Page 56 of Queen’s Gambit

Tova shuffled his papers, and from the mountains of scrolls rose the unmistakable smell of rotten fish stew. I wrinkled my nose when he pulled out a dirty plate and placed it on the floor.

That was the final straw. I stepped closer and grasped his hand.

‘Stop. You’re too tired to think. When did you last eat properly?’

He ignored me.

‘Aha, here it is.’ Tova pointed to the scroll with a target-like symbol surrounded by runes. ‘See this? It’s the valve. My guess is it regulates the flow of the Aether. If I could disrupt it, the buildup of Aether would overload the Gate and smash it in one spectacular explosion.’

‘How will this affect Tangra? Won’t that destroy their land?’ I whispered. My heart skipped a beat.

‘Probably, but it will save ours. I almost lost Wiosna. I won’t lose Dagome,’ he answered, and I took a moment to study him. Yesterday’s clothes, dirty food, and work, almost constant, relentless work. The war for Wiosna left deep scars on my caring dwarf. I wondered how much more it would take to turn this brilliant man into someone I no longer recognised.

‘It’s still wrong. There are people in Tangra who didn’t choose this war or invade our kingdom.’ My voice wobbled, and a bitter laugh slipped out. ‘Why is it always the common folk that pay the price?’

Whispers encroached on my thoughts—meaningless, incessant, and pleasing. A pressure built till pain forced my eyes closed.

I rubbed my temples until the sound and the pain withdrew, and I could think again.

It had to be me. Would Rey and Cin understand why I had to go? I sucked in a breath, focusing my thoughts on another burning issue: Irsha.

He was so set on killing the Lumivitae Herald I wondered if it was possible to delay his leaving until I was ready.

‘When Irsha gets back, make sure he doesn’t set off to Lumivitae just yet,’ I said. How much could I trust my friend not to do something stupid? ‘I need at least a day to explain everything to Rey and persuade him to let me go. Gods, this will piss him off.’

I wrapped my arms around myself, but a shiver still ran down my spine.

‘I’ll go with you, Sana,’ Tova murmured. I hadn’t noticed him move closer, but now he stood next to me, one hand on my shoulder. ‘You’ve carried too much for far too long. I will be there to catch you if you fall. I see you, Drah’sa. I see how tired you are.’

I opened my mouth, ready to tell him he was mistaken, that I could handle this, that I just needed a breather. The words didn’t come. Tova’s warm, calloused hand stroked me with the clumsy hesitation of a man unused to physically expressing his emotions.

Tears rolled down my cheeks. I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat.

‘I’m scared,’ I managed to say, and he nodded.

‘Me too. What if I’ve read it wrong? What if it costs us your life? Wiosna… the mountain slope is nothing but graves.’ He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around me, patting my back while I cried. ‘And here I am, making choices I should never have to make. So, I’ll go with you. We beat the wraiths; we’ll beat the Light Fae too. We’ll teach those bastards not to mess with magic and hammer.’

He was impossible and stubborn. I needed to tell Irsha he’d not only be taking me along, but Tova too. I wasn’t looking forward to that, but somehow, with the weight of what needed to be done and the consequences of failure pressing down on me, it was easier to breathe knowing I’d have Tova beside me.

The door opened without a sound, and I pulled away when a dark silhouette appeared in the doorway.

‘I was worried you’d left me behind, Blade.’ I wiped my tears.

‘Don’t tell me you were already mourning me,’ Irsha drawled with a maniacal smile. ‘I won’t die before making Lily a widow. Have faith in me.’

Give a bloody assassin a target and all his moodiness disappeared.

‘I won’t be mourning you even then. We were just discussing our trip. I need to see Rey beforehand. Please give me till morning,’ I requested, and he nodded, tossing a small bundle in my direction.

‘A gown? Seriously?’ The shimmering spider silk poured through my fingers like a luxurious pink wave. ‘Where did you get it? Lily’s closet?’

‘No, and you don’t have to wear it now. We need to get into a fae castle. I can’t pass for a light fae, but with those pretty eyes and golden hair, you can.’ He grinned and turned to Tova. ‘Have everything ready by dawn. And pack lightly. We’re travelling fast.’

‘I guess you have everything planned?’ It was a rhetorical question until Irsha pulled out a small but lethally sharp boning knife.

‘To the smallest detail, Nightshade.’ His eyes darkened with a cruelty I hadn’t seen in him before. ‘Lily has nightmares. Do you know how it feels to hold someone so precious and so hurt? For every one of her tears, Niersen will suffer a hundred times the pain he’s caused, and I will savour every moment.’

Irsha’s hand dropped to his hip, his chin thrusting forward. I wanted to roll my eyes at the challenge in his pose. Instead, I shrugged. ‘If it brings you peace, I don’t care how he dies. As long as his death serves our purpose.’