Chapter fifty - four - finale part four

"Why can't we just attack the castle?" One of the shifters shouts across the tavern. "We've built enough resistance against steel, the arena is destroyed, and the queen's army has tripled down. We can easily end her."

A few agree, raising their tankards in unison. My eyes shift from Illias and Link sitting beside each other on some of the barrels. Link rests his shoulder upon Illias's while Rydan sits next to them, drawing circles with his finger against the bar top rather solemnly.

I frown, understanding that this is all also so new to him. Lorcan's death had taken a toll on him more than we'd all expected.

And Darius? He never came down from his room.

My expression smooths out, however, as Gus paces across the middle of the tavern, answering to the previous shifter. "And what is that going to do for the rest of the mortals? It will only make them despise us more."

That quietens most of us down, and I cross my arms over my chest, thinking it through.

"Sarilyn has rebuilt this kingdom to have everyone at her disposal," Gus continues. "With or without magic, she is still the most powerful person."

She also fled the arena as soon as the shifters attacked.

"Then she has to be afraid of something," Leira gathers from one of the tables. She's not wrong. I saw when the queen's cold façade cracked beneath my words the day I was sent to the dungeons. There is more to her that not even the shifter I'd spoken to knew.

"Or *someone*," I say, thinking I was whispering it to myself until everyone's gaze land on me, and I glower.

Clearing my throat, Gus smiles at me in a way that reminds me of my father, encouraging and attentive.

I speak up, "A shifter in the dungeons told me not long ago of how she'd managed to gain entrance to the Aisle of Elements. She obtained the northern blade and whatever happened with the Elves led to the king creating that forest."

A few exchange wary looks, and others mutter something about how I am the mortal Darius brought over.

I ignore it and close my eyes for a decisive minute. "I was told—" I puff a breath. "—That seers predicted a war against powerful beings." *A future I want to change.* "What if... what if we can get help, fix it, or prevent it?"

Gus's brows draw together. "What are you implying, Nara?"

Before I can answer the only idea I have, someone says it for me: "That we go to the Aisle of Elements ourselves."

We all look to the right as Darius makes his way past everyone's stares. Confidence brews within him and tumbles over each of us as he stands before me with his shirt unlaced and says, "And to do that, we need to go to the Elven king."

I narrow my brows at the smile taking over his lips. Though, I notice the darkness beneath his eyes, like he hasn't slept at all, before Tibith climbs up his arm and sits on his shoulder.

"Not a chance I'm going through those forests," The same shifter from before says.

"Then don't." Darius's eyes stay hooked on mine. "I'll go."

*Why am I not surprised?*

"Darius," Gus warns. "Your powers won't work in the forest—"

"No," I blurt out, and everyone's heads tilt my way, but I don't stray from Darius's eye contact. "He needs a trapper."

Darius lifts a brow at that teasingly.

"I know creatures and animals like the back of my hand. I'll go."

"Nara—" Idris says from behind, but Darius chuckles low, with a sardonic bite to it.

"Goldie," he says. "Not even Solaris knows what creatures lie in those forests. I doubt *you* will."

Oh, how I want to prove him wrong already. Calming my irritation, I state with sarcastic amusement, "Even if that's the case, why should you be the one to go? Are you going to charm your way through the forest? Enamour creatures and then do the same to the Elven king?"

He shrugs with such nonchalance before smiling at me. "If it comes to it."

I huff, knowing I should have seen that coming and whirl to Gus. "I'll do it."

"No, you can't just go on your own." Idris comes to my side, and I stare up at him as he grabs onto my upper arm. "I almost lost you to the Venators. I'm not going to lose you to the Screaming Forests because my sister wants to play the hero again."

"I don't want to play the hero," I say quietly, snatching my arm away. "I just want it to end."

The silence between us overlaps the other shifter's murmurs. I can see he's struggling to agree with me like he's always done. After all, he's only just gotten me back.

But he also knows when it's something I want to do.

"Seeing as we can't come to an accord." Darius claps his hands, and I twist to him. "And you know certain things about the queen, I—charming as always—suggest you, and I then go," he says and smiles. "*Together.*"

*Oh, for the love of Solaris.*

"Can I come too, Darry?"

I soften at Tibith's sweet innocence, and Darius looks to his shoulder with a playful grin. "I was already planning to take you, Tibith."

Tibith's ears flapper, and I sigh in defeat. "How long will it take us to pass the forest?" I ask Gus.

His forehead crinkles, marking the lines of his maturing face. "It depends." A pensive stare on the floor has me on edge. "No one has exactly lived to tell."

My back tenses at that as I inhale, and Idris curses under his breath.

"Wait." Leira rises from one of the stools as her eyes travel from everyone to me."There is a map. I remember my sister spoke of it. It's supposed to guide you through the forest with high chances of survival at your feet, but no one has ever managed to get it."

Surviving the Screaming Forests... I'll take any chance at it.

My mind flies to one possibility. Somewhere I've been multiple times, seen trinkets, jars and maps of all kinds, ones that didn't even look from this world. "I think I might know where to find one," I say.

"Then it's settled." Darius comes over. His words aim at me specifically as he towers over me. "We will leave here at dawn."


**Just one more chapter left! Can't wait to explain more over book two!**