Loelle’s voice was firm. “Pardon me, my lady, but there were signs.”
I wheeled my horse around to face her directly. “What are you talking about?”
“After you became the Infidante, Captain Tenger began learning more about Anaya. Many people believe the reason she had to pass the Blade to her servant, Risha, is because her powers were gone.”
Yes, that was the story everyone knew.
But Loelle continued, “Except that wasn’t true. Anaya had some magic in the closing days of her life; that’s how she was able to write in the rock of the dungeon walls. So why did Risha really have the Blade? It wasn’t because Anaya lost her magic.”
I was quickly losing patience. “Why was it?”
“Risha had to take the Olden Blade from Anaya, because she had begun to talk about what she would do once she possessed the Scarlet Throne, the revenge she would seek on all Loyalists, and anyone who failed to bow to her.”
“That doesn’t mean she was corrupted.”
“What else could it be?” Loelle pressed her lips together. “My lady, this magic now inside you is a weapon and it can be used for good or for evil. The line between the two is thinner than you may realize. Walk too close to the edge and you will fall.”
“You never have,” I said. “Why have you never been corrupted?”
“There is a reason,” she said. “The truth is that—”
“We should keep going,” Wynnow called back to us. I hadn’t realized we’d fallen so far behind. “The sooner we get to Brill, the better.”
Loelle glanced at me, a silent promise that she would explain when she could. I hoped the explanation would assure me that I was right to bring her along. Because my gut told me that I was headed into something far more dangerous than I was prepared to face.
Maybe I should’ve trusted Wynnow’s warnings after all.
Last evening, I’d successfully ignored nearly everyone in the Halderian camp, and I hoped for the same luck today. As angry as I was, as broken as I was, and as sharp as my sword remained, it was better for everyone if I kept to myself.
For most of the day, I rode with Trina and Basil at the end of a long line of Halderians. Trina had already tried several times to open a conversation with me, but I’d had nothing to say to her before. She should have no reason to believe that would change now.
Finally, she asked, “Can you at least put aside your suspicions enough to focus on why we’re here?”
I continued to ignore her, but Basil, who was riding between us, said, “She’s right, Simon. We must work together to persuade the Halderians to fight with us in Reddengrad.”
“Bring Reddengrad’s soldiers here,” I said. “If we defend the Hiplands, then the Dominion will never reach Reddengrad.”
Basil shook his head. “If our soldiers cross the border, the Dominion will interpret that as an act of war.”
“The Dominion is coming to make war on you!” I said. “They won’t care which side of the border you’re on.”
“If we are wrong, and I hope we are wrong, then we cannot give the Dominion an excuse to attack us.”
I sighed. “And if I am right, and you know that I am, then you have doomed the Halderians.”
Basil said, “Claim the throne, Simon. Then you can order them into Reddengrad, to fight with us. Behind our borders, at least they will have some chance of survival.”
“They don’t need me. If Commander Mindall cares about his people, then he will do what’s best for them.”
Trina said, “If we explain that helping Reddengrad is the only way to get the Olden Blade back—”
“No!” I couldn’t believe I had to explain this. “If they hear that Kestra doesn’t have the Blade, they will feel even more license to go after her.”
After a moment’s contemplation, Trina turned to Basil. “You need to tell us where it is.”
“I will, when I’ve got the Halderians’ support in Reddengrad.” Basil gestured at me. “You can make that happen now, Simon.”
Trina started to argue with me too, but through a clenched jaw I said, “Both of you listen carefully, because I will never explain this again. King Gareth adopted me as his son, but we never spoke of me inheriting his throne. Never. The day the Dominion came to arrest him, he gave me his sword and his ring and told me to hide and protect them with my life, whi