Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 115347 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115347 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 461(@250wpm)___ 384(@300wpm)
He was chuckling as he kissed her back. This time, his good humor lingered, and she took heart. She was making progress with him.
“Oh! Before we go,” she said. “What does this say?” She fetched the note left with the robe.
Micah read it and ran his tongue over his teeth. “It’s a note to you from Amber. It says,
This robe will work until your husband grabs something from his secret treasure room he thinks I know nothing about. But he shouldn’t worry. I haven’t touched anything more than twice.”
Sighing, he tossed the note into the hearth.
“I don’t know why, but I like Amber,” Viori admitted. “And Cookie. And maybe even Pearl Jean.”
“I don’t know why you do, either. Ready?” he asked. When she nodded, he flittered them both to the war room, something Viori had never even heard of. And oh, wow, what a space. She gazed about, her eyes widening.
Potted plant after potted plant—all enchanted trees. Some had already sprouted elderseed. A long table was scattered with maps upon maps upon maps. Maps decorated the walls as well. Kaysar, Cookie and Amber were already there, and each had changed clothes. Her brother wore the same kind of outfit as before, but Cookie had decked herself in an array of leather, like Viori. She’d changed the color of her hair, too. The black strands were plaited and twisted all over her head in a weird design. Amber wore a sunny yellow frock and passed out scones with a smile.
Micah and Kaysar glared at each other, her brother clearly worked into a temper.
“Did he crawl back properly,” Kaysar asked her, “or shall I remove his feet and ensure it gets done? Does he know he made you cry? Or that I won’t aid him with his foes unless he begs for your forgiveness?”
“I am the one in need of forgiveness,” she said.
“I do not want or require your aid,” Micah snapped at her brother. “I’ll be handling this alone.”
Viori leaned her head upon her husband’s shoulder, showing her support. Wait. She jolted. “Alone?”
“The family feud can wait.” Cookie pointed to multiple places on a map. “Before our battle, groups of trolls were spotted coming up from underground tunnels here, here and here. The ones we fought, I’m guessing. They raided several homes on the way to us, slaughtering most of the occupants. We know only because of the survivors. While you two have been screaming with pleasure, sending Kaysar into fits of minirage, I’ve been questioning the witnesses.”
Viori’s cheeks heated, and she looked anywhere but at her brother.
“The trolls are underground then.” Micah swerved from confusion to sadness to determination. “The vastness of those tunnels... Norok could’ve moved the prisoners anywhere.” The determination intensified. “I’ll extract the information from him before I kill him. Fayette dies, too. I’ll do the deeds tonight, ensuring no more trolls escape.”
Viori envisioned the fallout from such a path and winced. “There has to be another way.”
At the other end of the table, a familiar blonde flickered into view. Elena, with puffy, red-rimmed eyes. “Trust me. There isn’t.”
Everyone braced. Micah clutched two daggers. Kaysar flared his claws. Cookie released vines, the foliage coiling around her neck, wrists and ankles, capturing the spy.
Elena didn’t fight. But then, she couldn’t. The queen had used poisonvine, paralyzing the other woman and momentarily negating her glamara. To the best of her ability, she croaked, “Norok intends to unleash more trolls. Which he can do as soon as Micah is dead. Kaysar will be his next target. And don’t think you can find the trolls before their escape. My brother lied. He has a glamara. An ability to hide anything. Or anyone.”
“Why should we believe you?” Viori demanded, aggression all but sparking off her husband’s shoulders.
“You shouldn’t believe me. But I’m telling the truth. He murdered Sabot,” the blonde croaked. “As soon as we returned to camp, my brother imprisoned us. He threatened to kill Sabot if I declined from sharing your location. So, I did it. I shared, and he killed Sabot, anyway.”
“Listen, all. Heed my words,” Amber announced, her gaze far away. “If Micah goes alone, he will die, but so will Norok. If Micah goes with Kaysar and Cookie, Micah, Kaysar and Cookie will die, but so will Fayette. Norok will live. If Micah goes with Kaysar, Cookie and Viori, he wins and both Norok and Fayette die...but so does Viori. If Viori goes alone, both Norok and Fayette die, but so does Viori.”
Her head spun as she tried to fit the oracle’s puzzle pieces together. Micah and Kaysar must have reached the same conclusion at the same time. “Viori stays here,” they burst out in unison.
Micah...dead. No. No! Viori would allow no such outcome. And she didn’t want Cookie and Kaysar risking their lives, either.
“I’m sorry, but there’s no other path to victory.” Amber blinked into focus, her shoulders dropping. “And you must achieve victory. If Norok and Fayette aren’t stopped, the trolls win and take over the entire realm.”