Chapter 33
Amid the fog at least a hundred black-robed men from the Order awaited our arrival, their arrows trained on us, resembling crows perched and ready to hunt.
They were not alone. With their swords drawn, King Hared’s knights formed a line along the base of the rampart wall.
I looked at our odd little group, who were depending on me to get them out of the city.
‘We could run. Hide somewhere in the streets?’ I knew it wouldn’t be possible even as the words came out of my mouth.
‘Even if we could, how long before they find us?’ Tomas argued.
‘I don’t think I can get off this horse, so I’m for staying on it as long as possible.’ It was the most I had heard from Rhett all night. It gave me some hope he would pull through, but we needed to get him out of Capita. I looked over at Finn, who brought his horse in line with Nightmare.
‘I think I’d rather die trying than die hiding.’
The older woman moved forward, sat astride her horse like she had been born to ride.
‘All you need to do is open the gate, and we can run for it.’ She shrugged as if the men with weapons were nothing but decoration. Her confidence was beyond comprehension.
I shook my head. ‘You’re all crazy.’
They nodded in unison, and I had to bite back a smile. The decision was made – we would go onwards.
As we got closer, I recognised Merrick’s bearlike silhouette on the ramparts among the black robes.
‘What do we have here?’ his mocking voice floated down to us.
I halted my horse, and the others did the same. I focused on Merrick as hard as I could, imagining his head turning to ash just as Goodwin’s had, but nothing happened. Damnation. He was too far away.
‘Let us out and we won’t hurt you,’ I yelled. Laughter erupted around us.
‘Is that so?’ Merrick asked. ‘Open the gate!’ he ordered, much to my surprise.
The old woman leaned forward in her saddle ‘There, you did it.’ Her eyes gleamed with a mixture of approval and amusement.
I raised my eyebrow at her. Was she serious?
The gate opened. ‘Well, what are you waiting for?’ Merrick shouted down at us.
‘For you to step aside,’ I called back.
‘Now that won’t do, my lady-in-waiting. You have a few men with you who broke into my dungeon. Perhaps if you give them up, I’ll go easy on the rest of you.’
‘That won’t be happening,’ I said.
‘What were you planning to do when you rescued the old queen? Hmm?’
I didn’t answer.
‘Where’s Torgrin, your protector? I assume someone hired him and the blacksmith to break into the castle dungeon. He should have asked for more coin if all he could afford was a woman who likes to play dress up in men’s armour.’ There were sniggers all around from the robed men.
My heart hammered painfully against my ribs at the mention of Cillian and Torgrin.
‘It must have been Lord Warwick,’ he guessed. ‘I will admit I killed his wife, but that was only because she poked her pretty nose in where it didn’t belong.’
I felt my blood boil.
‘Torgrin’s dead,’ I lied. ‘Goodwin killed him.’ I could buy him time if Merrick believed him dead.
‘Is that so? So why hasn’t Goodwin appeared to tell us the good news?’
‘Because I killed him.’ I smiled darkly at Merrick.
His cockiness left. ‘Are you telling me you killed the king’s heir?’
‘Yes.’ I continued to smile.
His eyes narrowed. ‘I don’t believe you.’
I shrugged. ‘What would be the point of lying? Like I said before, let us out, and I won’t hurt anyone else,’ I offered.
‘I opened the gate for you, what more do you want?’ Merrick asked, waving a hand around. ‘I guess I could even things up. You have what – four and a half people?’ More laughter.
‘I have one hundred.’ Merrick motioned to a robed man beside him to put down his bow and then nodded towards us.
The man lifted the hem of his black robe and climbed onto the stone-block edge.
Without hesitation, he stepped off the wall and plummeted to the ground, his body hitting the cobblestones with a sickening thud.
‘There! Now we only have ninety-nine.’ No-one laughed this time.
The shocking disregard he had for the lives within his own brotherhood compelled me to bring an end to this farce. I brought Nightmare forward, looking down at the fallen man and then at every man whose eyes I could see.
‘This is who you follow?’ I demanded angrily at the unyielding knights and robed men. ‘A man who has no respect for the life of his people? You are nothing more than puppets he uses to spread his delusions!’ How were they so blind to his evil?
‘Save your breath.’ Merrick spat the words at me. ‘These men know their souls belong to the light. The sacrifices they make in this life will be rewarded in the next.’
So, this is how he gained control and power over these men’s lives. If Merrick’s soul was light, then mine must truly be dark.
Merrick was safe for now, standing on the high wall glaring down at me. One day that would change, and I would gladly be the one to show him to the underworld instead.
‘I’m tired of you. It’s time to end this.’ Merrick signalled his men with a raised hand, and they drew back their bowstrings.
Darkness clawed at my mind as I willingly opened the door for a second time tonight. And the shadows responded.
The first arrow halted a fraction away from piercing me between the eyes. Dozens of feathered arrows paused, hovering in the air before us. They quivered, fighting against the shadowy fingers that held them back.
I raised my hands in focus as I pictured the arrows turning. The arrows – ash-wood shafts and iron heads – resisted against my unnatural power.
A bead of sweat trickled down the side of my face despite the cold night. This must work … or the deadly points would find those who waited behind me. The arrows shuddered, turning ever so slowly. I thought about the lives in my hands, and my determination powered the Darkness.
The moment the first arrow completed its turn, the others followed. All arrows were now facing the path they had travelled from.
‘Who are you?!’ Merrick roared.
‘The Cursed One!’ I screamed, followed by a clap of my hands. The arrows flew back at the men who had released them. Chaos erupted as the arrows hit their targets, and men in black robes began tumbling off the wall.
‘Go!’ I yelled and rode for the gate, drawing my sword and using it on anyone who got in my way.
The few knights on the ground scattered, trying to avoid both my deadly swings and the bodies falling from above.
The others rode close to me as we raced towards the open gate.
While I hacked my way through, Tomas and Finn were shooting arrows at those I missed.
The glint of a helmet caught my attention as a knight raced on foot to release the wheel that would bring the gate down.
He would reach the gate before us unless I stopped him.
I only hoped I was close enough. It took some effort to summon the Darkness again, so I focused solely on the knight’s legs.
I thought it wasn’t working, that I wasn’t close enough. Then he halted an arm’s length away from the pulley securing the gate wheel. He looked down at his legs – his helmet hid his face, but it didn’t dull his scream as his legs turned to ash beneath him.
Nightmare leaped over what remained of the knight and the others followed me through the open gate.
‘Tomas!’
‘Got it!’ He drew back his arm, shooting an arrow at the pulley. His aim was perfect, slicing the rope and sending the gate clattering down behind us as we rode frantically into the night.