“But King Bain wasn’t with his priests,” High Priestess Teca prompted quietly.
“No. He sent Lothar with another force to distract me and my battalion. Then Bain attacked Queen Ilaria from behind while she fought with Lorcan. He took her completely unaware. She never even had a chance to defend herself. In ten years he’d never left the protection of his priests before. None of us expected it.”
There was no possible way he’d made it past the wards though, unless … “He came through the Undead Forest to avoid the wards.” Evelayn’s words fell like stones from her lips. No one went through the Undead Forest that spanned the easternmost reaches of Lachalonia, where the Spirit Harbinger dwelled—and more.
Caedmon nodded grimly.
Evelayn stood like a statue in front of the throne, the crown on her head pressing into her skull. She didn’t dare move, afraid she would break into pieces in front of everyone again.
“And now he believes if it worked once, it will work again.” Tanvir spoke up, his voice tight with thinly veiled anger.
“Yes,” Caedmon agreed. “That is his belief. But this time you will be prepared. If you listen to me.”
“Why would he do it again? We know he was willing to do it once, why wouldn’t we guard ourselves against it happening a second time?” General Olena questioned Caedmon now as Evelayn tried to force the all-consuming grief and pain back down, away. “Especially here? He thinks to sneak his way through éadrolan undetected to attack us from behind? It’s ludicrous.”
“He is blinded by greed and drunk with victory. He thinks Queen Evelayn is too young and untrained to be a true threat—and he is counting on the fact that you won’t expect him to try it twice, and would think it is too much of a risk for him to travel through your kingdom during the height of summertime. Prince Lorcan also believes it will work again and is pushing his father to try it against you. I, too, have been pushing him to follow through on this plan, because I saw a chance to put into play a plan of my own. Lothar is the only one against it.”
“How do you know all this? Why should we trust anything you’re saying?” Evelayn finally spoke up again, her conduit stone pulsing hot against her breastbone. The magic itched for release, she could feel it building in her. Or was it her own rage and grief, calling to the magic, pulling it to her? She took a slow breath through her nose, trying to calm herself.
“Because I am second-in-command to his top general and privy to all of his war councils—including the secret ones.”
Kel jumped up from his seat, his expression dark with anger. “You are that high up in his army and expect us to believe that you wish for this war to end with your king defeated? That anything you’ve told us is the truth—and not an attempt to trick the new queen into making a mistake as fatal as her mother’s?”
Caedmon turned his head to look at Kel. “Yes. If anything, it should prove the truth of my statements. I was sent as a scout to find the best route for King Bain to take with Lorcan and those he is bringing with him to set the trap—including me. If they knew I was here, telling you this, my life would be forfeit. I’m risking everything on the hope that you will see the truth in my eyes and hear it in my voice.” He looked back up at Evelayn.
“And how did you get past our wards?”
“The same way as my king. Through the forest.” Caedmon shuddered.
“Why would he send the second-in-command of his entire army as a scout?” Tanvir piped up now, before Evelayn could ask the same question.
“Because there are only a handful who know his true plans. There are many Dark Draíolon who wish for this war to end—who long for peace. King Bain can feel the unrest growing in his people and he’s nervous that they may soon rebel. He suspects that Lothar is against the war and may even be trying to enact a plot so he can inherit the kingdom and power and end the war. King Bain knows he must move fast and that as few people as possible can know the truth of his plans, or else risk their discovery.”
Several Draíolon began speaking at once, but Evelayn lifted her hands, silencing them all as she stared at Caedmon.
“Lothar wishes for peace,” she repeated.
“That is the rumor. I haven’t spoken with him about it, because I dare not reveal myself when I have worked so hard to get into a position of trust with the king—hoping for a moment like this, when I could help the Light Kingdom defeat him and somehow find a way to restore the balance and bring peace back to our land.”
“You can’t possibly believe—”
“Enough!” Evelayn cut off General Olena’s protest. She studied Caedmon, letting the silence build, drawing out into minutes of tense waiting. He never flinched, not even when she slowly began to descend the stairs toward him, the long, full skirts of her dress swishing across the marble.
When she stopped in front of him, Caedmon had to tilt his head back to look up at her from where he still knelt on the hard ground. She lifted a hand and sent a coil of light around his neck, wrapping it tight enough to begin limiting his ability to breathe.
“Swear to me,” she snarled. “Swear to me on the Immortal Tree—by forfeit of your life—that what you say is true.”
Caedmon nodded, his silvery skin mottling. “I swear,” he choked out. “I swear!”
Evelayn released the band of light slightly and he repeated himself, his voice rasping against his raw throat. “I swear on my life by virtue of the Immortal Tree. If what I say is false, let me die now.”
Evelayn stared into his disconcertingly pale eyes, searching for any hint of artifice. Something deep inside told her that he was telling the truth. Was it an instinct worth following, or only a desperate hope? A chance to end the war … to restore peace. It was too good to be true. But maybe, just maybe—
“He will think I am leading him straight to victory, but instead, I will be leading him to his death. I swear it, Your Majesty.” Caedmon’s expression turned pleading, his eyes shining with what looked like withheld tears. “The Draíolon I was Bound to was one he ‘sacrificed’ to draw out your mother. She died along with hundreds of others. He allowed an entire battalion of our people to be slaughtered, just to make it look authentic. He will stop at nothing, and I finally have a chance to do something about it. Please, please believe me,” Caedmon begged. “But you must decide quickly. My time is short before he grows suspicious. I must return as quickly as possible so he will believe me to still be true to him.”
Evelayn glanced at her council—at the horror on General Olena’s face, and the contemplation on Kel’s. High Priestess Teca looked torn, as did the others. And then she turned to Tanvir. He inclined his head slightly, in what looked like a very subtle nod.