"WE HAVE A problem," Ravenna announced as the other royal advisers groggily took their seats at the table. Most seemed uninterested — their eyelids filled with sleep.
Only Vyses seemed alert. Unnaturally alert. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days.
"What is the problem?" he asked. He rubbed at the bruised bags that hung beneath his eyes.
She folded her arms across her chest, sitting back in her seat. The rolled up parchment slid from her hands, into the sliver of space between her thigh and the side of her chair. She shifted around, effectively hiding it with her skirts. Lyth's ghost had only asked one thing of her and she intended to follow through with that request.
"We received word this morning that another attack has taken place," Ravenna explained. "Those that survived fled to some of the surrounding towns and shared what they had witness to local guards. They need more reinforcements and we need to figure out a way to stop this masked-individual. Whoever they are, they are working their way to the Capitol."
Vyses's expression suddenly became fierce. "A letter? From Lyth?"
"It did not say specifically," she answered with a small frown.
He slammed his palm against the table. A loud crack echoed through the room, causing the royal advisers to flinch. He cursed under his breath.
"My attempts to reach Lyth have still been unsuccessful," he admitted. He shook his head, a disgusted expression forming on his face. "I have tried every spell that I can possibly think of."
Ravenna took care to craft a worried, empathetic expression onto her face. "I am sure that you will hear from him soon."
Vyses did not respond. He seemed lost within his own thoughts. As he fell silent, one of the royal advisers chimed in, "Your majesty, I do think it would be wise for us to start preparing for the worst. This could be leading to an assassination attempt against you."
One of the other advisers nodded. "I agree. We need to prepare a plan for how such an attempt would be handled. In case it is successful. We need to know who would take over the throne in your stead."
"I can hold my own," Ravenna said. The seed of anxiety that blossomed within her chest and stomach did not bleed into the tone of her voice. She pressed her palm against her stomach and tried to control her thoughts. She did not want to think about being assassinated. It was not a fun topic of discussion at all.
"I have faith that you can," one of the advisers said, smiling kindly at her. "However, it is still something that needs to be discussed. We need to create a plan for all possible future outcomes."
She frowned and glanced toward Vyses. He stared at the table, a crease formed between his brows. "I think that we should focus on sending reinforcements first and how we plan to retaliate. This cannot go unpunished anymore."
"I am going to travel to the outskirts of the kingdom," Vyses announced. He tore his gaze away from the table and stared at Ravenna. "I am going to find Lyth."
The blossom of panic inside of her exploded. Anxiety rushed through her veins in waves. She shook her head and leaned forward, reaching out to him. "No," she told him, "No. No. You can't leave. Not right now."
Not when there was a crazed mask-wearing rebel working their way to the castle to assassinate her. Not when it meant that he would have a higher chance of hearing about what truly happened to Lyth.
His expression contorted with annoyance. "This is not up for discussion, Ravenna," he snapped.
"It is up for discussion," she retorted back. "Because I say that it is. You cannot leave the Capitol right now. That is final."
"I have tried everything," Vyses hissed at her. His wine colored eyes blazed with flickers of crimson. "I have no choice but to leave and physically track him down. There is no other way to possibly contact him."
"There is a very powerful person working their way to the Capitol, demolishing cities-worth of ice soldiers along the way. That person is ripping our control over these cities right out from under us. You are needed here."
He jumped to his feet. "I created that child," he growled. "He belongs to me. I need to find out if he is even still alive."
One of the royal advisers cleared their throat. Ravenna's gaze snapped toward him, blazing with a silent warning. The adviser met her gaze and winced.
Vyses narrowed his eyes. "Speak," he ordered, glaring intently at the adviser. "What do you know?"
Ravenna's jaw clenched so tight that she swore her teeth would break. The adviser did not drop his gaze, frozen in his seat with fear.
"Tell me what you know, now!" Vyses roared.
"According to the survivors, the boy that you sent...he died," the adviser squeaked out. He shrunk down in his seat.
Ravenna closed her eyes, trying her best not to spontaneously combust into a fit of rage.
"How utterly inconvenient," she heard Vyses growl under his breath. She opened her eyes to stare at him. He ran his hands through his alabaster hair and shook his head. "I should have known better. He was too weak to anything right."
"That is not a very nice thing to say," Ravenna told him with a frown.
He scoffed at her. "Oh please," he said, his voice dripping in a sarcastic venom. "He will not be dead for long."
Ravenna blinked. His words took a moment to register within her brain. "You intend to bring him back?" she guessed, somewhat incredulous.
"Obviously," he retorted.
Anger exploded within her. It burned like a wildfire, blazing through her veins — instantly replacing her previous anxieties and worries. Her hands curled into tight fists, fingernails digging into the heels of her palm.
Vyses had never expressed any knowledge concerning necromancy spells. The spells were considered taboo — they never actually worked. She had never even encountered a possible spell until a few nights ago, when she had attempted one herself. And even that spell did not work.
In this moment, however, Vyses seemed so incredibly sure of himself. Sure that he would be able to revive Lyth without any issues.
And that absolutely pissed her off.
Having that kind of knowledge, that kind of ability...he could have easily saved Caelan. Or at least brought him back.
~
Hey friends!
This and the next chapter are definitely fun ones, haha! I already can't wait for you to read next week! I appreciate you all so much. Thank you for taking the time to read this book and for your continued support! It honestly means the world to me!! ❤
If you celebrate this week, I hope that you have a super happy, yummy food-filled Thanksgiving! And if you don't celebrate this week, I still hope that you have a super happy and wonderful and yummy food-filled week! Holidays are a little different this year, so I hope that everyone stays safe and healthy! ❤
ash ❤