Chapter Eighteen

Queen Regent Elyssa Calistavyn-Faelenhart strode down the corridor toward Throne Hall, swathed in a long robe to cover the sleeping gown beneath. Restraining the urge to smack her cheeks a few times to better wake herself, she rounded the corner, where two more guards joined the four already flanking her.

“This should only take a minute, Queen Regent,” Carlsby apologized.

“How often do these . . . life-or-death situations occur?” Elyssa asked.

Carlsby ran a hand down his neck sheepishly. “Not often, Your Grace. When they do, though, it’s usually Captain Covington who deals with them. Since he’s away, we were just going to keep the man in holding until morning, but, er . . .”

Elyssa stared at him. “But what?”

Carlsby flushed pink. “The intruder overpowered the guards at the Wall. And he surrendered only on the condition that he could have an immediate audience with Queen Asterin.”

Elyssa hummed thoughtfully. “And has he been informed of my daughter’s absence?”

“No, but since she named you Queen Regent—”

“I’m well aware, Carlsby,” Elyssa interrupted. They arrived at the entrance to Throne Hall, and six more soldiers merged into her guard. This seems like overkill, she couldn’t help thinking. But what do I know? It’s been over a decade since I sat on the throne beside my Tristan. She squared her shoulders and nodded at Carlsby, who reached for the door.

His hand faltered when muffled shouting broke out from within the hall. Immediately, he shielded Elyssa with his body. “Stay back, Your Grace. Until we know what is going on inside there . . .” He pointed at the guards. “You six take front—wait, Your Grace!”

With a scowl, Elyssa stormed past two guards. The doors, however, swung inward before she could push them open herself, and she nearly crashed face-first into another horror-stricken guard.

“Spread out! He’s disappeared!” the guard exclaimed. Then he took her in and nearly tripped over himself. “Queen Regent, my most sincere apologies.”

“What do you mean he’s disappeared?” Elyssa demanded as two other guards skidded to a halt behind the first. Beyond the doorway, she observed more guards frantically searching Throne Hall. Were all of the guards truly so incompetent?

“He just vanished into thin air, Your Grace! Or, maybe not air—”

Elyssa whirled around as she felt a featherlight touch at her wrist. Before she could cry out, the touch hardened into a vice-like grip and the room around her dissolved into darkness. She gasped and struggled, her mind filled with an eternity of cold stone and endless shadow beneath the bowels of the palace, but in a heartbeat her back slammed into something solid and Asterin’s chambers materialized around her.

“Who are you?” a deep tenor demanded above her.

Slowly, she lifted her eyes and met an utterly mystified chocolate-brown stare. She realized that the stranger had her pinned to the wall, so she punched him in the face and wrested herself free. From her pocket she whipped out her affinity stone and dug it into his chest. “Who are you?” she demanded right back. “And what in the Immortals was that?”

“Shadow jumping,” the intruder replied, rubbing his jaw. “And I’m Harry. Asterin’s . . . friend?”

Harry. Elyssa’s hand fell in astonishment. So this was Harry, the shadow demon who had killed Priscilla. Before she knew it, she had seized him in a rib-crushing embrace. “Thank you,” she breathed into his shoulder. “Thank you for protecting my daughter.”

His arms dangled awkwardly at his sides. “Y-your daughter?” came the stammered response. He scanned her face. “I mean, I can tell, but you’re actually . . .”

Elyssa released him. “Yes. I’m Elyssa Calistavyn-Faelenhart, Asterin’s real mother. Priscilla had me locked up in the dungeon beneath the palace for about a decade.”

Harry stared at her in shock. “But . . . how did you survive?”

“Well, the cells are enchanted with ancient magic to sustain—”

“No, no,” Harry cut in. “I meant . . . well, I would’ve expected Priscilla to execute you, rather than keep you locked up for ten years.” He bit his lip. “Sorry.”

Elyssa shook her head. “No need to apologize. And she did give the order. But . . .”

Flint-gray eyes met hers in the darkness. Full of pain, of remorse. A pale, trembling hand, the gleam of scarlet-stained steel. The drip of blood from severed necks, the quiet sigh of silk and breath as she knelt on unforgiving stone. Waiting. Waiting . . .

“. . . I was spared,” she finished, swallowing the ache in her throat. She rubbed her knuckles and whispered, “We were both mothers, after all.”

“Mothers?”

“Hm?” Elyssa blinked. “Oh, I’m afraid I was just lost in a memory. My apologies.”

Harry smiled at her, timid but full of sincerity and warmth. “No need to apologize.” His expression hardened slightly. “But the reason I came was to find Asterin. I need to speak with her urgently.”

Elyssa’s brow wrinkled. “She left Axaris yesterday, at dawn.”

His eyes widened. “What? To go where?”

“Why? What happened?”

Harry went silent for a moment. “I—I found Orion.”

Her hand flew to her mouth. “In the Immortal Realm?”

“Yes, and I need to get him out as soon as possible. So where is Asterin?”

“She should arrive in Orielle by noon, if she hasn’t already,” Elyssa replied. “Knowing her, she probably drove the horses into the ground, so it’s quite likely. They’ll be leaving from Dame’s Port aboard the Ocean Gypsy.”

Harry cursed under his breath. “I won’t be able to shadow jump again for a few hours at least. What if they’ve left by the time I make it to the port? I won’t be able to find them at sea.”

Elyssa put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a soothing rub, smiling a little to herself when she felt the hard muscles beneath slowly unclench. She could practically see the overworked gears whirring in Harry’s head, not to mention the exhaustion in his glassy-eyed frown. Now here is a man that pushes himself past his brink on a regular basis, she mused in her head, only to keep pushing. “Everything is going to be just fine, Harry. Even if Asterin has already arrived, the ship isn’t due to depart until eve tonight.”

Harry sagged. Elyssa watched in amusement as his eyelids drooped a little before snapping back open. “Thank the Immortals. I can make it, then.”

“But first, you must rest,” she told him. “Or you won’t be much use to anyone at all.”

“No, I’ll be . . .” He accidentally cut himself off with a monstrous yawn. “Ah . . . on second thought, would you mind if I borrowed this floor for a few hours?”

“I would absolutely mind.” Elyssa clasped his hands. “You will take my own chambers.” She held up a finger when his mouth opened in protest. “I command it. No arguing.”

Harry huffed out a throaty chuckle, shaking his head as he followed her out of Asterin’s chambers. Every step swayed, and Elyssa almost worried that he would collapse right then and there in the middle of the corridor. Then, so low that Elyssa almost missed it, he mumbled out a drowsy, “I see where Asterin gets it from now.”

Elyssa already knew that she wouldn’t sleep a wink more that night, so she ushered Harry into her own bedchamber. Owing to his current state, it only took a little bit of bullying to coerce Harry into letting her tuck him in. He slept with his mouth slightly parted, drooling a little. Unable to help herself, she smoothed a hand over his unruly curls, the same deep brown as his eyes. His breathing stalled for a moment. “Thank you, again, Harry,” she murmured. “For defeating Priscilla. And protecting my Asterin.”

As she turned to leave, he rolled onto his side and mumbled again. “I’ll protect them all. Even if it kills me.”

Better you than my Asterin, Harry, Elyssa thought to herself grimly as she let herself out into the hall. Better you than her.