Chapter 26
I can’t catch my breath, but I force my head up.
What I see nearly makes my heart stop. Elowen is behind the man with something in her hands; I can’t see what.
She hits him with it. I’m already moving when he whirls around.
All the pain fades away as adrenaline courses through me; he will not hurt Elowen or Auri.
I push myself to my feet. The world tilts around me for a moment, but I blink and move.
I don’t have either of my daggers, but that doesn’t stop me.
I shove Elowen out of the way and plow into him, knocking both of us to the ground.
He grunts, and I follow the fall with a punch to his jaw.
I jump to my feet and stomp on his hand, making him release his knife.
I lunge for it and snag it, but he kicks it out of my hand before I can use it.
I scramble after it, but he grabs me by the hair again, yanking me backwards.
It feels like he pulled my hair out by the roots.
His arm is around my neck before I realize what’s happening.
I elbow him, but he only tightens his hold.
My vision goes blurry as I try to pull his arm away from my throat.
But he’s just too strong for me. One minute, the world goes hazy; the next, the pressure is gone and I can breathe.
I bend over and gasp for air. I’m aware of a battle going on behind me, but it takes a moment for my vision to come back.
When I turn around, it’s to watch Rauk brutally end the life of the man that was attacking me.
He whirls towards me and is at my side in two steps. “Where’s Auri?”
My voice doesn’t work yet, so I just point. He’s in front of the wardrobe a moment later, yanking the door open. She screams, and it reverberates through the room. “It’s me,” Rauk says in a low voice.
“Rauk!”
He lifts her into his arms and then spins around.
He’s at Elowen’s side a moment later, helping her to her feet.
He pulls her close, and there’s silence except for Auri’s quiet crying.
“You’re okay,” Rauk says in a low voice.
I watch the three of them from where I am on my hands and knees, and relief crashes through me.
They’re all alive. Rauk turns suddenly, and his eyes meet mine. I push myself to my feet.
Elowen turns to me. “Harper, get over here,” she says in a shaky voice.
I stand there a moment, unsure. Rauk makes the decision for me.
He walks over to me, bringing Elowen with him and Auri, who he’s still carrying.
He wraps a powerful arm around me and pulls me into their circle.
My heart is still hammering out a panicked rhythm, and I try to catch my breath.
Elowen puts her hand on my cheek. “Are you okay, Harper? He got you pretty good.”
“I’m fine.”
“You sure?” Rauk asks. I turn to look at him and find his head only a few inches from mine.
“Yeah.” I put my hand on Auri’s back. She hasn’t lifted her face from where it’s buried in Rauk’s neck. “You okay, Kiddo?” My voice is still hoarse from nearly being strangled to death.
“Yes,” she sniffles. “Are you?”
“Yeah. We’re all safe. That’s what counts.”
The sound of footsteps outside the room brings our happy reunion to a swift end.
Rauk whirls around and wordlessly shifts Auri into my arms. I don’t even think about it as I take her from him.
“Stay here,” he says quietly near my ear.
And then he’s gone, like a shadow in the night.
I stay still, trying to listen. When I hear low voices, I relax.
Rauk comes back into the room a moment later.
In the light of the fire, I can see Thorne is with him as well as another guy.
I think maybe it’s the guy I first saw with Thorne the day I walked into the center of town.
“I know,” Rauk says as he strides towards us and reaches for Auri, but she points to her chair.
“You don’t need to carry me.” Her voice is soft, but there’s a little bit of her attitude and that gives me hope.
“Not in here, not until we remove the bodies,” Rauk says briskly.
“Rauk, you have to go,” the one guy I don’t know says.
“I’m not leaving,” Rauk snaps.
“What’s going on?” I insert myself into the conversation. I don’t care about butting in. We all almost died; I don’t care about politics right now.
Thorne turns to me. “The break-in at the wall was just a distraction; they wanted to come here.” I face Rauk as my stomach twists.
My eyes land on Auri, but I don’t say the words out loud.
I can’t see Rauk’s face in the dark, but I can only imagine the violence on his face right now.
This was a coordinated attack to get to Auri.
I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn’t been here, if Rauk hadn’t gotten here when he did, if.
..I push those thoughts away. I don’t have to ask why.
If they took Auri, they have all the leverage they need over Rauk to do anything they need him to do.
..anything. My stomach twists, and I feel like I might throw up.
Was that why Rauk was keeping Auri hidden?
Thorne faces Rauk. “They’ll keep coming.”
“And we’ll be ready for them,” Rauk says in response.
Thorne shakes his head. “Rauk, this is your family we’re talking about.” He lowers his voice. “Take them and get out while you can. Get them to safety.”
“No,” Rauk says fiercely. He steps closer to Thorne, putting him chest to chest with him. “I will not leave my kingdom to fight on their own; don’t ask me to do that.”
Thorne puts his hand on Rauk’s shoulder. “I know, but this is your family, Brother. They will just keep coming. We can only hold them off for so long.” A tense silence falls, and I try to follow the conversation.
I look between the three warriors. “You don’t think you can hold them?”
Thorne turns to me. “Tonight’s attack was both Northerners and our enemies from the South. They came together.”
I stare at him as dread pools in my stomach. “Can’t your spirit dragons hold them off?”
“One army? Yes. Two?” He shakes his head. “I don’t know.”
“Red and I can join the fight.”
“No,” Rauk says harshly.
I ignore him and face Thorne. “We can fight; we’re good. We’ve trained to take down guivres; this will be even easier.”
“I said no.” Rauk’s harsh voice whips through the room.
I turn to him, but before I can say a word, he storms out of the room.
The other guy that came with Thorne follows him.
Thorne turns to me. “Auri, let’s get out of this room until the men get things taken care of,” Elowen says quietly.
She pushes Auri from the room, leaving me in the bedroom with two dead guys and Thorne.
“They came right here tonight. They knew to come here for Auri,” Thorne says, his voice hard. “They know that she’s the key to getting the kingdom. They take Auri, they will have Rauk right where they want him.”
I stare up at him, feeling sick. “It’s my fault. I started taking her outside.”
He shakes his head. “Don’t go down that road. You don’t know that. Rauk’s always thought he could keep her safe by keeping her hidden.” He shakes his head sadly. “That was never going to work. I’m sure they’ve known about her for a while.”
I take in his words. “We can protect her. Keep guards on her twenty-four seven.”
Thorne stares at me for a long moment. “As long as she’s here, she’s a threat to our entire kingdom because she controls the heart of the king. Rauk will never leave his people behind to fight on their own.” He seems to be waiting on something, and it finally dawns on me.
“You want me to take Auri away.”
He stares down at me with one eye. “I never asked that.”
I nod, understanding where he’s at with all this. “You never asked me. It was all my idea.”
He lowers his voice. “But if you were to take her away, you’d have to do it when he doesn’t know, so he can’t stop you. And you’d have to go somewhere safe.”
My heartbeat is picking up again. “The Wolf Kingdom,” I say softly.
“Do you know the way?”
I do, Redara says in my head, letting me know she’s been paying close attention to our conversation.
“Redara does,” I tell him.
“She can’t tell Noxlyn,” he warns in a low voice.
Redara?
I won’t, comes her response.
“She won’t,” I tell him.
He stares down at me. “You will be doing our kingdom a great service; we won’t forget. Don’t tell me when you’re going to go. Don’t tell Elowen; don’t tell anyone. And you can’t let Rauk get even an inkling of an idea of what you’re planning.”
I take a breath. “I won’t.”
He nods. “Be safe.”
“You too.”
And then he’s gone. Not wanting to stay in the room with the dead men, I quickly follow.
My mind is a whirlwind as I walk down the long hallway toward the main room.
In the main room, several guards have gathered.
Rauk is giving orders. I start towards my room, wanting to be alone with my thoughts; but Rauk stops me.
“Harper, don’t go to your room yet; it hasn’t been checked.
” He talks to the soldier in front of him and then turns to me.
“I’ll go check it.” He walks ahead of me, and I follow.
When we get to my room, he pulls out his halberd and looks over at me.
Wait, he mouths. Then he pushes the door open.
When I’m certain nobody is going to jump out, I follow him in. “I told you to wait,” he growls at me.
“I did.”
He checks every possible hiding spot, and I’m grateful. “Pack a bag.”
I turn to him in question. “What?”
“We can’t stay here tonight; it’s been compromised. We’re going to another place tonight. We’ll get things fixed tomorrow, so we can stay here tomorrow night hopefully.”
A thousand questions flood my mind, but I’m sort of numb right now. So, I grab a bag and pack a few items. I’m ready minutes later. I follow him wordlessly out to the main room. “Auri and I are packed,” Elowen says as she comes to stand with us.
“Good. Let’s go.” He leans over Auri. “Let’s go, Sis.
I’ll carry you.” The fact that she doesn’t argue shows me how she’s doing with all this tonight.
My heart goes out to her; I’m barely able to process all that’s happened tonight.
“We’re going out the back,” Rauk says over his shoulder to Elowen and I.
“Shane, Thorne, and Reneta, you’re with me.
” I only have a moment to take in the three warriors accompanying us.
Thorne, I know. And I’m guessing Shane is the other guy that’s been with us tonight.
That leaves Reneta, the woman. I can’t make out much in the dark, but she looks fierce.
Rauk waits at the door with Auri in his right arm and his halberd in his left.
Thorne opens the door and goes out first.
“It’s clear.”
We follow him out into the night. As quiet as I try to be, I feel like my feet make so much noise in the crunchy snow.
I expect Thorne to lead us around to the front of the building, but he takes us towards the trees.
We walk for a little while in the dark, and I trip over everything on the way.
It’s nearly impossible to see. I keep wanting to ask where we’re going, but I manage to keep my mouth shut.
Thorne stops and bends down. I can only see his shadow.
But when he disappears into the ground, I nearly swallow my tongue.
I wait until it’s my turn to step forward.
I look down and see the steps leading downward that are visible from the lit torch on the dirt wall.
I follow Elowen silently and count the steps as we descend.
We hit the ground on thirteen. I look around the lit space, thanks to the torches and the light from the roaring fire.
I’m shocked to see that it’s a living area.
There are cots, shelves with food, water, blankets and pillows, and weapons.
Rauk places Auri carefully on the cot. I drop my bag on one of the cots and release a breath, thankful for the relative safety.