The Bound (Ascension #2)(114)

Sorry, I wasn’t kidnapped. I had to go chase down a pair of two-thousand-year-old Doma who your ancestors had forgotten to murder.

She didn’t think that would go over well.

“How did Edric even find out you were here?” Ahlvie asked. He was kicked back in a chair with his feet up.

Eleysia had been good to him, she could see. It was strange to think about how much she had missed him now that he was in front of her. He and Maelia had been her constant companions for so long.

“Yeah. It’s been months,” Maelia said.

“Someone must have leaked the information,” Orden said.

Then, his eyes traveled around the room, as if he was trying to figure out which of them had done it. But how can I blame anyone in this room?

“What about Ceis’f?” Ahlvie asked.

“No,” Avoca said automatically.

“It’s plausible,” Orden said. “He has motive.”

“Ceis’f would never betray me.”

“Well, I’d bet he’d think he was only betraying Cyrene,” Ahlvie said.

“Same thing!”

“He doesn’t think like that though, Avoca. You know he doesn’t. You are Leif. We are Other.”

She sighed and rubbed her face. “It’s a possibility.”

“I don’t want to think that Ceis’f would do that, but it’s not ruled out. There is another option though. Dean’s sister Alise has been plotting to get rid of me,” Cyrene said. “So, it could have been her. And, as much as I would love to get back at her for her ridiculous, petty sabotage, I need to figure out how to stay first.”

“I hate to say this, Cyrene, but maybe we should just go,” Avoca said. She had her arms crossed over her chest, and even in the dark purple Eleysian gown she was wearing, she looked like a warrior.

“We came here to find Matilde and Vera, and look,” Ahlvie said, gesturing to the two women who had thus far remained silent by the door, “there they are.”

“I know, but—”

“As much as I like Eleysia, I wouldn’t mind a change in scenery,” Orden said.

“Yes, but—”

“There’s nothing tying us to Eleysia now that we have what we were looking for,” Avoca continued. “It would be reasonable to just take the news that we have been asked to leave as a sign and disappear before anyone knows otherwise.”

“I understand what you’re saying, but what will happen to Eleysia if they don’t hand me over?” Cyrene asked.

Orden stroked his beard and tipped back his big, floppy hat. “Diplomacy. They would say that you disappeared, and Edric would send a small group to investigate, but it would be the truth, so it would blow over.”

“No way,” Ahlvie said. “Edric isn’t thinking clearly right now. It would be war before he’d act diplomatically to someone taking Cyrene. Are you all forgetting Aurum?”

“And what about Cyrene?” Maelia said from the corner.

She looked even paler and smaller than normal. Cyrene had thought the weather would raise her spirits and give some color to her, but it seemed to have had the opposite effect.

“Yes, what about me? Um…what about me?”

“Dean,” she filled in.

“Oh.”

“And Darmian,” Maelia added. She coughed twice and then looked away. “My apologies. I’ve been a bit under the weather.”

“I know this doesn’t pertain to the entire group, but Maelia is right. I’m not willing to leave Dean.”

“You would go back to Byern instead of fleeing for this Prince?” Orden asked.

“I understand how you feel about him, Cyrene, but it’s not reasonable,” Avoca said practically.

“Then, there has to be another way. I don’t want to leave Dean. Maelia doesn’t want to leave Darmian. None of us want to split up, except Ceis’f, who abandoned us and maybe sold us out!” she grumbled. “Yet I’ve been summoned home. What do we do?”

“Perhaps I could offer a third scenario?” Matilde said with a wry smile.

“Kathrine,” Vera said softly, “you’re not honestly suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, are you?”

“What’s life without a little risk?”

“A big risk.”

“It would work.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Could you perhaps fill us in on what you’re considering?” Cyrene asked. She was desperate enough to try anything.

Matilde explained what she had in mind, and by the time she finished talking, everyone was staring at her, slack-jawed.

“You want us to do what?” Cyrene asked.

“I know it sounds risky,” Matilde began.

“It sounds like suicide,” Avoca said.

“It just might work.” Ahlvie nodded his head. He had always liked his plans to have a little bit of insanity to them.

“It is never going to work,” Maelia said. She pursed her lips and looked like she might pass out.

“Do you need someone to look at you?” Cyrene asked.

Maelia shook her head. “No. I’ve done what I can. It will pass.”

Cyrene frowned but nodded. She wouldn’t push Maelia. “I’ve no idea what is going to happen in the next three days, but if you think this will work…if you think I’m ready for this, then I’m in.”