Chapter 16 #2
When they were less than fifty feet from the top, Sofia told Chalia to slow down.
“Any farther up and we risk being seen or heard,” she said, out loud so the others could hear. “Are you both ready?”
“If I fall, I’ll just fly up,” Lumi said, shrugging. “You two need to be careful. I can’t catch you.”
“I’ll stay below until you tell me you’re safe,” Chalia said.
“Chalia will save us if we fall. But let’s hope we don’t need that.”
Sofia didn’t wait for her thoughts to catch up to her.
She found a few good handholds and hoisted herself onto the rock face.
The stone was cold beneath her fingers. She climbed, focusing on her feet with each move, trying her hardest not to think about the last time she’d had to scale a wall.
She’d been shivering with cold, soaking wet, and Fox had had to help her.
It was the first time she’d seen Chalia, though she didn’t realize it then.
Lumi and Flor clambered behind her, the scrape of stone and the light huffs of their breaths muffled in the wind, yet ever present. Sofia kept her eyes focused forward and up, on the lip of the cliffs.
By the time she made it to the top, her forearms were aching, and pulling herself up and over proved to be the hardest part.
She watched in mild bitterness as Flor and Lumi lifted themselves up and over with ease.
Lumi was barely out of breath. Meanwhile, Sofia could feel the burning in her chest that told her she’d pushed herself too far, as always.
She wouldn’t be able to run if they needed to. Which meant they couldn’t get caught.
They were at the edge of the royal district, the palace and its walls looming over where they sprawled. The grass was tall, covering them as long as they didn’t sit up. Sofia had hoped for the chance to take a deep breath and review the next step of the plan.
“Okay,” Sofia said. “Remember, we’re getting off the night shift from the Hill household—the wife is a midwife and is up at all hours, so they have staff throughout the entire night.
” She looked at Lumi. “Don’t make eye contact with anyone.
If they ask for our papers, we run before we fight.
If we get caught, you turn into a hawk and go straight back to Chalia. ”
“You will not get caught,” Chalia said, voice distant in Sofia’s mind. “And if you do, I’ll crash through the city.”
“The plan is not to get caught,” Sofia affirmed, knowing there was nothing she could say to win that argument with Chalia, especially after the wolfshifter incident.
Sofia mapped out the path to the nearest gate in her mind, and then they were off, keeping low in the tall grass until they were near enough to a street to sidle onto the stone walkway, as though they’d been there the entire time.
Sofia’s dagger was cold against her thigh, tucked into a strand of rope she’d tied there, beneath her loose trousers. She was grateful to have a fresh outfit thanks to Clarita’s work in trading with the other tribe.
In case of the worst, Flor had two daggers of her own, and even Lumi had tucked a small knife under their shirt. As long as the king’s men didn’t get handsy, no one would notice.
The moment the gate came into view, Sofia slowed, her heart racing in her chest. She kept her breathing steady.
This would be fine. She’d passed through these gates a thousand times before.
Two soldiers stood, backlit by the gas lamps along the wall, a small figure between them. Sofia thought for a moment it was a child, but no—it was someone on their knees. One soldier had a fist twisted in the figure’s hair.
And then she saw them. Or rather, she saw herself—her own face plastered across the wall in duplicate, the price on her head more coin than she’d ever seen in her life.
She threw out her arms, shoving Lumi and Flor back into the shadows of the alley.
“We need to find another gate,” Flor said.
Sofia didn’t answer, mind racing. She watched as one soldier reached down and groped the girl, jeering as she jerked. It was a farce of an arrest—a study in humiliation.
“Sofia,” Flor said. “We need to move now.”
Flor pulled her back, and Sofia felt her booted foot scrape against the ground. The sound echoed in the night like the roar of a dragon.
“What was that?” the soldier holding the girl asked. “Who’s there?”
“We need to go!” Flor snapped.
But Sofia couldn’t. Her face was everywhere. She doubted it would be any different at another gate. Even in the darkness of the night, there was no hiding her face from the guards. She would only get Lumi and Flor caught and arrested. More people hurt.
The guards had heard her. There was no escape.
“Don’t you dare,” Flor hissed between clenched teeth.
“I’m sorry,” Sofia said.
“You promised.”
Sofia felt the words like a knife. “I won’t let you get caught for me.”
“We’ll make a plan.”
“Show yourself!” The second soldier took a step toward their alleyway. Two more steps and he’d see them easily.
Sofia shook her head. Flor knew she was lying to herself. They didn’t have time for another plan.
“Take care of her,” she said to Lumi. And then she darted from the alley, drawing her dagger.
She managed to stab the guard closest to her in the leg as she darted by.
She ran.