The Hour of the Crow

Epilogue: The Queen of Primsharah

"It's all ... my fault," Merriam hiccuped.

Taken aback, Inna could do nothing but stare at her. If anything, she had expected Merriam to blame her for what had happened. After all, she had sworn to keep her son alive no matter what. Misery wrenched her gut, just like it had the day she had been forced to inform Merriam about her childrens' fates. After Inna had told her, Merriam's gaze had gone blank, as though the person behind it had stood up and left. Inna had walked out of the house feeling like a total failure.

"Merriam, I ... How can this be your fault?" Inna stammered.

"If I had been a better mother, if I hadn't failed so miserably at caring for my own family ..." She rocked back and forth on her heels, wailing softly. "I pushed both of them into the precarious situation that drove them toward those ... those cultists. They did what they did because I was too weak to stop them and fix our problems myself."

"That's not true," Inna said, shaking the other woman.

Merriam gave a rueful laugh, thick with bitter tears. "But it is," she whispered. "It is."

Inna released her. What was there to say? Maybe Merriam was to blame in some way. After his father's banishment, Arran had assumed the responsibility of upgrading his family's status and living conditions to a higher standard. His hatred of poverty had fed his hunger for money at the risk of his life. If Merriam had handled her son with a firmer hand and paid more attention to her daughter's budding mind warping abilities, perhaps both of them would have made different choices.

Perhaps ... But there was no way of knowing for sure.

Inna squared her shoulders and fixed Merriam with a level look. "It doesn't do well for either of us to dwell in the past. It no longer matters who's to blame for what. What matters is that we learn to live with it." The effort of speaking hurt her throat. "Merriam, if ... if there's ever anything I can do for you, no matter what it is, let me know. You're not alone." She rested a hand on Merriam's shoulder.

Merriam nodded vaguely. "Thank you, princess, but there's nothing you can do at the moment."

Realizing she had once again become an intruder in a private moment of grief, Inna turned around and walked away, back to the surface and the sun, which had no business shining so brightly.

***

Instead of returning to the palace the normal way, through the gates, Inna took the underground route through the tunnels. She needed to be alone with her thoughts, and on the streets, she couldn't take two steps without being accosted by citizens, priests or guards who all had an urgent matter to share with her. The two guards she had stationed there on a permanent basis since the Cult's attack greeted her with goofy grins.

"Good morning, Your Highness," the one on the left said. "Did you have a pleasant walk?"

"Very pleasant, Yassen," she answered with a forced smile. "Thank you."

She passed them and wandered through one corridor after the next, thinking about the items and problems that were on the agenda for that day. She turned a corner and almost bumped into Nylah, who flourished a piece of parchment in her hand.

"Ah, Inna, I was just looking for you!" she exclaimed.

Inna had appointed Nylah and Kasmir as her royal advisers: they had been tasked with investigating the Cult and the whereabouts of their members. Even though her city was safe now, Inna wasn't prepared to let them get off so easily. Eyeing the note in her sister's hand, she waited until the expectant drum of her heartbeat had slowed down. "Is there any news?"

"One of our spies has tracked Adira Dir Aktha to the border of the Lelian Jungle," Nylah said. "According to his report, she was accompanied by two other cultists, one of whom wore an obsidian sword on his back. He thinks it might be Warmonger."