My hand flew to my mouth as dread pooled in the pit of my stomach. “He has taken their children?”
Marcus nodded, his face grim. “One from each of the noble families of Eldoren. The nobility are scared—they will do whatever the archmage asks of them. As long as he holds the children, the nobles and their armies are under his control. The only thing standing in his way to the throne is Prince Rafael.”
“Then we have to help him,” I declared, looking around at the dismal faces around me, my hands balled into fists. “If Santino cannot give us an army, we must go alone.”
Tristan’s eyes narrowed and a ripple seemed to go through him. “There is no time to help the Prince of Eldoren, Aurora. We must find Andromeda and go to Illiador to retrieve the Dagger of Dragath before it is too late.”
“Not to mention saving the kingdoms from Morgana,” Cade interjected. I glared at Cade and he shrugged. “Just saying.”
My stomach twisted. “We can’t leave Rafe and the rebels to fend for themselves. And what about those children? Someone must find them. What if they’re hurt? It is my fault that Lilith is on the throne in the first place. Without her, the Blackwaters would have never been able to take Eldoren.”
Santino stepped forward, looking concerned. “I wish I could help, but with the way things are in Brandor, I cannot do any more. Just getting my father to agree to have you meet with the other emirs took all my persuasive power. And with Varian trying to oppose me at every turn, that has proven to be even more difficult than I expected. My father will not allow us to send troops to Eldoren. He is only negotiating with the emirs to give you assistance to take Illiador, and even then, he hasn’t decided for sure. You know why he won’t help Rafe.”
I knew the reason only too well. Rafe had rejected the emir’s offer to wed Katerina, and the emir did not take kindly to rejection. The emirs of Brandor were rich beyond belief and commanded all the trade routes in the east. Their private armies were formidable, their ships fast, and their mounted cavalry were some of the best-trained warriors in Avalonia. Even without magic, the Brandorians were an important ally to have, and Morgana knew that. But we also needed the Eldorean mages.
Penelope seemed to agree. “Aurora is right: something needs to be done about Eldoren. If they are forced to follow Morgana, we will be completely outnumbered, even with the Brandorian army. The Eldorean warrior-mages are just as important to have on our side. And without Rafael on the throne and now that Silverthorne is gone, they will never come to our aid.”
I knew we had to do something, but what? I couldn’t help thinking about those poor children who must be so scared to be taken from their families.
“I will speak with Izadora,” Penelope finished. “Without Silverthorne, we will have to reassess our plans. But we cannot leave Brandor until we have secured an alliance with the emirs.”
I knew I had to be patient—running off to Eldoren without a plan was not a mistake I planned on making. But I still had questions. “If Morgana can put anyone on the throne, why is she still supporting the Blackwaters?”
“The new archmage is not taking any chances,” said Marcus. “Devon Blackwater and his sons Zorek and Damien were also executed.”
“What!”
Marcus nodded. “Now that her father and brothers are dead, Calisto is next in line to the throne after Prince Rafael, and she is due to marry the archmage.”
My blood chilled at the implications. Damien and the rest of the Blackwaters were now dead. And even though I knew they hated me, I couldn’t help but feel remorse for what had become of them, simply because their uncle, Archmage Lucian, got on Morgana’s bad side. No one was safe from her evil web, and she was starting to close her grip around Avalonia. This new archmage seemed to be as bloodthirsty and ambitious as she was. He had to be stopped.
My eyes narrowed as I gave Marcus a contemplative glance. “Who is this archmage who thinks he can take over Eldoren?”
Marcus stiffened, his lips a thin line. “The latest Archmage of Avalonia is none other than our old enemy, Brandon Delacourt. Once he marries Calisto, he will be the Duke of Blackwater in addition to his other titles. And if he can get rid of Prince Rafael, he will be Eldoren’s new king.”
Enemies and Allies
I was going to kill Brandon Delacourt!
That was all I could think about as I played with the food on my plate. Dinner in the grand hall at the Red Citadel was a lavish affair as usual, but I had no appetite for all the sumptuous food and had tried to decline the emir’s invitation; he insisted, however. Gold-leaved tables spread about the room, flanked by silk-covered divans, with massive brocade cushions where the guests reclined in sumptuous elegance, watching the gauzy-veiled dancers spin and gyrate to the music.
I picked at the exotic dishes laid out in front of me, my thoughts all over the place. Ever since we had heard of Uncle Gabriel’s execution, Aunt Serena had locked herself in her room, weeping for hours and refusing to eat. I tried to see her, but she wouldn’t see anyone, not even Santino, who had taken to pacing outside his wife’s bedchambers, alternating between looking distraught and looking angry.
But I was not allowed to hide in my room, when all I wanted to do was get under my soft blanket and shut myself away from the world. According to Penelope, queens didn’t have time to mourn—they took action, and they stood firm in the face of all adversity. At this moment, I didn’t feel
