“No. We aren’t.” Bethany sighed. “Still, that’s a shame. She’s missing out by waiting until marriage to have sex. I get the sense she’d quite enjoy having her hair pulled.”

  Trent squeezed her gently. “Well, I’ll just have to make our wedding night special.”

  Bethany covered his hand with hers. “Just like ours was.”

  “It was wonderful, but I can do better than a tent in a field with the queen’s army chasing us. Once this is all over, you’ll get a proper wedding, Beth, in the Kallowhorn way.”

  “I’m not against it. You do serve awfully yummy cake. Yet given we likely won’t get married until after our first child arrives, a Kallowhorn wedding feels almost unnecessary.”

  “Don’t say that to my mother. You won’t like the result.”

  Bethany laughed softly. “You’re right, of course. Marika deserves to see her son marry me her way, and I’m sure my father would find it amusing. It just seems strange to think about planning something so mundane as a Kallowhorn wedding when we have a king to depose.”

  “A false king who is actually a devil mage.”

  “Even more to my point. And you now have a devil inside you.”

  Trent checked his mind. “He’s not awake.”

  “Even so. I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others, because I will always back your choices with the others, but I’m not happy about that one. It worries me. Spike worries me.”

  He squeezed her again. “Kari said much the same.”

  “And? How did you ease her worries?”

  “I swore to her that I wouldn’t accept anything else from Spike, no matter how appealing. Our deal is set in stone now, and it’s not going to change. Once I know how to use the same spell forms he does, I promised I’d release him. I won’t let him become a crutch.”

  “If you’ve already given her that promise, I won’t worry quite as much. But this is different from accepting Belgor’s dreams. Belgor’s not inside you, nor attached to your soul. If you start feeling different, or you start feeling like you should change your mind⁠—”

  “I’ll tell you. I promise. Yet I really do think Spike is benign. Call it... warrior’s intuition.”

  Bethany snorted. “Fine. You’ve made it clear you’re aware of the dangers. But the sooner he’s gone, the better. I don’t want him around our children.”

  “Agreed. If all goes as I hope, we’ll have Tallun deposed and Princess Victoria back on the throne before your due date.”

  She carefully rolled onto her back. “You really think that’s possible?”

  Trent adjusted to pull his arm out from under her and took her hand, then placed their joined hands between them instead. That was far more comfortable for them both.

  “Haven’t you and Victoria discussed our plans to retake Whitebridge?”

  “We rarely discuss politics. I get the sense she tires of discussing only that all day with her advisors. So we discuss everything she can’t discuss with them.”

  Trent’s brow furrowed. “So what do you discuss?”

  “Thoughts on our future, thoughts on books we’ve read, and our dreams.”

  “Like...?”

  Bethany poked him with a smirk. “I would be a poor lady-in-waiting if I betrayed my lady’s confidence. You know my dreams. Our tribe, and your legacy, growing and stretching across the ages. My first loyalty will always be to you, but I doubt you’d want me to share Victoria’s secret hopes and dreams without her consent.”

  “You’re right. I wouldn’t.” He kissed her hand. “I’m glad she has them, though. She’s often told me how heavy her crown feels upon her head, and how isolated she has felt as Dalry’s crown princess. I hope she can find some happiness on the throne.”

  Bethany nodded calmly. “I think it’s possible. I’m going to help her make it real.”

  “I’m glad. So, as to our war plans...”

  Bethany waited expectantly.

  “Until now, we’ve been gathering our strength and preparing our next move, but most of our preparations are in place. Victoria’s little birds have been spreading rumors about her return across Dalry, and rumors are rampant in Whitebridge. We’re almost ready to move.”

  “Yet Tallun will still claim she’s an imposter. Perhaps even Princess Ivy’s puppet.”

  “A claim that he will have to prove, especially as Lord Logan and the other nobles who secretly support Victoria grow louder. We have reports from Victoria’s little birds suggesting that with the exception of the Blessed Knights, most of the army bears no love for Tallun. Any who choose to fight for his cause will do so reluctantly, especially against their own countrymen.”

  “Yet they may still fight us.”

  “They may.” Trent squeezed her hand. “I wish I could say putting Princess Victoria back on the throne will be a bloodless affair, but that’s simply not realistic. Even with the forces we have now, we don’t have an army sizable enough to lay siege to Whitebridge or challenge the queen’s army on the open field. But we do have an army.”

  “And the aid of the death mage princess of Corrin.”

  “Yes, though we’ll only call upon Corrin’s forces as a last resort. Given how often soulless troops have attacked Whitebridge’s walls, having any Corrin presence there will send the wrong message. Once we announce that Victoria’s alive, with the aid of those already inside Whitebridge’s walls and the nobles, we hope to avoid a conflict and make Tallun stand down.”

  “If he thought significant damage would occur to Whitebridge, Tallun might have stood down for the good of Dalry. The devil mage won’t. So why not simply assassinate him?”

  Trent shook his head. “We can’t. Once he dies, we’ll have no way to prove he was ever a devil mage, and we have to assume other councilors or mages in his employ have been compromised by devil mages as well. Both Kari and Victoria still have suspicions about Executor Marsh of Cantor Academy. He’s backed Tallun fiercely since Victoria fled.”

  Bethany winced. “And the Primal Academy has yet to find their traitor. Whoever admitted Anton and helped forge his papers. They were never caught.”

  “Exactly. Even if we could assassinate Tallun, we would still have to make the people understand why, and there are plenty of people in power who could make that very difficult, especially if they’re aligned with Lord Adon’s devils. The most straightforward route to putting the princess back on the throne is rallying the people and the nobles to her side.”

  “And the queen’s army.”

  “Yes. All but the Blessed Knights remain in play, and even they can’t face the entirety of Whitebridge.”

  “What if Tallun simply flees?”

  “It’s a possibility, and it’s not the worst outcome. If he flees Whitebridge, it will seem like an admission of guilt, and once we spread the news that Princess Victoria is alive, everyone will know he lied about her being assassinated and about who did it. None will believe him then. Even Hesia’s rulers will be hesitant to take him in. His own order may cast him out.”

  Bethany pursed her lips as she thought over all he’d told her. “He must know this, though. He knows we’re out here. He knows Victoria is alive and he knows we’re planning to come for him. How do we know he isn’t prepared for all of this?”

  “We don’t, sadly.” Trent cuddled closer. “That’s one of the depressing realities I learned while at the Vespers. You can spend weeks planning an infiltration or assassination and practice it dozens of times, but the day you actually act, something unexpected always happens. All you can do is prepare as much as possible beforehand and be ready to pivot as needed.”

  “And the same goes for Tallun. He can prepare for Victoria’s return all he wants, but until we act, he won’t be able to act against us... or to execute whatever plans he has.”

  “That’s what we believe. There’s also the devil lords to contend with. Fortunately, it seems like they can largely obscure each other’s vision.”

  “Which means while Belgor can’t guide us, Adon can’t guide Tallun.”

  “Exactly. As Xorumon said, it will all come down to us. To mortals.”

  “It’s reassuring to know you’re confident.” Bethany closed her eyes and snuggled into his arms. “And I will be grateful once this is all over. I can’t believe it’s only been half a year since you had to flee Whitebridge. It feels like it’s been half a decade.”

  Trent kissed her shoulder. “I promise the rest of our life will be less interesting.”

  “I will hold you to that.” Bethany awkwardly rolled back onto her side. “Now, your wife needs cuddles, at least until I have to get up and pee again.”

  Trent cuddled close against her from behind, breathed in the smell of her hair, and rested his hand on her full belly.

  “Your wish is my command, love.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Trent was awake and on watch with Kari when they roused the others the next morning. He had managed to get a solid few hours of sleep between when he finished strategizing with Bethany and when Emerald woke him for his watch. He and Kari cuddled through the early morning, but refrained from more vigorous activities so as not to lose focus on their surroundings.

  After breakfast and breaking down their camp, they loaded Ruby up with packs and then had her turn into a sword. Ruby had been all too eager to carry the majority of their possessions on this trip, since she could turn into a sword and then Trent could carry her. It was the most efficient way he had ever found to travel with a significant amount of equipment.

  They reached a main road by mid-afternoon on the first day and managed to get to one of the republic’s small towns by walking past sunset. After these few days in the wilderness, having a warm bed, a warm bath, and tavern food was heavenly. Ivy ate more than even she expected, but her body was making up for eight days of sparse meals.

  Sleeping arrangements that night consisted of Ruby, Kari, and Revca in a room with Trent, while Bethany, Emerald, Ivy, and Sapphire slept in a second room. The Enchanter chose an entirely different inn so he could have a room to himself.

  While it was complicated, Trent found that having a foursome was actually easier than he’d expected. Getting Ruby off multiple times remained easy thanks to her unique condition, and Revca and Kari could share any orgasm he gave either of them over their mage bond. The fact that he could make Revca climax by going down on Kari was fascinating.

  Their second and third days of travel passed without incident as well, and Trent worried less once they were on well-traveled roads. Any forces Lord Adon or Tallun sent to intercept them would have trouble picking them out of the crowds, and the roads were also well-patrolled by the Cridor Republic’s soldiers. None were a threat to Trent or his tribe.

  On the fifth day after they had recovered Ivy’s soul from the Firmament, they entered the sparse woods surrounding an ancient set of ruins that hid an inactive portal deep beneath one ancient stone building. It was nearing sunset by the time they came within sight of the ruins, and Trent was very much looking forward to sleeping in his own bed with his wives.

  They had just entered the ruins when a glowing purple rune shimmered into view about twenty paces ahead of him. Trent froze, then called a halt that set everyone on edge.

  Sapphire drew Firebringer with a ring of steel and stomped forward in full murder mode. “What do you see? Devils?”

  “I’m not sure yet. Be ready for anything.”

  Emerald scoffed from behind them. “That’s not really helpful, you know. You could just tell us you have no idea what’s going on. Be honest!”

  Trent focused on his mage bond with Revca. “Strange rune ahead. Can you see it?”

  Revca walked up to his side and followed the direction of his gaze. “I see nothing.”

  “The rune wasn’t here when we arrived. It’s new.”

  Revca’s worry grew. “Lord Adon may not have known where we were going, but he knew where we had to return. Do we retreat and find another portal?”

  “Not yet. I know someone who may have more information.”

  Revca squeezed his arm in warning. “Do not ask him for anything.”

  “All I’m asking for is information, which I hope he will offer freely.”

  “Very well, husband. But remember your promise to Kari and the rest of us.”

  “I’ll remember.” He spoke aloud for the benefit of the rest of his tribe. “Enchanter, Beth? Keep to the middle of our formation. Ivy, Emerald, Sapphire, watch our perimeter.”

  As the others adjusted without complaint, Trent focused on the devil mage that had now taken up residence inside his head. “Spike? I need to ask you something.”

  A moment later, a faint chill Trent hadn’t felt in days returned to his skin. It was both disconcerting to feel the presence of a devil inside him, and also reassuring to know that he could feel the presence of a devil inside him. Spike’s calm voice echoed in his head.

  “Yes, Sir Marston?”

  The devil mage hadn’t lied to him. Spike had been asleep for the past few days. He had also come awake the moment Trent asked, which kept to the deal they’d made.

  “There’s a strange rune ahead of us, one I’ve never seen before. Have you?”

  Spike’s mood darkened. “That is a devil step.”

  Trent was both relieved Spike knew what he was seeing and worried that he was seeing it at all. “What are those? Some sort of spell form cast by devil mages?”

  “Yes. They allow devil soldiers to instantly teleport from one step to another, and there is rarely only one in evidence. You have walked into an ambush, Sir Marston. Alert your⁠—”

  “Mage!” Emerald shouted.

  A burst of purple lightning rocketed toward them, only to be intercepted by a similar burst, this one of a slightly lighter purple. The bursts cancelled out.

  In the same moment Trent realized that the Enchanter had intercepted lightning with lightning, a glowing yellow arrow zipped past him and deep into the ruins. A tiny burst of fire followed. In the distance, a devil mage combusted as one of Emerald’s arrows ignited his soul.

  Shimmers burst all around them, both on the devil step Trent could see and many others he couldn’t. Devils appeared, and these weren’t like the devil mages he had fought in the woods the night he found Princess Victoria. These were more sinister.

  These ones made no effort to appear human or mortal. They had yellow eyes, coal-black armor, and gleaming red blades—and they charged his tribe in terrifying silence. They uttered no battle cry. They gave no warning. They just rushed closer in a solid wall of red swords.

  The roar of flames behind him told him Revca was already reacting to devil soldiers that must be attempting to flank them on both sides. His only comfort was that the devil soldiers couldn’t attack them directly from behind. He had seen no devil steps there.

  Waiting until they were surrounded by devil steps must have been his enemy’s intent. Joining his soul to Spike’s had saved his life and his tribe. As Trent heard the angry shrieks of shadow souls, he knew Ivy was engaging the devil soldiers alongside Revca.

  Sapphire would be back there as well, wielding Firebringer with terrifying efficiency. Bethany was the only one without the ability to destroy devil soldiers, but she was with Lachlan. While Trent didn’t fully trust Lachlan, he did trust the Enchanter to protect his own life... and so long as Bethany stood beside him, he would protect her as well.

  As he pulled Ruby from his sheath and rushed forward as silently as his foes, Spike spoke once more inside his head. The devil was eerily calm, despite the situation. Then again, if Trent died today, Spike would simply get his dissolution sooner than he’d planned.

  “You will need chaos step to safely dispatch this many foes.”

  Trent debated for less than a breath as he evaluated the forces ahead. “Do it.”

  “You must allow me to control your body until the fight is ended.”

  Trent balked at that request, but then the devils were upon him. Even with Ruby’s training and reflexes guiding his agile body, the first devil soldier sidestepped his thrust with ease. These were no amateur soldiers, but experienced warriors with otherworldly powers.

  Ruby’s reflexes and training allowed him to avoid the devil’s follow-up strike, but the glowing red sword came close enough that he felt the wind. That had been too close, and Trent doubted being cut by those blades would simply make him bleed. They might disintegrate him.

  “Fine. Do it.”

  The moment Trent surrendered his body to Spike, he felt his arms execute a strange and satisfyingly fluid motion that he instinctively understood would allow him to execute chaos step... the spell form Spike had used to destroy those devil mages in the Firmament.

  As all colors faded from the world around him, that same world slowed like it might in a dream. The previously agile devils slowed to less than walking speed as their attempts to surround him grew clumsy and slow. Trent realized then that the world hadn’t slowed at all.

  He and Spike were simply moving faster than the eye could blink.

  With the sprinting devils reduced to a speed slower than a calm walk, Trent jogged toward the first. He couldn’t sprint himself while under the influence of chaos step. His body could only move so fast. It felt almost like running while underwater: possible, but slow.

  Even at a jogging pace, he was still far faster than any of the devil soldiers now standing practically still. He reached the first and stabbed it with Ruby. Fire ignited at the point of contact, but expanded so slowly, Trent realized it would take some time for the devil to burn.

  It was already dead. It just didn’t know it yet. As the colors began to return to the world and the devils began to move faster, Spike spoke again in his head.

  “Draw out its chaos ether.”

  Trent reached out with the hand that wasn’t holding Ruby and found a mote of purple chaos ether even now emerging from the slowly combusting devil soldier. When a devil died in this realm, it left chaos ether behind. He now knew that for a fact.