It was hard for me to sit still and wait. My nature usually required that I do something; it was why I’d had such a difficult time in Alabama. At least while there, I’d known my patience would pay off for the twins’ safety. Here, I was constantly pressed with the knowledge that every day meant more of Varia’s reign, more suffering in the blight, and more dangers for my friends.

As evening fell and my cell darkened, I summoned Volusian back. Maybe it was a trick of the lighting, but his appearance seemed more substantial now. “You can move around this hallway. I want you to go and talk to each of the monarchs and give them a heads-up on what’s going on. Tell them there may be a commotion soon and that we’ll be freeing them from their chains to go take on Varia and the blight once and for all. Let them know I’ll have more details when the time comes.” God, I hoped that was actually true. “Give them my description so they know I’m the one with instructions. And Dorian. Give them his description too. In fact, go to Dorian first and catch him up on everything. He may not know about our fellow cellmates. And tell him I talked to the bird.”

Volusian gave me a long-suffering look. “This may be a new low for me, mistress.”

“Hey, it’s necessary for the bigger plan. Besides, I figured you’d be all about getting closer to our endgame with Varia. I thought you wanted to prove something to these Yew people.”

His eyes narrowed. “Mistress, you have no idea just how much I want that.”

He vanished, and I was left alone again. I didn’t know how many monarchs were in the hall exactly, but it took a while for Volusian to make the rounds to them and Dorian. I had actually dozed off when my minion returned. Waking up to those red eyes in a dark room is not a fate I’d wish on anyone, not that I let him know how much it freaked me out.

“And?” I asked. “How’d it go? Did you talk to everyone?”

“Yes, mistress.”

“How many others are there besides Dorian and me?”

“There are five.”

Five. Somehow, I’d been hoping for a dozen or so. Still, five gentry with magic on par with Dorian and me were nothing to scoff at. We could do some serious damage to this place. “Did they say they’ll help?”

“Three were quite zealous. I believe they would have attempted an escape right then, with or without a plan. The other two have been here a considerable time. Their spirits are broken. They were listless in responses, seeming to have little hope that we could actually accomplish anything.”