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"No," the strikingly pretty fae responds. "I'm going to stay and help Taegan drum up more support for you. Plus, you need someone you trust for Air messages."
"Thank you for your help, Cirrha. I won't forget it." She bows her head down low and backs out of the room, opening the door just enough to sneak through.
I look at Zeph and smile softly at wherewe've ended up. The first time I saw him, I thought he was handsome but that he looked terrified. Today, he is still handsome, that striking tattoo wrapping up his throat and disappearing under the neck of his shirt, but he no longer looks afraid. "Are you ready, high priest?"
Zeph looks at me with a broad smile and nods. "Where you go, I go, Shadowweaver. Remember, white stone building, red door, Feria."
I take his hand and, with a little more effort than usual because of the prolonged exposure to slag, I pull us into a shadow vision. I keep the description of the building in my mind as the magic swirls around us. When fully enclosed in shadows, I point towards the edge of the vision, where a red door waits for us.
"After you, Shadowweaver."
Chapter 12
Mace
Ishould've had the best sleep of my life. The bed was comfortable, the bath warm, and my stomach full of a meal better prepared than anything I could hope for during our travels.
And still, I spent the evening staring at the ceiling, wishing I was anywhere but here.
I am going through the motions. I am following the path Viola set for us, but all I want is to burn the fucking world until I get her back. I'm doing my best to hold myself together, to hide, even from myself, the fury that is boiling within me.
It's not her I'm mad at. I mean, I am mad at her, of course, I am, for leaving us and for being so fucking reckless. But mainly I'm frustrated that she's stuck there. She's fine. If she weren't, I would know. And I know that Himureal would not harm her. She is too important to him. But thinking of her there with him, with my brother acting as his high priest, makes my skin crawl.
The inn is simple but comfortable. The wooden beams crisscross over my head, and the sounds of the city waking up barely drown out Morrow's snores. The Summer fae is beside me on the large bed, arms folded behind his head, shirtless as she sleeps peacefully.
I slideout of bed and get dressed in the too-short black pants and black tunic Viola purchased for me in Dalery. I slide my boots on, slipping a blade into one of them and strapping the other to my thigh.
There's a mirror in the bathroom, and I find myself staring at my reflection. My green eyes are dull, and my hair has lost its luster. I've lost weight, and my cheekbones are even sharper now than they have been.
Leaving the room as silently as possible, I head down the stairs to see if the tavern has tea. I could use a morning boost.
To my surprise, Quade is here again, stocking the bar. He looks up at me with a start. "Mace Nightroot. You're up early."
"Is it early if I never slept?"
He laughs, and it fills up the whole space. "S'pose not. What can I do for ya?"
"Do you have any tea?" I say, sliding onto a barstool and resting my head in my palms.
"I have coffee if you need a boost."
Wrinkling my nose, I ask, "What's coffee?"
He stares at me like I have two heads. "What's coffee? You're shitting me, right?" I shake my head, and he rubs his hand across his forehead. "Damn, I guess we don't export the stuff, huh? Coffee's kind of like tea, but it's made from these beans we get in the rainforest. Let me get ya a mug."
Quade heads into the kitchen and returns with a large mug filled with thick, dark liquid. "How do you take your tea?" he asks me.
"Typically straight. No honey or milk."
"Then try your coffee that way. If you don't like it, I'll grab you some milk or something to temper it."
Raising the mug to my mouth, I blow some of the steam off before taking a gingerly sip. The liquid is bitter and fragrant, stronger in taste than even the blackest teas we have in Ytopie. It gives me an immediate jolt up my spine, and I look up to see Quade watching me expectantly.
"Whatcha think?" he asks, face cracked in a wide smile.
"I love it," I say, meaning it and taking another sip. "I may have to see if I can get some of those beans before I leave. The Shadowweaver would enjoy this."
"Huh, so the God really is your old lady then?"
