90

I pushed open the door to the balcony and stepped outside, immediately sighing with pleasure in the crisp, cool midday air. Enet joined me, then braced both hands on the railing and gazed out over the tree line.

“It’s beautiful here,” she said. “Colder than Askon, but just as lush.”

“I’ve read about Askon,” I said. “And pored over the maps and the few sketches we have. Your architecture is incredible.”

Enet smiled, looking vaguely impressed. “You’re interested in Askonian architecture?”

“It’s unique,” I said, “building around the trees like that. I hope to include some of that style if Efra continues to grow.”

Enet nodded. “What else have you read about Askon?” she asked.

I knew a leading question when I heard one. I stood next to her, gazing out over the tree line.

“There’s not much in the library,” I said. “Frasia hasn’t maintained a close relationship with Askon, obviously. But there’s some history.”

“History that led you to call on us rather than Osna, or Cruora?”

“We’re also both earth shifters,” I said. “Our two nations used to be connected by a land bridge once.” I thought back to the map I’d found in what felt like a different lifetime in Daybreak. But we both knew that wasn’t our real interest in Askon.

She sighed. “It’s good for Askon to maintain our historic reputation,” she said.

“Reputation?” I asked.

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean.”

No reason to feign ignorance. “If the jaguars of Askon are still magic users—the last real holders of magic in this realm—then that might be a way for us to build up our defenses against the Fae. Our wolves have no magic outside of our shifts.”

“It’s a fine thought,” Enet said, “but the jaguars are the same.”

I balked. “What? Everything I read said that the jaguars are holders of ancient magic. I understand the secrecy—if you wish to maintain the secrecy, there’s no reason to lie.”

“It’s no lie,” Enet said. She gazed sadly out to the horizon, and I knew then she wasn’t trying to hide an existing well of magic. There was too much longing in her eyes for that to be the case. “Generations ago, we did. But the art has been lost. We haven’t had shifters with the capacity for it. We have the records, the stories… But no practitioners.”

“I see,” I said. Disappointment swooped through me.

“Khainan is a good king,” Enet said. “I doubted him at first, when he took the throne as a young hothead.”

I chuckled. “Sounds familiar.”

“I thought it might. He wants to rekindle magic in Askon. It’s why he answered your call. A Fae presence in this realm might help us determine what happened to our magic. It’s unlikely, but it’s possible.”

“Does he want to work with the Fae queen?” I asked tentatively.

“No,” Enet said. “He’s curious. He wants to keep Askon safe. We both do—that’s our main priority.”

“That much I understand,” I said.

“But I’m grateful we answered the call,” she said. “Had the Fae approached Askon first, it’s possible his curiosity would’ve overridden his suspicion. Thus opening our doors to potential takeover.”

“That’s what we’re trying to prevent,” I said. “The potential for magic access would’ve just been a nice bonus.”

Enet laughed; it was a high, pretty sound. “He’s still curious, but he trusts Elias. He will always prioritize Askon’s safety. If you’re right about the Fae queen’s goals, Askon will come to Frasia’s aid.”

“Thank you,” I said. Some of the fluttering nerves in my stomach settled.

“Have you heard word of what is going on in Cruora?” she asked. “My scouts have heard whispers of alchemy across their borders.”

I started. “Alchemy?”

“Not natural magic, like Askonians once had,” she said, “but rediscovered magic. Created magic. Of course I can’t confirm this. It’s just whispers.”

I nodded as I turned that rumor over and over in my mind. Frasia had never had any alchemists within our borders, as far as I knew. Wolves were physical, tied to the earth, and we fought our battles with tooth and claw. But if the eagles were interested in developing alchemy… There had to be something we could do to stand against the Fae. With the scuffles between rogue wolves and eagles at the border, though, and the mess of what had happened in Shianga, it wasn’t going to be easy to get the eagles to hear us out.

“Come,” Enet said, “let’s leave the boys to their drinking and discussion. I’ve brought a few artists from Askon, and I’d like to have them perform for you this evening, if that suits you?”

“Artists?” I asked, sounding perhaps a little too overeager. “You don’t mean dancers, do you?”

“I do,” Enet said, pleased.

“Oh, gods above!” I said. I had to restrain myself from bouncing on the balls of my feet. “Real Askonian dancers? Oh, I’ve read so much about them—yes, that would be amazing!”

With the promise of an evening of incredible music and dance ahead of us, I was able to push my worries and fears to the side, just for a moment. Things I’d only imagined as a young wolf in Daybreak were now coming to my home. To my court.

That evening, Nightfall held a welcome ball for the Court of Askon. The wolves of Efra were beginning to heal from the havoc wreaked by the war in Shianga, and as a result there was a celebratory air in the city, as if we were finally rising out of the ashes. We had thrown open the gates to the manor, welcoming wolves of all social statuses to come in for music, dancing, and a spread of food carried by servants flitting through the crowd.