To Kill A Kingdom | ACOTAR

Chapter 8 - "You shouldn't eavsdrop on such things."

They had gone out to dinner in Velaris - and she found that it truly was a beautiful city. It was utterly beautiful, and peaceful. But while everyone else was distracted by eating and talking with one another Evette and her uncle slipped out into the city so they could talk without Magdelena or Mor understanding.

They were just a street down, and across the way. "So, what did Elexina tell you?" Her uncle asked her.

"She told me that her coup failed. And that Emory tried killing mother, that she's only alive because of you." Evette explained to the man. "She said that Roan got injured by Julius. And that she and Caspian got away."

Her uncle gave her a nod. "That is all true." He told her. "Dulcamara got away with Julius and Caspian, and Emory is currently imprisoned in the dungeons of the castle. Not in prison, unfortunately."

"So, what happened?" Evette asked, and as she did she saw that the shadows around them rippled and knew it was Azriel probably listening in. "Talk in our mother tongue - the Shadowsinger is too nosy for his own good."

"Well, there was a lot of fighting in the castle that night...she had the Tattoon on her side, so that was interesting." He explained to her. "There was fighting, and many of us were fighting through to try and get to you or to find you before any of them did. But then your brothers joined, and informed those of us searching that they had you flee. But once she figured you were gone, she turned her attention upon your brothers and mother."

"Dulcamara went head to head with Kaladin, and she pretty much lost to him and his shadows." Her uncle explained to her, and Evette wasn't too surprised. Kaladin had to be the best magic user she had ever met. "Caspian was missing for a while...for most of the battle. Emory went for your mother along with four of the best Tattoon. And, Julius...he went for Roan."

"Valarian followed them when they left...he got the information that Caspian had sent you to the human lands." He explained to her. "He left them at that moment to tell us, and Evander and Kaladin left instantly to try and find you. Everything is fine back home - except Dulcamara, Julius, and Caspian are missing. We can't find them."

"And Roan?" Evette asked him curiously, as he hadn't mentioned if he was fine and healed yet.

However, her uncle's amber eyes lost some of their glow and his expression fell, making dread settle into her very being. Her heart raced, and her eyes widened slightly. "And Roan?" Evette demanded of him sharply. "He's okay? Elexina said it looked okay...that he was fine. Is he okay?"

"He was." Her uncle replied, and she swore she felt her heart stop.

"Was?" Evette asked, her voice shaky and strained. Her voice wobbling.

"He's alive." He told her with a heavy sigh, and shook his head. "He was looking to be fine, but then things changed shortly after Elexina returned from here. He's got iron poisoning...Julius somehow poisoned him with it."

Evette lifted her hand to her mouth and covered it, as tears stung her eyes. She began to shake her head gently. No Fey who had ever been poisoned with iron had ever survived before. "No." Evette whispered. "But...no one's survived that. Roan - "

"He's survived longer than anyone else who has ever had it." Her uncle told her. "Many are working tirelessly to help him. To save him. Evander and Kaladin haven't had proper sleep in weeks, months even, with Roan on the verge of death and with you still in the lands of our lifetime immortal enemies. But they're working tirelessly with the healers to save him as well."

"And...and do you think he's going to survive?" Evette asked in hope and desperation.

But she felt her uncle's doubt. She felt his worry, and his concern for Roan.