Page 55 of Memory of Ashes

Ruven pulled down his hood. The councillor gaped.

“You could send scouts out to verify the information,” Emin said.

Ruven slowly shook his head. “It won’t work with Tharos there,” he said to Amelia.

Both men jolted at the sound of Ruven’s voice.

“And you are one of the fae who have come to fight us?” the councillor asked.

“He tried to rescue me,” Amelia said. “He is here to help us.”

“And why should we trust him, or trust you? If what you say is true, you’ve been gone so long you could be on their side. You could be spies.” His face grew red with anger. “What is it that they want?”

“I’m not sure.”

Was Ruven right? They didn’t seem to lack anything in their land, and then the memory arose of the fae king’s words, ‘It belongs to us’.

“They want the chrysonium.”

That enraged the councillor more.

“Guards!” the councillor yelled. “Take these two to a holding cell whilst we send out scouts.” He gestured at Ruven and Amelia. “I need to inform the emperor. I’ll be down to talk with you.”

*

Emin had accompanied the councillor whilst they were taken to a holding cell. They were empty and rarely used, except occasionally for the town drunk.

She had imagined how returning home would feel. Her welcome was a prison cell. They looked at her the same way the fae had.

“It won’t work,” Amelia said, reiterating what Ruven already knew. “They’re going to send out scouts, but with Tharos there, they won’t be able to see the army until it’s upon us, and then it will be too late.”

Her back against the wall of the cell, Amelia slid down into a seated position. She looked at Ruven. He had risked everything to help her escape. He’d betrayed his own people, but she was sure he knew more than what he was saying.

“Why are they really here, Ruven?” she asked him. “What is it they want? Is it really the chrysonium?”

“That’s part of it,” he said, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

“Please tell me,” she pleaded. “I saw what they did to that town. We need to stop them. They can’t do that to this city. It’s my home. It’s the home of thousands of people. We have no chance against them if we don’t know what it is they want. They will destroy us all.”

Ruven avoided her gaze. “I’m so sorry, Amelia, but there’s no way to stop this now.”

“What do they want?” she repeated.

“They want the chrysonium and… they want their land back.”

Amelia started. “What do you mean, they want their land back? What land?”

“We were here before you.” He stopped pacing.

That wasn’t possible. She knew history; she’d studied it, and there was nothing that mentioned this, no evidence.

“What about the chrysonium? Why would you want that?”

He was about to answer when the floor vibrated, setting her teeth chattering.

“What’s that?” Amelia asked.

The whole cell shook, and shouts sounded from the floors above.