Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Ladon
The gathering hall wasn’t nearly as crowded as it had been on the evening of our arrival. This morning, there were only a few soldiers present outside of our travel group. The others were busy with their regularly scheduled duties.
We’d only been in Fort Malek for one day and I was already getting anxious.
I was impatient to move on and find the cure to wake my brother, but we were still waiting on a response from Murvort.
It was unreasonable to expect them to reply so quickly, of course.
Part of me wanted to waltz right into their territory without permission, but that wouldn’t help us get what we wanted in the end.
Three dice clattered on the table, one landing right next to my empty plate.
Marco and another soldier, Jensen, simultaneously moaned.
Emilie held out her hand, and each of them took a turn handing over an item.
Marco gave her a small leather coin purse—he’d already given her all the coins that it previously held—and Jensen handed her a pearl-encrusted pendant.
I watched as she cheerfully collected her winnings and slipped them into her pocket. “Do you want to play again?” she asked.
Marco’s face fell, and Jensen searched his pockets for anything to wager with, coming up short. Then they made excuses for why they couldn’t stay.
“I forgot I’m supposed to be meeting Dax.”
“I’m going to grab something to eat.”
They fled the table a little too eagerly, and Emilie leaned forward with her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm. She looked quite pleased with herself, and I had a hunch there was more to her cheery mood than her winnings.
“I thought you said you’d never played before.”
She smiled. “I haven’t.”
I narrowed my eyes, but she remained firm in her position. “So I’m to believe that you cleaned out their pockets on pure luck?”
Her eyes twinkled in the most mesmerizing way, drawing me in. “I said I’d never played before. But I’ve watched my brother and his friends play many times. They never let me join, but I learned well enough as a spectator.”
My brow rose in surprise, and a genuine laugh escaped my lips. “Emilie Duval, did you just hustle them?”
She shrugged. “Is it hustling, or did they simply not ask the right questions?”
“Remind me never to underestimate you.”
“I would’ve thought you already learned that by now,” she said with a subtle smirk.
Oh, Emilie. I’d learned a hundred things about her, and I wanted to discover a hundred more.
I shifted closer, leaning into her space. “I have.”
Her eyes softened from mischief to something more contemplative, and I would’ve given anything to be inside her mind. To ask for a single shred of honesty. But at that moment, I glimpsed Aubrey approaching the table with a small envelope in her right hand.
Reluctantly, I put some space between myself and Emilie, and she noticed, peering over her shoulder to find the reason for my retreat.
“Aubrey,” I said by way of greeting. “Do you have news for me?”
“A falcon just dropped it off,” she said, handing me the letter. I ripped open the seal and let the parchment fall open.
“Well, what does it say?” Aubrey asked before I’d even made it past the first line.
Dear Ladon,
I would be honored to welcome you into my home and discuss important matters regarding our mutual welfare.
However, I insist that you limit your entourage to no more than five individuals.
I’m sure you understand how delicate our situation is, and we cannot invite discord into our region while we work to strengthen and rebuild.
Should you accept these conditions, you will find guides waiting for you at the border near Fort Malek in two days’ time.
Sincerely,
Jesse Holden
“He says he’ll meet with us.” I checked the date on the letter and added, “Tomorrow.”
“That’s great news,” Emilie said.
“But only five can accompany me.”
She narrowed her eyes. “That’s ridiculous. It’s not safe. That was the entire purpose of bringing a dozen with us this far.”
I frowned and reread the letter. She was right, but what choice did I have? I couldn’t say no, not when Jesse was willing to meet and discuss matters civilly. Saving Cyrus’s life was worth the risk.
“You’re not seriously going to wander into Murvort with only five soldiers, are you?”
“Three,” I replied.
Her eyebrows rose to a comical height.
“I assumed you would want to come with me. And Marco needs to come since we’ll need his expertise. So there’s room for three soldiers.”
“This is insanity.”
I nodded. The thought of returning with so few defenses left me on edge; perhaps she was feeling the same way. I lowered my voice. “Are you scared?”
A pit in my stomach told me this was a terrible idea, but I had a habit of ignoring it. It came with the territory of being High Commander. Every decision was one that could lead to fatalities, including my own, so I’d learned to dismiss the foreboding signs and use my head instead.
“I… I’m terrified.” She pointed a finger at my chest before I could tell her to stay behind. “But I am going.”
“You don’t have to. If it’s too much, you can stay here.”
“I’m not staying behind while you walk into enemy territory. I’m not letting you leave my sight.”
I glanced around to see if anyone was watching before brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. I couldn’t remember anyone ever being so concerned about my wellbeing, except maybe my mother. It was infinitely more adorable coming from Emilie. “I won’t leave you behind.”
“Is that a promise?” she asked, and the question in her eyes spoke far beyond this instance.
Promise never to leave me behind. Promise to always choose me. No matter the cost.
“I promise.”
Our group was ready to go before dawn the next day.
The world was eerily still while I waited at the border with Emilie, Marco, and three soldiers—Bianca, Aven and Mira.
Our horses were resting, drinking from the narrow stream nearby.
The stone bridge ahead of us was the only crossing for miles.
It had once connected our two countries, but now it was crumbling and overgrown with weeds.
The journey would take two days, if I remembered correctly. I had been partially out of it after our escape from Reyna’s clutches, but I recalled spending at least one night in the mountains before we crossed into Osavian territory.
“How much longer do you think it’ll be?” Aven asked, picking at the dirt under his nails.
To the untrained eye, he seemed bored, but he was one of my best intelligence soldiers.
He had an average build, with some muscle, and he wasn’t noticeably tall.
His brown hair and brown eyes, with no distinguishing tattoos, scars, or other markers made him blessedly forgettable.
He blended in perfectly wherever he went and had a habit of hearing conversations never meant for his ears.
He was keen on picking up things others couldn’t detect, which is why I had chosen him for this mission.
“We’ve only been here for fifteen minutes,” Bianca replied.
I had to admit I didn’t know Bianca well, but Emilie recalled her from the battle we’d fought, and she trusted her. It felt right to give Emilie one more person she could rely on while we both faced one of our worst fears—returning to Murvort.
“They didn’t specify a time,” I said. “We’ll wait all day if we have to.”
Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait much longer. About half an hour later, leaves began to rustle on the other side of the stream, and we all went on high alert.
“There,” Mira said, pointing to a spot straight in front of me.
Squinting, I did my best to find the source of the noise, but the shadows hid our newest visitors well. I shook my head and turned back to Mira. “I don’t see anything.”
Her hair, so dark blue that it was almost black, was tied into a knot at the nape of her neck, and I could just spot the tip of a tattoo peeking out of her jacket and curling around her ear. She was rough around the edges, but she was reliable and a valuable ally to our mission.
She was an earth wielder like me, and I wasn’t too proud to admit that she was much more powerful than I was. Her ability to wield the elements was not limited to dirt and mud. I’d seen her morph stone into a dozen javelins and send them flying with ease.
Before Mira could help me spot the hidden figures, three individuals cloaked in black, masks covering half of their faces stepped out from behind the trees. Moments later, another set of three came out from the left, and three more ventured into view on the right.
They formed a menacing half-circle, and if I hadn’t spent most of my life in the military, I might’ve been intimidated. Since I was the High Commander, I was confident we could take them if necessary.
The person in the center took a few steps forward and lowered their hood and mask, revealing a man with no hair and only gray stubble on his chin. Half his face was disfigured, as though it had been severely burned.
“Ladon Castelli?” His voice had a rasp to it, and I wondered if his esophagus also bore the scars of flame.
I raised my chin and met his gaze. “I am Ladon.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His eyes moved over our group, counting to ensure I had obeyed Jesse’s command for a limited entourage. “If you are ready, follow me.”
Before he could fully turn around, I said, “Excuse me. You haven’t given me your name.”
His expression was blank when he said, “I am nameless.”
I exchanged a look with Emilie, and she looked as wary as I did. She licked her lips and donned a brave face, grabbing her bag before moving toward her horse.
The nameless man held up a hand. “You won’t be needing those.”
“The horses?” Marco questioned.
“Yes. The path will not accommodate such beasts. You’ll need to leave them behind.”
I sighed. Every second that passed had me questioning this mission. I was only given five accomplices, and now we had to carry on without the horses. The animals would be sorely missed if we needed to flee.
“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. I patted my horse behind her ear and murmured, “Return home.”
She may not have understood the words, but she understood my intent. She gave a high-pitched whinny before trotting off, the other horses travelling closely behind, while I crossed the stream with the others to follow the nameless.
It didn’t take long to understand why we needed to leave the horses behind.
The nameless took a path that was completely unknown to me.
Rather than taking the old, abandoned road that connected with the bridge, we immediately veered off the path and into the woods.
The pines here were dark, with almost black bark and leaves that ranged from navy to violet before disappearing altogether.
Once the dead trees thinned out, the mountains came into view. The ground turned to stone rapidly, a clear delineation of where the mountain range began.
The nameless trudged between two ridges, heading up at a rapid incline.
While I missed my horse, her hooves would’ve been no match for this marble-like stone.
Even I was having a hard time keeping my footing.
At one point, Marco began to slip, but Mira quickly transformed the stone beneath him into a perfect step, allowing him to regain his balance.
After that, perfect notches appeared in the mountainside that made it easier for us to climb, and I made a mental note to add a bonus to Mira’s salary.
We climbed higher and higher, losing track of time. The clouds were heavy over Murvort and made telling time an impossible feat. My toes and fingers were like ice, and I was certain everyone else resented the bitter winds too, though no one complained.
Emilie stumbled in front of me, and I braced her back with my hand. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she said, barely sparing me a glance. Her attention was devoted to the treacherous path ahead, but I kept close behind her.
“We’re almost there,” the nameless shouted from up ahead.
Almost there? It wasn’t possible. Even if we hadn’t taken the roads, it was inconceivable that we would be approaching the Lemaire estate.
While I was busy contemplating how we could’ve accomplished such speed, the ground beneath me evened out, and I stood face to face with a massive slate gray door carved into the mountain.
I moved past my companions until I approached the nameless, prepared to defend the people behind me. “What is this?”
“This is one of the many entrances to the tunnels. As I understand it, you are familiar with such underground routes.”
“I am.” Although I hadn’t realized they extended so far. “How far out are we?”
“The tunnels are a shortcut, but it is still another day of travel until we meet Sir Holden.”
My muscles stiffened. An entire day of travel beneath the mountains, wandering the dark caverns that had haunted my nightmares for months. This destination was inevitable, but I thought I had another day to mentally prepare.
Behind me, I felt something, or someone, shift. I knew without turning around that it was Emilie who now stood in my shadow. I could sense her, could feel the comfort of her hand even if she refrained from touching me in front of everyone.
Together. We would do this together.