House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3) by Sarah J. Maas

“Avallen’s the opposite direction from the Eternal City,” Hunt growled. “We’d be taking you way too far north.”

Lidia shook her head. “It is useless to expend my time looking for a way to stop the mech-suits—a solution that in all odds probably doesn’t exist. I convinced the Ocean Queen that I’m of better use to her if I accompany you to Avallen and learn whatever you uncover there.”

“So,” Bryce said, “you’ve offered to—what, spy on us for the Ocean Queen? And are telling us about it?”

A shallow nod. “You’ve made her nervous, Bryce Quinlan, and that is not a good thing. But because I have … connections to your group, she’s seen the advantage in sending me.” A glance toward Ruhn at last. The Fae Prince continued to ignore her.

“Do you really think nothing can be done about those new suits?” Bryce asked. “They sound dangerous.”

Lidia’s face remained solemn. “Destroying them would require assembling a force to march on the Eternal City. A force we do not have. So I will be going with you, for the time being. Until we figure out how we’re all going to end this.”

Stunned silence filled the room. Tharion’s breathing hitched at the thought of what Lidia was implying.

“Well, great,” Flynn muttered, earning a sharp look from Lidia. “Are you on Team Archives or Team Caves?”

“That remains to be seen,” Lidia said coolly. “As it remains to be seen whether you can convince Morven to even allow you to enter either place. Especially if females are not allowed.”

“We’ll convince him,” Bryce said, flashing that disarming smile. Tharion didn’t fail to catch the suspicious look Hunt slid her way.

Tharion would worry about it later. His friends were leaving. And he’d remain on this ship, under the control of the Ocean Queen. It didn’t matter if Bryce claimed him as her subject—there was no standing up to the ruler of the seas.

It wouldn’t have surprised him to glance down and find his chest caving in.

But his friends continued talking, and Tharion tried to savor it—the easy camaraderie, the tones and rhythms of their voices.

Too soon, he’d likely never see them again.



* * *



“This ship is just one big version of the Astronomer’s ring,” Sasa said quietly from where she floated above the glass conference table. “Malana’s been sick about it since we got on board.” Indeed, there was no sign of the third sprite.

“Is she okay?” Bryce asked.

“She’ll be okay when we leave,” Rithi said, admiring her reflection in the glass surface of the table. But the sprite suddenly peered up at Bryce’s face. “When we’re in open air again.”

“That’s what we came to talk about,” Lidia said, glancing between the sisters from where she sat on the other side of the table. “Your next move.”

Bryce had been surprised and a little unnerved when Lidia had pulled her aside after dinner and explained her plan. Bryce had an intimate connection to the sprite community, and Lidia needed the triplets sent on an essential task. It would be best if that request came from someone they trusted, the Hind insisted.

The sprites now swapped looks. “We had planned to follow you to Avallen,” Sasa said, chin lifting. “Unless you would rather not have three sprites—”

“It would be an honor and a joy to have three sprites with me,” Bryce said, hoping her earnest tone proved how much she meant it. How her heart had been aching since Lidia had grabbed her earlier, and the memory of Lehabah’s beautiful face had glowed brightly in her mind. “And honestly, where we’re going, you guys would be super useful.” In the darkness of the Cave of Princes, even with Bryce’s starlight, three extra flames would have been very helpful. “But …” She considered her next words carefully.

Lidia spared her the effort. “Irithys is free.”

The sprites gasped, both going vibrant orange. “Free?” Rithi breathed.

“Escaped,” Lidia amended. “I helped her get out of the Asteri palace, in exchange for her assistance with rescuing our friends from the dungeons.”

“Where is she now?” Sasa demanded, flame warming—paling to a lighter hue.

“That is why we came to talk to you,” Bryce said. “We don’t know where she is.”

“You … lost our queen?” Sasa said softly.

“When we parted ways,” Lidia added quickly, as Rithi and Sasa were now turning white-hot with anger, “I suggested that Irithys go find a stronghold of your people. She seemed … hesitant to do so. I think she might be worried about how she’ll be received.”

The sprites bristled with anger.

“So,” Bryce cut in quickly, “we were wondering if you guys would go find her. Make sure she’s, ah … safe. And offer her your companionship.”

“Our queen doesn’t want to see her people?” Rithi’s voice was dangerously low, her flame still a simmering white.

“Irithys,” Lidia said calmly, “has spent the majority of her existence locked within a crystal ball. As you, perhaps, can understand better than anyone else on Midgard … to suddenly be free of captivity, to be alone in the world, is no easy thing. So I”—a glance at Bryce—“we are asking you to find her. To offer her companionship and guidance, yes, but also …”