He raises an eyebrow. “You do?”
“Will Mercer,” I say.
He frowns, clearly trying to place the name. “Your friend from the manor?”
“Yes, he was the old head of guard there, and he used to work at the palace. Maybe he still has contacts at the palace—people loyal to my parents who might be on my side. And even if he doesn’t, he could probably tell us a thing or two about getting past security.”
I say all this in a rush, then fall silent, looking at Leon expectantly.
“And where did you say he lived?” Leon asks.
“Gullert. It’s on the northern coast.”
“You really think he can help us?”
“Yes,” I say without thinking about it. The prospect of returning to a land full of people who are hunting me is a daunting one. But finding Will, and maybe some Trovians whodon’twant me dead, feels like a ray of hope.
“Alright then,” Leon says with a shrug. “Elmere can wait; looks like we’re going to Gullert.”
Chapter 26
Leon
“Idon’t understand,” Alastor says, his brows furrowing. “What are you asking us?”
“Nothing,” I say, looking around at my unit perched in various positions around the parlor. Ana’s gone to speak with Tira and tell her about the journey ahead, and it’s on me to inform my unit. “That’s exactly the point. I’m saying I won’t ask you to come with me to Trova, and I’ll understand if you choose to stay here.”
“Why the fuck wouldn’t we come with you?” Damia asks, insulted.
“Man’s lost his mind,” grunts Eryx.
“We’ve only just returned to Filusia,” I point out, exasperated by their stubborn refusal to listen. “And some of you have family and partners here you’ve barely got to spend time with.” I gesture to Phaia.
She brushes her silver hair over her shoulder. “Helia knew what she was getting into falling in love with a soldier. She’llunderstand. Besides, you’ve only just gotten your brother back too, and I don’t see you using that as an excuse not to go.”
“I think I’ve made it clear that this isn’t King’s Sword business,” I say. “This is an unofficial, unsanctioned mission. We have to leave tonight just so my grandfather doesn’t have a chance to order us to stay.”
I look around at them, silently asking them to really consider what they’d be agreeing to.
“I’m sorry, captain, but if you think we’re going to let you go gallivanting off to a foreign land without us, someone’s knocked your screws loose,” Alastor says.
“Besides, why should we let you have all the fun?” Stratton chimes in.
“Hear hear,” Hyllus says softly from the corner.
“Alright then,” I say, wondering how I managed to find myself such a loyal bunch of lunatics. “Gather your things and say your goodbyes—discreetly. We leave at midnight.”
As my unit disperses, I take my own advice and head to the Sanctuary. I know Fairon will be there. He’s still spending a lot of his time working with the healers. He says it’s to help him get his full strength back, but I think he’s not quite adjusted to the busyness of palace life yet.
“I would’ve thought you’d had enough of this place to last you a lifetime,” I tease from the doorway of the Sanctuary’s inner chamber. Fairon sits perched on the edge of the bed as Healer Yanda takes a bottle from him. She bows and makes a discreet exit, giving us some privacy.
“You forget that I can’t remember most of that time,” he says.
“Lucky you,” I reply darkly. I recall it all in terrible detail from the day he started wasting away, losing all semblance of the brother I knew. I was forced away from Lavail on King’s Sword work a lot over the last two years, but whenever I came back, I could see that he had gotten worse, and my despair had grown.
“It’s not an experience I’d like to repeat,” Fairon says, and I realize how bitter my words sound.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
