Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
“Fuck,” I say again.
Bastian leads another dozen people down to the dock. He speaks softly, reassuringly. “We’ll get you sorted shortly. Please just sit here and rest in the meantime.” He crosses to take me by my arm and speaks in a low voice. “I questioned them briefly. Every single one of them is a conscript who didn’t want to die. Half of them want to return home. The others just want a new start.”
I close my eyes and try to think. Being captain of a single ship was one thing. What we’re looking at is a widespread catastrophe. “We need to move, and fast. But we have a scattered network, no central communication, and—”
“Nox.” This time, it’s Bastian who takes my shoulders. His expression is absolutely haggard with grief. “We can make it work. The Cŵn Annwn ships have the ability to contact the Council, so we just need to find that room and set up someone to gather information and locations. You and I can both get word out to our respective contacts. It will take time, but we’ll make it work. Even if Siobhan is…gone.” He sucks in a pained breath. “But we have to deal with Lyari first. If we sail off, we’re going to leave this space wide open for some aspiring noble to undo the potential for so much change.”
It’s both amazing and horrific to understand exactly what’s needed—and the sacrifice demanded. “You have to do it, Bastian,” I say softly. “You’re the only one who can.”
He flinches. “What? No. I can’t. They won’t follow me. I’m only a second son and—”
“You won’t be alone.” The pieces snap together, faster and faster. “Lizzie has participated in more court politics than most of the current nobles combined. She can stay and guide you. Or at least watch your back. Maeve was one of our best informants for a reason. She will help.” The reality of the situation spins out, faster and faster, pieces clicking into place in my head. “Once we have the locations of the ships most in danger, Bowen and Evelyn can take one of the ships left here and a crew of volunteers on rescue missions. I’ll head back to the Audacity. From there, we’ll coordinate and condense, gathering up folks left stranded. Once we’ve managed that, then we can work on getting everyone home.”
He looks at me, the shattered heart I can see in his dark eyes a perfect mirror to mine. “But…Siobhan.”
“I know,” I whisper. “But she’s not in active danger. The people at the mercy of the sea are. We have to do this, and we have to do it now, Bastian. Otherwise, she sacrificed herself for nothing.”
He pulls me into his arms and holds me tight—as tightly as I hold him. “We’re going to get her back, Nox. I swear it. No matter how long it takes.”
“But first—”
“But first we’ll ensure her sacrifice is honored.” He releases me slowly and presses a gentle kiss to my forehead. “Let’s get to work.”
Chapter 35
One Year Later
Bastian
I thought it was exhausting helping to run a rebellion. That was nothing compared to what it’s taken to keep Threshold from ending up in an all-out war after the Wild Hunt rode. I am…so damned tired. More tired than I knew I could be. Every day is filled with bickering nobles and more and more representatives showing up from the various islands in the realm. We will be setting up a new Council tomorrow, a truly representative one. Each inhabited island is sending two people who have been voted on by their people. The fact that it took a year to get to this point just speaks to how effectively the last Council—and the many before that—have misused power and policy for their own gain.
No longer.
I’ve seen Nox only a handful of times in the last twelve months, short intervals where we spent as much time as we could manage wrapped up in each other. It’s not enough, never enough, but with so much at stake, we can’t prioritize our relationship over the good of the realm. We speak regularly with the new desk they installed in the Audacity. They’re personally escorting the representatives from Three Sisters, so they should have arrived in Lyari hours ago.
I meant to go meet them on the docks. Truly, I did. But the sun started to set before I could, and this is not something I skip for anything. Even Nox.
As the sun sinks to the horizon behind me, I climb up onto the roof of the old Council building. It’s the tallest spot in Lyari. I don’t know if the height actually helps, but it can’t hurt.
I kick off my boots and step into the permanent amplification circle Evelyn created for me on her and Bowen’s most recent stop in Threshold. I have to draw out the pattern each time I use it, but she burned the template into the boards so it’s easy enough. I kneel in the center and carefully draw a few drops of blood. I hadn’t thought I was any good at ritual magic, but apparently all I needed was the motivation to become good.