But as Trynne fitfully tried to sleep that night, she could not purge the words that continued to haunt her mind. Her father had been stripped of all sense of himself. How could they do such a thing? Owen had always been immune to the Fountain magic of others. Perhaps it had been managed with another relic of the Deep Fathoms. It was hard to banish the image of her father in a cramped, dark cell wearing a mask. The memory of her little brother’s wagon going off the side of the cliff. The feeling of helplessness was anguishing.

She had to return to Kingfountain to speak with the king, but she dared not leave Rucrius behind in Brythonica. There was no end to the havoc he could unleash on her people. With his power, he could seek out and dismantle the barriers that kept the tides at bay. No, he could not be kept in Ploemeur.

As sunrise finally began to cast away the shadows of night, she sat up in her bed in her nightclothes, staring at the brightening sky, arms crossed and resting on her knees. The realization struck her that she had defeated a portion of Gahalatine’s forces. The other three locations he’d attacked had been lost. What would Gahalatine do when he discovered the attack on Ploemeur had ended in failure? It was likely his first. A small smile twitched on her mouth, bringing with it a little shiver. Would he come for her himself next time?

Once again, her mind turned to the conundrum of Gahalatine. Though there was no doubting his ambition or his pride, there was goodness in him. Surely he had sensed that Rucrius was evil. Perhaps many of the Wizrs in his court were, but he lacked the power to overthrow them. He had sought her father’s guidance—and it seemed as if the Wizrs had kidnapped Owen to keep that from happening.

Was Rucrius right? Was Gahalatine in search of a consort? Would the emperor wish to make Trynne, who shared her father’s power, his queen? A small flush started on her cheeks.

Where was Gahalatine at that moment, she wondered. On one of his massive treasure ships? Back at the Forbidden Court speaking to his new hostages? Trynne imagined Lady Evie standing up to him in her outspoken way and the thought made her laugh.

She rested her cheek on her arms, wondering what to do. If she could not leave Rucrius in his cell, then she would need to take him with her to Kingfountain as her prisoner. She would not give him access to the staff or the scroll, both of which she’d hidden.

Rising from her bed, she quickly changed into a new dress and brushed the tangles out of her hair. If only there was a way to get Rucrius to volunteer the information she wanted. Her arm stopped midstroke, still holding the brush.