It wouldn’t have surprised him to glance down and find his chest caving in.
But his friends continued talking, and Tharion tried to savor it—the easy camaraderie, the tones and rhythms of their voices.
Too soon, he’d likely never see them again.
* * *
“This ship is just one big version of the Astronomer’s ring,” Sasa said quietly from where she floated above the glass conference table. “Malana’s been sick about it since we got on board.” Indeed, there was no sign of the third sprite.
“Is she okay?” Bryce asked.
“She’ll be okay when we leave,” Rithi said, admiring her reflection in the glass surface of the table. But the sprite suddenly peered up at Bryce’s face. “When we’re in open air again.”
“That’s what we came to talk about,” Lidia said, glancing between the sisters from where she sat on the other side of the table. “Your next move.”
Bryce had been surprised and a little unnerved when Lidia had pulled her aside after dinner and explained her plan. Bryce had an intimate connection to the sprite community, and Lidia needed the triplets sent on an essential task. It would be best if that request came from someone they trusted, the Hind insisted.
The sprites now swapped looks. “We had planned to follow you to Avallen,” Sasa said, chin lifting. “Unless you would rather not have three sprites—”
“It would be an honor and a joy to have three sprites with me,” Bryce said, hoping her earnest tone proved how much she meant it. How her heart had been aching since Lidia had grabbed her earlier, and the memory of Lehabah’s beautiful face had glowed brightly in her mind. “And honestly, where we’re going, you guys would be super useful.” In the darkness of the Cave of Princes, even with Bryce’s starlight, three extra flames would have been very helpful. “But …” She considered her next words carefully.
Lidia spared her the effort. “Irithys is free.”
The sprites gasped, both going vibrant orange. “Free?” Rithi breathed.
“Escaped,” Lidia amended. “I helped her get out of the Asteri palace, in exchange for her assistance with rescuing our friends from the dungeons.”
“Where is she now?” Sasa demanded, flame warming—paling to a lighter hue.
“That is why we came to talk to you,” Bryce said. “We don’t know where she is.”
“You … lost our queen?” Sasa said softly.
“When we parted ways,” Lidia added quickly, as Rithi and Sasa were now turning white-hot with anger, “I suggested that Irithys go find a stronghold of your people. She seemed … hesitant to do so. I think she might be worried about how she’ll be received.”
The sprites bristled with anger.
“So,” Bryce cut in quickly, “we were wondering if you guys would go find her. Make sure she’s, ah … safe. And offer her your companionship.”
“Our queen doesn’t want to see her people?” Rithi’s voice was dangerously low, her flame still a simmering white.
“Irithys,” Lidia said calmly, “has spent the majority of her existence locked within a crystal ball. As you, perhaps, can understand better than anyone else on Midgard … to suddenly be free of captivity, to be alone in the world, is no easy thing. So I”—a glance at Bryce—“we are asking you to find her. To offer her companionship and guidance, yes, but also …”
“To help us,” Bryce finished. “We need you three to advocate for Midgard—help her understand what we’re fighting for. And maybe convince her to help against the Asteri again. When the time’s right.”
The sprites studied them for a long moment.
Sasa said, “You would trust Lowers and slaves with this?”
“We would trust no one else for so important a task,” Lidia said.
There weren’t many Vanir on Midgard who would say it—and believe it. Bryce felt herself slide dangerously toward liking the Hind.
But Rithi asked, “You can’t believe that some fire sprites would make a difference against the Asteri. Our ancestors didn’t during the battle with the Fallen … and that was against malakim.”
“Lehabah made a difference against Micah,” Bryce said, throat unbearably tight. “One fire sprite took on an Archangel and handed his ass to him. Her presence bought me the time to kill him. To kill an Archangel.”
The sprites’ eyes widened. “You killed Micah?” Rithi breathed.