I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why?”
“Because it would be unwise to upset the gods at a time like this.” Lancaster gestured to the scrolls. “And it sounds as if it will lead to your next emblem.”
“And what if you come with us and something triggers your hunter side to wake again?” Tolek asked with a concerned look at Santorina.
“I swear on Aoiflyn, only Ritalia can unleash it as she did at dinner. Otherwise, it is simply a sense that allows me to find the Bounties.”
“I’m not a Bounty,” Santorina grumbled, but she perked up. “If you are going to come with us, you have to agree to assist Ophelia with intel on the gods and goddesses. I know some, but it has been of little help to us.”
I flashed Rina a grateful smile, and she returned it. Then, we both turned back to Lancaster and Mora.
The fae exchanged a glance, but if they were wondering why we were so curious about the deities, they didn’t say.
“You have yourselves a deal, Queen of Bounties,” Mora cooed.
“As unlikely an alliance as I ever expected,” Lancaster muttered, still watching Santorina.
“Cyph, do you have any ideahowwe can get Vale out of Titus’s grip?”Short of killing him, I didn’t add. I wasn’t against it, but the less chancellor blood on our hands, the better.
“I have a contact,” he said, avoiding our eyes. I glanced at Tol, but he shook his head, equally perplexed. “Someone within Titus’s manor who is helping form a plan that will either get us in or Vale out. Right now, though, we need to get back to Valyn.” Desperation piqued his voice, heightening my nerves.
“What about Barrett?” Malakai suggested.
“What about him?” I asked.
“With the fake partnership he and Celissia are staging, it might be an opportune time for a tour of the continent.” He shrugged. “Introducing her to leaders of various clans and cities, maybe?”
Mila continued, following his train of thought, “They can be in Valyn when we get Vale out, distracting Titus.”
It was a good idea, but I deferred to Cypherion. He rubbed a hand across his jaw, looking at the pile of scrolls. “If Barrett is willing, that could be a huge advantage.”
“Oh, I’m certain he’ll be willing,” Lyria chimed in, spinning one of her many small knives around her hand. “The king loves a worthy scheme, but he loves Vale more. The other night, when we were drinking, he went on about how they bonded in Damenal when she was a prisoner. How he’d go play cards with her when he couldn’t sleep.”
Cyph nodded, gratitude and sadness deepening his blue eyes.
Malakai clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll write to Barrett now,” he said and disappeared up the stairs with Mila.
“I guess we better open those and find out what Valyrie left behind,” Erista said, gesturing to the scrolls still sitting untouched in the center of the table, like everyone could feel the Angel’s echoing presence radiating from them.
“They look very old,” Santorina muttered, approaching as I carefully worked my finger under the first seal. Everyone cleared the plates and trays, breakfast forgotten, much to Jezebel’s dismay.
The aged scrolls radiated power, tugging at the strands of my Angellight. Searching almost, for one I did not have yet.
“They feel it as well,” I said.
“What do they feel like?” Tolek asked.
I weighed the first scroll again, biting my lip as I considered. “It’s not quite like an emblem,” I explained, selecting my words carefully. “Those call to me and beat, like a heart. These, though…” A wisp of a breeze danced along the back of my neck. “They whisper.”
I unrolled the scroll fully, being reverent with its weathered state. “I can tell from being near this that it’s tied to Angel magic, though not as potent as the emblems. It’s more like sprinkles of who once was.” I scanned the first paragraph, sighing.
“What is it?” Jezebel asked.
But I looked at Tolek. “You’ll only brag.”
He perked up, already scanning the parchment over my shoulder. “Excellent.”
“What?” Cypherion asked.
