Chapter 46 #2
“She wouldn’t,” Brevan argues.
“No? What reason would she have to maintain loyalty to my father? He imprisoned her. And you. Seeing the Nubari rise from the dead and rally the entire continent to take ours seems like a really good way to get revenge,” Caiden says.
I’m holding my breath now, trying to make sense of all the things I’m hearing.
I have no idea who the Nubari are or why they’d attack Pendralia, but somehow this is all connected.
Roselyn, Caiden’s obsession with the Shatterlands, the poison…
Is this what I was supposed to uncover? Is the assassin who I’m supposed to bring down?
“I’ve been seeing the signs for years but my father said I was paranoid.” Caiden must be pacing, I can hear footsteps but I can still feel Brevan’s presence near me.
“Why would the Nubari come back now and try to kill Taylan?”
The movement stops. “Because they know something. She must be a threat to them. They don’t kill their seers in the Shatterlands, Brevan.”
“No, but they’re even more a prisoner there than they are here,” he says.
“I know. But I suspect they have a reason,” Caiden says. “Did you sister say anything else to you after I left?”
“She didn’t make any predictions if that’s what you’re asking,” Brevan says.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” he says.
“What about the other prediction?” Caiden asks. “The one—”
“I don’t want to talk about that one,” Brevan snaps.
“Fine. But I’m telling you, these men were spelled. Just like your sister said would happen. I told you, like I told my father last year, the signs were real. Her prediction is unfolding the way she said it would,” Caiden insists.
“Maybe,” Brevan says.
“You know what will happen if I’m right,” he presses.
“None of her predictions are certain. Any single thing can change the future,” Brevan reminds him.
“I know how it works. I did the research alongside you for years. You still blame me for the missing alchemist tools, but you know as well as I do that if I knew where my father hid them, I’d have given them to you.”
I suck in a breath, then bite down on my lip to silence myself.
Is that what we found? Was it not someone’s treasure?
Were the objects actually tools? Alchemists used to experiment with relics to try to turn common minerals into precious ones.
Lead to gold or maybe…a very specific stone into a relic that could bind a seer?
“And I told you, once this is over, I’m done. I’m going out after them on my own. I got word there’s an alchemist in the northern Provences,” Brevan says.
“We’ll be at war by then.” Caiden’s tone is serious.
“We’ll see,” Brevan returns.
“I’m going to check on my wife. In case you were wondering, all of those men had orders to kill her, specifically.”
“I’ll come with you. You still have a second lamp in your tent?” Brevan says quickly.
“Yeah, we can grab it on the way,” Caiden says. “How did you break it anyway?”
“I was a little shaky after the brush with the poison. I don’t recommend touching that stuff,” he says. There’s another rustle of fabric and I think they’ve stepped outside the tent.
“I’m surprised you did,” Caiden’s voice is quieter. “How did you know to look…”
As soon as I can’t hear them anymore, I toss the furs aside and feel around for my nightgown. Once I find it, I pull it on, then hurry to the tent opening, pulling the flap apart slightly. “Fuck.” There’s several guards nearby. I can’t go out the front.
Carefully, arms outstretched, I make my way to what I hope is the rear of the tent. I’m lucky the fabric lifts enough to let me shimmy under it. I don’t look down to determine the state of my nightgown, which I’m sure is filthy.
I head toward my tent, then quickly double back as soon as I see the guards pacing in front of it. I did not think this through.
Darting from tent to tent, I make it to the rear of mine. Thankfully, it’s unguarded. At least for now. I’m surprised but grateful I’m able to crawl under the fabric. It’s terrible security, honestly.
Anya is still asleep, but I know Caiden is on his way to check on me. I climb over her, then slide under the furs.
“How was it?” she whispers.
I nearly jump out of my skin. “I thought you were asleep.”
“I was trained as a spy since childhood and you think I would sleep through the person next to me leaving the tent?”
“I was hoping you were extra tired,” I tell her.
“You were right next to me. Nobody’s that tired,” she replies. “So? How was it? Brevan, I’m assuming.”
“How did you know?” I don’t bother denying it.
Her eyes drop, then she looks back up at me. “Your nightgown is on backward and covered in dirt. And if it was an innocent walk, you’d have come through the front.”
“It was Brevan,” I whisper. “I can’t give him up.”
“Do you want to know what Roselyn told me about you?” she asks.
“You talked with her about the future? How did you not tell me this sooner?”
The sound of footsteps silences us both and neither of us pretends to sleep. Instead we both bolt upright, as if we rehearsed our response.
“Caiden, oh gods, you scared us to death,” I say.
Anya makes a show of setting down the blade in her hand. I didn’t even know she had it near her. I should have expected it, though.
“Sorry to disturb you. We had an incident and I just wanted to check on you both,” he says.
“What kind of incident?” I pull the furs up around my neck, hoping it makes me look frightened.
“Don’t worry about it, we took care of it,” he assures me. “Try to get some rest.”
“Are you alright?” The question comes out involuntarily, and I’m surprised to find that I mean it.
“I will be.” He nods. “Goodnight, ladies.”
I settle back on the pallet. There’s no way I’m sleeping now.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Anya asks.
“Tomorrow. In the carriage. There’s some things I’d rather not have anyone hear.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything about Roselyn,” Anya whispers. “She told me most people don’t want to know the future, even when they say they do.”
I think about the conversation I just heard, then shake my head. “I think she’s right. I don’t think I want to know.”
A rustling sound at our entryway draws my attention and I leave the pallet. Anya follows and I know she’s armed.
Carefully, I pull aside the tent flap to peek. There’s nobody there. Something moves near my ankle. I release the fabric and look down. Standing at my feet, head tilted to the side, is a raven.
I crouch in front of the bird. “Hello.”
It snaps its beak at me, then nods. I’m fairly certain that means it understands me.
“Is that…Juliette?” Anya asks.
“I don’t think so.” I lean closer. “Are you here about the poison?”
The bird tilts its head the opposite direction and locks its beady black eyes on me.
“I thought so. I need a favor,” I say.
“Can you understand it?” Anya asks.
“In a way,” I tell her, then return my attention to the bird. “I want the person who’s responsible. The one you brought me the finger from. Can you find them and bring them to me?”
The bird snaps its beak again, then skitters toward the tent flap. I pull it aside just enough for it to pass through, then drop it.
“You think it’ll work?” Anya asks.
“I hope so. I’m running out of ideas and time.” I climb back onto the pallet. Something tells me the assassin might be the linchpin.
We both attempt to sleep, but despite the silence in the dark tent, I don’t think either of us does.