Phoenix Flame - Sara Holland Page 0,70

if he just has a way through, he’ll be able to take over and rule all the Realms.” Nahteran’s eyes rove around us. “But since the trade hub at Winterkill is shot to hell now, I guess he thinks he might as well steal the armor after all.”

I exchange a glance with Taya, then look back at Nahteran. “Well, that’s … a lot,” I say, my mouth dry. “So you’re saying we shouldn’t give it to him?”

Nahteran shakes his head once, hard. “I’m saying it doesn’t matter. If we don’t, he’ll find another way. The armor can’t be the only phoenix flame in Winterkill, and he has people out searching for more. There are legends that Byrn once had a place like Havenfall, with multiple doorways, and he’s looking for that too. If that doesn’t work, he’ll find something else.” Nahteran takes a deep breath. “One way or another, he’ll do it someday. He’ll get through.”

“Is he angry with you?” I ask softly.

After a moment, Nahteran jerks his head in a nod. I think I see a shudder rip through him.

We’re all silent while that sinks in. Sometime in the last few minutes, the distant music from the ballroom has stopped, the dancing wrapping up. Somehow, the silence makes the inn feel darker too. And colder.

My Cheerios taste like cardboard all of a sudden. I push them away and pull my tea to me instead. “So you were looking for the armor too, when I found you at Winterkill.”

Nahteran inclines his head by a fraction of an inch. The slightest of nods.

“And you were going to give it to him.”

The skin around his eyes tightens. “I didn’t exactly have a choice.”

There’s always a choice, I think, but don’t say. I wish you had sent us a message. We could have helped you. I missed you.

“I just figured …” But I trail off. I don’t know how to put my thoughts into words. I don’t know what I’d figured.

“Besides,” Nate says. “Would it really be so bad if there were more doorways?”

“What do you mean?” I feel cold. I stick my hands in my lap so Nahteran won’t see them tremble. “Aren’t you worried about what could happen if the Silver Prince could travel wherever he wanted? Anyone could.”

“That’s exactly what he wants to do,” Nahteran says slowly, like it should be obvious. “Our people need to spread out, Maddie … Oasis is getting more crowded every day. The storms outside its walls are getting worse. People are suffering.”

He looks down, real feeling coloring his voice. “I mean, the Silver Prince doesn’t care. Of course he doesn’t. But everyone is looking for a back door. Even the Prince won’t be able to keep Oasis safe and comfortable forever. He needs to find new territory. Someplace for everyone to go.”

“And he thinks Earth could be that place?”

I hear the anger leaking into my voice, not rising yet, but roiling under the surface. Nahteran hears it too and drops his gaze, a pink tint appearing in his cheeks.

“Do you think that too? That we should just roll over and give the Silver Prince whatever he wants?”

Anger has leached into my tone, but Nahteran’s reply has none.

“You don’t know him,” he says, and again I hear that hollowness, the echoing of years of history I both do and don’t want to know about. “He’ll get what he wants, Maddie. He always does. Better to just stay on his good side and try to protect the ones you love.”

18

That night, I can’t sleep. So I do what I sometimes used to do as a kid and sneak up to the east balcony. I can always count on the fresh air and the scatter of stars to calm my nerves.

But not tonight. Because someone is already here. Nahteran.

He turns to me and smiles, seeming unsurprised to see me. Did we come here together as kids, ever? I can’t remember.

I’m shaken to see him, still disturbed about the stuff he said in the kitchen. That the Silver Prince plans to infiltrate Earth, and how inevitable Nahteran seemed to think it was—so inevitable that my brother was planning to help him. But I still can’t bring myself to fully hold a grudge against Nahteran. I pad over to him.

He is standing with his hands on the stone railing, looking out at the mountains and the reflection of Havenfall in Mirror Lake. He looks tired. There are dark circles beneath his eyes. I wonder how much he’s slept since