Chapter 150
"That is going to be much more difficult than you expect."
Every head in the room turned.
A large black panther was sprawled across Lucien's bed as though he had been there all afternoon and had every intention of staying there.
Lucien stared at him.
I stared at him.
Benedict stared at him.
Even Theo looked momentarily bewildered.
Lucien was the first to recover.
"Am I imagining things, or is there actually a talking panther in my room?"
"Toasty?" I asked.
The panther lifted his head lazily.
"When did you arrive?"
"Toasty?" Lucien repeated, looking between the two of us. "Who exactly is Toasty?"
I sighed. "He's a shape-shifting dragon. I'll explain later."
Lucien's expression went blank.
"A dragon? There is a dragon in my bedroom?"
"Apparently."
He stared at me for a moment.
"How long have I been trapped in Viremont?"
"Later, Lucien."
I crossed the room but stopped when I noticed a familiar little creature curled up against the panther's side.
My eyes widened.
"Fluff?"
The cat opened one eye, regarded me for a moment, and apparently decided that whatever was happening was not important enough to justify waking up. He closed his eye and tucked his nose back beneath his paw.
I looked at Toasty.
"Where did you find him?"
Toasty yawned.
"And what did you mean when you said this was going to be difficult?"
He slowly turned his head toward me.
"Goodness, woman. One question at a time."
I folded my arms.
"Fine. Start with Fluff."
Toasty glanced at the sleeping cat.
"I found him sneaking around the Varynthar palace."
My eyes widened.
"You what?"
"He was wandering around the palace."
"Why?"
Toasty shrugged.
"Probably because he's a cat."
Fluff flicked his tail without opening his eyes.
I ignored him.
"And what happened?"
"I rescued him before he became dinner for something considerably less friendly."
I crouched beside the bed and studied Fluff.
"You actually went inside the Varynthar palace?"
Fluff remained asleep, apparently unconcerned by the fact that he had just been caught infiltrating an enemy stronghold.
"Of course you did," I muttered.
Toasty stretched lazily across the bed.
"Now that we've dealt with the cat, shall we move on to the more important problem?"
I straightened.
"I'm listening."
"The wedding has been moved to tomorrow."
The amusement vanished from the room.
"Tomorrow?" Lucien asked.
Toasty nodded.
"Malakor is moving faster than expected."
Theo's expression hardened.
"That gives us almost no time."
"Correct."
Toasty stretched one foreleg before continuing.
"And the Heartforge is being used to activate some kind of weapon. The dark mages are working on it, but I couldn't get close enough to determine exactly what they're building."
I stared at him.
"That's all you found out?"
"That is all."
He dropped his head back onto the mattress with a contented sigh.
"So comfortable."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"Toasty, we are discussing a weapon powered by the Heartforge, a wedding taking place tomorrow, an enemy kingdom preparing for war, and potentially the fate of the entire world."
"I know." He adjusted his head against the pillow. "Very stressful."
I opened my mouth to respond, but Toasty suddenly lifted his head.
"Oh!"
Everyone jumped.
"What?" I asked.
His golden eyes fixed on me.
"That hot, broody mage is alive."
My heart stopped.
"Rhaevan?"
"Yes."
I took a step toward him.
"Where?"
"He's being held somewhere inside Varynthar."
Toasty's expression became slightly more serious.
"And from what I could tell, he's in pretty bad shape."
The sudden pressure in my chest made it difficult to breathe.
"How bad?"
Toasty held my gaze for a moment.
"Bad enough that if you're planning to rescue him, you should probably hurry."
I forced myself to take a slow breath.
Rhaevan was alive.
That was all that mattered.
I turned toward the others.
The wedding had been moved forward. The Heartforge was being used to create some unknown weapon. Rhaevan was being held somewhere inside Varynthar, and Viremont remained surrounded by Solithium barriers.
Waiting was no longer an option.
"We're changing the plan."
Lucien stepped closer to the table.
"To what?"
"We go into Varynthar tonight."
His expression sharpened.
"And the siege?"
"We attack that at the same time."
I spread my hands across the map.
"If the wedding is tomorrow, then Malakor will have his most important people gathered in one place. Malakor, the Veiled Thorn's senior operatives, Lysenne, and possibly whoever is responsible for the Heartforge weapon. If we wait, they'll be ready for us."
Theo studied the map.
"You're proposing a simultaneous attack."
"Exactly."
I pointed toward the Solithium markers surrounding Viremont.
"While one group breaks the remaining barriers and engages the forces surrounding Viremont, the other enters Varynthar. We rescue Rhaevan and Lysenne, find out what they're doing with the Heartforge, and stop the weapon if we can."
Lucien leaned over the map.
"If we bring down the remaining Solithium cores, Viremont's army can finally engage them without the barriers protecting their forces."
"And with their strongest people occupied in Varynthar," I added, "they'll have fewer forces available to reinforce the siege."
Theo nodded slowly.
"Two battles fought simultaneously."
"One inside Varynthar," Lucien said, "and one here."
I nodded.
"That is the only way I can see this working."
No one objected.
That alone told me how serious the situation had become.
I looked at Theo.
"I can't stay here. If the Heartforge is involved, I need to be in Varynthar."
"I agree," Theo said.
Benedict nodded.
"I'll accompany you. If they've built some kind of machine, you'll need someone by your side who can help you understand how it works."
Miss Ann nodded as well.
Suddenly, Benedict frowned.
"But if Cassiane leaves, who will neutralise the remaining Solithium?"
The question settled over the room.
That was the flaw in our plan.
I was the only person we knew who could safely neutralise Solithium. If I left Viremont, we would lose the one advantage that had allowed us to breach the southern defenses in the first place.
"I'm coming with you," Lucien said, turning toward me.
I immediately shook my head.
"No. You need to stay here."
"And you need someone who can protect you out there."
"I'll have Benedict and Miss Ann."
"I know. I'm not talking about them."
I frowned.
Lucien stepped closer.
"You don't know what you're walking into. You just learned that Rhaevan is alive and being held somewhere inside Varynthar, and you're planning to enter the kingdom on the eve of a wedding that will probably be guarded by half of Malakor's forces."
"I can handle myself."
"I know."
His voice softened.
"That doesn't mean you should have to do it alone. Let me be there. Please."
I opened my mouth, but he continued.
"My father and Theo can manage the defence here. If I go with you, I can still fight for Viremont. I'll simply be doing it from somewhere considerably more inconvenient."
Despite everything, a reluctant smile tugged at my lips.
"That is a terrible argument."
"It works every time, though."
Benedict cleared his throat.
"Will your father allow you to leave?"
Lucien's expression changed.
"That might be the difficult part."
He walked toward the desk beside his bed.
"How do you intend to convince him?" I asked.
"With honesty."
Lucien picked up a sheet of parchment and began writing.
I watched him for a few seconds before leaning toward Benedict.
"Do you think writing a letter will work?"
Benedict shrugged.
"Depends on what he writes."
Lucien folded the parchment.
"Done."
Before he could take another step, a voice came from behind him.
"Really?"
Lucien's head suddenly snapped back.
A long black snake was draped casually across the back of his chair.
Lucien jumped backward.
"WHAT THE-"
The snake rolled its eyes.
"'Dear Father, I'm going to Varynthar. Please don't stop me. I'll apologise later.' Is that seriously what you're writing?"
Lucien stared at the snake in disbelief.
"Seriously, what is wrong with you?"
The snake's body shimmered.
A moment later, Toasty sat on the chair in his black-cat form, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
"You people are exhausting."
Lucien pressed a hand against his chest.
"Could you stop appearing out of nowhere?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because it's entertaining."
I rubbed my forehead.
"We don't have time for this."
Toasty's expression finally became serious.
"Don't worry about the Solithium. I'll help them here."
He glanced toward me.
"You need to go, Cassiane."
I looked at him skeptically.
"You can actually neutralise it?"
"I can help. I'm an Ardentian guardian, remember? I have my way around fatal relics."
He stretched before continuing.
"Between me, the people already stationed here, and a powerful mage, we should be able to manage."
Theo considered the suggestion before nodding.
"It may be enough."
Benedict looked thoughtful.
"If Toasty can disable the cores long enough for our forces to destroy them, we won't need Cassiane here."
"Then that's what we'll do," I said.
Theo moved the markers across the map, dividing the operation into two fronts.
"I will remain here with the King and coordinate the defence. Toasty will assist with neutralising the remaining Solithium cores."
His hand moved toward Varynthar.
"Benedict, Annabeth, Lucien, and Cassiane will enter Varynthar tonight."
I nodded.
"We rescue Rhaevan and Lysenne, find the Heartforge, and determine what Malakor intends to do with it. If the weapon can be stopped, we stop it before the wedding begins."
A soft meow interrupted us.
I looked down.
Fluff had appeared between my feet and was rubbing himself against my legs as though he had been waiting patiently for someone to remember him.
I crouched and held out my arms.
"You want to come?"
His ears perked up.
A small meow escaped him before he happily climbed into my lap.
I smiled and stroked his fur.
"All right. I suppose you miss Rhaevan too."
Fluff settled against me with a contented purr.
Benedict glanced at him.
"I think I'll leave the Moonfox here. He'll be more useful with the defence. Also, Moonfoxes bring good luck."
Muffin opened one eye from his place near the table, as though personally offended that someone had just made a decision about his future without consulting him.
Miss Ann ignored the display and studied the map.
"There is still one problem."
I looked at her.
"How do we get into Varynthar?"
I smiled.
That part, at least, wasn't going to be difficult.
I glanced toward the darkened window and thought of the portal that had brought us here, the defenses surrounding Viremont, and the enemy who still believed they were in control.
"Don't worry." I looked back at the others. "I already have a plan."