Chapter 440 (2/2)

“It worked,” I confirmed

A cheer went up, and the I and embraces all around us

How does it feel in there?

‘I assuis shot back, sounding in good huh, I’ve alanted to be the little engine that could’

Sylvie snorted, her brows raised nearly into her hairline ‘You find the strangest details in Arthur’s old Earthto be the na in roan

“I need to take Scythe Seris soh his for support “We will convene when—”

“No,” Seris said firain “I will recover as alk Coht sight of Sulla, and gestured for him to approach Unbidden, a couple of other hlords, Matrons, and other ranking blood ather at the Dread Craven within the hour”

Chul helped Ellie and Caera to stand and mount Boo, and they fell in behind uards broke off from those stationed around the plaza and marched to either side of our party, while several others followed us out of the plaza as well As we approached the boulevard that ran lengthwise across the zone, I realized that a large nuuards

I stopped walking, id

“What the hell are they doing here?” I asked, feeling er

“Professor!” Mayla ju her arms to catch my attention “Hey, Professor Grey!”

Next to Mayla, Seth of Highblood Milview rubbed his neck and sly ee ive me, Arthur They were intended to be a…research project, of sorts”

My fists clenched and unclenched at ered these kids’ lives for a—” I cut“You wanted to knohy their runes were so strong”

Seris only nodded before turning away, and Cylrit continued walking

I broke ranks and hurried over to where a couple of ascenders were holding back the pair of teenagers Mayla was grinning wildly, but Seth looked nervous

“Professor Grey, you’re back!” Mayla gushed, looking like she wanted to rush up and hugabout you, ever since you left Soht you’d disappeared forever, but Loreni was so sure you’d be back, and so was S-Scythe Seris…Vritra…” Mayla trailed off, her attention sliding to where Seris had yet again stopped and was noatching ood to see you both,” I said, giving them a small smile that I knew lacked any true warmth “I can’t speak now, but when I have a moment, perhaps you two can help me understand—”

“Maybe you can help us understand so overmy eye “Who are you? Why…why did you do this to us? Get us into this? I…” He shook his head and trailed off, looking like he ht be sick

I hesitated to answer I didn’t want to leave the that had happened to them ithout reason, but I didn’t have tiht way “I’ll explain what I can later Where are you staying?”

Glancing between ave hblood that had taken the

“As soon as I can”

I returned to the others under Seris’s curious gaze, but she said nothing, and we began ain The ascenders uards kept everyone well back

I wasn’t heedless of the shouts that followed us, so, others resentful and accusatory, but I was too on edge to give any of it ht Our victory with the portal disruptor already seeht of the proble these people settled heavily across my shoulders

Cylrit and Seris led us to a three-story building that overlooked a sh Hall, which loomed in the distance I was surprised both by the location and construction of the building I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting, but this wasn’t it

A sign depicting a split face, one half bright white and twisted into a cartoonish gri a battle cry,as the Dread Craven Constructed mostly of dark stone and wood, it rehout both Alacrya and Dicathen

Four uarded the door, which they opened as we approached By the lack of surprise on their faces, word had already reached theined you living,” Caera said under her breath, having dismounted from Boo and limped in after me and Sylvie

Seris turned, her face slack like someone just woken from a deep sleep “No, I suppose not The previous owner atteht his way out on the first day after we arrived, leading a number of his blood and e was then vacant, I decided it would be a suitable base of operations”

Cylrit cracked a shbloods all the way across the zone into the low part of town”

“Hush,” Seris answered, waving her hand dismissively at her retainer “And, perhaps, fetch me a drink?”

Cylrit nodded and headed toward the bar running half the length of the back wall

We were standing in a wide open tavern rooular tables had been pushed together in the center It was unusually clean for an inn or bar, and the walls were barren, all their decorations having been taken down at some point The los had all been barricaded over by an earth-attribute e, and the walls reinforced in places to provide a more defensible base

A door behind the bar led to some back room, and a set of stairs dominated the left side of the open tavern A couple of people—members of Seris’s staff, I assuht with a pleasant surprise, but they vanished just as quickly when Seris shot thelance

Serris’s movements were slow and calculated as she ether tables and eased into it with a groan She waved for the rest of us to join her

At the door, Ellie scratched Boo between his eyes and told him to wait outside

I sat on Seris’s left, while Caera took the chair to her right Nervousness rolled off Ellie in waves as she sat stiffly next to ently Chul stood, leaning against an upright post with his arms crossed

Cylrit appeared froolden liquid in front of her “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go rest for a few hours—or days—before we—”

He quieted at a look fro more to each other, but Cylrit stayed beside her, one hand on the back of her chair, his expression hard enough to crack the inn’s stone foundations

Seris took a slass back on the table

“So, here I a to speak first to break the tension “You took a big risk, both in sending Caera to Dicathen and with this gaht not have come”

An nearly imperceptible frown line creased the smooth skin between her brows “I’ll thank you, of all people, not to lecturerisks, Arthur Leywin”

I raised“Point taken But really, Seris, what is all this about? Why did you send for ht of her fatigue “The others will be here soon, and I’ve only the strength to have this conversation once” She took another s on my sister “Eleanor, yes? Uncommon talent and bravery runs in your blood, I see”

Ellie flushed and stared at her hands, which were clasped together on top of the table in front of her “I don’t know about that, uh, Scythe Seris—”

“Please, call eneral of Alacrya is past, I think” She gave me a rueful sht you’d succumbed to your wounds in Dicathen after your battle ‘Like hter,’ he’d said A cold one, that Cadell Colder now, of course”

Sylvie raised her chin, her face fraold of her eyes was ht of the inn’s interior “You seem to be quite well informed, Lady Seris”

Seris’s face darkened, her focus th, of course” Her gaze lingered on Sylvie for a ure behind you? To look at him, I would almost think…” Her eyes narrowed, and she inspected hie? Phoenix, even?”

Chul’s jaw hardened “Did you have a great deal of experience with the eons? Howand torture? Perhaps you were even there when reat Lady Dawn of the Ascepius clan, was butchered in her cell?”

Suppressing a groan, I leaned in Although Chul’s standoffishness was justified, it didn’t serve us in the moment “We’re all friends here, remember?”

Seris wasn’t put off by his attitude, however In fact, she gave him a sad smile and some of the tension bled out of her “Of course, I understand now Forgive me I are of your mother, even saw her briefly once or twice, but I never met her properly Your people—the hidden followers of the Lost Prince—are a bit of a curiosity in Taegrin Caelum, almost mythical really”

Her attention returned to me “So, you really have been busy these last coupleonly her head, shewith Arthur on his adventures, heedless of—” She cut off suddenly as she really looked at Caera “No, I can see that’s not the case”

Caera chewed the inside of her cheek for a couple long seconds before providing a brief explanation of her ientle hands of the Dicathians, and then ons

“So, ith the dragons really has co down into the alcohol as if it were a crystal ball and she was trying to divine theof these events

Her reverie was interrupted by a knock at the door

Snapping out of her thoughts, she forced a welco smile onto her tired face “Well, it would appear they have started to arrive Brace yourselves”

The door opened and two faures filed in: Corbett and Lenora Denoir

Lady Lenora froze, staring at the horns atop Caera’s head, but only for a second She quickly broke with decoruuard, Caera didn’t even stand as Lenora leaned down over her, brushi+ng a hand down her cheek and glancing froly pained

“Oh Caera, what’s happened to you?” she breathed Her eyes jue, and it wasn’t entirely sure which she was referencing

I could sense Caera’s discoazed up at her adoptive mother, jaw slack “I’m fine,” she said belatedly

Corbett passed the tolance and instead approaching Seris He bowed deeply, his eyes on the floor She acknowledged him by name, and he stood and turned back to Caera “Lauden said you were gravely wounded I aerated”

Caera hesitated, then muttered only, “Thanks”

Unlike his wife, Corbett was staring unabashedly at the horns plainly visible on Caera’s head “Scythe Seris was kind enough to infor, too I can’t pretend not to be shocked to see it, even though—”

The door opened again, revealing a oatee

Corbett cleared his throat Lenora took the seat next to Caera, and he sat beside her

“Highlord Frost,” Seris welcomed the ray eyes lingered on me for several seconds before he entered the tavern “So, the famed Ascender Grey has returned Hopefully this means I haven’t doomed my blood to a slow death by starvation under this faux-sky after all?”

Cylrit softly cleared his throat When he spoke, his words were equally soft, but the sharp edge in thehlord Frost hesitated only a second before taking the seat at the end of the table opposite Seris

Next in was a younger man, dark-haired and barrel-chested, that it took nize He stood in the doorway and stared atmisty

“Lord U quickly around the table toward athered aether into my fist, prepared to defend myself or her if necessary

But he jerked to a stop several feet away fro from his downturned eyes “Lance Arthur Leywin, th-thank you”

I suddenly reiven authority over Xyrus This ustine do all their talking—and threatening—for the “Even though you had every reason to kill htered by one of our own retainers without hesitation Th-that was everything I needed to understand about this war” Sing heavily, he stood and took a seat halfway between Ellie and Uriel

I watched the young ain, firavefroht me most clearly by surprise shi+ny blue-black hair was pulled into a tight tail over the horns, dark against her pale skin Her wine-colored eyes settled immediately on Caera, and she let out a relieved breath Seris announced her as “Matron Tre several very long seconds ogling Caera’s horns

Over the next severalascenders arrived in a steady stream to fill up our table A few, like Sulla, stood to her station than the to me

The last to enter was another surprise, as I once again saw Kayden of Highblood Aphelion liarded the man with mild surprise “Ah, Lord Aphelion Welconature brand of carelessness and headed straight for the bar, away fro up froazes of the highbloods were glued to Seris and me, their anticipation palpable as they waited for us to speak

Seris ave her a small nod She cleared her throat “Now that everyone is present, let us begin”