Page 259 of A Sanctuary from Shadow
“Mm-hm,” Myrrdin hummed. “And the message found in the jungle—who told you of it?”
“Paragon Ledum—Ledum Waybread.” Anxious, Briar massaged his forehead. As put together as he always seemed, seeing him so distraught unnerved me. He hadn’t even looked this troubled when the sluaghs carried him away, leaving me, a lamb in a den of lions.
“You remember him, Myrrdin,” Briar persisted. “He’s not a dishonest person. You can’t believe he’d fabricate a message, so that I’d lay waste to a curse sanctuary.”
Myrrdin glided over to Briar, set a hand on his shoulder. Pacifying him. “I do remember Ledum, child. Kindhearted fellow, he was, yes. You and he have been friends for some time. Nevertheless, we must question him about the message.”
Chewing his lip, Briar motioned to the helmed guards outside the crumbling kirk entrance. “Fetch Ledum, please.”
So, they fetched Ledum. And after a minute of Myrrdin’s gentle interrogation, it was clear something fishy was happening. Because kindhearted Ledum, who admitted relaying the kaleidoscope message to Briar, hadn’t read the dang thing either. And he couldn’t quite recall who’d found Pete’s letter and told him what it said.
After dismissing poor, befuddled Ledum from the kirk, Myrrdin patted Briar’s shoulder. “My child, I’m afraid you’ve been antegraded—Ledum as well.”
Myrrdin could’ve told Briar the world was ending, and he’d have looked less astounded.
The prophet glanced my way. “That means someone has blotted out pieces of their memory—pieces that would no doubt incriminate the spellcaster as the one who’s been polluting their judgment with baseless fears and hateful rhetoric.” He sashayed over to me and my harbingers. “And there’s our corruption, friends.”
“It’s Gentian’s rat!” I hissed, hoping there was only one. “He’s got to be a part of that battalion Briar sent out.”
“Must be awfully high ranking as well to have both the ear of a Paragon and the interim king,” Sedge said.
I was grateful he hadn’t saidfutureking.
“Aye,” Pete agreed. “And now we must assume Gentian kens of Eden—of what we’ve been doing under his nose. Once he learns his spy failed at having Eden decimated, nobody will be safe here.”
Or anywhere.Except—
“Then we’llallgo to the Spring Palace,” I decided. “Every last person here.”
“Of course, Amy.” Briar opened his hands. “You don’t even need to ask.”
“Good.” I arched a brow. “Because I wasn’t.”
Briar stared like he’d never met me before.
Behind me, I could feel Pete’s pride. I turned to glance up at him. “Rat or no rat, wewillkeep them safe there.”
Pete’s gaze softened at my promise, conveying trust.
Sighing, I plodded over to Briar. Yes, I wanted to wring his fucking neck, but now I knew his shitty decision making wasn’t entirely his fault, he having been magically brainwashed. Still, it was a trial to be kind as I folded my arms and watched his tongue roll in his mouth—the tic I still found cute, despite his reprehensible actions that day. Damn him.
“You have a lot to atone for, Briar,” I stated. “You led an army here, and they hurt people—they murdered people—theyorphanedpeople.”
Briar’s lime eyes shuttered on a flash of searing pain. Searing pain that was 100 percent genuine. Seeing it heartened me.
“I expect you to move hell and earth—or hell and Mag Mell—to find the prick who screwed with your mind and put you in this situation. When you find him and bring him to me, so that I can watch him die in a pit of fire, then I’ll forgive you.”
Shocked by my ruthlessness—because old Amy didn’t hold death grudges like that—at least not out loud—Briar slowly nodded his agreement.
“Speaking of fire,” Pete interjected, scratching his beard. “Who’ve you told of the princess’s power? You seemed to ken she’s a fire sylph.”
Briar refused to look at Pete. Instead, he locked eyes with me, reached for my hand. My gut instinct was to recoil, but Danu help me, he was already in such a pathetic state, and I couldn’t stand for it to get worse.
“I promise you, Amy, I haven’t toldanyoneabout your fire magic. Except your uncle. And he wouldn’t tell anyone either. We know how folks will react to that knowledge. We don’t want to spook them before they’ve met you.”
I tried not to look as sullen as I felt. Of course, he’d fret about the danger of me scaring people with my power instead of thinking of me as some secret weapon you wouldn’t want your enemy prepared for.
“And the guards who saw her power today?” Sedge prodded.
