My note, she mouthed. Larylis?
I looked away. She’ll know the answer soon enough.
With the tribunal seated, Ailan addressed them, telling them I had important information about Darius and that everyone was expected to listen with respect. Then she took a step back, giving me the full attention of the tribunal.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
“Ailan is right. I have important information about Darius. I know where he is, and I know what his plans are. I know where he is going and who supports him. I know how to stop him from worldwalking.”
Gasps escaped those before me.
“But I’m not going to give you that information without something in return.”
Silence.
“You see, I’ve thought a lot about the fate of my people who live in the land now called Lela. I’ve been offered an opportunity to save the land I love. However, I turned it down in order to help you. And I will help you…if you are willing to bargain for what I need.”
Shouts erupted from all around, but I was prepared. I let them shout, let their eyes burn me with their scorn. Oddly enough, the only one who seemed to remain silent was Fanon. However, the heat in his face said enough.
Ailan stepped forward and raised her arms, demanding silence. It took a few moments, but the tribunal obeyed. She faced me, and my heart sank at the look of horror on her face. I wondered if she would stop me. Yet, she gave me a nod, then took a seat next to Mareleau. It’s best she remains seated, anyway.
“Darius comes this way,” I said. “He has allied with a kingdom called Norun, which lies north of Lela. Every day they march south with the intention of invading Lela and finding the tear. I discovered this because Darius abducted me and kept me from worldwalking. To do so, he used something against me which I am now in the possession of. I have the very thing we need to keep him in place long enough to kill him.
“But that’s not all I learned. I also learned I am of his blood. He named me heir.”
Another round of gasps emerged, and I could see Ailan pale out of the corner of my eye.
“He offered me Lela in exchange for my support. I denied him,” I said over the sudden shouts. Again the room roared, then quieted. “But before that, I allowed him to name me heir. You see, I can do one of two things. I can share with you what I know, tell you how to destroy Darius, keep the orders I already have in place to thwart Darius’ alliance with Norun, and use my forces to defend the veil.
“Or I can return to Lela, call back my forces from attacking Darius, and use them to support him instead. You will determine that choice. I want to help you, but I need one thing. Lela.”
I waited with patience as another wave of shouts and threats of violence came at me. Ailan was slow to rise to her feet and didn’t look my way as she came to my side. For awhile, she just waited there, eyes unfocused as members of the tribunal stood, demanding I be sentenced to Last Breath. Finally, she turned her head and met my eyes. Our gaze locked as I kept my face passive, all the while hoping she could understand. I have to do this.
With a sigh, she nodded, then faced the tribunal. Her voice rang out over theirs, her fury cowing them back to their seats. “Don’t make me say it again,” she shouted. “You are to listen to Cora until she is finished. When you have questions and suggestions, you may make them one at a time.” This time, she didn’t go to her seat and stayed at my side instead, arms crossed as she glared at the stunned tribunal.
“I will help you defeat Darius,” I continued. “When we win and it is time for Ailan to try and fix the veil, I want you to leave Lela in the human world.”
This time, no one said a word, though I could see they were fuming. Ailan turned to me, her expression gentle. “Cora, I’ve told you before. What you ask isn’t possible. We need the heart of El’Ara for the Mora to return to full strength. There is no way I can fix the veil without bringing Lela back to El’Ara.”
I faced her. “There is a way. You don’t need some piece of land to return the Mora. You simply need a new center. The Mora itself is the heart of El’Ara, not Lela. If we can push the Mora back to El’Ara, you wouldn’t even need to construct a new veil. You would only need to fix the tear. With all the Mora on this side of the veil, the void would be no more.”
Ailan furrowed her brow, studying me. “How can you know this?”
“I just do.” For the love of Lela, I hope I do.
I turned to face the tribunal and found Fanon with his hand raised. His temples throbbed as if he were exercising great effort to maintain his calm.
“Yes, Fanon,” Ailan said.
Fanon stood. “She may be right about the Mora, but how could we possibly bring the Mora back to El’Ara? If that were possible, we’d have done it long ago.”
“I have a plan for that too,” I said. I took a deep breath, choosing my tone with care. The time for striking fear has passed. Now I need them to trust me. “Darius named me heir the same way Ailan named Liam heir. I have a right to the magic seeping into Lela, and that magic recognizes me. Once Darius is defeated, I’ll claim my rule over all of Lela by right of magic and blood. I’ll allow the Mora to come to me—”
The word Morkaius hissed through the tribunal, but with one stern look from Ailan, they returned to quiet.
I tried again. “I’ll allow it to come to me, but instead of harnessing the Mora, like Morkai would have done, I’ll push it away from me. As it flows to me, I will push it back to El’Ara. Once it returns, Ailan will fix the tear.”
Again Fanon raised his hand to speak. “How do we know you won’t harness the Mora for yourself instead?”
I shrugged. “Why should that worry you? If I harness it, I’ll be destroyed by it.”
Another Elvan, a female, raised her hand. “Why should we agree to this at all?” she asked, eyes on Ailan. “Do we really need the human?”
“You tell me,” I said. “If I left right now, you would have no way of knowing the information I’ve gathered on Darius. You would have no allies to warn you when he came near, no way of knowing if he found the veil. Not to mention, a way to stop him from worldwalking.”
Murmurs swept through the room. My eyes found Etrix, whose face was as neutral as ever, then Garot who stood grinning. I’m sure he’s enjoying watching this story unfold.
I turned my attention back to the tribunal before the murmurs could rise to a cacophony. “One more thing. For me to properly work with the Mora, I’ll need there to be no contest to my throne. I’ll need to rule Lela indisputably. This means King Larylis must stay here in El’Ara with his wife and child.”
Now the murmurs did rise.
Ailan turned to me, her lips pulled down at the corners, eyes wary. “I don’t like this, Cora,” she said, too quietly for the others to hear. “But I understand why you are doing this. I hope you’re right about everything you said.”
Me too. “It’s the only way I could truly protect my people, to guarantee they have a home when this is all over.”
Ailan nodded. “I’ll accept this bargain, then. However, it will take me time alone with the tribunal to get them to accept as well.”
“We don’t have much time,” I said, biting my lip. “You know how time passes here.”
She sighed. “I know. Still, I need to let them feel they are part of this decision. Give me until sundown, then we will discuss strategy.”
I let out a breath of relief, then left the floor. Once outside the room beyond the closed door, I heard conversation once again arise. I pressed my back against the wall, eyes closed as I fought to calm my racing heart. Exhaustion tugged at every muscle, every bone. I wanted nothing more than to sleep. There’s so much more to be done.
The sound of the door opening made my eyes dart wide. I tried to stand straight as Mareleau stopped in front of me. Our eyes locked, neither of us saying a word, until Mareleau heaved a sob and wrapped her free arm around me, a cooing Liam between us.
“Thank you,” she whispered, crying into my hair.
“Thank you for finding a way for them to accept Larylis, Cora. You have no idea what this means to me.”
I returned the hug, arms around the two of them, feeling warmth flood my chest. I may resent her at times, but I love her more.
I am both.
32
TRUST
Teryn
Lex’s father, King Carrington, leaned back in his chair, arms crossed as he eyed me from across the room. “You took quite the risk coming here with nothing but a cryptic message to warn me of your arrival, King Teryn.”
“I’m sorry to surprise you like this,” I said, trying to form words from my travel-weary mind. Lex and I had ridden hard to arrive promptly in Tomas and hadn’t wanted to wait to rest and wash before speaking with the king. Perhaps that was why Carrington had grimaced when Lex and I took our seats in his study.
“Some would call it rude,” Lex’s brother, Ben, drawled from his seat at his father’s side. His arms were crossed to mirror his father’s, but that was where the similarities ended. There was no regal bearing in the young man. He may have been close to my age, but with his lanky build and childish sneer, he seemed much younger. “Lex, why do you keep bringing strays home like this?”
Carrington’s face reddened, eyes wide as he turned to his son. “Ben, Teryn is a king. You do not speak of kings in such a way, nor do you speak to your brother like that.”
Ben shrank away from his father’s scorn. “But…you were…I was just…Father, it’s just like last time! They want us to fight again.”
Carrington maintained his calm, although his presence was intimidating nonetheless. “Apologize.”
Ben turned crimson as his eyes met mine. “Sorry, Your Majesty,” he said through his teeth.
Carrington rolled his eyes and returned his attention to me. “Like I was saying. You took quite the risk assuming I would accept this new alliance. You say my bride is on her way? How do you know I won’t turn her away when she arrives?”
“If you truly find her an unacceptable bride, you may turn her away,” I said. “It is what she brings that is of utmost importance. Also, she travels with Princess Lily, so she must arrive here either way.”
Anger flashed over Carrington’s face. “You bring weapons into my kingdom without my permission.”
“Father,” Lex said, “it isn’t that we aren’t asking your permission. We are. But we didn’t have time to wait for it before executing our plan.”
“Our plan?” Carrington raised a brow. “What is this our you speak of?”
Lex blushed but didn’t shy away. “I am allying with Lela, even if you choose not to. Lily is the one behind much of this plan with the resistance, and I will support it no matter what.”
“Lily…is orchestrating a plan against Norun?” Carrington shook his head, then paused, seeming to realize something. “Ah. Her brother. I should have known.”
“I know you aren’t happy that I am involving you in dealings against Norun,” Lex said. “I promise, if you want nothing to do with this, we will find another way to do what we need to do. But I beg you to consider how this could benefit Tomas. If the conquered kingdoms were reclaimed from Norun, Norun would no longer be a threat. We would have nothing to fear from them any longer.”
“They already did it once.” Ben’s voice was like a whine, his face twisted in a scowl. “They conquered half of Risa! What if they do it all over again and this time take us?”
Lex kept his eyes on his father. “Risa was a land at peace for hundreds of years. None of the kingdoms were prepared for an invasion. That was why Norun succeeded. They maintain that success through force and suppression. If Norun can be put back in its place, it will lose that advantage. Norun will fall. And if it ever rises back up, the kingdoms will be ready.”
I smiled. Lex really had changed since we’d first met. I remembered his fear about everything, his clumsiness, his bitterness over his situation with his brother. Now, here he was, holding his own and fighting.
Carrington furrowed his brow, then turned to me. “You say I need not join you in the battle. You’ll need no soldiers of mine.”
“Correct,” I said. “All we need is passage through the wall to Norun where we can distribute the weapons to the resistance leaders. In exchange, you have a bride, her fortune, and a closer alliance with Lela than ever before.”
“Not to mention,” Lex said, “you’d be helping defeat a threat bigger than Norun. You know…Morkai’s dad? If Morkai creeped you out, just wait until his dad takes over our entire world and kills us all with magic.”
Ben groaned. “Yet another battle that has nothing to do with us.”
Carrington held out a hand toward Ben to silence him. “You’re sure this King of Syrus is who you think he is?”
“He’s known as the Ageless King,” Lex said. “How do you think he got that name?”
Carrington sighed. “I have heard the reports about Norun and Syrus joining forces. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been worried about what they were planning. Now I know.”
I leaned forward, hands clasped, elbows propped on my knees. “Aiding the rebellion is just the first step in what is to come, but it is essential. The fate of our world could depend on it.”
Carrington tapped a finger on his desk, eyes unfocused. “Very well. You have my permission and protection to use the wall. I will meet this bride of mine and consider her.”
I rose to my feet. “Thank you, King Carrington.”
“Retire. Wash,” Carrington said. “We can speak of further details. I imagine your forces are already secretly making their way to Tomas as well. They’ll need accommodations.”
Lex and I exchanged a glance. Does nothing get past his father? “Yes, my Head of Council is in charge of sending my troops north to join us here. They will begin to arrive over the coming weeks.”
Carrington stood and began arranging papers on his desk. “You will have mine as well, King Teryn.”
I tilted my head. “What do you mean, King Carrington?”
“My army. If we’re going to hide your troops, it’s best they blend in with mine. And if we’re going up against Norun, we better do it right. My forces will join you in the attack on the Norun legion.”
I was speechless. It was beyond anything I’d hoped from King Carrington.
Lex looked equally surprised. “Thank you, Father.”
“Next time, don’t hesitate,” Carrington said, eyes on Lex. “Don’t sit across from me, asking my permission. Stand at my side and convince me. This kingdom will be yours someday. Your choices are the future of Tomas. You’ve shown you are capable of leading. Act like it.”
Lex lifted his chin, a satisfied smile on his face. “Agreed, Father.”
* * *
Cora
I rose from the couch in my room, studying the seamless flesh of my shoulder. Not even a bruise remained.
The skinweaver, a waif-like Elvan woman, watched me, nose upturned. “I did good work, yes?”
I rotated my shoulder and swung my arm to test my range of motion. No pain. I couldn’t say the same for what it had felt like when she’d performed the actual weaving. All she’d done was lay her hands over my wound, yet I’d felt the agony of my flesh being fused back together for what seemed like an eternity. At least that was over now, and I was grateful for the result. “Yes, you did amazing work. Thank you.”
The skinweaver nodded, then left the room.
Ailan took her place, examining the former wound. “I’m glad she was able to help you,” she said, not meeting my eyes.
“I am too. Thank you for sending her to me.” It was hard to ignore the tension in the air between us, but I tried my best to act as if I hadn’t betrayed her trust just hours before. “I’ll need my shoulder in good shape if I am to fight.”
“You’ll be needing a bow, I assume.”
I nodded, pulling my robe over my shoulder and securing the ties. “Please, if possible.”
“I’ll have a weaponsweaver craft o
ne for you. In fact, we can speak about this at the war council. I’m sure they are waiting for us now. Are you ready?” Ailan finally met my eyes.
I nodded, although part of me wished I had more time to rest. I’d been allowed to nap while Ailan had finished with the tribunal, but I needed more than that to relieve the exhaustion coursing through me. Perhaps with my wound healed, my energy would return. It must. There is so much more to do.
“Come.” Ailan made her way to my door, then paused, turning. “No more surprises, right?”
I gave an awkward smile, not wanting to expend the energy to feign confidence. “Not like earlier.”
Ailan looked relieved, her shoulders relaxing. “I meant what I said, Cora. I do understand why you are doing this. I just wish you would have trusted me. I would have done everything in my power to protect the people of Lela.”
I took a deep breath, feeling the tension melt away. Certainty filled me, the kind I didn’t have to fake. “It isn’t that I don’t trust you, it’s that I trust myself more. I know you would have done everything in your power to help Lela. It just so happens, I have power too. A lot of it. And I will die before I step aside and not use it to protect the people I’m sworn to.”
Ailan’s eyes widened, taking me in as if seeing me for the first time. Her expression softened with a small smile. “You’ve come a long way from the scared little girl I found in the forest.”
It was so long ago that I’d been discovered by the Forest People, I’d almost forgotten Nalia—Ailan—had been the one to find me. “I know.”
“It’s funny I never realized it until now,” Ailan said, “that I didn’t find you by chance. You didn’t fall, starving and unconscious, near the Forest People camp by coincidence. The whispers of my weaving brought us together.” She held out a hand. “So we will work together. If I am to trust the whispers, then I am to trust you.”
I put my hand in hers.
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