“Why would she?” Inok seethed. “Why would she allow reason to seep into her world of hatred?”
Umari stepped down the stairs and brushed passed Inok until she stood before me. “Are you telling me you believe Morwena to be at fault, Tolero?”
“I am.”
She looked to the healer. “Do you think you can help them? Are the cetani stronger than the fae?”
“Not stronger,” he answered, straightening. “Different.”
She spun back to me and looked long into my eyes before she spoke again. “Many years ago, before we came to the Flame Court, there was a prophet among the draconian fae. She was the reason we traveled south before the Iron Wars destroyed our people. She told us that we would be charged with befriending the cetani. We knew before we left the north, though we did not tell you.”
“So, all the negotiations with Efi ...”
She held up a hand to stop me. “Had I not sent my daughter to you, you would have never met your mate, so I’ll not apologize for that.”
I nodded. She was right. I would do it all again for naught.
“The same prophet told us that the cetani would be barren until Alewyn called upon them, and though twin eggs would arrive, only one soul would enter this world, but that is where the prophecy divided. We knew one of the first hatchlings would die, but the prophecy was clear. Either one of our people would rise to save the cetani, or they would all perish before the next war would come.
“For years, we thought this prophecy spoke of one of the draconian fae, but now I realize, she made you one of us, just as you made her one of you. We are one and the same now, Tolero. Efi was the bridge of our people. You are the prophesied one. You must save them.”
“The blood of a king,” the healer whispered.
“What of my blood?” I turned to him.
“For years I’ve researched. Since the loss of our queen, in fact. I was beside myself when she died, knowing that I couldn’t save her. I knew then that the poison was from the waters beyond The Mists because no antidote worked. I’ve dug into legends and read through the tomes of the elven ancestors, and only one single paragraph speaks of those waters. The words do not translate easily, but now that I hear the prophecy, I believe I need your blood, my king, to save the cetani.”
“You will not have it,” Inok gritted out. “You’ll find another way.”
“That is not your choice to make,” I bit out.
His face became red with anger. “How can you even consider this? You’ve said yourself you believe the sea queen is behind this. Your blood is powerful, Tolero. You cannot consider this. What if she has enchanted the mind of this healer? What if the moment he has your blood, she curses you with it? This is madness.”
“Answer truthfully. Have you been in contact with the queen or her people?” I let my enchantment pour into my words before he could prepare himself.
“No, my king,” he said blandly.
“Do you have ill intentions toward the cetani, myself, or the draconian fae?”
“No, my king,” he repeated.
I faced Inok and raised an eyebrow. “Good enough for you?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “You will be the death of me, King.”
“Umari, take us to the cetani.”
We rushed from the room and raced to the cetani’s cave. The putrid smell hit me long before the light from the cave within could be seen. We had to cover our faces with our arms as we walked.
“They still will not leave the cave,” Umari’s muffled voice shouted. “They have let a few of us into the circle, but we’ve not been able to remove the fallen hatchling’s egg or the mother. That is the reason for the smell. We probably will not be able to stay long.”
The beasts had spread a bit since the last time I saw them, and only a few draconian fae were inside the cave. They had tied cloths around their faces to protect themselves from the smell as they continued to try to feed the beasts.
The healer stepped forward and took in the horrid scene, dropping his hands to his sides. He looked back at me and then took a careful step forward. “Based on the size of the cave entrance, I would never have guessed they were so large. I’ve never been this close.”
“That is the point, healer,” Umari said to him. “They are harder to find when we underestimate them.”
He nodded. “Where should we start?”
