Chapter Fifty-Nine
Axion
I t was an odd feeling, the bond. The connection sat behind my ribs doing… things. Saphyra’s anxiety and uncertainty swirled right next to my heart, whispering secrets she wouldn’t voice.
I’d never cared much about what people thought, but this, I couldn’t escape, and I found I didn’t want to. The idea of knowing exactly what she was feeling was growing on me. And when she was happy, it flowed through me like a drug. Addictive. I would do anything for another hit.
But right now, I had to get a hold of that asshole Maddox and his sketchy father to see if there was any chance of pulling this insane coup off. The tree cover was thinning, and the path was about to take us into a wide-open meadow. We’d be exposed if any of the searchers were nearby. What we really needed were allies, information, manpower, and, honestly, anything more than what we had. Because currently, we had fuck all. The source didn’t matter, even if it was from the duke. His reliability was questionable, but Maddox had always been straight with me. Our options were limited, and as much as I hated to admit it, his help paid off last time.
We were flying blind out here.
I didn’t know what we were thinking when we left, but it certainly wasn’t that Lex’s insane stepmother would take over the city and invite the Imperatrix over for tea.
I flipped open the secured communicator and keyed in the passcode, hoping there was someone on the other end of the encrypted line.
“Go for the duke.”
I exhaled, relieved. I’d recognize Maddox’s voice anywhere. Not that I expected anyone else, but we couldn’t afford surprises right now.
“You’re still not the duke, asshole. We need some help.” I didn’t bother to introduce myself. He’d better know who was contacting him on this line. I couldn’t imagine him giving out the encryption key to a random hook-up. Then again, this was Maddox, so it wasn’t impossible.
There was a chuckle from the other end of the connection, as if he knew what I was thinking, even though he definitely did not. Probably. “Good to know you survived. That storm was pretty bad. The scouts in the valley were bitching about spending the night out in the weather. But I digress. What do you want help with? I live to serve.”
I snorted. Fucking bullshitter, but I’d take whatever I could get at this point. “We’re headed back to the city. We need details on what the access looks like, who’s looking for us, and where they are.”
“Okay, okay. Well, the entrances are locked down. Double guard patrols on the perimeter. No one I know is on shift. It’s all those new recruits from Lady Baxter’s holdings.”
“Wait, what?” I interrupted him because, as head of security, I should have been informed of any personnel changes.
“Yeah, while you were on your little vacation, a bunch of random alphas were hired. Interestingly, some of them are the same soldiers that were involved with the attack on the queen. I mean, you can see where this is going. The city is fucked.” Maddox paused, and the connection crackled with static. “Sorry, I’m back. Where did you say you were?”
“I didn’t,” I replied cautiously. It was a secure line, but one couldn’t be too careful.
“Fine, be like that.” A rustle of paper and more keystrokes followed before Maddox continued. “You definitely should know about the search parties. There is some good news. Only a handful of Imperatrix ships made it to the planet before the shield went up. Some took off after that shuttle and never came back. There’s only a few left, which is probably why they haven’t found you yet,” he said, amusement laced in his voice. “But the bad news is, they’re sweeping north east from the ruins into the foothills. So, if you are where I think you are, you’re going to have company, and I mean soon.”
I looked around my surroundings, trying to see the sky through the dense trees. Birds trilled in the brush, but nothing disturbed the quiet rustle of the wind in the boughs. Maddox was silent, waiting. He’d need more information to be of any use. I released a breath and gambled that the line was secure, and our broadcast location was masked as the shielded comms device was designed to do. “You might have mentioned that sooner. We’re on the old cart trail where that burnt out hunting blind was. How much time do we have?”
“Oh, I see. Now you want to share. You might have mentioned that sooner.” Maddox chuckled.
Lex interrupted as his horse’s shoulder checked its way closer through the brush. “Fuck off, Maddox. The Queen’s life is on the line.”
Pushy ass. Didn’t he know you catch more flies with honey?
Maddox didn’t seem to mind, though. “Yes, sir, Lex. Sorry, sorry.” Maddox’s tone shifted, becoming more serious. “Two starfighters are sweeping a course that will reach those coordinates in ten minutes. Unless they want to shoot you down, they’ll have to radio for backup. There are a pair of fully equipped personnel carriers also searching. One is five minutes from you to the south, the other is three hours away on the other side of the valley. So, in about ten minutes, those fighters are going to find you and call for ground troops. That area is about to be crawling with Imperatrix soldiers.”
I shoved my fingers into my spiky hair. “That doesn’t give us much time.”
“You know you could have gone almost anywhere other than toward the city and been safer?” Maddox said.
I heard him tapping away on a keypad. I hoped he was looking for other solutions because I was out of ideas.
Saphyra sat up straighter in her shared saddle and spoke. “Lord Spectre, I’m aware I could’ve hidden, but I’m disinclined to let my mother’s murderer abuse my people a moment longer than absolutely necessary.”
Even in moments like this, when everything was falling apart, she took my breath away.
Maddox sounded like he choked in surprise before spitting out a strangled reply. “Of course not, Your Majesty. I’m sorry I suggested such a thing.” He muttered a curse under his breath that the mic didn’t entirely catch. “Listen, they’re coming from the south and west. They’ll outpace your horses easily. I mean, I get why you went with horses. It’s actually pretty genius because their long-range scans can’t pick up anything more than the animals at that distance, but you won’t be able to outrun the search. And they won’t need to rely on the thermal sensors once they can see you.”
He must have figured out what we were up to after we last spoke. We’d be out of the trees and in the open soon. To the east, the forest thinned and gave way to a large field that stood between our position and the city. There wasn’t time to get through it without being spotted, and once they were on top of us, if we stayed here, their systems would start picking up our life signs in addition to the horses. Our deception only worked at range, not so much up close.
“No, we won’t be able to outrun them. We’re going to have to split up. They need bait. A decoy to chase,” Lex said.
I looked at Lex, then to Saphyra. Lex’s jaw was clenched and resolute. Saphyra’s brows were drawn together, her emotions a jumble through our connection. Grey and Valyx both were unreadable but didn’t seem inclined to speak up.
Someone had to say something. There was no way we were actually going to entertain the idea of bait.
I almost dropped the communicator as I gaped at my rag tag team. “What do you mean, split up ? That sounds like a horrible idea. Maddox, I’m gonna have to call you back.”
I clicked off the comms. “This is a bad plan. Even together, there’s no way we can take two starfighters and a personnel carrier full of infantry.”
“Exactly.” Lex pulled his horse to a stop.
“And now we’re stopping. Why are we stopping?” I continued on a few steps before pulling my horse to a halt, glaring in disbelief. What the fuck is even happening right now?
The bird song quieted, and over the rustle of leaves a low hum vibrated my chest. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Shit. “Uh, guys? There’s either a big ass hummingbird coming, or we’re out of time.”
Lex slid off his mount and helped Saphyra down beside him. “Someone needs to lead them away.”
Saphyra pinned Lex with a glare. “Edeth doesn’t know that we found out what she did. She only knows that we didn’t go to the hunting cabin and that the shield is up again. Maybe she thinks we’ll run back to the city to escape the Imperatrix ships. She may not suspect us of anything.”
I continued to scan the skyline to the southwest, searching for movement through the trees, panic rising as the sound of whirring engines grew. “Which is exactly what we’re doing. Why are we doing that again?”
Saphyra’s frustration flooded the bond. “Because,” she said, as if that was the only answer we needed. Which was true enough, but in a softer tone, she added. “She can’t be allowed to get away with this, and we are the only ones that can stop her.”
The anguish singing through our connection nearly broke my heart. Saphyra was being so strong even while talking about the person who murdered her mother in front of her. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her in that moment.
“She won’t get away with anything. I’ll lead the ships in a different direction.” Lex drew Saphyra to him, looking her in the eyes. “Let me do this for you.”
Saphyra stilled, but the bond vibrated with her pent-up emotions. “I don’t want to split up. It’s too dangerous.”
“I know these woods better than anyone. I can do this. You said we should use our advantages. Now is the time. Decide, my queen.” Lex was as still as a statue as we waited for her reply.
Her lower lip caught between her teeth for a second before she nodded.
Lex’s arms closed around her, and he kissed her hard. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you. This family is the most important thing in the universe to me. This is how I can keep you safe.” He spoke the soft words against her lips and when he pulled away, there was a glint in his eye.
I didn’t think I’d ever seen Lex close to tears, and it shook me to my core. This shit was seriously dangerous.
“Promise me you’ll come back to us.” Saphyra’s whisper was thick with pain, but we heard them loud and clear.
“I promise I’ll do everything in my power to find you again.” Lex gripped her by the hips and lifted her up onto Valyx’s horse.
“Wait. What are you doing? I can ride on my own. Let me down.” Saphyra tried to dismount, but Valyx’s arm was already secure around her waist.
“You need to go with Valyx. Your horse will be more use with me on the lead line to make a bigger heat signature. I’ll meet you in the city.” He turned his attention to Valyx. “Take care of our queen. No matter the cost.”
Lex grabbed Valyx by the back of the neck and drew him down into a blistering kiss. It was rare that they showed affection for one another in public and it just underlined the seriousness of the situation.
When he pulled away, the way he looked up at Valyx and Saphyra had my heart squeezing in my chest.
“What, no kiss for me?” I joked, trying to lighten the mood, but I choked on the bitter words.
This felt like a goodbye.
Grey shook his head, and the corner of Valyx’s lips twitched, which was as close to a smile as I could’ve hoped for. But no one laughed, not even me.
The hum was getting louder and the woodland critters were silent. A glint of sun off metal flashed through the trees.
There was no way he could get away from starfighters once they saw him. The math didn’t math.
“We need to move,” I said as my horse danced sideways, and I gave Lex a look. My lips parted to call him out on this suicide mission, but seeing me about to continue, he subtly shook his head, stopping me from saying a word.
Fucking asshole was going to get himself killed, and I was sure he wouldn’t want Saphyra to worry about him. I understood, but didn’t he understand that we would all be worrying about him, too?
Grey maneuvered his mount closer. “If they’re looking for Saphyra, Lex won’t fool them alone, even if he does know where he’s going. Saphyra, give me your cloak.”
Saphyra reached for the clasp at her throat before she stopped herself. “What do you need my cloak for?”
Grey held out his hand expectantly. “You know what I need your cloak for.”
“No, you can’t have it. You can’t go. They’ll kill you.” She clutched the cloak tighter around herself.
“I have to, little one. They are going to be looking for someone small. An alpha would never fool them, but a beta might.” Grey was being very reasonable, but Saphyra’s anxiety was thrashing like a rabid wild cat in my chest.
The wind shifted, and a buffet of warm exhaust rushed through the trees.
As much as I didn’t want anyone else to be at risk, Grey made a good point. It hurt me to say it, but Saphyra’s safety had to come first. “We’re out of time, princess. You have to give Grey your cloak. He’s right. They need to think you’re with Lex.”
She ripped it off and shoved it at him. The horses snorted uneasily but didn’t fuss as Grey drew the cloak around his shoulders and pulled the hood up.
“Bring Grey back to me,” Saphyra pleaded.
Lex looked at her for a long moment. “I promise.”
Valyx spun his horse to the north and called over his shoulder as Lex and Grey picked up the pace eastward. “No matter the cost.”
I had a sinking feeling that the cost was higher than Saphyra would have agreed to if she fully understood. I echoed Valyx’s words under my breath as I turned northward, following behind. “No matter the cost.”