His eyes widened. “In the compartment in the arm rest?”

I nodded.

He cursed. “She moved it then. That is not where I last saw it.”

I gasped. “You’ve seen it? Last I saw you, you hadn’t⁠—”

“I made sure I saw it.” He smirked and his cheeks flushed. “I had to be ready for your return.”

“Look.” I dove for my magic bag and reached in until the decoy page slammed into my palm. I pulled it out and handed it to him. “You and — someone — made this.”

“But before thee go a ruse to make, by heir and Aether a perfect fake. Will of magic, strength in deed, to replace in kind for which you need. Once thee find the page in question, the Tower makes the last impression.” He’d just recited lines from the final war prophecy. I must’ve made a face because he shrugged. “Are you aware of who I befriended during the One Hundred Years’ War?”

“King Henry, Edward, Riah, and Malachi—-to name a few.”

He smiled and nodded. “They ensured I saw the new prophecy on Henry’s arm prior to . . . you know—damn, I want so badly to ask about the Lancaster bloodline and Michael’s sword.”

I just grinned.

He watched me a moment, then nodded. “Okay. Anyways, once the new prophecy about the final war with my mother arrived, I realized that was the time—-and the war—you had come from. I recognize the meaning in those lines. So, three centuries from now I will make this decoy, but you will have to make the final changes.”

I grimaced as realization hit me. “That means I will have to hold both of them for at least a minute. And somewhere I can use magic.”

He pursed his lips and nodded then shoved the decoy back inside my bag. “This is going to be a difficult task. She rests on her throne nearly all night.”

I frowned. He climbed to his feet and began redressing. I was watching the view when he tossed my corset right into my face, no doubt intending to derail the thoughts already going through my mind. We needed to focus. We had a job to do. We’d almost gotten it last night. If Aelric had just not been a disgusting pervert, I might’ve done it.

I’d just finished lacing up my corset when something stung my arm. I gasped and yanked my sleeve up. My eyes widened. Valathame had sent another message. “Everest. Look.” I held my arm up for him to see.

He crouched down and read the lines out loud, “Call to the mist from where it sings, lured away from the seat of kings. So, she wants us to lure Sweyn out of the castle⁠—”

“To the Land of the Lore!”