Page 64 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

“Both, Helenia.”

Every head swivelled to me when I entered the meeting room, most were welcoming, some curious and two particular ones were brewing in frustration and distress.

I’d just taken a seat when someone tapped on my shoulder. “Your Majesty,” a young voice called to me. The girl was young, younger than Penelope. Her long brown hair was pulled back and she wore colourful markings on her forehead. “You sit at the top, near the queen.”

I looked to where she pointed and was about to tell her that where I sat was fine, but she told me sweetly, “You’re in my seat.”

“Cori,” an older woman criticised. “Forgive her, Your Majesty, she is the youngest amongst us.”

A tribe leader? This young? I stood. “It is alright, and please, call me Kilian.”

“Well,” Alaric said. “We must commence without Snow. She is rather preoccupied with the corridor upkeep.”

A few rumbled with laughter and I was fully confused.

The older man sat on my right leaned in and murmured, “He usually makes her bake goods for the villages when she goes on one of her rampages, but this one must have been a mild one.”

My eyebrows raised. “And Snow just…accepts it?”

He nodded. “Alaric’s word to her is like law. She always abides by his rules even if she can make new ones and overrule any that he could make. Always.”

“Why is that?”

He sighed and his shadows dressed in guilt and worry—not for himself. “She knows what happens if she doesn’t. It usually ends up with her hurting someone she is not meant to hurt.”

My eyes immediately went to Nia who as I expected was sitting in a dark pool of her thoughts.

“She uses my son as the boundary between good and bad because she finds it hard to set it herself,” the older man explained.

“Your son?”

“Alastair Drava,” he said in holy greeting. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Alaric began reading through reports of trading between the tribes. Soon the direction went from the richness of their mines these past few months to the Fogling attacks. I’d never heard of the creatures before and from the distressed sighs and massive number of losses each tribe leader was counting, they were causing massive concern for Olympians. Nimbus Aura were required to maintain dark skies all year round to avoid being attacked by the dark creatures, and that meant produce was not growing, people were often getting sick, and frost was making it harder for the livestock to feed.

“Why don’t you allow me to help,” I offered. “If these Foglings feed on light then I’m the right person for the job.”

The meeting room went silent.

“And you’d do that?” Alaric asked.

“Yes.”

Caiden scoffed. “And why would you do that?”

I turned to the cocky general. “I think you know why.”

He leaned on the table, glaring at me. “And what price will you charge her now? Make her spend every hour of the day in your presence?”

“We made a bargain, Caiden, she asked of me as much as I asked of her.”

He snorted. “Sure you did.”

“He is only trying to help, Cai,” the young tribe leader said.

The general slanted an entertained look on her. “Cori, you wouldn’t know a dagger from a pen till it poked your gut with this one.”

“That I can assure you as well,” Snow said, coming inside the room, fluffing Cori’s hair as she went past to her seat. She’d cleaned up, her hair still dripping wet and soaking the black silks she wore. Once she settled, she glanced at me and then threw a glare on Alaric. “Is this your doing?”