Chapter 49
Chapter Forty-Nine
A Plan Unfolds
Alex
Alex thought it was impossible for seven people to walk for what felt like hours in silence underground but that’s exactly what happened.
Her father had said they would talk as they walked but the pressure of the quiet surrounding them was crushing.
They moved forward, the only noise the shuffle of their feet and intermittent grunts of pain.
Alex guessed that her father must have decided the best way to handle this situation was with the blatant truth.
He never let on to anyone who he was or what he did.
The Black Thorn’s identity was sacred and had been for decades.
Yet somehow this moment had been deemed important enough for him to expose his identity.
She knew he had done it for her, though she doubted he would admit it.
The gritty ground smoothed to stone and the incline increased marginally as the tunnel lifted upward.
They must be headed toward the surface. Safe houses and inns of refuge had been built and maintained to secure the safety of the Thorns and their missions.
By whom specifically, Alex had no clue. The tunnel carried on for a bit more before they finally reached a safe house located on the border of the Varon and Morrows provinces.
The house was large. Much more accommodating than she had expected from its outward appearance.
It looked derelict and abandoned with outbuildings dotting the property.
The inside, however, was warm and inviting.
The care invested in its upkeep was evident in every corner.
Four bedrooms dominated the top floor, each one graced with a large bed supple enough to melt into.
A washroom was located just off the galley style kitchen, butting up against the dining area.
But the real prize was the large fireplace that adorned the main wall of the living area.
The heat that radiated from it chased away the chill of the night air.
Everyone had collapsed on some furniture or another when they were safely inside.
Althea went into healer mode immediately, passing the babe off to Bronwynn, who was none too happy about it.
Althea aimed her sights on Alex first. She was covered in blood, though not all of it was hers.
Alex knew she should feel the pain of her wound but all she felt was numb.
Caius had disappeared for a short while before reemerging with fresh clothes for everyone.
Once Althea was satisfied with her work, she helped Alex to the washroom to clean up, leaving her alone for the first time in what felt like weeks.
She took her time savoring this brief moment of solitude, carefully washing away the last traces of blood.
Alex stood, mesmerized, by the blood tinging the water red.
Not just her blood. But Rivka’s blood too.
Tears threatened to fall, clouding her vision, but she refused. Now was not the time to fall apart.
Wiping at her nose, Alex finished up. She could hear Althea attempting to patch up Tristan in the other room.
He was hissing like a mad cat and no doubt bleeding on everything.
What was she going to do about him? She refused to trust him.
No matter what everyone insisted. He was nothing more than his mother’s pawn and he wouldn’t be getting anywhere near Kaela. She would make sure of it.
Exiting the washroom, Alex made her way back to the living area, where Althea was now tending to Ellis’ wounds.
He was surprisingly more whiny than Tristan had been, carrying on and shying away from the needle in her hand.
Bronwynn was sitting on the settee rocking Kaela, the babe fast asleep in her arms. For a woman who claimed to dislike babies, she sure did look content with her cradled against her chest.
Alex’s attention drifted to where Davin stood facing the fireplace, his hands tucked into the pockets of his pants.
His anger was evident in the set of his jaw and the stiffness of his posture.
She knew they were going to argue. There were so many things that she needed to apologize for, if he would only hear her out.
Although she had questions of her own. She hadn’t been the only one keeping secrets.
But that conversation would have to wait.
The clanging of porcelain drew her out of her thoughts, as Caius entered the room laden down with a tray of biscuits, dried meats, and a kettle of hot tea.
Althea rose from her perch on the couch arm, where she had just finished with Ellis.
Her brow arched in surprise as she watched Caius approach with a cup in his hand, steam rising from the hot liquid inside.
“I wouldn’t have pegged you for the domestic type, Caius.” A sad smile tugged at her lips as she took the cup from his outstretched hand, their fingers brushing. “But I am thankful for it.”
He just grunted in response, quickly turning back to the table, barking at Ellis and Tristan to save some for everyone else.
Alex couldn’t help the huff that escaped her.
Would she ever be ok with Tristan being near her?
Caius’ words slipped into her mind. “Neither were in control of themselves. Both powerless to stop it.” She wasn’t ready to face that information just yet.
Moving to the table, she picked up two cups of tea, the heat warming her hands.
Taking care not to spill, she made her way over to Davin.
When she was within his line of sight, she raised the cup in offering.
He didn’t speak. He didn’t have to. His eyes said enough.
He gently took the cup of tea from her, making sure not to touch her, before he returned to staring at the fire, ignoring her.
It wasn’t like him to be impolite. Her shoulders dipped.
Message received. Her eyes lingered on him a moment more before she made her way back to the table to snag some dried meat.
She needed to fuel her body for the discussions to come, even though she had no appetite. With all of the swirling emotions so close to the surface, it was certain this planning session would go sideways more than once.
Hours later, Alex tentatively leaned on the railing of the front porch.
The inside of the house may have been well kept but the outside was another story.
The railing was rickety at best, and she wasn’t sure she could trust it to hold her weight.
She breathed in deep, letting the chill of the night air fill her lungs.
Her head pounded and her throat was tight with the apprehension of what was to come.
They had a solid plan, but that didn’t mean it would work, or that she liked any part of it.
Diathan was not ready to hear about Rivka’s death.
The hold Sophiana had on Varon was too fragile and Vivian too much of a threat.
Ellis had raged against the idea, demanding that she be brought home, to her parents, that she deserved the full honorable service a queen was due.
He wasn’t wrong but it wasn’t worth the risk to the province she’d dedicated her life to protecting and caring for.
Caius had demanded they swear to hold this secret; no one other than Sophiana and Evanar was to be told.
If Queen Rivka were announced as deceased, Queen Vivivan would likely swoop in and attempt to usurp the throne.
This would place a bigger target on Sophiana’s head for assassination from Queen Vivian, given that Sophiana was well past childbearing age, and as far as the public knew, no other heirs existed.
The stability of the realm was tenuous at best. The only thing ensuring the stability of Varon, at the moment, was the holdout belief that their “missing” queen would return.
Ellis had begrudgingly agreed, but only after Cauis swore to take her body deep within the underground, where she would be preserved.
Kaela. That sweet, innocent child was thrust into the middle of this storm.
At some point during the discussion, Ellis had taken her from Bronwynn and placed her in Tristan’s arms. The burn in her gut had intensified to an unbearable degree but she swallowed it down, along with the fear that he might bolt for the door.
She’d shifted to block the exit, but he’d only settled back into the chair, lost in his daughter, his raw, uninhibited emotion conflicting with her own resentment towards him.
Caius and Althea would take Kaela with them.
Alex knew how hard this decision was for Althea.
She was sacrificing her duties as the Royal Med Nurse, leaving her staff short.
However, they all knew this was the safest option for Kaela, even if it tortured Alex to let her go.
She had promised Rivka she would protect her with her life, but how could she do that if she wasn’t with her?
She trusted her father, though, and knew that he was Kaela’s best chance.
Since Ellis was still considered missing, he would need to stay concealed for as long as possible, and Tristan, well, that had been another obstacle.
He could return to Rune. After all, his mother was under the impression that he had only gone to the Morrows on some random errand he’d invented.
However, Luther, if he lived, posed a bigger problem.
He would assuredly reveal to Vivian Tristan's traitorous actions upon his return.
There was no way to be certain, though. No, he was likely already branded a traitor to the throne.
He was also needed for this plan to work, though she was still disgruntled that he would be accompanying her.
At least she would have Ellis to use as a buffer. He could deal with him.
The door opened behind Alex, and a comforting presence wrapped around her. The only remaining person who had the ability to make her feel safe and calm simply by being there.
“How are you holding up?” he gestured to the steps leading off the porch. “Sit with me.”
Alex nodded and moved to sit on the steps next to her father. She knew he was trying to be kind, to check in on her, but she couldn’t fathom an answer for him. Alex appreciated the question all the same and tried to answer him sincerely.
“I’m not. Not really.”
He hung his head in understanding. They sat like that in the quiet for a few moments before he carried on.
“You will be ok. With time.”
She didn’t speak, only looked at him, waiting for the rest of his words. He took her hand in his own, “There is a strength inside of you, my girl, that no loss or sacrifice could ever conquer. You are a warrior. You need only have faith.”
His belief in her never waivered, even when her own doubts threatened to drown her.
“Are there going to be any issues with your part of the plan?”
Alex slanted her eyes towards him. “You mean, will I kill the prince in his sleep?” she shrugged. “Undecided.”
A laugh escaped Caius as he reached over and squeezed her knee.
“The chest, Alex, you must retrieve it. It cannot remain in Rune, with Queen Vivian, nor can its existence be exposed. I do not yet know what else she has been able to accomplish with the book, but we cannot allow that risk to continue. You need to retrieve the chest and all it holds. I do not believe Queen Vivian suspects anyone has knowledge of it besides herself and Luther. She is too selfish to share it, even with her sons.” He gave her a pointed look, the meaning clear.
“Even if you do not like the company that you are being forced to keep, he plays a vital role in this.”
Alex stiffened beneath his rebuke. “I understand.”
“Is there anyone in Varon that you can trust?”
Alex shifted, considering. Andrew had proven time and again that he would be loyal, and Colin, well, he meant well even if it didn’t always pan out how he planned.
“Besides the Thorns that are already in place, there are a few that I would trust.”
“Good. You will need as many allies as you can find. Retrieving this chest will not be as easy as you think.”
Indignation flared, but he merely pressed on, disregarding her reaction.
“The Thorns that I have in place will continue to report back to me. I will send help where I can. But remember, now Luther knows of the underground, the tunnels are no longer safe. You must only use them when absolutely necessary.”
The door swung open as Bronwynn strode out onto the porch. Caius helped Alex to her feet.
“It’s time for me to go, boss.”
Caius flashed a smile in her direction, moving to clap her on her shoulder. “I know you’re ready for this. You’ll lead them well.” His grin widened. “Let’s hope that they’re ready for you.”
Bronwynn let out a guffaw that echoed into the quiet of the night. Alex’s responding smile quickly turned into a grimace as Bronwynn punched her in her arm.
“Stay out of trouble, kid.”
Now it was Alex’s turn to laugh. “You know I won’t.”
Bronwynn leapt off the porch. Her energy boundless, it seemed.
“Give’em hell!” she called, her fist raised in salute as she melded into the shadows, disappearing from sight.
Caius shook his head, most likely rethinking his choice of putting her in charge of the Thorns. The door to the house creaked open again, this time it was Althea who emerged, cradling Kaela in her arms, a bag slung over her shoulder. The energy immediately turned somber.
“Tristan and Ellis have turned in for the night.” Althea’s voice was a soothing balm to Alex’s jagged nerves.
Alex peered into the bundle of blankets Althea held. Kaela’s long eyelashes brushed her cheeks as she slept. Her bottom lip set in a pout. Alex ran a finger down her cheek, causing her to let out a little grunt, her face scrunching in the cutest scowl.
“Do not wake her. I just barely got her down.” Althea chided.
Alex leaned in, placing a light kiss on Kaela’s cheek, a faint scent of vanilla and cinnamon brushing over her.
“I wouldn’t dare.” The tightness squeezed at the center of her chest. She looked up at Althea, so much spoken between them without words crowding the air.
“I know,” was all Althea said as Alex nodded and stepped away.
Caius embraced her quickly but fiercely, hugging her tight to his chest. “Be safe. Trust in those who are by your side.” He held her at arm’s length. “I love you.”
Alex sniffled, fighting back her tears. “I love you too, Dad.”
Caius released her, bending to grab the pack he had stashed by the railing. “Let’s go.” He said, putting his hand on the small of Althea’s back, helping guide her down the steps. He gave a final wink in Alex’s direction, and then they were gone, disappearing into the dark just like Bronwynn.
Alex took a deep breath, trying to draw on any embers of remaining strength she may have, as she turned towards the door. She couldn’t put this off any longer. She needed to talk to Davin.