And then she crept out into the night.
Sky was calmer when she woke, much to Raff’s relief. She still hadn’t explained why she was so upset before passing out; maybe now he could get some sense out of her. Rubbing her eyes, she sat away from him and hung her head, the picture of chagrin.
He waited until she composed herself fully to ask, “Can you talk?”
“Yes. Sorry.”
“Did something happen?”
“I’m not sure how to explain it without sounding silly,” she hedged.
“Well, you already cried yourself to sleep. How can words be worse?” It was tough not to show his impatience because he’d promised her parents that he would protect her before they left Pine Ridge and he’d always regarded her as a little cousin. But he needed to make things right with his wife, so Sky should start talking already.
She ducked her head. “Then I’ll just tell you. I was in my room, trying to read, and then…the room wasn’t there anymore. It was night, and we were in the courtyard. Eldritch were coming at us from all directions, and Korin didn’t answer your calls. It was just you and me, fighting for all we were worth, but Raff…you died. I saw it happen, the spear that impaled you straight through, pinned you to the ground. I saw the Eldritch who killed you.”
Just a bad dream, he started to say, but he couldn’t get the words out. The fact that she’d run straight to him, sobbing her heart out, proved it was more. He’d never heard of a Latent seer developing powers this late, but then, the pride mistress at Ash Valley had shifted for the first time at twenty-seven, so he probably shouldn’t dismiss what Sky had seen. She was only twenty-two, and possibly the stress of her recent captivity and the situation overall had awoken some dormant power.
“Can you remember anything else? Anything that might help us pinpoint the date?” If she was right, then an attack was coming. Just knowing that might give them the necessary edge.
“Not really. It was dark, and it wasn’t today. That’s all I’m sure about.”
“Close your eyes and try. Every detail could be critical, Sky.”
“Then…you believe me,” she whispered, sounding shaken.
“I can’t afford not to. The stakes are too high. Let’s focus and see how you can narrow down the vision.”
Too bad Bibi isn’t here. She should test Sky and if necessary, take her for training, if she’s awakened as a seer.
“It’s a clear night…oh, the moon. It’s fuller. Five days, maybe as much as a week? I’m not sure, I’m not good at judging that stuff.”
It was probably too much to expect that she’d seen a calendar or glanced at the clock during the vision, so the moon might be their best marker. “All right, sketch it for me. Then we can match it and approximate how long we have until the incursion.”
Raff got some paper and a pen, but Sky’s artistic ability didn’t narrow it down much. “Sorry,” she said. “I’m no good at this.”
“All right, then. Five to seven days. If that’s the window, it is. I’ll talk to Thalia and we’ll start preparing for it.” An idea occurred to him then, and he got out his phone and pulled the video warning Ruark Gilbraith had sent to taunt Thalia. “Is this the Eldritch who killed me in your vision?”
Sky shook her head. “No, I’ve seen him before, but I don’t remember his name. He’s very stern and austere, scary-faced, red eyes and white hair.”
Holy shit. That sounds like Gavriel.
He didn’t have a photo and it was unlikely that the Noxblade would allow his image to be captured anyway, so Raff drew the assassin from memory, using red pen to shade in the eyes. When he finished, he showed the portrait to Sky. “Is this the one?”
“I think so. Come to think of it, I’m sure he was here when we first arrived. Bad-tempered, stuck close to Princess Thalia until he left with Magda.”
Right, that’s confirmation. But why the hell would Gavriel kill me?
Because he loves Thalia? Hates me? Wants me out of the picture? He took a bribe from Gilbraith? A plethora of possibilities rioted in his head, until it ached from the confusion.
“You don’t look good.”
“Tell me about it. Things just got a lot more complicated.”
“Because…?”
“My would-be murderer was Thalia’s right hand up until recently. His name is Gavriel, the former head of the Noxblades. He’s like a fucking ghost, he knows all Thalia’s secrets, and he’s familiar with Daruvar’s defenses.”
“Shit,” Sky said.
“My feelings exactly.”
“What should we do?”
“We’re alone here. Not the best scenario, I admit. I need to tell Thalia right away.”
“She may not believe you,” Sky mumbled.
“Even so, we have to prepare for the worst.” Raff stood then. “You get some rest. If you see anything else, come find me immediately.”
It was late when he left the library, hungry as hell, tired and perturbed. He missed the warmth of Pine Ridge, too, especially with all the chilly Eldritch nods. None of the staffers he passed on the way to his room made eye contact, like they thought they’d turn to stone if they cracked a smile. Boundaries were serious business here.
A worker was coming out of the suite with an armful of dirty linens as he approached. Raff smiled at her, and her eyes bulged as she took a hasty step back and bowed so low that she almost dropped the sheets. She flattened herself against the wall when he stepped past her, and he made sure to give her plenty of space because he smelled her fear.
Most of them still think we’re animals.
Coupled with the unresolved argument with Thalia and Sky’s cryptic, fearsome vision, this had been a completely shit day. The only good came from memorizing Titus’s codes, and he’d have to go out into the woods to read any word
