Page 216 of Salt in the Seas
“And yet”—she raised the flask as if to toast Aeliana—“it’s keeping me alive.”
The winex held at bay by the soldiers snarled, and Gaeren silently applauded Aeliana for riling them up. The sliver of hope grew. They might have a chance if they could line up all of their defenses just right.
If they could get Mayvus just a little bit more out of commission, Gaeren could get the starlocks she’d stolen. His parents’ starlocks wouldn’t be as effective as they’d been for their owners, but they could still boost a progeny’s power. With half of them gaining back at leastsome of their power and the winex being primed for a fight, would the soldiers lose heart if they saw she’d been defeated?
“The concoction you’ve brewed still isn’t enough to make you immortal,” Gaeren pointed out.
Mayvus raised her eyebrows. “Oh, I know. I’m not depending on the winex fluid for immortality either.” A sickening smile grew on her face. “I have something far better planned for that.”
CHAPTER 83
Aeliana froze, the implication of Mayvus’words rolling through her with a horror far worse than she’d felt for the winex alone.
“What do you mean?” Sylmar asked.
Mayvus took another swig from her flask, and Aeliana wanted to knock it from the woman’s hands. As Mayvus’ health slowly improved, so did her mother’s. It would be impossible to give her mother more of the moon’s brew tea with the soldiers so close and watching. But what if she smeared the valerian root cream on her mother’s wrists? She let Marnok’s instructions roll through her mind. One dollop for sleep, two for unconscious, three for death.
What if she killed her mother in her efforts to thwart Mayvus?
“It’s the Stars, isn’t it?” Cyrus surprised everyone by speaking up. “You’re using the Stars to gain immortality.”
Aeliana frowned. “How would that even be possible?”
Mayvus laughed and stepped closer to him, making Aeliana even more tense. It didn’t matter that they were all as defenseless as he was. The fact that he had no magic made him seem too vulnerable, like Mayvus preyed on a child. “I shouldn’t be surprised that a human who worships the Stars would be the one to see the significance of my plans.”
“What I don’t understand,” Cyrus said, “is why they’re workingwith you. They have to know you plan to kill one for its power, like King Melchinek did.”
Mayvus stiffened. “My, my, you really are bright for a Lorvandan.”
“No,” Aeliana murmured. “The Stars wouldn’t work with you if that was your plan.”
Mayvus turned her way with eyebrows raised, and Aeliana regretted her outburst. With Mayvus’ attention on her, it would be impossible to give her mother the valerian.
“You would be surprised at the influential state of the Stars. They’ve watched this world break even further over the last thousand years. Their efforts to save the people with the Great Divide failed, and they are eager to reverse their mistakes.”
“It was a punishment from the Sun,” Emeris murmured.
“That’s where you’re wrong, little sister,” Mayvus said, stepping forward and cupping Emeris’ cheeks in her hands. “It’s where I was wrong, too. All of us have been wrong. The Stars went rogue and tried to take matters into their own hands. The starbridges were the Sun’s way of tempering the Stars’ mistake, but even that won’t be enough forever, and the Stars know it. Their desperation has them lining up as sacrifices for the promise of breaking down the barriers and reuniting the lands.”
“How can you promise that?” Sylmar asked.
“Haven’t I already united the Ahmranans and the Vendarans?” She gestured around the room. “Fewer and fewer starlocks are being given—not because they don’t have locks of hair to give, but because that method is no longer working. It’s putting power into too many hands and causing division as people seek to grow their power.”
Sylmar snorted. “So they’re trying to stop people like you. Again, I don’t understand why they would work with you.”
“They’d already chosen the Ahmranans, but without the stone, they had no way of reuniting the Ahmranans with the rest of the people. When I showed up, all of that changed. I desire power to make this world a better place. They see that, and they wish to reward it.”
“How could they be so blind?” Cyrus murmured.
Aeliana’s heart broke for him as his last bit of respect for the Stars was crushed.
“They knew that by coming here,” Mayvus said, “we’d gain access to the golden arrow. And I suspect from the rumors I’ve heard that they’ll also gain access to the silver fish. All that’s left is the iron cutlass and we can bring down the barriers for good. Reuniting all of Rhystahn once more.” Her words echoed things Orra had said over the last several months, but there was a wrongness to them that left Aeliana anxious.
She kept silent though, letting the others express their disbelief and frustration, and as Mayvus’ gaze took in their disgruntled reactions, Aeliana pulled out the bottle of cream Marnok had made. The imprecise definition of a dollop made Aeliana break into a sweat, but she used her dagger to scoop out what she hoped was a dollop and placed it against her mother’s wrist.
“Good job, dear,” her mother murmured, her eyes already starting to flutter.
Mayvus stumbled once more, then glanced back at Emeris. She narrowed her eyes and took another swig from her flask, her grip tightening on the queen’s council chair beside her. “I wanted you all to witness the city’s downfall, to see me take the throne before having you hung as an example to the rest of the nation. But now I wonder if I’m better off ridding the world of you now, before you can do something foolish and try to save the people you claim to love. Like you did back in Myndren.”
