It didn't take Ellias long to find what he was looking for in the records Salestia gave him.

Unfortunately, what he was after was rumors. A story that only had a chance of being true. But it was Ellias' best chance at dealing with Val, and with her magic strengthening by the day, he was running out of time.

As the story went, during Roven's overthrow at Lukcastle—the home of Aelren's royal family—a few individuals loyal to the Halliarks managed to get their hands on the legendary sword Dawnbringer. But with the king and queen dead, and the princess only a toddler, they elected to take it as far from Aelren as possible to keep it out of Roven's hands, in hopes that one day someone could wield it against him.

The Iron Citadel was their alleged destination. While it should have been a simple task to keep the sword locked away in secret once they arrived, there was a reason word had gotten out. One of the Aelrish rebels had gotten caught up with fairy hunters and taken the sword on a trip into the caverns in hopes of killing fae with it.

The rumors conflicted on what happened in the caverns. The size of the battle, whether the Aelrish rebel survived, whether he'd successfully wielded the sword at all. But it was generally agreed that Dawnbringer was now in the hands of the fae.

If Ellias was going to risk a venture in the moon's caverns, into the heart of fae territory, he needed to be certain that Dawnbringer was down there. And the library records gave him something the rumors hadn't: a name. A fairy hunter who claimed to have witnessed the sword falling into fae hands.

Ellias spent an impatient night in his room at the inn, took breakfast in their dining room the following morning, and began his walk to the Iron Library the moment lightspeakers began raising the citadel's lights.

It was a short walk, no more than five minutes. It did give Ellias time to admire the lightspeakers' work, though. They couldn't vanquish the black skies above, but their abilities enabled them to lift the citadel's light levels to that of a sunny day, keeping its residents to the same twenty-four-hour cycle as those living on Earth. And when the sun shone on the moon's surface during the night, darkspeakers wiped it away.

The morning's golden light crept over spires across the city. Towers cast shadows over the smaller buildings around them. The citadel's tallest structure was the Governor's Tower, a structure that stood alone at the center of everything. But the Iron Library wasn't far behind in terms of height, thanks to the four towers that gave it resemblance to a small castle.

Ellias arrived at the library's entrance in time to watch Salestia unlock the door.

She was dressed similarly to how she had the day before, in simple trousers and a shirt, and a gold chain still hung around her neck. Whatever pendant hung from the chain was hidden beneath her neckline. There were no more clues about her power—or motivations—than there had been yesterday, but Ellias' gaze swept over her all the same, searching for...something.

"Morning, witch," Salestia said as she pulled the door open. Her free hand rested on her hip. "You have my book?"

"In perfect condition." Ellias drew the book from his bag and held it out to her.

Salestia gave it a careful look as she accepted it. "I'll admit I'm a little surprised, given how readily you broke in yesterday."

"I follow the rules when it suits me," Ellias replied with a sly smile. "If I gave you a name, do you think you could help me find someone?"

"My specialty is books, not people," Salestia said wryly. "But I know someone who might be able to help. She should be here shortly." She stepped back from the door. "Come in."

Ellias followed her inside and trailed behind as she crossed the library floor. His gaze darted up while they walked, instinctively scanning the library for anything of interest he might have missed the day before.

"What's the name?" Salestia asked when they reached the front desk. Rather than settling into the chair, she turned to face Ellias and leaned back against it.

Ellias stopped a few feet in front of her. "Merik Willems."

"Fairy hunter?" Salestia lifted an eyebrow.

"You know him?" Ellias asked.

"I know of him." Salestia traced a finger along the desk's edge. "Never met him, personally. Not sure how to find him, either, but my assistant should know."

"Sounds like he's famous."

"Not exactly," Salestia said. "Unless you're familiar with a certain rumor about the caverns."

Another hint that she'd been researching Dawnbringer, too.

"Does this assistant know a lot of fairy hunters?" Ellias asked.

"Oh, she's very knowledgeable about the community. But she's been forbidden from actually getting involved with them." Salestia's head tilted to the side. "Which reminds me, do be careful what you say in front of her. She's the governor's sister, and the governor isn't fond of people venturing into the caverns. Hunters need individual approval these days."

That could pose a problem. Ellias contemplated the most tactful way to ask Salestia how one might get around those laws. The front door opened before he could choose his words.

"Aza! Perfect timing." Salestia stepped away from the desk. "Our visitor is looking for someone, and I was hoping you'd be able to help."

Aza—ayoung woman who looked about Salestia's age—approached the front desk with a wariness in her gaze. Directed at Ellias. "What's the name?" she asked.

"Merik Willems."

Aza's brow furrowed. "Interesting. Well, fairy hunters tend to gather at a tavern at the south end of the citadel. The Fairy Fang. Merik's retired, but he frequents the place, too." Her arms folded. "Actually, now might be a good time to check. Current and retired hunters tend to gather in the morning to share news and stories."

"Excellent. Thank you." Ellias glanced at Salestia. "I suppose I'll find my way there, then."

"I can show you the way," Salestia told him. "Aza, can you and the other assistants manage the library for an hour or so?"

Aza's gaze darted between her and Ellias. "Sure. We'll be fine," she answered. "Do be careful, though. Fairy hunters don't like outsiders, and my sister's changes to hunting laws have made them more volatile than usual."

"Would they be more inclined to helping if there were a reward on the table?" Ellias asked.

"Oh, sure. If you can afford their price and want something from the caverns, one might be willing to fetch it for you. Even fairy parts themselves, which are technically illegal to obtain, now." Aza studied him for a moment. "But no amount of money will convince them to go anywhere near the Moon's Heart. If that's what you're pursuing, you're out of luck."

The Moon's Heart. The cavern where the fae king resided and the likely location of Dawnbringer.

One step at a time, Ellias thought as he looked at Salestia. Given the obstacles that stood in the way of acquiring the sword, it would be in both of their best interests to work together. The real question was whether their end goals were truly compatible. Ellias' plans were flexible, to a degree, but Salestia might have other ideas about what to do with Dawnbringer.

Though, if his growing hunch were correct, this could be the perfect alliance to truly change things on Earth.

"If that's all, we should be going." Salestia started toward the door. "Before those hunters scatter for the day."

Ellias gave Aza one last brief glance. Her eyes were on Salestia, her worry plain on her face. It wasn't enough to put any concern in his mind. He could handle anything they might run into at the Fairy Fang. He turned and followed Salestia out of the library, onto the citadel's streets.

"Seen much of the citadel, yet?" Salestia asked as they began the walk south.

"Can't say I have," Ellias replied. "I don't have much time to spare these days." He glanced sideways at Salestia, assessing her again in the brighter light outside.

He hoped to Wiv he was right about her potential. It was too early to be sure, but having someone with untapped soulspeaker power by his side could greatly improve his odds in dealing with Val, even if she lacked experience. And if she was truly interested in fighting for good, she would be easy to persuade. The fact that she'd offered to escort him to the tavern was promising.

If this meeting with Merik went well, Ellias would explain to Salestia what he was truly after. Invite her to help. And offer to help her train in lightspeaking. He needed to better assess how strong she truly was.

"I assume that means you'll be rushing back to Earth once you've found what you're looking for," Salestia said. Her eyes darted to the side, briefly meeting his. "But if you do have time for a tour, I'd be happy to show you around the citadel."

Ellias smiled as he looked forward again. "I hope I'll be able to take you up on that."

The Fairy Fang was the most notable building on its street. Its outer walls were painted with fae, all depicted to be as menacing as possible. Most had batlike or feathered wings, rather than the leaves or petals that were also common. All were flashing fangs and claws. And there were only the largest, human-sized fae to be seen, none of the smaller fairies that also inhabited the caverns. A large iron sword, stained with red that Ellias couldn't be completely sure was paint, hung over the tavern's door.

Themurals continued on the inner walls, resembling what Ellias imagined the caverns looked like based on descriptions he'd read. Stone covered in glowing moss and mushrooms. Colorful plants and luminescent bugs. "The citadel has some talented artists," he said under his breath as he and Salestia took in the scene.

"Indeed," Salestia replied. She nodded toward the back of the tavern. "That overcrowded table looks like a good place to start."

They didn't have to say a word to catch the hunters' attention. All eyes moved to the two the moment they stepped within five feet of the table.

"Can we help you?" a woman asked. A small dagger twirled slowly in her hand. The sleeves of her shirt had been torn off, exposing the strong muscle of her arms.

"We're looking for Merik Willems," Salestia said.

A man sitting at Salestia's left snorted. "'Course you are." He lifted his chin and moved his gaze to someone behind Ellias and Salestia. "Merik! You got visitors!"

Ellias and Salestia turned around in the same moment. The response came from an older man sitting alone at a nearby table, who lifted his mug and nodded. "Over here." His voice carried the weight of years of battle, and his skin bore scars that suggested he hadn't won all of them.

Ellias and Salestia exchanged a quick glance before approaching Merik. As they reached the table, Ellias noticed the man seemed to be holding something in his other hand.

"I think I know what you're here for," Merik said quietly. He looked the two up and down. "And I'm not discussing it down here." Rising to his feet, he added, "I live in a room upstairs. Follow me."

Ellias moved his gaze to Merik's hand as he and Salestia followed. The man's finger traced the edge of the coin he was holding. A coin that didn't resemble any currency Ellias knew. He did, however, recognize the sigil carved into it.

This was going to be interesting.

"Be ready," he muttered to Salestia.

"Why's that?" she whispered back.

"A hunch."

They followed Merik to the back of the tavern, through a hall, up a flight of stairs. When they stopped in front of a door, Ellias heard a creak from the other side. He tensed.

Merik pushed the door open. The room was empty.

"It's Dawnbringer you want, right?" Merik strolled to the center of the room.

Salestia glanced at Ellias as they followed him in.

"We're just looking for information," Ellias told him. "But yes."

"You trying to get your hands on it?" Merik turned around and eyed the two with a cold stare.

Ellias paused a few feet away from the man and gave him an easy smile. "Surely, that would be an impossible task, if the rumors are true."

"For most, sure."

Before Ellias could ask Merik what he meant by that, the light in the room intensified. He lifted a hand over his eyes as blinding white overtook everything.

By the time he could see again, he and Salestia were surrounded.

"Sorry," Merik said, now standing in the corner with his arms folded. "But being their informant pays well."

Ellias eyed the newcomers. There were nearly twenty. Dressed in plain clothes but armed with daggers, most of which were pointed at him and Salestia. A few were likely soulspeakers. That would be the real threat if they chose to attack. Nothing he couldn't handle, even if it meant resorting to a quick escape, but he did have Salestia to worry about.

And this was the most interesting thing to happen since he'd arrived at the citadel.