Heart of Ash (The Dark Arcane Series: Book 1)

Chapter Nineteen

The next few minutes were a rush of furiously scribbling down information and trying to read as many papers as possible. They worked diligently and efficiently.

No one had a smile on their face now.

They left the office soon after making sure everything was as it should be: papers restacked, locks relocked, and drawers shut. It was a quick, brisk walk to the gardens where they all but sprinted towards the wall, clambering over it much more ardently than they did previously.

Breathless, Nala gasped, "Follow me, I arranged, for the Shadows, a meeting."

Ashyn stopped. "I can't go to a Shadow meeting. I tried to kill the prince, remember? Not to mention I'm with the Ka l'asterei."

Besides, she didn't need to be involved in that hassle of the Shadows and impending wars and the north. Make no mistake, she wasn't thrilled about the news but she was still content just going to Thwail and lying low—and make no mistake, that was definitely what she was going to do.

"They don't have to know," Aviram said as he stopped as well, "and besides, you're human; they won't know about the Ka l'asterei."

Nala nodded. "I'll make sure Kade stays quiet. But you have to come with us now, we need to tell the Ender what we saw."

"I don't have to do anything," Ashyn retorted immediately, an eyebrow raised as she sensed she was being backed into a corner. If Meredith knew she had been to a Shadow meeting, she'd be laughed into the ground.

Nala stalked towards her, and hissed, "Now is not the time to be stubborn, Ashyn, we've just happened across war documents. If this goes ahead, thousands of people will die. We'll be conscripted for the war effort! It will be the Three-Day War anew."

"I have the backing of a hundred witches, powerful witches. Something tells me we'll be just fine." Even so, Ashyn stepped backwards.

"How—how can you be so, so—"

"Heartless? Coldblooded? Selfish?" Ashyn supplied with an arched brow. "Frankly, I don't care what happens to the north, or the people. I don't really give a shit what happens to me, so long as I've killed the bloody emperor first. If this is to be the Three-Day War anew, then fine."

"Please, Ashyn, we need the support, I-I didn't want to do this," she looked down, "but I know your name, your face. I could tell the guards you're the Ka l'asterei."

"Tread lightly, Shadow. I don't think you want to see what will happen if you break your word," she said softly, a dangerous small smile bared.

"Alright that was low, sorry, but—" Nala stopped as Aviram touched her shoulder.

He had come across as mostly quiet since she had met him, though he now spoke up.

"Listen closely, Nala has risked her neck even bringing you this far in the first place, so the least you can do is come along with us, and back our story. Because believe it or not, they don't trust us all that much; they don't trust anyone younger than themselves, actually."

She pursed her lips.

"And," he added, "it will piss off the others to bring a non-Shadow to a meet."