepted banishment as the cost for inciting an unnecessary war, or to have run back and locked themselves away, leaving the Fae to clean up their mess.”

“You are bitter,” Stellan observed, picking up his chalice again.

“It seems like it was a pointless war with many lives lost for no reason,” Talwyn countered.

“You speak of your parents, of your mother,” Stellan replied, understanding dawning in his eyes.

“They were not the only unnecessary casualties of that war,” she ground out.

Stellan seemed to mull this over before he said, “Without that war, we would not have been given our gifts. Nor would the Witches.”

Talwyn stilled.

“We fought with the Fae because the Fae Queens were the ones to gift us such power,” Stellan continued. “We were given such a thing for the purpose of aiding your kind. The Fae were given their own gifts by the Avonleyans for the purpose of aiding them. Surely you know this.”

“Of course I know my own history,” Talwyn said.

“Do you?” Stellan countered. “Because based on the questions you have posed this evening, it would seem you do not know your full history. It also makes me truly question why you are suddenly seeking such answers.”

He waited expectantly for her answer, and she had never felt more like a child. She had never felt so in over her head. Azrael was always with her for these types of discussions. She may have been on her throne for decades, but political power plays and politics amongst the territories were still something for which she relied heavily upon the Earth Prince. She had not anticipated the conversation going this way. She had merely wanted information on Avonleya. Now she appeared to be a queen who didn’t completely grasp her world’s own history.

None of those insecurities were allowed to play across her features, though. The cold mask of indifference Azrael had taught her to carefully craft stayed ?xed in place as she met the Alpha’s stare once more. She picked up her chalice, taking a long sip before saying, “There is a possibility that the new queen and I may have the opportunity to lift the magic keeping the Avonleyans sequestered.” Stellan’s eyes widened at that information, but Talwyn pressed forward before he could say anything in response. “As a fellow ruler, I am simply curious as to your opinion of the kingdom and its inhabitants. The war they incited seems pointless when studying history. Do we free a country that could incite such a thing again?”

“Do you punish the children for the sins of the fathers?” Stellan countered.

“They are as immortal as you and I are,” Talwyn argued. “You were alive during that war. Surely, a good number of those who survived the war still live. I would even wager their king and queen still live and rule. Who is to say they have not spent those centuries plotting revenge?”

“Who is to say the daughter of a slaughtered Fae Queen has not done the same in her decades of life?” Stellan asked, his brows arching in knowing.

Talwyn pressed her tongue to her cheek.

Stellan pushed his plate back, leaning forward and bracing his muscled forearms on the table. Sariah and Ilyas hadn’t said a word during this entire exchange, but both of the Shifters had stopped eating, watching it all with interest.

“You are young, your Majesty,” Stellan began.

“Do not patronize me, Stellan,” Talwyn interrupted, her tone laced with warning.

“Ask me what you wish to know, then. Quit dancing around it,” he challenged.

“If the Avonleyans would be freed, would your loyalty reside with them, or would it remain with the Fae?” Talwyn asked.

“They were on the same side. Why would I be required to choose?” Stellan replied, maintaining his piercing stare.

“You are required to answer the question,” she snapped.

“Are you planning to be at odds with them, that you require such an answer from me?” he asked, ignoring her command.

Talwyn pushed her chair back from the table, the wood scraping against the stone ?oor as she got to her feet. Ilyas was on his feet at the same moment, but Sariah simply swirled her chalice once more, her golden eyes ?xed on Talwyn. Stellan didn’t move, just stared at the queen. “Thank you for dinner,” Talwyn ground out. “I will send word when I receive updates from Prince Luan.”

She needed to get out of here before she did something that would put further strain on her relationship with the Shifters. If she were going to go up against Avonleya, she would need their support. She would come back and discuss this with Azrael at her side. She would come back when Arianna was home and when Stellan wasn’t so on edge.

She turned and began walking to the terrace, preparing to Travel as soon as she was outside, but she paused when Stellan called out to her.

“Queen Talwyn.”

She glanced back over her shoulder, lightning ?ashing across the darkening sky.

“You would do well to remember that your own gifts come from the Avonleyans. What was given can be taken away,” Stellan said stoically, still bracing himself on his forearms.

“Perhaps you should take your own advice, considering the Fae granted you your gifts,” Talwyn shot back with a sneer.

“The Fae may have deemed us worthy of such power, but they did not bestow it upon us. They do not hold that kind of power.”

She turned back to face him fully. “Explain.”

He stood now, striding to the archway he had come from before dinner. “You were on your way out, your Majesty. Perhaps another time. I look forward to your updates on my sister. Good evening.”

“Stellan!” she snarled, the ground shuddering, the dishes of un?nished food on the table rattling. She took a step towards him, but she didn’t get any father as a jaguar leapt over the table, landing between her and the Alpha, a warning growl rumbling from the feline.

Talwyn stood and watched as, for the second time in the same day, one of her closest allies walked away from her.

She stepped through a rip in the world, feeling more isolated than ever before.

All of this over a locked away kingdom that stole everything from her. All of this over Avonleya.