Of all people to defend the elves’ actions, I didn’t expect it to be Iris, but she cleared her throat.
“They needed their queen. With Asteria dead, if the Elfin race has any hope of survival, they absolutely have to have someone to flock behind, and she must be someone with royal blood. With the other heirs dead in the carnage, Sharah was the next in line. It’s her duty. As grave as the choice was, she made the right one. Chase is raising little Astrid with love and care. Sharah will be there when she can. When you live that close to the throne, you grow up knowing that you might be forced one day to make the choice between duty to throne and duty to family.”
Camille hushed us as the mist in the mirror cleared. Trenyth’s image flickered in. We were ready to rock and roll. “You said we should all be here to hear what you had to say?”
My sister wasn’t wasting any time, I’d say that for her.
Trenyth nodded. “I have been watching your reports come in. Based on Telazhar’s moves, we sent spies into the Sub-Realms. It’s a fool’s mission, but we have some loyal men who can pass—Svartans willing to return and seek out information. I’ll just come flat out with the news. Shadow Wing found a fourth spirit seal. We don’t know how or where, but he found one. He now has four, to our four, and there’s one left on the loose. And worse, rumors have it that he’s setting up his own sinister version of the Keraastar Knights, using demons as the hosts.”
Dead silence, and then we all started talking at once. After a moment, Vanzir let out a loud whistle and we quieted down.
He looked particularly pale. “What do we do?”
“What can we do? If we could find that other seal we could combat this more easily. But Camille, according to the legend, now that you are taking the throne as a Fae Queen, you will be in charge of uniting the Knights and training them. You need to find the last spirit seal and also the Keraastar Diamond and do what you can with what we have.”
She bit her lip. “I’ll do what I can, but we are fighting nonstop over here against Telazhar’s insurgents. Can you find out anything about how he’s managing to find the rogue portals?”
Trenyth had only looked this defeated once before—when Queen Asteria had been killed. He sat back. “Elqaneve . . . we are a makeshift city now, in a land that has been devastated. We can do nothing about him except ferret out what information we can.”
Camille glanced over at Smoky, who nodded. “Smoky and I will be going to the Dragon Reaches tonight. We were going to head there before dawn, but I had to go out to talk to Aeval and Titania. But we will go after we finish talking to you. Trenyth, I’ve decided it’s time to call in my marker. We’re going to ask the dragons to help fight Telazhar. They are bound by a promise to help me when I call, so they will come. When they appear, it’s going to be up to you to let the other lands know not to attack them or impede them. The dragons will be coming to war.”
For a moment I thought Trenyth was about to laugh, but then tears began to trickle down his face. “You may just have saved thousands of lives. Go and the gods speed you. Let me know what happens. And tell Chase the Queen fares well and she misses him and their daughter.” And with that, the screen went black.
For a moment, the room was silent, then Camille pushed back her chair and stood.
“I guess we should get ready to leave.” She turned to the rest of us. “We’ll try to be home by morning. At least the vampires will be out patrolling.” And with that, she kissed Delilah and me and walked over to Smoky. “Let me dress for traveling, first.”
He nodded, silent and brooding. As she headed up the stairs, he turned to us. “My mother and the Wing Liege will honor their promise. Telazhar may be a mighty necromancer, but he will not stand against dragonfire. That I will tell you.”
Delilah glanced at me. “I suppose you better get going too. The Nexus must be up in arms after today’s attack. I’m going to call an emergency meeting of the Supe Action Council, so I’m manning the phone trees tonight.”
Vanzir, Rozurial, and Trillian headed out to patrol. Shade opted to stay and guard the house until Hanna and Maggie were also downstairs, safely locked away. Nerissa was dead tired. As I kissed her, I hated that she had to head back out again. Pocketing my keys, I could only wonder what hell life would be like in a week . . . two weeks . . . by the end of the year if we made it that far.
*
I decided to swing past the DarkTower Gardens on the way. The area had been roped off and a crowd was still milling around. After debating whether to stop, I decided to just get my ass over to the Seattle Vampire Nexus. I stepped on the gas and sped past, gripping the wheel as I struggled to settle my anger.