also move when the chief says ‘move.’ Why didn’t he?”
“You know he wanted the sky jewel,” Aaric countered. “He wanted it bad enough to offer me a place here. Maybe he wanted to make sure I’d find him again.”
Adaryn shook her head, only half listening to him. “And why was he looking at a map of Ruis?”
Aaric blinked. “Of Ruis? Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure. He and Father were looking at it when we entered camp.”
“You should ask him,” Aaric responded. He watched the river rush by, his mind dwelling on what Adaryn said.
“I think I will.” Adaryn stood, brushing dirt off her skirt. She turned back toward the encampment and froze, staring at something. Aaric turned as well just in time to see someone slinking off into the woods.
“Bran!” Adaryn called, fists on her hips. “Come back here, I know you were eavesdropping.”
Bran walked out of the foliage. “I was looking for Grace. Have you seen her?”
Adaryn shook her head. “Grace isn’t important right now. Why hasn’t Oisin moved us on?”
Bran shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.” He was lying, even Aaric could tell.
“Bran . . .” Adaryn growled.
He sighed. “Fine. Oisin plans to go to war against Ruis.”
“What?” Aaric and Adaryn spoke simultaneously.
“Why not?” Bran asked. “They’ve taken so many of our people. But we have the sky jewel now.”
Aaric’s eyes narrowed. “How long has Oisin been planning this?”
“. . . A while.”
“That doesn’t make sense.” Adaryn threw her hands up, clearly exasperated. “Oisin didn’t even think Aaric would be successful in his quest.”
“That was before you and I left,” Bran pointed out, arching an eyebrow. “We definitely improved his odds of succeeding. Plus, he was leaning toward war, anyway. They’ve taken too many of us. It’s time we fought back.”
“They will destroy you,” Aaric scoffed. “Your people won’t be able to withstand their superior weapons and the collars.”
Bran turned to him, his face flushed. “We have magic. And now my father has the ultimate weapon. We free our people.” He turned to Adaryn. “We can free Ember. You told me she was captive. Think about it. She was one of your best friends.”
“You knew!” Adaryn whispered, shock on her face. “You knew all of this before you even left to find us.”
Bran shifted, uncomfortable. “My loyalty is first and foremost to the clan, Adaryn.”
“I won’t allow this to happen.” Aaric stood and strode away from the river, in the direction of camp. “There has to be a more peaceful alternative.”
“He won’t listen to you, Aaric,” Bran warned, but Aaric ignored him. Oisin had to hear reason.
20
Adaryn
I started to run after Aaric, but Bran grabbed my arm. “You need to keep him away from the chief, Adaryn.”
I pulled my arm free, glaring at him. “Why should I listen to anything you have to say?” I said coldly. “Aaric may be one of us now, but you know as well as I that this will be unbearably hard on him.”
“Look, I know what I said when this all first started, but I’ve had time to watch Aaric. You were right. I know he’s different from the other Oppressors, but you’ve got to believe me when I say he needs to stay away from my father.” Bran’s eyes were worried. “The first opportunity Oisin gets to prove Aaric really isn’t one of us . . .” The unspoken implication hung in the air between us. Fear made my heart hammer painfully against my chest. I bolted after Aaric, calling out for him to stop. He didn’t pay me any heed.
As he reached the edge of the encampment, I caught up to him and grabbed him by a shirt sleeve. “Aaric, I think Bran is right,” I panted. “Let me handle this; you’re too new to the clan. Oisin won’t want to hear it.”
Aaric didn’t pay any attention to my words, and pulled me along until we reached Oisin’s tent. The chief was standing outside it, talking to a few clan
“You know he wanted the sky jewel,” Aaric countered. “He wanted it bad enough to offer me a place here. Maybe he wanted to make sure I’d find him again.”
Adaryn shook her head, only half listening to him. “And why was he looking at a map of Ruis?”
Aaric blinked. “Of Ruis? Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure. He and Father were looking at it when we entered camp.”
“You should ask him,” Aaric responded. He watched the river rush by, his mind dwelling on what Adaryn said.
“I think I will.” Adaryn stood, brushing dirt off her skirt. She turned back toward the encampment and froze, staring at something. Aaric turned as well just in time to see someone slinking off into the woods.
“Bran!” Adaryn called, fists on her hips. “Come back here, I know you were eavesdropping.”
Bran walked out of the foliage. “I was looking for Grace. Have you seen her?”
Adaryn shook her head. “Grace isn’t important right now. Why hasn’t Oisin moved us on?”
Bran shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.” He was lying, even Aaric could tell.
“Bran . . .” Adaryn growled.
He sighed. “Fine. Oisin plans to go to war against Ruis.”
“What?” Aaric and Adaryn spoke simultaneously.
“Why not?” Bran asked. “They’ve taken so many of our people. But we have the sky jewel now.”
Aaric’s eyes narrowed. “How long has Oisin been planning this?”
“. . . A while.”
“That doesn’t make sense.” Adaryn threw her hands up, clearly exasperated. “Oisin didn’t even think Aaric would be successful in his quest.”
“That was before you and I left,” Bran pointed out, arching an eyebrow. “We definitely improved his odds of succeeding. Plus, he was leaning toward war, anyway. They’ve taken too many of us. It’s time we fought back.”
“They will destroy you,” Aaric scoffed. “Your people won’t be able to withstand their superior weapons and the collars.”
Bran turned to him, his face flushed. “We have magic. And now my father has the ultimate weapon. We free our people.” He turned to Adaryn. “We can free Ember. You told me she was captive. Think about it. She was one of your best friends.”
“You knew!” Adaryn whispered, shock on her face. “You knew all of this before you even left to find us.”
Bran shifted, uncomfortable. “My loyalty is first and foremost to the clan, Adaryn.”
“I won’t allow this to happen.” Aaric stood and strode away from the river, in the direction of camp. “There has to be a more peaceful alternative.”
“He won’t listen to you, Aaric,” Bran warned, but Aaric ignored him. Oisin had to hear reason.
20
Adaryn
I started to run after Aaric, but Bran grabbed my arm. “You need to keep him away from the chief, Adaryn.”
I pulled my arm free, glaring at him. “Why should I listen to anything you have to say?” I said coldly. “Aaric may be one of us now, but you know as well as I that this will be unbearably hard on him.”
“Look, I know what I said when this all first started, but I’ve had time to watch Aaric. You were right. I know he’s different from the other Oppressors, but you’ve got to believe me when I say he needs to stay away from my father.” Bran’s eyes were worried. “The first opportunity Oisin gets to prove Aaric really isn’t one of us . . .” The unspoken implication hung in the air between us. Fear made my heart hammer painfully against my chest. I bolted after Aaric, calling out for him to stop. He didn’t pay me any heed.
As he reached the edge of the encampment, I caught up to him and grabbed him by a shirt sleeve. “Aaric, I think Bran is right,” I panted. “Let me handle this; you’re too new to the clan. Oisin won’t want to hear it.”
Aaric didn’t pay any attention to my words, and pulled me along until we reached Oisin’s tent. The chief was standing outside it, talking to a few clan
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