As she reached the top, she shoved open the door, almost hitting Korden just inside. It scared her more than it did him. She swallowed, feeling more timid in his presence than she ever had before.
“Already up?” Korden asked.
Jularra froze, and his playful grin slid away almost as quickly as it appeared. She looked through him as her brain struggled for something to say. Korden spoke again, flatly.
“Jularra?”
Jularra cleared her throat and looked away. She frowned and blinked rapidly, daring her watering eyes to let go. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Shame overwhelmed her. Loss weighed her down.
I failed my people. I used Korden, and I failed him too!
She kept her eyes downcast. Her breathing quickened. She wanted to puke and scream; to punch and kill.
“I lost the baby,” she whispered.
Only then did she look at him. Once she did, she couldn’t hold back any more. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Swallowing hard against the lump in her throat, she watched Korden’s mouth open as he stared at her. He took a sharp breath, as if his body had to remind him to breathe. Then he stepped closer and cupped her face, averting his eyes as he wiped her tears.
Before he stepped back from her, Jularra saw his own eyes water. She wanted to fall to his feet, to scream and cry. I’m so sorry I lost our baby! I’m sorry I had to use you - and now, for no reason! I’m so fucking sorry!
But instead, her jaw trembled. Her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip, just shy of drawing blood. She refused to surrender her composure completely.
Korden placed a hand on the nearby wall, leaned into it, and stared at it for what seemed like hours. As Jularra waged her own internal battle against her emotions, Korden finally turned back to her.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She let out a soft cry that was part-chuckle, part-sob. Once again, his first thought was concern for her. She nodded, her jaw still quivering. Korden looked back to the wall for a minute, but turned back.
“When?”
“Yesterday,” she said. His concern humbled and relaxed her, and she was having to fight back tears again. “Vylas couldn’t stop it. I just… lost it.”
Korden looked her up and down.
Don’t hug me. Don’t, she begged.
“Why didn’t you tell me, or send for me?” His voice was soft, but regretful.
She could only shake her head and shrug.
Korden’s lips tightened. He huffed out a breath and launched into a pacing circle. He stopped after one loop.
“What now?” he asked.
Jularra swiped her eyes with her palms.
“There’s not enough time to… try again. Even if I conceived today the child would be weeks shy of ten by the deadline.”
“Won’t the Voidwarden find out?” Korden wondered.
“Vylas thought of that. He made me a potion that should fool it into thinking I’m still pregnant.”
Korden nodded, rubbing his cheek absentmindedly.
“What happens if it wears off?”
Jularra shrugged. “It will last through the next few months,” she said. “Only when I fail to deliver will it learn the truth, and…”
“Destroy us,” Korden finished.
Jularra nodded.
“Do we know what will happen? Or rather, how it will happen?” he asked. “Is there anything we can do to prepare? To give ourselves a chance?”
“The terms of the original pact are fairly ambiguous, but I'll go into the vaults and review it again. It’s been a while since I’ve looked at it.”
Korden dropped his arms and stared straight at her.
“Well, regardless of what it says, we'll just have to kill it before it kills us.” Korden's voice scraped with a morbid determination.
“That’s the only option left,” she agreed. “I’ve got to find a way.”
Korden raised an eyebrow. “You?” he repeated. “You aren’t alone in this, Jularra.”
Jularra blew past his question.
“Vylas told me of his old friend, Leona. She’s immensely powerful. She might know something that can help me.”
Korden tilted his head. “Help you?”
She ignored his pointed look and took off past him down the corridor. As she marched, she moved on with her line of thinking before peeling off into her strategy room.
“I’ll set out with a small complement of Bedrock and Spire in approximately two weeks, and make for the Crystal Expanse.”
She fumbled through a few maps, unrolled one and started pointing at landmarks and roads.
“A few days before my group leaves,” she continued, “I’ll send a larger force ahead of us to serve as scouts, and to perform some initial reconnaissance in Messyleio.”
“Wait, wait…”
Korden leaned in as if trying to hear missing details.
“Why does it sound like you’re not including me on this trip?”
Jularra hesitated, then looked him in the eye.
“I need you to stay behind and watch the cit—”
“You are out of your fucking mind if you think you’re not taking me.”
“Korden. There’s no one else I can trust with Morganon's safety in my absence. No one.”
“And you would travel the width of the continent without me? Your Chief Advisor? There is no one more capable of ensuring your safety!”
Jularra held up her hands.
“I can bring a wealth of expert protection along, and send hundreds of extremely capable warriors ahead of me, but there is no one else I can trust to govern the city. I need you here!”
Her voice bit at the walls and ricocheted back with a crisp echo. She knew Korden saw this as yet another method of keeping him at a distance, but she didn’t care. I need you to see that you have more important tasks than being at my side!
“Chief Advisor, I am ordering you to remain inside the city as its protector in my stead.”
Korden leaned on the table and dropped his head. Then he balled up his fist and bashed the miniature Danwenglen Mountains to crumbs with six devastating slams. He spun around and responded with his back to Jularra.
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
He paced the room. Each of his heavy stomps caused
