Niran said, “Well, we know it’s not mythical now.”
“So how do we get back down?” another Golden Islander asked. “Do the lines of force extend this far up? Can we sail along them or will we fall?”
Diar scratched under her head scarf wearily. “Hopefully it will become more apparent in the morning.”
“But we cannot leave,” Delin said, as a young Golden Islander put a blanket around his shoulders. “We must get the artifact away from the Hians. They brought it here in order to use it to activate some device that they believe is near. The weapon will kill all the Raksura, as well as the Fell, and possibly any other races descended from the forerunners or foundation builders.”
Rorra and the Golden Islanders stared at Delin as if they suspected he was out of his mind. Niran said, “Grandfather . . .” He turned to Moon and Stone. “This can’t be true?”
Delin said, stiffly, “Do not think I missed your implication that I am delusional.”
“I was not implying—” Niran began.
“It’s true.” Stone cut the argument off. “At least, it’s what the Hians told Bramble and Delin.”
“That’s the other thing we had to tell you,” Moon said to Jade. Chime covered his face and groaned.
Jade eyed Moon. “Is there anything else?”
“I think so,” Moon admitted. “A lot of things happened. Did you get the message we left at the river trading city?”
“We did, and it was not encouraging,” Rorra said. She turned to Delin. “The dead Jandera—Was it the weapon that killed them?”
Delin nodded grimly. “We were very lucky. Bramble was too near, and it almost killed her. If the Hians can use the weapon the way they believe they can—This is why the foundation builders locked it away, only accessible to their allies the forerunners. It does not work the way they intended. It is a terrible mistake.”
The silence stretched as everyone absorbed the implications. Jade’s spines flared as she thought furiously. She said, “The Fellborn queen couldn’t have known about this. Of course, she didn’t tell us about sending the kethel after you, either. When Malachite went back to the Reaches with her—”
Moon stared at her. “When she did what?”
Jade turned to him, then her brow furrowed and she looked at Stone. “You two need to rest. So does Delin. Go and take care of Bramble and Merit, and I’ll come and tell you about it.”
Moon stirred mutinously, but Chime took his arm and dragged him toward the doorway. Behind him, Stone protested, “I have to watch the kethel.”
Jade told him, “And you can do that, after you take care of the two Arbora who need you and get some rest.”
In the corridor, they passed the cabin where Callumkal lay on a bed of cushions with the Golden Isles healer and Kalam sitting beside him. Kalam had his arms wrapped tightly around himself, as if he might fly apart if he let go. It didn’t look good. It would be terrible if they had been too late and rescued Callumkal only to have him die. But at least he would be doing it here, with Kalam and among friends, and not as a prisoner of the Hians.
The next cabin was a larger room, with packs piled up against the far wall and blankets and cushions in mostly neat piles. Briar was in her groundling form, sitting with the two Arbora, looking worried. Merit huddled on a cushion with a blanket wrapped around him, half asleep, and Bramble had wet a cloth from one of the water jars and was giving herself a vigorous bath.
“The consorts need rest,” Chime told Briar, in what Moon felt was a far too urgent manner.
“We’re fine,” Moon told Briar, and sat down next to Merit. Merit leaned against him and Moon put an arm around him. “What is Malachite doing with the Fellborn queen?” he asked Chime. “Why are they going back to the Reaches?”
“I think Jade wants to tell you,” Chime said, not quite meeting Moon’s gaze.
Stone sat down heavily near Moon. Merit lifted his head, blearily confused. “What? Malachite’s not here?”
Moon eyed Chime suspiciously. He wasn’t certain if this was one of those “the emergency is over and now Moon needs to start acting like a delicate consort again” moments, or if this was part of the thing that the others knew he really wasn’t going to like. He doubted it was the former; there weren’t any Raksura here who hadn’t already had a chance to be judgy about his behavior.
Briar pushed to her feet. “I’ll get some blankets—”
“I’ll do it.” Bramble dropped the wet cloth and turned to the piles of bedding.
“She won’t sit down—” Briar began, waving a hand helplessly at Bramble.
Bramble snapped, “I’m fine! You’re not an Arbora, you won’t do it right.”
In a voice that clearly indicated the need for instant obedience or else, Stone said, “Bramble, I didn’t cross half the Three Worlds to argue with you. Come here and sit down.”
Bramble froze for an instant, staring. Briar and Chime watched her anxiously. Then she flung herself into Stone’s lap and wrapped herself around him. He hugged her close, then asked Briar and Chime, “What do you have to do on this boat to get some tea?”
“I’ll get it!” Briar whipped out of the room before Chime could move.
Moon told Chime, “Waiting for Jade to tell us is making it worse, whatever it is. Why did Malachite go back to the Reaches with the Fellborn queen?”
Chime sunk down to sit on the floor, and winced in anticipation of their reaction. “The Fellborn queen told us at least four or five Fell flights, maybe more, are gathering to attack the Reaches.”
Moon felt his chest constrict. Merit, still huddled under his arm, went still. He heard Stone let out a slow breath. Bramble made a noise of weary dismay.
Chime said, “We don’t know that it’s true, except, of course, it matches the visions the mentors had before we left.” He shrugged, clearly miserable. “It’s not as bad as if there hadn’t been any warning. From what Malachite told us, your clutchmate Celadon should be at Indigo Cloud by now, and Pearl agreed to let her bring all those Opal Night warriors. If the other eastern courts are starting to have the visions like Indigo Cloud and Opal Night did . . . They’ll be prepared.”
It took Moon a moment to fight past the lump of sick dread in his throat. He told himself, Chime’s right, we’ve known this could happen ever since the shared dream. Now it was happening. The court should be as prepared as it could get. He put aside all the questions that Chime couldn’t possibly have any answers to, and said, “How did the Fellborn queen know?”
“She said she has rulers who can listen to other flights.” Chime twitched a little at that uncomfortable thought. “She said the other Fell flights hated them, like the one they followed to the foundation builder city.”
Moon bit his lip and looked helplessly at Stone. Stone sighed, and stroked Bramble’s hair.
Chime continued, “Malachite found her and her flight when we were coming overland from isl-Maharat, before we got to the swampling port and found your first message.” Chime repeated what Jade had told him about the first meeting, then described the second, when the Fellborn queen had come to the wind-ship to warn them.
Stone was frowning. “When did Malachite leave?”
“Five—No, six days ago,” Chime said. He massaged his temple, as if trying to make his memory more accurate. “They were flying on a kethel, so they should be traveling much faster than they could on their own.”
“A kethel?” Moon said, startled. It was a relief to know Malachite was headed back to the Reaches. Pearl would have a powerful ally. “Not that we can point fingers about that, but . . . A kethel?”
Chime lifted his hands in a sign of resignation. “I know, I know. We were hoping to head back as soon as the Hians were dealt with. Niran and Diar were going to take the Jandera and Rorra to Kedmar for us. But if it’s true about the weapon, and, of course, we have to figure out if we’re really on the cloudwalls and how to get back from here . . .” He grimaced and added, “Oh, and the Kish in isl-Maharat didn’t believe Kalam and Rorra and Esankel and the others about the Hians, so I don’t know what’s going to happen with that. Maybe nothing.”