Kingdom of Sea and Stone (Crown of Coral and Pearl #2) - Mara Rutherford Page 0,60

be lucky if we gave you a dozen.”

Talin turned and ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

“Listen,” I said, stepping next to him. “A dozen riders wouldn’t help your mother, but it might be enough to get us to New Castle.”

“You know we can’t go there yet—not without the backing of my mother and her army. We’ll be slaughtered if we attempt to rescue the Varenians on our own.”

I raised my voice so the others would be able to hear. “What if we didn’t need to launch a full-scale attack on New Castle? What if we could get right to the source of all of our problems?”

“You mean Ceren?” Talin asked. “Are you suggesting we assassinate him?”

“Cut off the head to kill the body,” Roan said. “It makes more sense than trying to face his army.”

“New Castle is a thousand times harder to penetrate than Fort Crag,” Talin countered. “There is only one way up the mountain. Ceren will have sealed up the exit you used by now, Nor.”

I’d already considered that, of course. But on the ride here, a new plan had begun to formulate in my mind. Now that I knew exactly what Ceren wanted, and why, the solution seemed almost too simple. I knew Talin wouldn’t like the next part of my plan, but if I could learn to trust the people around me, he would have to do the same.

“What if we could lure the eel out of his cave, rather than try to enter it?”

Roan and Talin both turned to look at me. “What?”

I took a deep breath. “Ceren still needs my blood. Why else would he chase us here? He’s using a lot of magic to control minds with the bloodstones, and I believe my blood is giving him the strength he needs to wield it.”

Roan looked horrified, but it was Talin who spoke up. “You’re not going anywhere near New Castle.”

“Believe me, I have no intention of ever going there again. I was thinking more of using me as bait.”

Talin frowned. “How is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“He can track me,” I said, “through the visions.”

Zadie, Sami, and Roan turned to stare at me, but I held up a hand to quiet them. “If I leave the safety of Galeth’s borders, I believe Ceren will come for me.”

Talin folded his arms. “I know I can beat him one on one, even with his newfound strength.”

“Thank you, but I wasn’t finished.” I took a deep breath. “I think we should split up.”

Now it was Talin’s turn to stare at me, but I continued on before he could protest. “If I’m reading Adriel’s book correctly—”

“That’s a big if, Nor,” Adriel interjected.

“If I’m reading the book correctly, then Ceren can’t control people who are far away from him. It explains why he came to Varenia and Galeth himself, and why the guards he left behind are essentially mindless. Which means New Castle would be vulnerable. You could potentially take it on your own, without Talia’s army.” I knew it was all a risk, but it might prevent a massive war and give us the chance to rescue my parents much sooner.

“There would be no guarantee you could outrun Ceren,” Talin said. “Or that I’d be able to breach New Castle.”

“Do you have another idea?” I asked.

He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

There was one more thing we needed, and unfortunately, it would depend on the last person I wanted to ask for a favor. “Do you really think you can get us a dozen riders, Roan?”

“I know I can. I’ll choose them myself.”

“You mean riders from Fort Crag?” Talin asked. “That’s too risky. You’re Galeth’s first line of defense. Surely one of the other forts can spare them.”

“Perhaps. But I wouldn’t trust riders I haven’t trained.”

My mouth fell open in shock. “What are you saying?”

He grinned. “You didn’t think I was going to let you have all the fun without me, did you?”

18

“We should come with you,” I argued as Roan started to close the door behind him. He had escorted us outsiders to a sitting room so he could explain what he’d learned to the rest of the councilmembers.

“What, so you can get in another fight with Yana?” He clucked his tongue. “I’d sooner put two dominant mares in the same pasture.”

I wrinkled my nose at the analogy just as he slammed the door in my face.

He returned an hour or so later, face beaming in triumph even as Yana