Chapter 42
Slade
Duskfall was not what I expected. Once known for its fine silks and bright colours, it now crouched under shadow—its glory smothered by the ghastly tower at the mountain’s base.
I rubbed my shoulder. The pain lingered—dull now, but constant.
Falling down that cliff had been brutal. Worse was knowing it had been my brother who caused it.
Phoenix hadn’t accepted it. I could see it in the way he stood now—coiled, haunted. I didn’t think he’d slept in days.
I missed my spitfire.
Ships crowded the harbour, sails lowered, the crest of Varrowmere snapping in the breeze like a warning. We’d docked in secret, our colours stripped on Syrena’s orders—a precaution to avoid Ashton’s wrath.
According to her, Ivan was expecting us.
She stood at the prow, her cloak snapping behind her, speaking in low tones with Jasper and Caelen. Her posture was rigid. Her eyes never stopped scanning the mist-shrouded dock, sharp and watchful. Like she expected the fog itself to strike.
I didn’t like this.
Not the silence.
Not the stillness in the air.
Not the way Syrena watched the dock like it might bite her.
“This city is crawling,” Phoenix muttered beside me, eyes sweeping the length of the port.
“We’ve seen worse,” I said.
“There are too many guards,” he replied, voice low. “They’ve cleared the courtyards. That means they’re expecting someone important—or dangerous. Most likely Ashton.”
“This is a diplomatic mission,” Jasper cut in, his tone clipped. “We’re here under the order of parlay. So—no fighting in the streets unless absolutely necessary.”
“And you expect Vael to honour that?” I asked.
“Not Vael—Ivan,” Syrena said, stepping closer. “He’ll meet with me,” she said. “He owes me that much.”
Her voice was controlled, but a flicker crossed her face—something restrained.
“Does he?” I asked.
She met my eyes, and the bitterness there was bone-deep. “Trust me. Ivan and I go back a long way,” she said.
There was a pause. Her voice was steady—but her eyes gave her away. Phoenix noticed too. He swallowed.
“Your Majesty—”
She spun on her heel and glared at him. “What, Phoenix?”
“I know this must be hard—”
She laughed—but it was cold, humourless. “Do you know what I hate more than anything, Phoenix? Useless apologies.”
He stepped back, jaw tight. Said nothing. Just sighed and looked at me.
I glanced at the queen. There was pain there—not the kind tied to Elira.
Older. Deeper. Something unspoken. She stepped away, refusing to engage with us further.
Jasper watched her go, then stepped forward slightly, lowering his voice. “Look, this isn’t just about now. Ivan... he’s part of a lot of bad memories for Syrena. And having Elira here with him—it’s killing her.”
Phoenix gave a tight smile. “I know. I get it. We’ll get her back. Whatever it takes.”
“I know,” Jasper said. He touched Phoenix’s arm—a brief gesture of solidarity—then turned and followed Syrena.
They bid us goodbye—Jasper watching her carefully as they climbed into the waiting carriages, flanked by guards.
The rest of us stayed behind, the weight of unspoken plans settling over our shoulders.
“Now what?”
“Now we need information.” Phoenix said. He looked around the city with a faraway look in his eyes.
“Should we even be here?” I muttered to Phoenix. “Announcing ourselves like this—we’re practically inviting them to take us.”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. The tension in his jaw said enough.
Lacey emerged from below deck, moving with her usual quiet confidence. I hadn’t expected her to join us—but I was glad she had.
She handed cloaks to Caelen, Phoenix, and me.
“Use these,” she said. “They’re woven with a glamour. Should change your faces just enough.”
I took mine, running the fabric through my fingers. It felt like normal wool—rough, slightly damp from sea spray. My shoulder protested the motion, but I ignored it. No time for pain now.
The others followed. When I looked up, it was like staring at strangers. I blinked.
“Nice work,” I said.
What surprised me was when she pulled out her own cloak and swung it over her shoulders.
I hesitated. “Where are you going?”
“With you,” she said.
“And why?”
She met my eyes. “Because Maddie is somewhere in Duskfall. Because I want to find Elira. And because I am a godsdamn knight of Shadowmere, which means I outrank you. How’s that?”
She stepped forward like she expected a fight—but I just nodded.
I lifted my hands. “Okay. Sounds fair.”
Caelen raised a brow. “Since when does she outrank us?”
“Since she showed up,” I muttered.
Lacey blinked. “Oh. Right. Glad we got that sorted.”
Phoenix suppressed a small smile. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go find our lion and see what he knows.”
“You grew up here, yes?” Caelen asked Phoenix as we headed into the town.
“My family still probably lives here.” He replied.
He didn’t look at us. His jaw twitched—barely—but I saw it.
“You don’t know?”
“I don’t care. I have a family. I don’t need another one.” He snapped back.
Caelen just rolled his eyes. “Sorry I asked.”
“Where is the best place to get information?” I asked Phoenix.
“The Boarshead. Tavern near the city centre. Back entrance is better—less chance of being seen.”
“What I wouldn’t kill for a drink,” Caelen muttered.
“No drinking on the job, Caelen.” Lacey snapped. “So here’s the plan. We go to the tavern and get what info we can. I have a couple of contacts here too. Odds are they already know about Elira—and have something in motion. Even if not, they’ll be valuable assets.”
**
The Boarshead was a relic of history.
The wood was so old and worn, it felt like the booze had soaked into the very bones of the building.
We slipped in through the back, past clusters of off-duty soldiers playing cards and smoking. Laughter barked from a shadowed corner, too loud, too careless. One soldier in a red Sentinel uniform was hunched over the bushes, retching up his insides.
Typical.
Lacey led us inside without a word. She headed straight to the bar, where an older woman with long silver braids was wiping down the counter.
“How can I help ye, darlin’?” the woman asked.
“I’d like a Queen’s Mercy. Four glasses.”
The woman paused for a beat, then gave a slow nod.
“Be right out. Why don’t you take one of the corner tables at the back?”
“Much obliged, Misty.”
We headed to a small booth at the back, shielded by a half-wall that gave just enough cover to speak freely.
“Now what?” Caelen asked, voice low.
“Now we wait,” Lacey replied. “My contact knows the signal.”
Before anyone could answer, someone slid into the booth beside Caelen. A cloaked figure who moved like someone who’d spent his life hiding. A second later, Misty returned, dropping off four golden drinks without a word.
The figure pushed back his hood.
Phoenix stiffened.
“Didn’t expect to see you again, Lace,” the man said. His voice was quiet. Familiar.
Caelen frowned. “Friend of yours?”
Phoenix’s expression darkened. “What the hell is this?”
“This is Isaac,” Lacey said.
“Finn’s brother?” I guessed.
Isaac blinked at me, surprised. “You know him?”
Phoenix sat back, jaw tight. “He stabbed me in the back. So… yeah. We knew him.”
Isaac’s face twisted. “So he’s…?”
“Dead,” I said quietly. “A few months now.”
Isaac’s fingers clenched around his glass. “So he made it out. For a while.”
“He died saving someone,” Phoenix said, not looking at him. “A girl.”
Isaac nodded slowly. “Elira. Yeah. She’s here. I saw her once. She’s shackled—magic-suppressing manacles. But that didn’t stop her screaming bloody murder. Or calling Vael a fork-tongued dogfucker.”
A beat passed. I almost smiled. That sounded like her.
Phoenix’s eyes narrowed. “You blend in well for someone not meant to be here.”
Isaac shrugged. “Perks of a shitty childhood and a dead-end legacy.”
“So you’re spying,” Phoenix said flatly.
“My family served Vael. My father used to before he was killed last year. My older brother is still there.”
Phoenix blinked. “Your father was Caius Markham?”
Isaac stared at him. “You heard of him?”
Shit. The wolf Thorne killed last year.
“In passing,” Phoenix said, his voice calm.
“It’s ok if you hated him, he was an asshole,” Isaac said. He hesitated, then added. “But being his son means I can go where others can’t.”
“And she’s in the tower?” Lacey asked.
Isaac nodded. “Top level. The thing’s a fortress. Only one way in or out, and it's crawling with fanatics. But we’ve been slipping people in for months.”
“We?” I asked.
“The rebellion. We answer to a woman named Lia – she’s a mind mage. She’s the one who started all this.”
Phoenix narrowed his eyes. “Do you trust her?”
“I trust her more than I trust anyone else left in that city.” He paused. “If you want to break Elira out, you’ll need Lia’s help.”
“Are you all rebels?” he asked, glancing at Phoenix, Caelen, and me. “Or former Shades, like the other two?”
“Other two?” I asked.
“A lion shifter and an earth mage showed up days ago. They stirred up half my unit.”
Phoenix’s knuckles had gone white around his glass. His breath hitched. “Leo and Maddie. They’re okay?”
I felt the tension in my shoulders begin to ease. Just a little. They were alive. Fighting.
Isaac grinned faintly. “They helped us catch a big dog.”
“Who?” I asked, already bracing.
He leaned in. “Vasquez. He’s rotting in a cell underground in the slums.”
Phoenix swore under his breath. His eyes flicked toward the window, like he could already hear the coming war.
If Vasquez was off the board, Ashton wouldn’t take it lightly.
“Does Ashton know?” I asked.
Isaac’s face sobered. “He’s in Duskfall. He hasn’t made a move yet, but he’s issued threats. Said he’ll burn the city to ash if Vael doesn’t hand over what he wants.”
“Elira,” Phoenix said.
Isaac nodded. “Most likely.”
The tavern felt colder. Like the fog outside had seeped in through the walls.
Isaac looked around, already tensing again. “That’s all I can say. For now. If you want answers—real ones—find Lia.”
“Well,” Caelen muttered, “there goes the polite option.”
I met Phoenix’s eyes. “We have to find her.”
Isaac gave a short nod. “I’ll make contact when it’s safe.”
Without another word, he stood and slipped into the crowd, vanishing like smoke in the dark.
The shadows swallowed him whole.
But his warning lingered—sharp and bitter as ash.
We had names. We had leads.
And Elira wasn’t gone.
Not yet.