He gripped his hands tighter around Karam’s and then pulled her into a hug. Tavia couldn’t help but notice that Karam was hugging Arjun far more nicely than she’d hugged her. She saw Karam’s back lift in a sigh of relief as she clung to her friend and let go of all the worry about possibly having lost anyone else.

They were all safe.

“So now what?” Tavia asked.

“We discuss what happens next,” Wesley said, looking at the Doyen.

He was already adjusting his suit sleeves and was attempting to make himself look more imposing than his disheveled presence allowed. He took in a breath, like he was preparing himself to either throw a punch or take one.

“Our deal is still on, I assume?”

“There is a lot to discuss,” Schulze said.

Tavia shoved her hands into her pockets.

She knew that meant they would have to go to Yejlath, and she hated Yejlath. It was so uppity and the last thing she wanted after fighting a war was to go to the Halls of Government and talk politics with a Doyen. She wanted a damn bath and a good meal and an undisturbed night’s sleep.

It was the least they were all owed.

But she knew that Ashwood still had Crafters and buskers spread across the realms and it was their job to come to an agreement on next steps. Those who were enthralled by the Loj would now be free to get their minds back, and those who followed him willingly would now be aimless without a true leader.

They would surrender to the army Tavia and the others had built.

They would surrender to the armies that the other Realm Doyens would undoubtedly bring into Uskhanya to help ferry peace.

And if they didn’t, Tavia and her friends would be right there, waiting.

43

SAXONY

The city of Yejlath felt like a ghost city, despite the fact that it was crawling with soldiers. Ashwood had only taken a small part of his army to Creije and the rest had been here, in the government city, where Schulze’s people had bested them.

The people not dead were already imprisoned and Schulze’s soldiers patrolled the cobbled streets for any enemies they had missed, but even with the sparse groups of everyday people meandering across the roads, Saxony couldn’t help but think Yejlath looked rather sad.

The Halls of Government were well guarded, and earlier, when Saxony, Tavia, and Karam had walked toward the collection of grandiose buildings, Saxony noticed how pristine they still looked, even after the bloody battle that had taken place on their steps just days before.