Page 246 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

My sister hugged her knees tightly, not looking at Mal. “I won’t come to Adriata anymore, Malik. I thank you for all that you have done.”

The princeling frowned and shot me a look. “We agreed she could stay a while longer.”

“We did,” I said, looking over my shoulder at Thora. “You might go to Adriata.”

She stood. “I’d rather not.” And then dashed out of my room.

Immediately, Mal ran after her and returned dragging her behind him. “I don’t want to go.” She writhed, trying to pull away from him, but he was much, much stronger than her.

He grabbed her jaw with a hand and turned her face to me. “Say bye bye.”

“Bye bye,” she mumbled between squished cheeks before the two faded away.

I’d just laid down on my cold bed when Nia came into my unusually dark room. She tossed her jacket and boots and then threw herself beside me.

Shuffling to my side to face her, I rounded an arm around her waist and rested my cheek on her chest. I’d missed her. I’d missed her so much.

“Do you want me to light a candle?”

“No.”

“Snow—”

“I am tired, Nia.”

She sniffled a little and swallowed. “I know.”

“Why does it feel like I am losing though I am not?”

Her voice quivered as she whispered, “There are no winners, Snow. You were both bound to lose in the end. He’s lost too.”

“Nia.”

“Hm?”

Tears rolled down my cheeks at the warm comfort of my friend. “I am sorry that I cannot be better. I want to, but I can’t.”

Visha paced round and round the oval meeting table, making me dizzy. “It is impossible,” she muttered more to herself than anyone. “It is impossible.”

“Visha, take another step and I’ll feed you to my morph.” We’d all been on alert since yesterday. Father had returned his attacks all of the sudden, they’d even doubled and tripled. And last night, Visha had felt something tamper with the veil she’d lifted over the sceptre piece.

Her footing halted mid-air and she turned to me. “Melanthe has managed to trace the sceptre piece through twelve of my veils. All night last night, I’ve crafted veil after veil and my aunt has broken them all. She is hunting that sceptre piece like a hound.”

“Could it be the child she is carrying, why her magic has surpassed yours?” I’d heard what motherhood did to witches. It was the stage of life where their power stood at their strongest.

The whole room turned to stare at me. It was Alaric who spoke first, “You can’t possibly think of doing what I’m thinking.”

Tilting my head to the side, I gave him a bored look. I’d done worse. “A small price to pay.” Hooking my thumb in Mal’s way, I said, “And besides, how long till they get to her anyway.”

The Night Prince lifted his hands in surrender. He’d remained our only contact with Adriata. “In all fairness, she is right.”

For the tenth time today, the Myrdur call echoed through Taren. Tens of Volantians flew past the meeting room windows rushing toward the attacks. Father had been persistent these past few days to the point of concern. It was certain that the Olympian sceptre piece was the next he wanted to get. Had he not realised that he’d lost one?

Cai burst through the doors, breathing hard and stained with blood. Blood that looked like his.

Both Mal and I shot to our feet immediately, rushing to him.

“The fuck, Cai,” Mal said, hooking an arm around his waist to support his weight.