Ceis’f stepped forward. His chest puffed out, and his eyes were wide with horror. “She. Said. What?”
“Malysa destroyed Aonia?” Avoca asked. “But…I thought it was humans working with Indres.”
“She said it was her. Word for word.”
Ceis’f turned then and found Cyrene watching intently but not saying a word. Avoca watched Cyrene and Ceis’f make eye contact. Adversaries from the beginning. Waiting, weighing, assessing. Changing everything that Ceis’f had ever known about what had happened to his people. It changed everything.
Then he knelt before the Domina.
“She slaughtered my people,” Ceis’f said with passion. “It would be an honor to serve in your army to return to the favor.”
43
The Uniting
Ceis’f knelt before her, offering his fealty.
Cyrene couldn’t have been more surprised if she’d tried. Ceis’f, who had always hated her for stealing Avoca from him. Who had hated humans for the last twenty years for the destruction of his people. For the ones who had stood by and done nothing.
And now, to find out it was Malysa.
“You have to make sure he doesn’t have the darkness,” Ahlvie warned.
She nodded and pressed her hands to Ceis’f’s forehead. He was practically feverish. He was much more difficult to read. He’d never been an open book, and he mostly certainly wasn’t receptive to her trying to get through his mental barriers. Not to mention, he was strong with elemental magic, especially air and fire. It was a difficult combination to combat.
“Relax,” she breathed.
Then she was in.
And she nearly fell to her knees with the weight of that mind. The heartbreak and devastation. The rage and unrelenting anger. The passion and drive to have vengeance. It was all he had worked toward. All he had wanted other than Avoca.
But she found no darkness. None of Malysa’s claws in his mind. Nothing to suggest that he was anything but what he said that he was.
She released him, easily letting those barriers return and being careful not to look anywhere she wasn’t welcome.
“I accept your offer,” Cyrene said. “Welcome to the Doma, Ceis’f.”
He rose to his feet, stiff and unyielding as ever. He dipped his chin once. That was as much acceptance as she would ever get. But…it was enough.
“Now,” she said, turning to face all her friends, “I’m glad to be back. I think it’s time we all get caught up.”
It took a while for everyone to finally assemble back into the war council tent. But once they were, Cyrene couldn’t help but smile to see everyone in one place again.
Dean was seated at her right. Avoca was seated next to Ahlvie. Her mother’s ring on her finger, indicating she was the new Leif queen of Eldora. An honor and a travesty since her mother was dying. Cyrene knew how much she wanted to be there. Orden was seated next to Ahlvie. His gaze jumping to Gwynora seated on Cyrene’s left. They had much to discuss but not quite yet.
Quidera entered behind Brigette, and it actually appeared that they had an amiable relationship. Brigette laughed at something she had said. It was good to see the queen of Eleysia lightening up.
Finally, the last person she had invited to this meeting arrived—the Commander. Tristen of the Guild.
He didn’t sit but stood a pace back from the table and crossed his arms over his chest. Watching and waiting silently as he did.
Ten in total. And here was her real war council. Her real warriors. The team that she had assembled over the last couple of years. That made perfect sense and worked with her. Perhaps not Brigette…exactly. But she had the might of the Eleysian army at her back, and if anyone had as much anger directed toward Byern as Cyrene did, it was Eleysia. And so they were allies.
“Thank you for coming,” Cyrene said. “I am glad to finally have you all in the same place. I know that it took some time to assemble our allies, but I believe we are much stronger for the effort. And we had more time to train. But the time for training is over.”
Ahlvie nodded his head at her. Avoca looked solemn. Brigette’s lips were pinched together. Dean’s eyes were steady. Everyone stared at her with their trust in her to serve as a competent leader. And she wanted to prove them right.
“I have only led an army into battle once before, and it was no real battle.” She keenly felt the absence of Shadowbreaker in that moment. “Many of you were there on the front lines with me as we faced Malysa. Some of you have just recently heard about her. But she is our enemy. She has sworn to destroy anyone who opposes her. I cannot stand on the sidelines of history and hope that someone else will step up to take my place. I will go onto those front lines, and I will stop her from threatening our world, no matter the cost. I am asking you to do the same with me.”
No one said a word, but the answer was obvious on their faces.
“You are now my generals. And I will need every one of you to win this war. To bring together this unlikely army with humans and Doma and Leifs and dragons. I have reports from Quidera and Gwynora that training has exceeded expectations with Vera’s assistance.” She looked to the Commander. “Where are you with your mission?”
“That’s what I came to tell you,” Tristen said with a rare smile. He stepped forward and tossed a heavy gold crown onto the council table. “Aurum has fallen.”
Orden jumped to his feet. “How?” He turned to Cyrene as if she had personally duped him in this. “You didn’t tell me you’d sent the Guild in to sack the city.”
“I did not,” she agreed easily. She stepped around the table and collected the Aurumian crown from where Tristen had carelessly tossed it. “The Guild are assassins. They are not soldiers. Though I would love for them to fight for me in that regard. But I offered them another objective when I petitioned them to join me. I told them they could take down a kingdom.”
“We cut through the opposing forces. Malysa had her people stationed there, as you’d suspected. They never saw us coming,” Tristen said.
“And Merrick?” she asked.
Tristen frowned, deeply displeased. “He fled. Opened a black hole and stepped into it.”
Cyrene nodded. She’d warned him about the Nokkin’s powers, and she hadn’t thought they would kill Merrick. But it sure would have been nice if it had gotten another of Malysa’s generals off the board. “I didn’t expect anything less. Malysa wasn’t anticipating you. She’ll not make that mistake again.”
“What are you going to do with that crown?” Orden demanded.
“Crown herself, of course,” the Commander said easily. “We brought it back for you. How many more would you like?”
Cyrene saw the unease permeate the room. She had assassins at her command. She could cull the world of the kingdoms and take them for herself. She could be the next Malysa.
“I have no intention of wearing a crown. My people are the Doma. We are not in one place, but in many. I am subject to all of them.” She stepped to Orden and held the crown out. “It is for you and your lords to decide. But you will need it to bring Aurum into our fold before we march.”