Chapter Forty-One
We’d taken one of the mid-sized ships we still needed to return to Kyrish, sailing slightly farther east than the rest of the navy.
After the Battle of No Rain—Matea had called it that enough for it to stick—it had taken what felt like ages to get all the prisoners out of the encampment.
We welcomed the Southerners and Islanders that had been imprisoned with open arms, though the Northerners were a different story.
I knew how fae of the North were loyal to a fault, their ego often getting in the way of rational thoughts.
So as each Northerner crossed through the torn-down wall, they were given two options: remain there outside Neokell and find their own way, or come with us and help take down the regime that placed them there—for the small price of a vow to the Thorntier line.
So Teagan, Byn, and I all stood just outside the wall, Northerners approaching one by one to kneel and vow their loyalty to a Thorntier.
And we left behind not a single Northerner.
After crossing through Glaytred Forest with the entire army, navy, and encampment of fae, we loaded everybody up onto any ships we could. It turned out to be more crowded than anticipated, but it worked, and we only needed to make it to Kyrish, where the navy would remain temporarily.
Well, they only needed to make it to Kyrish.
Ezra, Matea, Laurence, Rayven, Byn, and I all loaded up onto the mid-sized ship and set sail for the Levast Isles.
Teagan had needed to get back to Margo, and she could call the shots in mine and Byn’s absence.
Caelia and Callum decided to stay with their navy the same way Quinn had decided to stay with her army—despite the longing I could see in her eyes when she watched her husband walk onto the ship with the rest of us.
Now we were sailing closer to the human lands than any fae had in centuries.
As the Levast Isles came into clearer view, I wondered why nobody had tried harder to contact the humans before now.
Surely, despite the fact that they weren’t fae, they could still help turn the tides of this war.
But as two ships came into view speeding toward us—the wind on their side—I wondered if maybe those before us had been wise to leave the humans be.
“Do you think they’re friendly?” Laurence said, our small portion of the Valwain all standing at the nose of our ship, watching the two vessels approaching.
“There’s a reason the humans have closed off their borders for so long, and I don’t think the reason is friendliness,” Rayven answered with a sigh.
“Regardless, we’re only here to talk with them. If they refuse to help us, we’ll figure something else out,” Byn said, attempting to reassure us all. Though I felt anything but reassured—and I knew my husband was on edge, too, despite the brave expression he’d donned.
The two other ships approached quickly, and once they were near enough, I flinched as they shot arrows into our ship’s foremast, a rope attached to each arrow.
Then, as swiftly as the ships arrived, the humans did.
They used some sort of leather and cloth straps to hold firmly onto as they zipped from their ships and onto ours using the ropes they’d put in place.
With our three ships connected by the ropes, it seemed easy enough for them to board.
“What are you fae doing this close to our Isles?” the first one who landed hissed, a long dagger already in his hand. “You know well that your kind isn’t welcome here.”
“We’re coming here in peace. We don’t wish you any harm or wish to drag your people into anything.” Byn held up his hands in a mock surrender as a dozen more humans from each ship arrived—men and women alike.
The first man’s gaze flickered to Byn’s golden circlet before meeting his eyes again.
“Then why come here at all?”
“Because of me,” I said as I stepped up to my husband’s side. “I come seeking knowledge, and I’ve heard this is the place to find it.”
When the man’s eyes shifted to me, a faint flash of recognition crossed his features, although I wasn’t entirely sure why. I knew for a fact that I’d never met him—or any other human—before in my lifetime.
“Please,” Byn added when the man didn’t answer. “Take us to whoever is in charge, if you must. We can plead our case if necessary, but we came all this way. Please give us just one chance.”
“Oh, you’ll be meeting the queen alright. And you will plead your case.” The man brought his hand to his mouth and whistled a series of six loud notes. A few moments later, the other two ships had lined up on either side of us and laid planks down between the edges of each vessel.
As the other two dozen humans used the planks to return to their respective ships, they hung their heads in disappointment when they realized they wouldn’t get to fight anybody, the first man stayed put on our deck.
“So, what’s your name?” Laurence asked the man.
“Dexter. But you won’t be here long enough to need to use it,” Dexter stated. “Tell your ship’s captain to keep up. We’re taking you to Queen Calista right now.”
***
As we walked toward the middle of the largest Isle, I realized hidden tunnels weren’t something that only the North utilized.
When we’d finally set foot on the main Isle, Dexter pointed out a small tunnel in the rock-face of the beach. Having no choice but to follow him, we stepped into the dimly lit tunnel and began the trek that Dexter claimed lead to the stone fortress, which Queen Calista resided in and ruled from.
After multiple forks in the tunnel and following Dexter blindly for what felt like days, we finally got to the other end.
And walked directly into what I could only imagine was Queen Calista’s throne room.
It was much more modest than I’d have imagined for royalty, but considering she called her castle a fortress, I wasn’t too surprised. The queen didn’t seem to need to flash her wealth or status in such ways to let her subjects—and others—know that she was in charge.
I could tell simply by her eyes that she was the one they idolized.
Queen Calista’s gaze raked over our group with a piqued interest, though her near-black eyes spoke of wisdom that must have been far beyond her years.
She had tawny tanned skin similar to Rayven’s, and deep brown, sword-straight hair flowing down to her waist. She looked young, as though she couldn’t have been much older than Byn—likely Teagan and Rayven’s age.
And yet even the way she held herself spoke of having had time to perfect her every movement.
She sat perfectly still upon her throne, not a single hair out of place or any shifting of muscles or limbs.
Only her eyes moved as her gaze followed us, Dexter leading us to the center of the small throne room to stand before his queen.
“Kneel before Queen Calista!” Dexter commanded.
My muscles tensed as I forced myself to keep looking forward and not toward Byn for comfort and reassurance.
We might have been farther out of our element here than I’d originally thought.
“My sincere apologies, but my wife and I have vowed to never kneel to another.” Byn motioned toward me, then our posse behind us. “My friends here, also, will only kneel to us. I hope you can understand that this does not affect the respect we have for you, Queen Calista.”
The woman before us was silent a moment, simply observing us as though she had all the time in the world at her disposal.
“I see,” she finally said. “I was curious about who was invading my lands, but a Thorntier king and a Heartshire queen wasn’t what I’d imagined.”
“You know who we are?” Byn asked, surprise radiating from him.
“Of course I do. Just because us humans don’t partake in the outside world doesn’t mean we’re clueless.”
Byn dipped his head slightly. “Right, of course. My apologies.”
“We come seeking your help, Queen Calista,” I added, trying to begin pleading our case. “We’re here to find information about the star stones.”
“Oh, I know why you’ve come, child. But the Levast Isles have stayed out of the war for this long, and I don’t plan on that changing anytime soon, I fear,” the queen answered, looking down her straight nose at us.
As she spoke, though, I felt a shadow shift ever so slightly near the dais of her throne.
A shadow with one unfamiliar energy, and another that I knew extremely well.
Two unexpected visitors.
“You know, usually I would accept that answer,” I said, taking a step forward. “But not today. Because despite what you claim, you’re already involved in the war, aren’t you? In fact, you’ve already chosen a side.”
As swiftly as I could manage, I drew the small alychite crystal from my pocket and threw it directly at the shadow that I knew for a fact differed from the rest that were in the room.
And the second the crystal connected with the shadow, it sucked the zirilium from them, forcing the fae hiding within the darkness back into their physical forms in an instant.
Then, standing where the shadows had been, was Dimitri, along with a smaller, hooded figure behind him. The cloaked figure must have been the unfamiliar energy I’d felt, though there was something about the second fae I thought I recognized.
“Hello, twin,” Dimitri smirked, his gaze locked on mine.
I could feel the frustration and anger flowing from Byn, but it was also originating from within me.
Forcing myself to keep my hands open at my sides instead of in fists, I tried once more with the queen.
“Queen Calista, please reconsider your stance on this matter. Dimitri is the main reason that the war has yet to come to its end. This could all be over today if you’d only—”
“See what I mean, Queen Calista?” Dimitri said to the woman on the throne, stepping closer to the dais. “They’re only here to try to use your people and your knowledge. The South hasn’t changed, but the North has. And as I mentioned before, we aren’t looking for a one-sided partnership.”