A Fate of Wrath & Flame (Fate & Flame 1)

Queen Neilina threw her children into enemy territory to steal a throne. Her son was being hunted and her daughter assumed killed, and yet she’s expressing her disappointment? It’s all I can do to not shake my head. “She killed our father.”

“You mean my father and, yes, we both knew she would. The spineless lout would have ended up giving Ybaris to these demons.”

I school my expression. His father. But not Romeria’s?

“We thought you were dead,” Tyree says.

“Obviously, I’m not.”

“Has Ianca contacted you?”

“Ianca …” I repeat, absorbing that name to memory and making sure Zander catches it. “No.” Is that the traitor within the castle?

“She has escaped, along with another. With help from the casters. There were reports that they crossed into Skatrana, so we assume they are on their way here,” he mutters, more to himself.

Not the traitor within the castle, then. Someone from Ybaris? I bite my tongue against the urge to ask who this woman is. Princess Romeria would know. “Why would she come here?”

Loud voices carry on the other end of the dungeon block. Someone is demanding to be let through. It sounds like Atticus. It gives me an excuse to glance that way. Zander’s silhouette lingers behind the torchlight, but I don’t stall there, turning my attention back to Tyree. My window of opportunity to learn something useful is shrinking fast. I move in closer, and the pungent smell of a sour body and foul breath grows stronger. “The vials …”

“Being dispersed as we speak.”

My heart skips a beat. “How many have already gone out?”

“Not as many as we’d hoped. We distributed the last of ours in Bellcross. But it is harder than we anticipated, traveling among these demons. They can smell us from across the room.”

I don’t know if that’s a figure of speech, but it’s a question for Zander for later. Now, I need to focus. “And you’ve targeted the tributaries.” I keep my voice firm—a statement rather than a query.

“The tributaries, the cooks, the blacksmiths. Anyone willing. They are tired of having their kin taken from them.”

Anyone willing. That means this isn’t a case of tributaries being targeted, their blood tainted without their knowledge. They’re finding humans who will voluntarily take the poison. “What happened in Bellcross?”

He shrugs. “We misjudged her. Is it true, what I’ve heard about the marriage to the king?”

“Yes. Next Hudem.”

“So, the fool is still enchanted by you, despite everything you’ve done.” He chuckles darkly. “Obviously, he has not tried feeding on you yet.”

“No.” How does Tyree know about Margrethe’s invocation? Unless … the rumors are right and it wasn’t Margrethe’s invocation to begin with.

“I must get back to the men.”

“Where are they now?”

“Still in the mountains, waiting for my instruction. You must get me out of here.”

Zander was right. They’ve found a hiding place north of Lyndel. “I’m trying, but you poisoned Quill, and that makes it difficult. The royal guard is crawling all over this place.”

Tyree frowns. “Who?”

“Lord Quill, of Innswick. He was poisoned last night, right here in the royal grounds.”

“That wasn’t us. We haven’t risked coming back to Cirilea yet.”

“What about Kettling?” Maybe Adley got hold of a vial in his own city.

He shakes his head. “The river is vast and too well guarded. Who else did you give a vial to?”

I falter on my answer. It’s a mistake. I see it the moment his eyes narrow. “I shouldn’t be down here. This is a big risk.”