6. Everett
Everett
“What, we don’t even get a ‘hello?’” Tessa teased Nox.
“I was just with you ten minutes ago,” Nox drawled. “You can't have missed me already.”
“Fine.” Tessa waved a hand in the air. “What’s the news?”
I stood and made my way to Milo’s counter, where we gathered amid the smoke and scent of herbs.
“You know how the empress initiated communication with that northern territory after everything happened last year. The Triad Realm,” Nox reminded us, placing both hands on top of the counter.
“It’s a section of three island states above the Shattered Spine.
She sent scouts up there to exchange letters with their High Council. ”
“How did she manage that?” I asked. “The Shattered Spine is impassable.” It was the reason nobody from the Veridian Empire had ever tried traversing north to explore beyond our known world.
“No idea.” He shrugged. “Clarissa has a way of getting what she wants. But now that we’ve made contact, the Triad Realm has propositioned us.”
Beside him, Devora snorted and shook her hair, sending fiery waves over her shoulder. “Fates, Nox, way to make this sound dirty.”
He smirked. “Trust me, darling, I can make it much—”
“Alright, move it along,” Kieran cut in curtly as he rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. The white stag Shifter was a very no-nonsense man, and I liked that about him. Loyal, steadfast, to the point, and always in a suit. I wouldn’t be surprised if the man slept in a three-piece.
“It’s past Kieran’s bed time,” Tessa added.
I coughed to hide my chuckle. This was why meetings with the Ashen Order took twice as long as they should.
“The High Council of the Triad Realm suggested we each send a few delegates to one another’s lands.
Almost like an emissary, of sorts,” Nox explained.
“They send some here, and we send a small group up to them to meet with their leaders and set up an agreement for when we get trading routes established.”
Kieran nodded. “That’s wise.”
“Sure, but what does it have to do with us?” Tessa asked. “This sounds like a job for Her Majesty’s diplomats or the Royal Guard. We just run an orphanage in Drakorum.”
“Excuse me, we literally took down an evil governor last year,” Arowyn countered.
“I’m so glad you asked, Tessa,” Nox said with a cunning grin.
“I’m not,” Milo said. “I don’t like that look.”
Nox ignored him. “The empress brought it up with the board of governors at our last meeting, and I had an excellent idea.”
I groaned and closed my eyes. We had heard that before.
“An idea that you in particular will be interested in, Everett,” Nox added.
My eyes snapped open in curiosity. “What is it?”
“I think you should go,” he said.
I furrowed my brow. “Go where?”
Arowyn swatted me on the shoulder. “I think he means the Triad Realm.”
I blinked. “Me? Why?”
Instead of responding, Nox gave me a pointed stare. There was only one reason he would be pushing for this, only one reason he thought I would be the perfect person for the job.
My lips parted. “You think Vera’s there.”
A wave of understanding spread across the workshop. It made sense. If she was up there with no magic and no way to contact us, that could be why we hadn’t found her yet. She could be hurt, for all we knew. Or imprisoned again.
Or worse.
But this is a huge risk, another voice inside my head said.
My logical side was constantly at war with my emotions, thinking through every worst-case scenario.
We knew next to nothing about the Shattered Spine or how to cross it.
And we had even less information on the inhabitants of this Triad Realm.
This could be a ploy. Some sort of international play for power.
I might find myself dangerously in over my head trying to weave political relationships when all I cared about was finding Vera.
Doesn’t that make it all worth it?
Nox tilted his head. “So, what do you say?”
I took a breath. “If she’s truly up there, then she’s all alone.” I rubbed the back of my neck, thinking about her stuck in a foreign land with no way to reach us. “I know it’s risky, but this might be my only chance to find her.”
Kieran crossed his arms. “Everett, I admire your heroism, but this is not simply an excuse for you to pursue your scavenger hunt. It’s an ambassadorship. What experience do you have with diplomatic negotiations?”
“I’d say quite a bit, dealing with all of you,” I said dryly. Devora snorted so loud, she coughed.
“Rude,” Arowyn said.
“You will be representing our empire in an entirely new world,” Kieran went on. “That means sitting in meetings about trade routes or tariffs, handling their leaders with delicacy and deliberation. You will not have free rein over—”
“I understand what it means, Kieran,” I said. “I’m a quick study. Show me a book, and I’ll read it. Give me as many lessons in diplomacy as you want. But if that’s the only thing in my way, it’s not enough. What if something’s wrong? What if Vera needs us?”
“I’m not attempting to stop you,” he said. “I’m saying, perhaps someone else should accompany you. Someone with more experience.”
“Once again, I’m glad you said that, Kieran,” Nox said, clapping the stag Shifter on the back. “Because you’re going with him.”
Kieran pursed his lips. “I should have seen that one coming.”
“Look at you two,” Tessa said with a grin. “Our little world travelers. But what about the Keep? You’ve been making such good progress with the kids, Ev.”
That part was hard for me to let go. I cared deeply about these children.
I would never want them to think I was abandoning them, but it would only be for a short while, and it wasn’t as if I would leave them all alone.
“We have other Illusionists on staff that can help, and Devora is more than capable of running the children’s center while I’m gone. ”
Devora nodded. “Already on it. Nox and I have talked through everything. We know how much work you and Kieran both do here, but we have enough help to cover it while you’re gone.”
“And the Shattered Spine?” Arowyn pressed. “Have you thought about that? It’s still super dangerous. And we don’t know what these Triad Realm people are like. They could kidnap you to sacrifice to their fish gods.”
“It’s nice to know you care, Arowyn,” I deadpanned.
“The empress assured me that while there are still some dangers with traveling, we have crews working on making the Spine more accessible,” Nox said. “You shouldn’t have any problems there.”
I hummed. “You really have thought about everything, haven’t you?”
“If I weren’t the governor, I’d already be on that ship,” he said fiercely.
“That’s all great, but there’s only one more thing,” Arowyn said, eyebrows raised as she looked between Nox and me. “What if you do find her, and she doesn’t want to come back?”
Silence filled the room, coiling around my stomach and squeezing uncomfortably. I was prepared to fight for her, to risk dangerous borders and cross uncharted seas, to destroy anything that may cause her harm. But this was an obstacle I didn’t want to think about facing.
“I’ve always respected her wishes,” I said, fighting the urge to clench my jaw. “That won’t change. But I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t try.”
Arowyn nodded in understanding, and the others looked at me with expressions of pity I so often saw. I turned my attention back to Nox, who held out his hand to me. “There’s nobody else I trust to find her, Everett. Wherever she is, just make sure she’s safe.”
I took his hand. “I will, Nox. I promise.”
Kieran stepped forward. “We both will. Through flame and ash.” The rest of us echoed the phrase, which had become the motto of the Ashen Order over the last few years.
Something stirred in my chest, clenching around my heart. Part of me had always known Vera was meant to soar beyond the boundaries of this empire, and I never wanted to get in her way. But at the end of the day, what was the point of my love if it didn’t make me move mountains to be with her?
My songbird.
And I was going to find her.