The Mirror King (The Orphan Queen, #2)(94)

“It might be a long time for me.” Melanie dragged her fingers through her short hair.

“It will take however long it takes.” I pulled her into a tight hug. “But whenever you’re ready, I’m here.”





THIRTY-THREE


WINTER DEEPENED.

Icy gusts pushed through the castle. Even in my father’s office—my office now—I shivered and pulled my cloak tighter. The fireplace was on the far side of the room from my desk.

Paige sat opposite me, sifting through lists and documents. “I’ve looked into clean water for the lowcity. There are several options, but developing the right system will take time.”

“It’s urgent. People there are dying.” True to her word, Claire had made progress on the riots. There’d been no change the first night, but the following nights were quieter and quieter until last night when the streets around the castle seemed to hold their breath, waiting for a mob that never came.

This morning, I’d lifted the curfew. There’d been cheers in the streets; people thought the problem was solved.

Paige dipped her pen and wrote on clean paper. “We can pump some of our water to the lowcity—ration what the highcity and castle are allowed. People won’t like it, but if everyone gives up a little, it will go a long way to helping those in need.”

“Let’s do it. Have one of your assistants figure out the details.”

Paige glanced up after writing the final line. “I don’t have assistants.”

“You do all of this yourself?”

“Is that wrong?”

“No, it’s just too much work for one person. Hire someone. Or two someones.”

“I’ll do that.” She handed me the document she’d just written. “Please sign.”

I took a steadying breath before committing my name to ink and paper, and then gave it back to her.

“Here’s your order for mirrors.” Paige flipped to another sheet. “The plans from the Indigo Kingdom arrived. They’ve sent as many supplies as they can spare, but it isn’t much.”

“It will be better than nothing if we can get the sandcliffs covered.” That might protect Aecor City for a while, but most of Aecor was flat marsh, without natural places to put mirrors in the stretches without cities.

Updates I received from the Indigo Kingdom were not encouraging. More border villages had flooded with wraith. More refugees had moved into Skyvale.

Later in the afternoon, a knock sounded on the door, and James entered. “Wil, there’s news. A letter from Tobiah.” He handed his entangled notebook to me. “And refugees are crossing the bridge.”

I held the notebook to my chest. “Refugees? Here?”

Paige’s face was ashen as she looked between us. “Wraith refugees?”

“Yes.” James’s voice was heavy. “What should we do with them? The city isn’t big enough to support the numbers arriving, and this is just the beginning.”

“And we were just discussing water rationing,” Paige added. “We don’t have the resources. Not water, not food. Let alone the space to house many additional people.”

I closed my eyes and dropped my head back. “Allow them entry. I signed the Wraith Alliance. I cannot turn them away.”

“Correct,” James said.

“Give them shelter. Make them welcome. Hopefully some brought food and other necessities.”

“There are a lot of carts and wagons.” James stood closer to the fire. “Livestock, too.”

Finally, some good news. “Let them rest here—in empty factories, if we have nowhere else. Then send them farther into Aecor. Other cities will have to take them in, but create some kind of census that will allow friends and families to follow.”

“Anything else?” he asked.

“Triple the police presence while the refugees are moving through. The Red Militia or malcontents might take action against them. But keep the police in small patrols. Nothing threatening.”

“‘Indigo must go,’” James muttered. “And the riots just stopped.”

“Hopefully they won’t start again, but we need to be careful.”

He nodded. “I’ll send soldiers—red and blue—to the bridge as well. They’ll keep traffic moving and prevent bottlenecking.”

“Good. Keep a lane clear so people can return to the Indigo Kingdom as well. They may go back for more people or belongings. Let them move freely. Have ships and ferries ready to take passengers, as well.”

“It will be done.” James shifted his weight. “When I’m finished, I’d like to request permission to return to the Indigo Kingdom.”

My stomach dropped at the thought of losing James.

Of course he wanted to be with his cousin, his mother, and what was left of his family. I could never deny him that, but— “You’re here by Tobiah’s orders, not mine. Have you asked him?”

“No.” James turned his eyes toward the curtained window. “I know what he’ll say.”

How difficult it must be, here because he wanted to be away from Tobiah—and because Tobiah had sent him away. There were too many questions and arguments gathering between them. But no matter their differences, they were like brothers. They needed to work this out.