“I’m sorry,” Mei whispered to Trulian just before the magic took her life force with it, draining every ounce of herself into the wall.

Trulian shouted, having just realized that she was not coming back. But Mei was too far gone to stop. The wall would stay up. It would stay up until it was time for it to come down. And she would make sure of it, even in death.

51

The Shift

Arbor

Wynter raised her hands over her head. “Do you feel it? Do you sense the shift? It is coming.” Her voice rose. “It is coming!”

Arbor almost yawned as she stared out at the emptiness. The wall wasn’t something she could see as much as Wynter claimed to be able to. But she’d dragged a dozen of her best acolytes out to the wall on horseback to watch her wave her hands around. The people were getting restless. It had been nearly a year since Kerrigan had been here and performed her miracle. Arbor had asked Fordham to return for Geivhrea, hoping it would reenergize the people. But he’d had plans.

She couldn’t exactly explain her reasoning and why it was dire. The people wanted—no, needed something to believe in. Wynter was the face, but Arbor was making it all happen. The king was slipping from popularity. If she played her cards right, then she could depose him anytime now. Maybe they wouldn’t even have to wait for Fordham and Kerrigan to return.

“It is coming!” the acolytes chanted.

Arbor glanced at Prescott on the other side of the clearing. He rolled his eyes at her. She tried to hide her smile. Pres didn’t do the best job at hiding his disdain from Wynter. It hardly mattered. Sometimes, it actually made it better. Pres would come in all cold and aloof, and Arbor would bring the praise. It raised her in Wynter’s esteem with little work.

As long as she could keep Pres safe. He was the only person she had anymore. She’d kill Wynter and end the rebellion before she’d let her hurt her brother.

She had just looked down at her battered nails, wondering how much longer she was going to have to endure this, when a gasp rose from Prescott’s throat. She jerked his direction at the sound. It was so unfamiliar from his normal teasing voice.

Then, she gasped too.

“Are you seeing this?” she said, directed to no one in particular.

But Prescott was suddenly at her side, ditching the blonde who had been on his arm for the event. “I see it.”

Wynter raised her hands high. “The time is now.”

And the time was now.