Gwynith’s eyes widened. “But you’re the Lady of the Moon now. You’re the Queen of the Witches.”

Selena laughed and felt her own tension drain away. “That might impress them long enough to cool a cup of tea. After that, I’m just a Granddaughter again.” She smiled at Gwynith. “You don’t have to come. You can go north, or you can go home if that’s what you’d rather do.”

Gwynith studied the Mother’s Hills, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “We’ll go with you.”

Selena wondered, and not for the first time, if Gwynith was being so helpful to help her or to be able to send reports to the Hunter about the new Lady of the Moon. Right now, it didn’t matter. “Then let’s ride.”

Chapter 17

waxing moon

Liam leaned back in his chair and looked at the other five barons, who were once more gathered around his dining room table. He found it a strange twist of events that the Inquisitors’ attempt to kill him after the barons’ council earlier that summer had resulted in this delegation of midland barons arriving at Willowsbrook to find out why he, and Padrick, had left Durham so hastily. Because of that, the fate of Sylvalan would be decided here. “That’s it, then.”

“That’s it,” Donovan agreed, while the other barons nodded. “The midland barons will gather men from their counties and march north and south to block the roads to the midlands, using the Mother’s Hills as a natural barrier. The barons nearest the western bay will send men there to keep the Inquisitors’ army from coming in by sea. We’ll assume Baron Padrick will lead the western barons in defending the west coastline.” He raked a hand through his hair. “And if he truly does have the Fae as allies, he’s got a stronger fighting force than the rest of us put together. If you’ll write a letter to him, telling him our intentions, I’ll send a courier to Breton as soon as I return home. We can’t afford to have our plans fall into the hands of the Black Coats, so I’ll feel easier about handing the letter over to a rider once I’m back in the midlands.”

“I’ll write the letter this evening,” Liam said.