“How long will that letter take to get here?” We need answers only Zander can give. He knows his castle better than anyone else. If there are other ways to move through it than what I know, he’ll be able to tell us.
If he’s willing to share.
“Mere hours. Not long. The taillok circled the entrance to Soldor for an hour before they stepped out.” Long enough to show Gesine a dismal view of Ybaris’s army, easily five times the size of ours.
“Mere hours is more than we have.” I pace. Seamus and his men are waiting to hear from us. Kaders is waiting for his gold. We need to solidify a plan and go.
“Can we send the taillok across the rift to peck out Neilina’s eyes next?” Jarek says, earning my snort.
“Not without risking its capture,” Gesine murmurs absently. “He is finishing now but, wait … what is he …” A smile curves her lips. “He is holding up the letter to the taillok. We will not have to wait for it after all.”
So smart, Zander. “What does it say?”
Her eyes flitter back and forth as she reads. “He does not want you going back to Cirilea, but he knows you will go, anyway. He says to take the legionaries with you.”
Jarek scowls. “As if I wouldn’t know that.”
“What else?” I push.
“There is a tunnel from a water fountain in the royal garden that will lead to the undercroft and put you close to the vault. Look for the three children and a fish. A lever on the back will open the passage.”
So many secret ways to move around that city. And I knew he’d have an idea.
“There is one guard they change twice a day, on the sevens. You will need a key.”
I curse.
Gesine blinks as she shifts back to us. “I can teach you how to make one, Romeria, with your affinity to Aminadav.”
“Really?” Amazement washes over me. “Perfect.”
“What reason did you give him for needing the vault?” Jarek asks.
“I told him I was buying off some guards to usher the castle staff through the royal garden to the nymphaeum. What?” I exclaim when Jarek’s expression turns flat. “He doesn’t need to be worrying about what I’m doing. He has enough going on at the rift.”
A knock sounds on the door and a moment later, Horik ducks his head to pass through, a small scroll in his hand. “It arrived by messenger bird.”
Jarek frowns. “From where? Who else knows we’re here?”
Horik shakes his head and hands it to me. “It’s sealed. Marked with an M.”
I’ve seen this seal before, on the letter Gesine sent to Margrethe, telling her to summon Malachi should anything happen to Princess Romeria. “Mordain’s scribes.”
“It found me. I spelled my letter to them with a tracer and hoped it would return. That writing on the outside is mine,” Gesine admits as I pass her the letter. She cracks the seal and unfurls it with urgent hands.
“What does it say?”
“Nothing we do not already know. Neilina is crossing at Hudem with an army. Many in Ybaris believe you are dead, executed by the king of Islor, and they wish to avenge your death as well as that of King Barris.” Her hands flop as if with disappointment. I’m not sure what else she was expecting.
“Anything else from Zander’s end?” Horik interrupted us while we were gleaning what we could through the taillok’s vision.
“He asked that you do what you must in Cirilea and then get back to Ulysede and remain there where you will be safe.”
“While he’s being attacked by Nulling monsters?” I wish there was a way to get to the rift in time.
“He is sending the taillok back now, but you’ve learned all you need, I think.”
“Then let me round up Loth and Zorya so we can come up with a plan,” Jarek says.
“And Pan. Don’t forget him.”
“I try to every day.” The two legionaries leave, and Gesine and I are alone.
“So … nothing in there about how you need to kill me?” I nod to the scroll. They didn’t know I was a key caster until Gesine sent that letter through Bellcross’s fake priestesses. Will their devotion to prophecy weaken?
“See for yourself.” She hands it to me.
I read both sides—Gesine’s original message and this Caster Agatha’s, who Gesine seems to trust beyond anyone else. There’s nothing in here unless it’s hidden between the lines. She left nothing out.
“Do you think they’ve figured out what Ulysede means?” One simple word scrawled at the bottom in a rush. That was the morning Ianca first said it, but we had no idea what she meant at the time.