Chapter 5 #2
My sister swallows, frowning slightly. I’ve been careful not to ask her too much about the Earth Cleaver and their …
what? Alliance? Friendship? There seems to be no correct term for whatever strange connection exists between them.
Blaze only told me what I needed to know about Fox Calloway Castellion and his part in all this.
Yet despite what he saw with the Eye of the Past, his actions still proved fatal – to his father, to the Council, to my aunt, who I have still not allowed myself to grieve for.
And though I’d never say it out loud, I’m glad he’s gone.
The further away he is from my sister, the better.
‘Perhaps it was Prince Haldyn he meant to kill and not the emperor?’
‘Some believe they were working together – the Storm Weaver and the Earth Cleaver. That they planned to assassinate both the old Council and the new.’
Blaze makes a sound I can only describe as a squawk of rage. I shake my head in warning and reach over to top up her glass. I can still hardly believe that there are those out there who think she plotted to kill the Council – and with the Earth Cleaver, no less.
Then again, sometimes I forget that Blaze is two people.
To me, she is my twin, the girl who has a cat called Mouse and reads thousand-page history books for fun.
But to them, she is an anomaly, a threat.
She may be the rightful leader of the Aquatori, but that doesn’t mean she’s become any more trusted, or any less feared.
Her transition to sovereignty is not going to be an easy one.
She has avoided the subject for weeks. At first, I thought it was for my benefit, but now I’m not so sure.
I think she’s scared. I think she focused so much on winning her crown that she forgot about wearing it.
‘Listen, only three people know what really happened at the Binding Ceremony. Perhaps what the Storm Weaver claims is true. But then again, perhaps it isn’t. There are many who believe it was she who attacked King Balen, and not the other way round.’
Blaze, who has just taken a large gulp of wine, lets it trickle slowly back out of her mouth and into the glass.
I pat her arm sympathetically. I’d assumed, perhaps naively, that if she had Hal’s support, the people would accept her version of events.
But these men are right – there are only three people who know exactly what happened that day.
One is a monster, the second is exiled, and the third is sitting opposite me with a face like thunder.
Stony silence stretches on long after the men have paid up and left the alehouse.
Eventually, Blaze clears her throat. ‘So that was a bit of a kick in the teeth.’
‘I must congratulate you on your restraint,’ I tell her. ‘I was half expecting you to freeze their tongues like you did with Cole.’
‘I was tempted.’
‘Forget them,’ I soothe. ‘People are frightened. They don’t know what to believe.’
‘And that’s exactly what King Balen wants, Flint,’ she says bitterly. ‘To sow doubt. If the people already thought I was guilty, then the news that you and I are in hiding is hardly going to convince them otherwise.’
‘About that.’ I lean in closer. ‘If word hasn’t got out about our incredibly daring escape’ – my sister rolls her eyes – ‘then Grandmother must be doing a pretty good job of pretending that we are wherever she claims we are. How’s she managed to pull that off?’
Blaze considers this. ‘If we hadn’t been seen at all in the wake of the attack, we’d surely be presumed dead.’
I frown. ‘But they don’t think we’re dead. They think we’re at a safe house.’
‘Exactly. Meaning that Grandmother must’ve made sure we were glimpsed leaving Fire Mountain.’
I take another swig of wine. ‘All right, you’ve lost me.’
‘My decoy, Flint,’ Blaze says. ‘She must be using my decoy. Gods, that poor girl had no idea what she was getting herself into.’
‘Oh. Oh. Typical Grandmother.’ I shake my head, suppressing a smile. Then I pause. ‘Wait. What about me?’
‘She must’ve found one for you, too.’
‘And gouged his eye out for authenticity?’
Blaze grimaces. ‘I wouldn’t put it past her.’
We spend the rest of the meal prodding at what remains of our food.
The bustle and vibrance of Isolla that had so captivated my sister appear to have worn off.
Her brow is furrowed, jaw clenched. She could use some sleep.
Both of us could – and in actual beds rather than huddled together on the cold stone ground.
‘We should get out of here,’ Blaze says eventually.
‘You read my mind. Let’s find an inn. I’ll even let you have the top bunk.’
‘No, I mean we should get out of Isolla,’ she explains. ‘Now. Tonight. Ours seem to be the names on everyone’s lips, and I think it’s best we move on.’
I stare at her, aghast. ‘But … we’ve been riding since dawn? I’m exhausted.’
‘We can sleep once we’ve made it through the Ridge.’
I let out a long-suffering sigh, then get to my feet. ‘The things I do for you, sister.’