Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
RIVAN
C ormal comes storming into the room, shadows spilling out around him, barking orders into the phone. “Find out what the hell happened. It looks like Lot escaped, but I wasn’t able to follow the trail. Send me updates on the hour. I need to take care of something here, but I’ll join you as soon as possible. Kavi, be careful. Whoever is at the other end of this is damn powerful.” He slides the phone into his pocket.
Cormal has entirely too much on his shoulders. Feeling guilty, I offer him a way out. “You don’t need to go.” I glance at Meri and Madoc. “I’m meeting Aeris, not the Phoenix army.”
Cormal stops pacing and stares at me. “Have you even spoken to your sister since you saved her from the light Fae all those years ago?”
My sister was one of the children held hostage and released when my elite squad and I surrendered. Stiffening, I shoot him an incredulous look. “You can’t believe she would kill me.” She looked happy and content walking with her daughter the last time I saw her.
Cormal’s lips flatten. “She’s lived under your father’s thumb for thousands of years. I can’t predict what she’ll do, which means we’ll take every precaution. Got it?”
I give him a curt nod. “What’s the plan?”
Madoc produces a map and places it on the table. “We need to meet on neutral ground but in a place where your sister will feel comfortable. Not Avalon.” He cuts a sideways glance at Meri.
I stare down at the map. “Anywhere close to the water is out.” My eyes scan inland. “Here. On the border of the Winter and Autumn courts. The Phoenix have well-established relationships with the Autumn Court. And we have one with Theron. I’m sure he’ll give us permission to enter his land.”
Squinting, I examine the border, looking for an ideal vantage point. “Here, where the land is flat.” Southland Meadows. “We’ll be able to see each other coming for miles.”
Cormal and Madoc both nod in agreement. “It’s perfect.”
Meri picks up her phone to send a message. It pings a moment later. “Theron and Arden are on their way. A map doesn’t always tell us everything we need to know.”
“True,” I admit with a small smile, which she doesn’t return. I’m not going to lie, it hurts. All I’ve been focused on the last couple of weeks is getting stronger for her. I don’t understand why she doesn’t see it.
Theron strolls in dressed in his usual suit, although his tie is a tiny bit skewed. Arden, lips swollen, rushes in a second later, her hands smoothing down her shirt.
Ignoring the obvious, I motion to the table. “My father, Brixton, died. Aeris, my sister, is the only family I have left. Well, besides her daughter, I guess. I want to meet with her, but given my current status with the Phoenix, I’m not welcome there. So, we need somewhere neutral.” I turn and tap the map. “This area on the border of your land and the Autumn Court would be ideal.”
Theron and Arden step forward to peer at the map.
“From what we can tell, Southland Meadows runs right up to the border, and it looks fairly flat. What do you think?” I pause and wait for him to answer.
Theron thinks about it, but then nods. “It will work. Miles of sight line in every direction.” He turns his head toward me. “How many do you think she’ll bring with her?”
“I’m going to limit us both,” I tell him but look around at the others. “Meri, Madoc, Cormal, and I make four. Is there anyone else we should consider?”
Theron gives me a wry look. “My land. I’ll be there.”
Arden flicks a glance at Theron, then adds, “Me too.”
He stiffens the tiniest bit, but he doesn’t argue with her. She’s better in battle than most men, even if he doesn’t like her going. “Fallon, too.”
I take a deep breath, a little worried by the size of our group. “Okay, that’s seven of us. Still reasonable.”
Madoc shakes his head. “The Phoenix are damn hard to fight. I’m fine with limiting the number to seven, but I think we need another advantage. One they won’t see.” He looks at Arden. “Do you have any curare? Or another toxin that causes temporary paralysis?”
She opens her mouth to answer him, but I slam my fist on the table. “Absolutely not. This is supposed to be a peaceful meeting.”
Cormal holds up his hand. “The Fire Fae are at war with the world. Do you really think they won’t be taking the same precautions? Tell me, Rivan, are you planning to leave your sword behind?”
“Of course not,” I reply stiffly, understanding his point, but a weapon isn’t extreme. Poison is.
Frustrated, I stare down at the map. Maybe they’re right. I’m not sure. I used to instinctively know what to do, but that was when there was no doubt as to which side I was on.
Madoc leans forward. “I’d rather not kill them, but if you refuse to let us take the toxin, we may not have a choice.” His grey eyes are completely serious.
Maybe I should have gone alone. “Fine.”
Arden picks up her phone. “Let me text Astor. It’s his lab.”
Meri frowns. “How do you propose to get a message to Aeris? We don’t know where the Phoenix are hiding.”
“Actually, I do,” I inform her. “They moved from the old mines to the Gora Mountain. That’s where Brixton and I fought before he took my body to Avalon.” My mouth twists at the memory of all the Phoenix sneering at me as I walked through the tunnel into the mountain. “But location doesn’t matter because we use the fire network. I’ll send word, asking her to meet tomorrow. The less time we give them to prepare, the better.”
Everyone nods in agreement.
“Is there a fireplace here?” I ask Arden.
She looks up from her phone. “Yes, there’s one in the library. Also, Astor says we only have a small stash of curare here. Not enough for what we’re planning.”
Madoc pivots and heads toward the door. When he gets there, he stops, then returns to Meri. “I’m going to see Aamon. Be back shortly.” Bending down, he places a firm kiss on her lips. “Better?”
Meri’s turquoise eyes brighten with happiness. “Thank you.”
I peer at Cormal to see what he thinks of them kissing, but the faint smile on his lips assures me he’s fine with it.
Meri walks over to Cormal. “Are you okay? What happened earlier?”
He murmurs, “Later.”
She leans into him. “Okay.”
Her easy acceptance of his request to wait irritates me. “I’m going to the library to send the message.”
Fire Fae use the fire network to send coded messages. The Phoenix keep a fire lit at all times for this very purpose. It’s an old method of communication, but one of the most secure. Very few races can intercept them.
Comfortable furniture and shelves filled with old books gives the small library a cozy feeling. The fireplace stands in the center, surrounded by white marble, and it takes a mere thought to light it. Once the fire is roaring, I write a message to Aeris, asking her to meet tomorrow and include all the details.
Once the message arrives, a sentinel will have to find Aeris. I prowl around the library while I wait. There’s a curious number of artifacts in here. Weapons stored in glass cases. Oddities from the supernatural world. A MacAllister grimoire.
I make my way toward the military section. Once upon a time, I enjoyed reading books on the histories of wars, armies of old, and battle strategies and tactics. I run my finger down the spine of a familiar friend. Aerial Combat Strategies . One of my favorite books. It was written by a dragon, but many of the tactics served us well during the Fire Fae Rebellion. The elite squad I led was one of the best. Pride surfaces from somewhere deep inside me. For the longest time, I’ve made myself forget that part of me. Not anymore.
Whoosh! Her reply. I reach into the fire and grab the message.
She agrees to the meeting, and my terms, but refuses to stay long. The only reason she wants to meet is to say the formal rites of passage for Brixton, a traditional Phoenix ritual to send the soul on its way to the afterlife.
Looks like Cormal was right. Her allegiance to Brixton supersedes her past affection for me. Abandoned by the very race and family I sacrificed everything for is a betrayal so deep I can’t breathe. All this time, I thought it was my father’s need for blood and war that made him reject me. Tiernan was right. Very few remember what I did for my people.
My palm itches, and I stride out of the library heading directly to the training room. I need to burn off the emotions and thoughts swirling around inside before tomorrow. Sentiment will only cloud my judgement. I swing the sword, and Arden’s training spell activates. For the next two hours, I battle imaginary foes and nameless faces as I try to forget those I left behind.
When my mind is clear and my muscles are on fire, I sheath my sword and head toward my room. Passing Meri’s door, I hear the quiet murmurs of conversation between her and Cormal. I stop and raise my hand but drop it when I hear her laughter. Now isn’t the time to talk, but she was right earlier. I’ve been too wrapped up in my own torment to see a way forward, but that ends with this meeting. It’s time to let go of the past and embrace my future. With her.