It gave me a small dose of satisfaction to join her, to prove them wrong in their judgment. Not that I could blame them for their assumptions. The feeling, although small, was so startling, so foreign, I’d nearly forgotten what it felt like to feel anything satisfying at all.

Helvectus squealed, his rosy cheeks rising as he threw his head to the side to give me a wet grin. It hurt to see him, to know who he belonged to. But what hurt the most was knowing I could never feel anything unkind toward him.

What hurt most of all was recognizing that I loved him, even if from a safe distance.

I returned his smile, and I then forced my eyes forward, nodding at one of the guards heading past who greeted us with a bow.

Carelda waited until he was out of earshot. “Hel snuck inside the chambers yesterday. I know it’s wrong, but I lingered in the hall after overhearing that the mortals have indeed moved on.”

“Moved on?” I could scarcely let myself believe it.

Carelda readjusted her squirming son. “It seems too good to be true, of course, so I stayed, hoping to know more because he won’t tell me.”

“Rorn will seldom discuss kingdom issues with his…” His wife, I nearly said, but she wasn’t his wife.

I was.

And that wasn’t entirely true. There was a time, though it had been some years ago, when he would tell me every thought he’d had, no matter how flippant and sensitive.

Understanding, Carelda slowed her pace. “So I’ve discovered. But if the humans have found entertainment elsewhere, then I am glad for it. We’ve endured enough.”

Footsteps echoed down the stairwell up ahead. As quietly as I could, I asked, “But where did they go?”

“Across the Night Sea. I don’t know for certain.” She eyed the stairwell, then stopped. “Just that it has something to do with a swan who weaves golden clothing.”

So baffled I nearly laughed, I made a face and bit my lips.

Carelda shrugged. “I know, but that’s exactly what I heard.”

“But how did Marvis even hear of such nonsense?” For surely, it was sadly nothing but nonsense. Our ilk were well versed in spinning fables and myths to lure and tempt the desperate and to weed out the wise.

“I’m assuming the mortal king has spies in this other realm, or he’s been in contact with people there. Rorn sent his own spies to the south to see what they could find when it became clear the attacks had indeed stopped.”

He’d sent our spies to Pelvorn, to Marvis’s territory. A gigantic risk, and one he’d not taken in many years.

We both stiffened as the encroaching footfalls neared.