Embrace the Light (Godstone Saga 5)

“Shit, you’ve done it now,” Caelan mumbled, shooting Adrian a little grin.

“First thing you need to remember is that we were in our own kingdom when Caelan took steps against New Rosanthe. We were already at war with the Empire,” Rayne began with a harsh rigidity to his words. “However, we are now in Ilon, one of the oldest allies of Erya. If we attack New Rosanthe while we are in Brightspire, we stand a chance of destroying any kind of positive relations we have with Ilon.”

“Even if Ilon has been invaded by the Empire?” Caelan asked.

Rayne lifted both of his hands in a helpless manner. “We don’t know what has happened in Brightspire. We’ve had zero communication from the government in over a week. As much as I’m loath to even suggest it, New Rosanthe might have struck a deal with the Ilon government, might be welcome guests here. If we strike against the Empire, we would be the aggressors.”

“But does that even matter in the race to claim the godstone and stop Safa?” Eno inquired.

Caelan’s expression grew grim. “It matters for as long as it possibly can. I don’t want to throw more of Thia into chaos if it can be helped. Stealth would be our best option. I would, of course, like to speak to the prime minister and find out what exactly is happening in Ilon. It might be a matter of offering them assistance without the Empire discovering it.”

“And if Ilon has chosen to side with the Empire in this war?” Adrian prodded.

The king’s eyes darted over to Rayne, who was frowning.

“Then it would not be wrong for us to treat them as we would Damardor or Uris-Oladul,” Rayne replied. “As enemies of Erya.”

Adrian glanced over at Caelan to find the king staring into the fire while Drayce gripped one of the king’s hands in both of his. The idea of losing Ilon to the Empire didn’t sit well with Adrian. He could only imagine the feeling was worse for Caelan. It wasn’t a failure on his part, though he could guess the king would feel that way. As Rayne had said, Ilon was the oldest ally of Erya. How could they turn to side with New Rosanthe?

“If we’re going for stealth, our best option would be to split up before we try to enter Brightspire,” Adrian suggested.

Caelan’s head snapped up and his eyebrows rose toward his hairline. “Really?”

Drayce bumped his shoulder. “You are kind of recognizable. I mean, Andy recognized you immediately, and Shallow Edge was in the middle-of-nowhere Caspagir. We’re heading to Brightspire, Ilon. The capital of the entire country. Those people are going to know you.”

The king narrowed his eyes on Drayce. “You’re trying to shave my head again, aren’t you?” Caelan shrugged. “Fine. Do it. If it makes it that much harder for people to recognize me, do it.”

A loud gasp jumped from Drayce’s throat, and he grabbed two handfuls of Caelan’s hair. “Don’t you dare say that! Your hair is too pretty to cut.”

“It was your idea!” Caelan argued.

“Yeah, but I was saying that to get a rise out of you. No cutting your hair. Especially now that you’ve got the cool purple streak in the front. Gives you an edgy, I-don’t-give-a-shit look.”

Adrian scrubbed a hand over his face to keep from laughing at them. Caelan proceeded to bat Drayce’s hands away while the other man made noises about the preciousness of Caelan’s hair. There was something up with that purple streak. It had appeared during his trek through Zastrad and anytime someone mentioned it, the king instantly appeared uncomfortable. Yet, he never talked about it.

“The problem isn’t just the appearance of the king,” Adrian broke in after a couple of seconds. The camp fell silent except for the crackle of the flames. Full dark had enveloped the woods, which made the green glow of the protective barrier that much brighter. It was like being in their own little world. “Because of the closeness of Erya and Ilon for years, the King’s entire entourage will be recognizable. Especially to New Rosanthe soldiers as well as guards within Brightspire.”

“But you’re not,” Eno stated with a nod. “I see what you’re saying. You and Cael enter the city through one of the boroughs while the three of us go in separately.”

“What? Like as decoys?” Drayce inquired.

“It would probably be best if you don’t attract any attention. But if you are spotted, you’re more likely to be followed by soldiers since they’ll be searching for the king with you,” Adrian said.

“But if they spot you…” Caelan murmured with a nod toward Adrian.

He shrugged and offered up his most carefree smile. “No one is going to give me a second glance. I’m just another guy, another businessman come to Brightspire for Ilon goods. The only way someone might recognize me is if I’m wearing a Royal Guard uniform.”

“Have you been to Brightspire before?” Rayne asked.

“Once, and that was years ago,” Adrian replied. “But the city is centuries old. I can’t imagine it’s changed that much in the past decade or so. I know the general layout.”

Caelan waved one hand in his direction. “That’s better than me. I’ve never been to Brightspire.”

“At least we have working cell phones again. We can text each other where we are so we can meet up later,” Drayce pointed out.

“Then we head to Brightspire tomorrow,” Adrian murmured.

“Our goal will be to locate the godstone,” Caelan instructed.