she shook her head again, he asked, “What about Prilonians?”
Again she shook her head. “What happened?”
He rose to his feet and started to cross the room to the window. He stopped and looked back at her. “I have no idea.”
“What do you think happened?”
“Either my father is a traitor or the Supreme One is working against your people.” He carefully watched her expression. It didn’t change.
“If the Supreme One’s working for your people then why aren’t you winning? He has access to everything my people know and plan except for me being here.”
That was exactly what he wanted to know. What in the name of the Master of the Infernal World was his father up to? Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to be helping their people to win.
Chapter Twenty-One
Brianne
Brianne paced the room, alone for the second time that day. Frustration filled her at the small pieces of information Talon had given her. How was she meant to figure this out if he didn’t share what he discovered? And how was she meant to learn anything locked in Talon’s room all the time?
Her pacing was brought to a stop by a knock at the door. It wasn’t Talon. She didn’t even know how long it would be before he returned. Surely he couldn’t be too much longer. Another knock. She stared at the door, wishing she had a better weapon than the dagger in her boot.
“Talon,” Garnet called through the door. “Let me in, Talon.” She knocked again, then tried the doorknob.
Brianne nearly groaned. She had no way of getting rid of her.
Another knock. “Come on, Talon. Let me in. I need to talk to you.” Silence. “Talon.” Impatience filled her tone as she pounded on the door. “Talon.” This time her voice was filled with surprise. “Who’s in your room?”
“What do you want, Garnet?”
At Talon’s voice, Brianne quietly stepped up to the door to press her ear against it.
“I can’t find Lacey and our father won’t tell me anything. Do you know where she is?”
“Don’t try and find her, Garnet. Everyone’s looking for her. You don’t want to be mixed up in this.”
“You know what’s going on, don’t you?”
“No. The little I know makes me wonder at how much I don’t know. Promise me you’ll stay out of this.”
“Why?”
“Promise me, Garnet.”
Brianne could hear the urgency in his voice and wondered what it was like to have a sibling.
“She’s my friend.”
“She’s a Caelian.”
There was a moment of silence before Garnet answered. “I don’t believe you. She doesn’t have wings.”
“Trust me on this. She’s a Caelian.”
“They’ll kill her when they find her, won’t they?”
When there was only silence, Brianne wished she could see what was happening.
“Talon? Will they?”
He finally answered. “Yes.”
“You’ve got to find her. Don’t let them get her.”
“She’s a Caelian.”
“So? She’s my friend.”
Brianne’s eyes closed as she drew in a shaky breath, trying to remind herself they were the enemy. The thought seemed false and her heart wasn’t in it.
“What if everything she told you was a lie? Everything she did was a lie. She’s a spy for our enemy, Garnet.”
“I don’t believe that. When you find her, ask her.”
“Garnet-”
“Don’t let them kill her. You want me to stay out of it, then promise me that.”
Brianne held her breath waiting for his answer. It seemed to take an age to arrive.
“I promise.” Silence met his words. Eventually the silence was broken by Talon speaking quietly. “Open the door, Brianne.”
She unlocked the door and let him in. She watched him as he locked the door, dropped a sack on the floor and started to unbutton his shirt. He didn’t speak and she didn’t know what to ask him. Once his wings were free, she found the words she needed to say. “Not everything was a lie.”
Talon continued to meet her eyes, not speaking. She wondered if he was in too much pain to answer and started to reach out for
Again she shook her head. “What happened?”
He rose to his feet and started to cross the room to the window. He stopped and looked back at her. “I have no idea.”
“What do you think happened?”
“Either my father is a traitor or the Supreme One is working against your people.” He carefully watched her expression. It didn’t change.
“If the Supreme One’s working for your people then why aren’t you winning? He has access to everything my people know and plan except for me being here.”
That was exactly what he wanted to know. What in the name of the Master of the Infernal World was his father up to? Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to be helping their people to win.
Chapter Twenty-One
Brianne
Brianne paced the room, alone for the second time that day. Frustration filled her at the small pieces of information Talon had given her. How was she meant to figure this out if he didn’t share what he discovered? And how was she meant to learn anything locked in Talon’s room all the time?
Her pacing was brought to a stop by a knock at the door. It wasn’t Talon. She didn’t even know how long it would be before he returned. Surely he couldn’t be too much longer. Another knock. She stared at the door, wishing she had a better weapon than the dagger in her boot.
“Talon,” Garnet called through the door. “Let me in, Talon.” She knocked again, then tried the doorknob.
Brianne nearly groaned. She had no way of getting rid of her.
Another knock. “Come on, Talon. Let me in. I need to talk to you.” Silence. “Talon.” Impatience filled her tone as she pounded on the door. “Talon.” This time her voice was filled with surprise. “Who’s in your room?”
“What do you want, Garnet?”
At Talon’s voice, Brianne quietly stepped up to the door to press her ear against it.
“I can’t find Lacey and our father won’t tell me anything. Do you know where she is?”
“Don’t try and find her, Garnet. Everyone’s looking for her. You don’t want to be mixed up in this.”
“You know what’s going on, don’t you?”
“No. The little I know makes me wonder at how much I don’t know. Promise me you’ll stay out of this.”
“Why?”
“Promise me, Garnet.”
Brianne could hear the urgency in his voice and wondered what it was like to have a sibling.
“She’s my friend.”
“She’s a Caelian.”
There was a moment of silence before Garnet answered. “I don’t believe you. She doesn’t have wings.”
“Trust me on this. She’s a Caelian.”
“They’ll kill her when they find her, won’t they?”
When there was only silence, Brianne wished she could see what was happening.
“Talon? Will they?”
He finally answered. “Yes.”
“You’ve got to find her. Don’t let them get her.”
“She’s a Caelian.”
“So? She’s my friend.”
Brianne’s eyes closed as she drew in a shaky breath, trying to remind herself they were the enemy. The thought seemed false and her heart wasn’t in it.
“What if everything she told you was a lie? Everything she did was a lie. She’s a spy for our enemy, Garnet.”
“I don’t believe that. When you find her, ask her.”
“Garnet-”
“Don’t let them kill her. You want me to stay out of it, then promise me that.”
Brianne held her breath waiting for his answer. It seemed to take an age to arrive.
“I promise.” Silence met his words. Eventually the silence was broken by Talon speaking quietly. “Open the door, Brianne.”
She unlocked the door and let him in. She watched him as he locked the door, dropped a sack on the floor and started to unbutton his shirt. He didn’t speak and she didn’t know what to ask him. Once his wings were free, she found the words she needed to say. “Not everything was a lie.”
Talon continued to meet her eyes, not speaking. She wondered if he was in too much pain to answer and started to reach out for
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