Lacuna - N.R. Walker Page 0,61

been underwater and had just broken the surface. Men yelled, a formation of guards in black with swords raised, with clear confusion and fear on their faces.

“Stand down,” Crow said, his voice booming. “It is I, your king.” The men lowered their weapons, and after a long beat of silence, chatter began. Soko was already talking to someone, laughing, of course.

Maghdlm came through next, followed by Karasu and Kohaku, and with another chant by Maghdlm and another sprinkle of whatever she had in that pouch, the circle of sparks shrank to nothing, leaving a flourish of purple sparks on the tiled floor.

The room itself was huge, with high ceilings supported by sturdy rafters. The walls were grey stone, and there was a crackling fireplace. Ornate windows along the wall were long and narrow, and there must have been a dozen of them . . . but it wasn’t the windows, per se, that caught Tancho’s attention. It was the scenery outside. Something Tancho had only ever dreamed of seeing.

White, snow-covered mountain peaks cutting through pale blue skies. Ginormous and glorious, daunting and breathtakingly beautiful.

Northlands.

Chapter Fifteen

Home.

Crow was so glad to be home. The familiar sights, familiar smells, familiar faces, familiar rooms, halls, furniture. He’d never quite realised what home meant until he’d spent too long from it. It was a true sense of belonging.

As much as the Westlands was foreign, different, and beautiful, it was Tancho’s. It was the embodiment of him.

And the Northlands was Crow’s. The dark grey stone walls, the men in black cloaks, the white snow outside the windows.

Their welcome through the doorway had been as warm as expected, with swords raised and much shouting, but once the guards realised who it was, shouts were replaced with cheers. Crow sent for Erelis to come at once, which he did, bringing Hitode and Iruka, the two Westland guards who had arrived just that morning with the urgent message Crow had sent them with all those days ago.

It felt like a lifetime.

The two Westlands’ guards were welcomed by Tancho, Karasu, and Kohaku, and seeing the five Westlanders in a room full of Northland guards and consorts made Crow smile. He liked having them here.

Correction. He liked having Tancho here.

With his fine white boots and white cloak and his long, straight red hair and delicate face . . . He appeared slight, but Crow had seen him wield those katanas as though they were extensions of his hands. He was whisper quiet and deathly fast.

And Crow liked that.

There was something thrilling about knowing Tancho was as lethal as Crow. They were equals, and Crow really liked that.

Crow had explained everything to Erelis: the doorway and how they’d travelled from Westlands in the blink of an eye, what happened at Aequi Kentron, the journey to Westlands, and of course his connection with Tancho. It had taken some telling, and thankfully, Erelis took the news well. He didn’t have Crow hauled off to the asylum, so he considered it a win.

By this time, Maghdlm was flagging, her headache blinding, so Crow insisted she be shown to a guest room for rest. Soko was excited to show Kohaku and Karasu the castle, and Kohaku was excited to see the kitchen. As they were walking out, Soko put his arm around Karasu and she pushed him into the doorframe. They could still hear Kohaku laughing as they disappeared down the corridor.

“I see Soko found new friends,” Erelis said fondly.

“As he always does,” Crow replied.

Erelis bowed his head to Tancho. “And, gracious King of Westlands, it is an honour to have you here. When your men arrived this morning, almost frozen, mind you, I wasn’t sure what to make of it.”

“Thank you for seeing them cared for,” Tancho replied with a polite smile.

Erelis continued, “Until they gave the message that Crow said I’d meet them with scepticism and to relay how much he hated Kalevala. Then I knew the message had come from Crow.”

Crow laughed. “It was one of the tamer stories from my youth.”

“Indeed it was.” Erelis smiled. “You also said to send a squadron of men to the northern line, my king. I’ve already sent them. They left mid-morning. If you want them to return, we could send a rider . . .”

“No, let them see. I want to be sure our northern shorelines are safe.”

“It would be a cruel attempt for anyone not prepared to try and cross those alps,” Erelis said. “Those ranges are steep, the snow unforgiving.”

“True,” Crow conceded. “But we