Chapter 42 – Isolde
ISOLDE
Aknock came at my door.
“Y-yes?” I called out, the word sticking like syrup in my mouth. When was the last time I’d had anything to drink? I looked down at my hands to find my skin white and dry. My soulmate mark was duller than it should have been too.
Astril opened the door. Beside her stood Aleksander, black circles under his eyes, shoulders stooped. Since Vale and Thantrel had been taken, the fylgjarn had been joined with his hawk. He did not dare to rest in case he lost track of the pair.
“Aleksander.” I stood from the chair. “What’s going on?”
“They arrived in Kuro, the capital of the Mage Kingdom. Vale and Thantrel were taken to the castle with King Magnus, Prince Rhistel, and a cloaked figure. I can’t get Arla too close, and definitely not inside. I worry about the Shadow Fae recognizing her after that day in the mountain tunnels.”
“I understand.” Arla was a part of Aleksander, and the hawk had saved our lives that day. “But you think the cloaked figure is King érebo.”
“I do.”
“And they’re meeting the Mage King. Asking for an alliance.” A ball of ice settled in my belly. “Who knows how long that will take?”
“I’m not someone who would have any idea.”
That made two of us.
“Isolde?” Aleksander’s tone had gone softer in mere seconds, alerting me.
“What else?” I asked.
“Vale and Thantrel walked into that castle on their own with King Magnus, Prince Rhistel, and the Shadow Fae. They weren’t shackled or forced.”
Oh. Oh.
Aleksander studied me. Waited for an explanation.
“Rhistel is a whisperer.” When Aleksander did not appear surprised in the least, I continued, “he must have Vale and Thantrel in his grips.”
“I had a feeling it had to be something like that,” my brother admitted. “They looked much too willing.”
“Have you told Thyra yet?”
“When I passed her in the yard.”
“What was she doing?” Like me, my sister had been taciturn since the mission in Grindavik.
“Watching the soldiers arrive and train in small groups.” Aleksander’s lips tightened. “She’s watching from a window though, standing by that statue of three rams.”
Those of fighting age pledged to House Balik were assembling.
At first I hadn’t understood why it would take two days, but then I learned of the vast numbers of fae and how many had to travel to the city.
That was to say nothing of packing supplies for so many and placing them in the appropriate groups.
With the snow melted, no one was sure how long the march north would take, but the distance was not small. We guessed at least a week.
Not fast enough.
“You both should be out there,” Aleksander continued. “Being seen. Heard. Those at the castle know you well enough, but to others, you’re still a mystery.”
“You’re right. I’ll go now.” Remaining in this room and thinking of Vale in Rhistel’s mental grasp seemed unbearable.
I went to the door. Aleksander followed and made to come with me, but I shook my head.
“Rest. We can guess what they’re doing in Kuro, and I don’t think they’ll be leaving soon.
As long as Arla stays there and can follow them, you should be able to get some sleep. ”
“If anything happens, send someone to wake me.”
“I will.”
The hallways of Ramshold were alive with fae, everyone rushing back and forth, completing various tasks.
Assembling an army impacted not only the fighters, but anyone related to them.
Anyone who provided a service that would keep the soldiers fed, comfortable, and alive.
Kitchen staff. Healers. Maids, seamstresses, and those who worked in the laundry; all so busy that few noticed me as I passed.
I found Thyra where Aleksander said she’d be, standing by the three rams, gazing out the large arched window.
“Sister.”
She gave me a sad smile. “Was wondering when you’d emerge.”
“Aleksander reminded me it was good to be seen.”
“I’m hoping this is enough. I don’t have the energy to perform right now.”
“Me neither.” I joined her at the window.
Beyond the glass, hundreds of soldiers stood in lines, acquiring weapons. Some received lessons. To my great relief, no one looked too young or too old to fight. Lord Balik, and those lords and ladies loyal to the warden, had called in their best.
After a few minutes of assessing, I broached the subject I’d considered on and off since I awoke. “I think we should speak with Luccan about using a gateway one more time. But not to Avaldenn.”
The Riis family believed one of their gateways in Avaldenn was still functional.
The one at the Warmsnap Tavern. However, as the establishment belonged to Lord Riis, it was very likely the tavern was being watched.
No one dared try to enter the place to find out, lest they be caught.
To funnel an army through a tavern would be ludicrous.
Thyra turned. “Where then?”
“Bitra. Lord Riis’s army is coming from there, anyway. Maybe the entire Balik army can enter the castle and be safe while we regather. Then, we march.”
“Bitra is a three-day walk from Avaldenn,” she mused. “We’d lose the effect of flanking their forces, but it could work. That is, if Luccan can keep the gateway open that long.”
She’d targeted the main reason I’d hesitated. Once, Luccan had opened a temporary gateway. The effort had nearly claimed his life.
“Yes. We should speak with Luccan about it.” I turned only to see the Virtoris siblings coming our way.
“We have news,” Vidar said. “Is this a good time?”
“As good as any,” Thyra replied.
“We sent a raven to our mother,” Vidar took the lead, “detailing where the king and prince are and the route they’ll likely take home. I told her where to have ships in place, and she’ll see it through.”
“So maybe she can intercept them?” I asked.
“It’s possible but not probable,” Sayyida said. “It’s also possible that if they gain new allies, a larger fleet will join them in coming north. In that case, the other ships would protect the king’s vessel, and depending on how many vessels the mages send, that could be too much for our armada.”
Vidar cleared his throat. “We still need to send an army to Avaldenn.”
“That was never in question,” Thyra replied. To win the war, we’d need the capital.
“Our mother will protect the mouth of the Shivering Sea as best she can,” Sayyida paused. “But she’ll need all the help she can get. Vidar and I should join her.”
The pair could enter the city via a gateway that led into Sváva’s home, and they already had vessels hidden among the islands closest to that city. If they left now, it would be possible to make to their island before the king’s ship.
“Let’s discuss this with Lord Riis and Lord Balik.” The choice was not one my heart wanted. On the water, I wouldn’t know if they were safe. But tactically, it made sense.
“I agree with my sister,” Thyra said. “We were on our way to find Luccan. Can you gather the lords in Tadgh Balik’s den, and we’ll meet you there?”
“Luccan? He’s in the library with the Scholars,” Vidar said.
Surprise rippled through me. “Then we should go find him. See you soon.”
Locating the Scholars in the vast library was easy. The trio always sat at the same table.
“Hi.” I clasped a hand on Anna’s shoulder. She covered it with her own palm, always knowing when I needed comfort. “Do you know where Luccan is?”
“I do,” Anna replied. “I’ll show you.”
Her familiar uneven footsteps echoed in the silent library within Ramshold.
“Is Arie in the yard?” I asked, trying to sound normal and not like my insides were shredded.
“He is. We’re meeting for lunch though.” Anna gave me a sad smile. “We don’t have to talk about him. Or any men—sorry, males. Not when you’re hurting, Isolde.”
“No matter my situation, I’m happy for you.” I saw how Arie looked at her. Had seen them kiss. My oldest friend had more than she ever dreamed of, and she deserved it all. “Arie is a good male.”
Warmth glowed in her brown angular eyes. “Thank you.”
When we came across Luccan, he was so deep into his reading that he didn’t notice us until we stood right in front of him.
“Sorry.” He placed a marker in the book before shutting it. “Is there something or someone who needs me?”
I could not help but notice the bags under his eyes. Luccan, like Aleksander, like so many of my friends, had been running himself ragged to prepare for the march. That only made what I had to ask him more difficult.
“We’re the ones who need you,” I said softly. “Do you mind?”
“That my princesses require me? Not at all.” His face split into a smile that went a long way in making him appear less tired. Anna excused herself and once we were alone, Luccan nodded to my sister and me. “What’s going on?”
I told Luccan my thoughts about using a gateway to Bitra, adding that I’d understand if he didn’t want to do so. Gatemaking was a highly regulated magic in Winter’s Realm, and only a few close friends and family knew about Luccan. Most of them out of necessity.
Once done, I added, “This could help us get to Avaldenn faster. But again, it’s up to you. We won’t force you.”
Luccan swallowed. “I was researching gateways when you arrived because I had the same idea. About going to Bitra and then marching to Avaldenn.”
“Exactly what do you mean by researching? A gateway already exists in the brothel down the road.”
“How to keep it open for that long without . . .” He trailed off.
“You dying.” My stomach pitted. “Yes, you expending so much energy was one of our concerns. I can’t put you through what I did back at Riis Tower.”
“Gateways only like to stay open for a short period.” He let out a long breath. “Minutes. Not long enough to get an army through unless the gatemaker practices manipulating the portal. And once the gateway closes after being open against its will, well, it won’t open again for some time.”
He spoke about gateways as if they were living, breathing, sentient things. The idea reinforced how little I understood about Luccan’s magic. How little he had experience with too.
“And yet, beating Magnus to Avaldenn would be the easiest way to win this war before it gets underway,” Luccan said. “It could save many lives.”
“I don’t want you to try so hard that the effort costs your life.”
“This is a good time to admit that getting to Bitra with an army in tow wasn’t all I was researching.
I’ve been thinking about the Shadow Fae.
” He tapped another book off to the side, and I recognized it as the one we’d borrowed from the Great Library.
“How someone—a Lisika, and another unnamed fae, if what I’ve read is right—sent them elsewhere.
Making a gateway within a realm like Isila is difficult.
Making one between worlds, like the ones we have to the human world, is the most a gatemaker can hope to achieve.
And to make two between worlds that are large enough for an entire race of fae to disappear through?
Before last moon I would have said it was impossible. ”
He leaned back and when he spoke again, he did so with deliberation.
“No one except Arie and Clemencia knows this, but I’ve been practicing the more advanced facets of my magical specialty.
I felt like I had to because there’s a powerful gatemaker in Avaldenn.
One favored by King Magnus. If she’s forced to try and locate the Shadow Fae, and she succeeds, we’ll have more enemies.
I figured that if I could banish them right back to where they came, that would be a help. ”
My skin felt icy.
“You’re saying that you’ve been trying to make portals to other worlds?” Thyra spoke slowly.
“A few times.”
My mouth fell open. To attempt such a thing secret with just a few people watching and protecting you? Insanity.
“You should have told us this sooner,” Thyra said.
“I haven’t had success yet.”
“But you’re close, aren’t you? You were talking about getting stronger. Can you . . . feel another world?” Stars, what would that even be like? Suddenly, my magics, both strong and bold, seemed so very small in comparison.
“I think so.”
My stomach twisted at the revelation. Luccan had gone through all of this, put his life on the line in the most extreme way, and I hadn’t a clue.
“Luccan,” I exhaled his name. “I appreciate the effort, but perhaps focus on widening existing gates and keeping them open for longer? The other matter—well, the Shadow King has not yet succeeded in bringing anyone over. Perhaps that will never happen.”
The eldest Riis brother’s stare lingered on me before he gave a single nod. “As you wish.”
I gave him a weak smile, still reeling. “Then we should be going. We have a meeting and will be telling the lords we’re going to use the gateways to move north.”
“I should resume practicing.” Luccan stood.
My twin and I left the library. Though the information we’d acquired had been largely positive, the sense of unease in my belly persisted.