Revealed in Fire (Demon Days & Vampire Nights #9)(57)

“You mean after the big battle, right?” I lifted my eyebrows. “You must know the elves won’t just give up their advantages because a bunch of freedom fighters decided to show up to work after a long hiatus.”

“Yes, though we’re not talking about it in those terms. Romulus wants to give the elves the benefit of the doubt.”

“And get killed for his efforts,” Emery murmured.

Charity studied Emery for a long moment before turning to look at the shifters gathered down the way, Roger in loose sweats with a backpack full of clothes. He probably wasn’t planning on carrying it long. At the first sign of trouble, he’d hand off his things to someone who’d stay human, and then shift.

“Oh.” Charity put up a finger. “We’re bringing carts. You guys can put all your stuff in that. We’re assembling at the practice yard. Grab everything you need and head that way. We’ll be leaving at dusk, but Romulus figured you’d want to gather early so you can talk and ask questions.”

I looked at Darius. “I guess you’re not going to handle everything for me this time, huh? I actually have to participate?”

He rubbed my back. “Sadly, yes. You’ll have to pull your weight.”

“Dang it.” I smiled at the jest and shot a glance at Emery. “Shall we?”

“I never thought I’d go to the castle again,” Emery said, sounding uncomfortable.

“It’ll be fine.” Penny rubbed his arm. “We’ll get it sorted out.”

But I wasn’t so sure that was true. The elves didn’t seem to want to let his infractions go. By now they probably had a list of grievances about me too, including stirring up drama in the Realm. We likely wouldn’t get opposed on our way to the castle, but once we got there…I had a feeling we’d be staring down a butcher’s bill, and the fae and shifters wouldn’t be enough to pay the tab.





Nineteen





Sure enough, the journey to the castle was quiet.

Too quiet.

“My feet are killing me,” Callie murmured as we finished the last leg.

Romulus hadn’t plotted a path directly there, and it wasn’t because he was worried about meeting elves. We’d seen a few, watching us from a distance. Getting out of our way. They weren’t idiots—they knew we’d kill them if they tried to apprehend us. And why bother? They knew we would be personally delivering ourselves to them. All they had to do was wait. And prepare.

I filled my lungs, held the oxygen in, and then let it out slowly, ignoring my increased heart rate and the adrenaline soaking into my blood. This felt so wrong it was ridiculous. Charging into danger was one thing, but strolling in, asking which dish they’d like to see our heads on, and then showing up for our own slaughter? That was not the way I did things. Not at all.

Those Seers were the only reason this was happening. They didn’t even know what would come afterward! We were blindly following them and hoping for the best.

A fool’s hope, I was certain.

We’d taken a long, winding journey rather than the direct route because Romulus was advertising his presence in the Realm and dropping off some of his people in various old-timey strongholds. Which would undoubtedly go over about as well as lead boots in a swimming pool with the elves. They might not have stopped him, yet, but they couldn’t be happy about the situation.

The only good news was that people were legitimately happy to see the custodes. They smiled and waved, offering up food, drink, and lodging. One creature even offered her baby for a kiss. The custodes had been isolated for a long time, but they had not been forgotten.

We’d ventured close to the vampire lair, an area mostly ignored by the elves. The vampires obviously preferred it that way, but Romulus didn’t think it was right. Changes were coming, and I was pretty sure the vampires would hinder some of them. Then again, get in line. No one seemed to deal with change exceptionally well.

Reaching the lair had meant something else, too. I had kissed Darius goodbye, swallowed my heart, which had climbed into my throat, and tried to put on a brave face as I turned and walked away. My vampire crutch had been taken away. I sure hoped Emery was half as good at strategy.

That had been a while ago now, though, and we didn’t have much time before the battle or the ambush or whatever was going to happen when we reached the castle.

“Is it your bunions?” Dizzy asked Callie. They were walking behind me with the mages, while Halvor stoically kept pace with me. A circle of fae surrounded us, taking up the whole path, and for the life of me, I could not convince them to let me out. I had even offered to walk with the shifters. No dice.

“I haven’t had bunions a day in my life,” Callie replied.

He tried again: “Is it your secret bunions that you pretend not to have?”

“You know very well I don’t have bunions. Old people get bunions. I’m not old.”

“Not just old people have—”

I threw Penny a glare to shut her up. This wasn’t a conversation she needed to get involved in.

“I agree about the walking,” I said, watching as the landscape gradually became more floral. The trees looked too cultivated, like a kid had stuck a bunch of perfectly round green lollipops into the ground. Unlike in the Flush, there was no floral scent to accompany the rows of bright, multicolored flowers lining the gold-cobbled path. No lush feeling of foliage chilled the air.