Page 151 of Twist of Fate

“The Queen.”

“Explain.”

“Before she sent us to serve you, someone from the human realm breached the barrier around the castle’s vault and stole her ascension staff. She ordered us to search for it while we carried out our duties here, but we were forbidden to reveal its loss.”

Silenus looked from Zer to each of his brothers as he absorbed the confession.

“And the marks at your wrists?”

“The Queen placed them upon us,” Zer said. “They were meant to recognize the staff’s magic and lead us toward it when its power was used.”

“Did the marks identify the staff as the source of the gate’s power?”

“No,” Connal said. He pulled back his sleeve, exposing the mark. No light moved beneath it. “They reacted to the magic but gave us no direction. When the gate collapsed, they went silent.”

Silenus crossed to him and examined the sigil without touching it. “You entered my service knowing that one of the Queen’s most powerful relics had been carried into the human realm.”

“The Queen had already ordered us into your service when the staff was stolen,” Zer said. “She added its recovery to our mission and commanded our silence. Until today, we had no reason to believe that silence placed you or the Unseelie in danger. That is no longer true.”

Silenus held his gaze. “So you chose to break that silence.”

“I did.” Zer glanced at his brothers. “We did.”

The tension held for another long moment before Silenus inclined his head.

“You exercised the judgment your Queen entrusted to you. I will not fault you for obeying her orders before circumstances demanded otherwise.” His voice hardened. “But there will be no more secrets concerning threats to this realm.”

“There will not,” Zer said.

“We cannot know until the staff’s magic is used,” Silenus said. “Their connection may be dormant rather than severed. For now, the fragment is the only lead we possess. It will be examined.”

Not the answer any of them wanted, but at least they would no longer be searching alone.

Silenus turned toward Luke. “Now we must discuss what comes next for you.”

Luke glanced toward the chamber doors. “Then I would ask that Gomez be included, Your Majesty. Whatever comes next for me will affect him as well. He is a brother to me. We’re a package deal.”

Silenus considered the request, then inclined his head. “Very well. Thudlez, admit him.”

Thudlez opened the chamber doors. Gomez was exactly where he had promised to be, waiting in the corridor after surrendering Avaneel to the healer. He hurried back to Luke’s side, and Thudlez closed the doors once more.

Gomez reclaimed his place beside Luke’s chair. “What did I miss?”

“A lot,” Luke said.

“Helpful.”

Silenus waited until Gomez fell silent. “Tyson’s contacts will continue monitoring Hale’s company. The human authorities will investigate the attack, and we will determine whether any part of the tracking system exists outside that building.”

Luke nodded. It was necessary work, but Hale’s death had ended more than one threat. Whatever Luke’s job had once been, there was nothing left for him to return to.

“Today revealed a weakness in the Unseelie’s defenses,” Silenus continued. “We have relied upon humans to overlook what they do not understand. That is no longer sufficient.”

“No,” Luke agreed.

“I require someone who understands both human threats and this realm. Someone capable of recognizing where those worlds intersect before the intersection becomes another weapon.” Silenus regarded Luke steadily. “I would have you serve as an adviser and liaison to the Unseelie Court.”

Luke glanced at Connal. Hope had entered his expression, but Connal said nothing.