Page 62 of The Ember and the Emerald

“Majesty.” A soldier stepped up to my side, inclined his head in deference to the royals, and announced, “We are unable to locate Guardian Ian.”

Ahav went still. “Find him. Now.”

“Yes, majesty.” The soldier hurried out of the room.

Ooooh. Plot twist. If Ian bailed rather than face me…

Relief poured through my veins. A turn in my favor.

Minutes passed. When the soldier returned, he came alone and red-faced.

“My deepest apologies, Majesty, but Guardian Ian is nowhere to be found. His mount is missing as well.”

Fury flashed in King Ahav’s eyes, tinged with hurt.

“There’s more,” the soldier added with a quake. “He left a message.” Trembling, he unrolled a scroll.

“Read it,” Ahav barked.

“Majesty.” The man cleared his throat. “If you haven’t guessed, I won’t be attending. The oracle spoke accurately. The monstra are mine. They always have been. Their purpose predates your crown and will outlast it. When my letter concludes, you will order searches, interrogations, and perhaps executions. And you should. But they’ll change nothing. Every action you take from this moment forward will be a reaction. Measured, anticipated, and already countered. I will remove you at a time of my choosing. Not publicly, not gloriously, but so quietly your people will wonder if you failed or abandoned them. Expect pain. And when the kingdom falls, I’ll step in to stabilize what remains. Fear is more reliable than loyalty. Until our next meeting, Ian.”

Anguish stormed across Ahav’s features. My chest squeezed with compassion.

“He is mad,” my mother breathed out.

“He hates me,” Ahav stated softly.

Yes. But why?

The king fisted his hands. “Guardian Ian is now a traitor and an enemy of the crown. Send out my best troops. Find him and bring him to me. Dead or alive. Preferably dead.”

“Yes, Majesty.” The soldier marched off a second time.

“Alive,” I called. “Only alive. Remember what I said,” I snapped at the king. “Believe me, just this once.”

He scowled but nodded, calling, “Alive.”

Thank the good Lord. I nearly collapsed with relief. But sadness for Ahav soon crept in. His world had just been turned inside out. Now, at least, the real work could begin. We had a chance of saving the kingdom.

Speaking of. “I can find the Ember of Everlight,” I blurted. Uh. I can? I’d intended to help him search, not flat-out state I could do what no one else had done.

He jolted, as if I’d hit him with a cattle prod. “Do you know where it is?”

The Ring’s flames hummed, a call answered by the marrow of my bones. “Mount Emerald.” I rubbed my temple and nodded, an odd certainty sprouting. “Yes. We’ll recognize the Ember at Mount Emerald.”

He stood still for a long while, then worked his jaw. “We leave for Mount Emerald in one hour. Be ready.”

Exactly what I’d hoped for. But tremors paired with flutters, threatening my composure. “Tinman comes with me, and that’s non-negotiable.” It was time—past time—I set him free. If he hurt our cause, he hurt it, but I couldn’t carry the guilt of his imprisonment any longer.

“Agreed.” My father raised his chin. “I want him as far away from the palace as possible.”

In other words, get the monstra away from the pregnant queen. And maybe Jasher would choose to stick with us. Aid us. Maybe not. But either way, I wouldn’t change my mind about granting his freedom.

Mom’s gaze remained on me, intense and probing. “I’ll escort our honored guest to her quarters so that she may prepare for the journey,” she announced. “With my guards close, I’ll be perfectly safe.”

Before the king could refuse, I echoed, “She will be perfectly safe.” I was certain of that, too, because I would let nothing happen to her. But after reading that last journal entry, I had questions only my mother could answer.

The king opened and closed his mouth as if warming up a refusal, but in the end, he nodded and said, “Do not enter the room or near the creature.”