there, that things were different, but now… I’m on the outside again.”
“I understand, I think.”
Tristan shot him a startled look before he lowered his brows and nodded, surveying Elliot closely. “I guess you would.”
“But I earned that exclusion,” Elliot said. “You have not.”
There was no bitterness in his voice, which actually surprised him. Elliot had come a long way from even a few weeks ago, when he felt his anger and frustration and self-pity acutely. But now he was simply stating a fact.
Tristan’s face flickered, a flash of emotions ranging from relief to gratitude to something like regret. The lost look in his eyes made Elliot step forward, reaching into his pocket.
“I… I found something,” he whispered, his heart racing. Was this a mistake? Would Tristan call him out for stealing and spying and lock him away for good this time?
Elliot placed the dart into Tristan’s hand. Tristan stared at it, then back up at Elliot’s face. “What is this?”
“Ask your father about it. Tell him you found it in Lars’s forge.”
“I can’t—he just kicked me out of his office, and I have to return to Rushlea before dark.”
Elliot chewed his lip, then shook his head. “Find the time. Now, later—just ask him. There’s something to do with the Grand Council he’s not telling you.”
You will need to be stronger than me, stronger than my sister. You are entering a world at war and must come out swinging.
- CHAPTER 30 - VERONYKA
THE JOURNEY TO RUSHLEA had been slow. While Tristan’s patrol was mounted on their phoenixes, they had to keep pace with the walking refugees, who were a mix of children, elderly, and everyone in between, as well as the guard escort who had come from the Eyrie. They walked in a disorganized train a hundred feet long, and the Riders often had to encourage the stragglers to hurry up or tell the leaders to slow their pace. When they weren’t soaring alongside the group, they would scout up ahead or double back to check that they weren’t pursued before circling to rejoin the main group. They camped alongside the road at night, and always had multiple Riders on patrol, meaning sleep was sparse.
Veronyka did what she could to comfort those who had lost family. Whenever she felt angry and powerless, she thought about Doriyan. The two subjects were seemingly unrelated, but looking for him gave Veronyka some much-needed focus and direction. He had the potential to be another ally in a war where every Rider counted, or he could be the missing piece in understanding the Phoenix Rider sightings in the south. Veronyka didn’t understand how it all fit together, but finding the exiled Rider was her best chance at learning more.
And she had to hurry. There was every chance the commander would order her back to the Eyrie, and then Veronyka would know what true powerlessness felt like.
Whenever she was anxious, she fiddled with the heavy golden ring on her bracelet. Despite her determination to forget Val and get rid of the trinket, everything had changed when Veronyka unlocked that puzzle box. Now she had one foot in the past, one in the present, and though she continued to block their connection as best she could, Veronyka knew that she’d have to face Val again—that she’d have to deal with the truth that she so desperately wanted to forget.
Tristan had left as soon as they were settled, flying out to the Eyrie to report to the commander the day after they arrived. He also had a list of supplies they needed, and some damaged tack that needed to be fixed or replaced.
Veronyka should have gone with him, as per the commander’s orders, but Tristan insisted he’d handle it. Veronyka was secretly relieved. They’d been so busy setting up camp and the temporary refugee village, she hadn’t had a single moment to consider Doriyan and where to start looking for him. With Tristan gone, she could spend some time rereading Ilithya’s list and figuring out where to start her search.
It would also give them a chance to work on blocking their bond. They hadn’t had much time to practice with everything that was going on—not that Veronyka noticed much of a difference either way—but maybe time apart was what they needed to bolster her flagging attempts to control her shadow magic and inhibit her and Tristan’s bond.
Tristan had left in the morning, but it wasn’t until the end of the day, after aiding with construction, dealing with refugees, and