“We’re here!” Claire called, waving her arms at them. She could see Sena’s red head and Nett’s black one break away from the group as they broke into a run. “We’re safe! We’re—”

But Claire stopped as a sudden chill hit her back. Suddenly, it felt like a cloud had come between the sun and her. The unicorn had drawn away.

I can’t face them. Not yet.

“But—”

Claire’s protest was cut off as Nett and Sena finally appeared, followed by all the others. And in the next second, many hands were reaching for Claire, pulling her in tight. And Claire let herself be enveloped by warm hugs, which made it easy to hide the few tears that dripped down her cheeks, as silent as the unicorn who had already slipped away.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

CHAPTER

29

When Sophie had first gone to the hospital, Claire had gotten used to days with no answers … but that didn’t mean she liked it. And so now she knew enough to keep busy, and with Aunt Nadia’s inauguration only two weeks away, there were plenty of things that needed to be done.

It had been one month since the unicorns’ return to Arden. And in the time since, the four guilds of Arden had met at Drowning Fortress to discuss a new way of living. A new structure of how Arden could be: a republic.

Every grandmaster from every guild had been considered, but at the end of three long days of discussions and deliberations, the vote had been unanimous: Nadia Martinson would be Arden’s first Prime Minister.

“I didn’t vote for you because you’re a d’Astora,” Grandmaster Bolt had boomed from his boat when the results became clear. “I voted for you because of how equally you’ve treated the members of Woven Root.”

“And here I thought it would be my chimera-riding skills,” Nadia had murmured, loud enough for Claire, the Malchains, and the Steeles to hear, but no one else.

Aquila had shrugged, adjusting the weight of her twin battle-axes. “That’s why I voted for you.”

Aquila and Anvil had completely recovered from the weeks of rubification, and Nadia had selected them to join her personal guard. Not everyone was pleased with the changes in Arden, though most of the Royalists like Mira Fray had been caught and were currently being held in Drowning Fortress awaiting their trial, the Grand Council of Arden couldn’t be sure they had caught all of Estelle’s most loyal followers. In fact, they knew they hadn’t.

Commander Jasper had not yet been found. Anvil suspected he had sailed across the Sparkling Sea, and had at least reached the Sunrise Isles by now.