“And you must bring peace in your realm,” Melisse said to Fern, her gaze then shifted to Elena to finish making her point.

“You say this as if I could snap my fingers and it would be done,” Fern stated irritably. “And if I could do that, it would be done.”

“You cannot, I know this. But you have dragons,” Melisse returned. “Use them.”

“Melisse,” Elena whispered, never having been at one with the idea of using the incalculably destructive powers of those creatures.

“It is not only castles and keeps you can reign fire upon, sister-daughter,” Melisse told her. “There are fields of grape and groves of olives, mines of salt, and much more, the loss of which will be felt dearly.”

“Cassius is bestowing the land to the people who work it,” Elena replied. “If it is destroyed, now it is they who would feel it most.”

“Right.” Melisse considered this as she looked amongst the witches. She then came to a decision. “We have the power to come here. Lena, you and I will use it to go to Lord Felix’s hall. We see to it that it’s cleared. And then Frey can call his dragons.”

“The stones strengthen us as we’re here,” Rebecca pointed out. “Such transport would be incredibly draining if it is not done to the stones. It would take months to replenish it. This is why we do not do it.”

“And we are saving our magicks for what?” Melisse asked.

“To defeat the Beast,” Rebecca answered.

“And what do you think I’m talking about?” Melisse pressed. “Cassius and Elena, and the rest of them for that matter, cannot have their minds divided. Nor their efforts. If this unrest is not quelled, the Allied Gentry could use Cassius’s distraction with the Beast to press forward their interests.”

“That would be foolhardy,” Lena murmured.

“And these men are bastions of intelligence?” Melisse queried.

For the first time, the women amongst the stones quirked smiles.

“Should you be in the field on such a mission?” Nandra asked. “After what befell you from The Rising, are you at your full strength?”

“Does it matter when things need to get done?” Melisse asked back.

“Yes, if you were to fail in the mission,” Nandra returned.

“I will not fail,” Melisse declared in a manner that not another woman thought to press that particular subject.

“I will hasten to bring to fruition my mission in Dunlyn,” Fern decreed.

“You should abandon it altogether,” Elena advised.

“I do not intend to remain in the services of my Regent’s forces after this is over, Elena,” Fern replied quietly. “Thus, if he wishes to punish me for insurrection when all is said and done, I will accept whatever punishment he chooses. But the work of my women must reach completion in Dunlyn.”

“Can you explain why?” Farah queried.

Fern looked to the Dellish Queen.