Chapter 85 Ahnna
Ahnna
Ahnna surveyed the Sky Palace, a crossbow resting against one shoulder.
The gates to the wall around the base of the spiral had not opened once since Katarina had passed through them, and while rumors ran wild over what might be going on in the Sky Palace, all of it was pure speculation. The only way to find out what was going on would be to get up there herself.
It was the darkest hour of the night, but patrols in Verwyrd were heavy and the Harendellian soldiers watchful.
For the first time in decades, the nation was at war, and it had changed their demeanor in a meaningful way.
This would have been much easier in prior days when they’d been so confident in their supremacy that they believed no one would dare attack the capital.
But that was of no matter. Ahnna had spent her life doing difficult things, and she would not balk at one now.
Ahnna had acquired everything she needed to go about this like an Ithicanian, and as she watched the unnatural mist roll toward the Sky Palace on the gentle breeze, she remembered how this had once been what Lara and Aren had used to escape a king’s tower.
Tonight she would use it to infiltrate one, and then assassinate a queen.
Holding her place in the shadows, Ahnna waited until the wall of mist was nearly at the spiral, and then aimed the crossbow and let the heavy bolt fly.
Wincing at the loud retort, she watched the metal hook soar through the air, trailing behind it a thin length of black rope.
Metal clinked against stone several rings up right as the mist enveloped the spiral.
Keeping one ear alert for any sign of alarm, Ahnna held her breath as she pulled the rope, only exhaling when the grappling hook caught on the metal railing of the spiral.
Knowing the mist wouldn’t last long, she secured the end of the rope.
Shouldering her small pack and securing the crossbow, Ahnna took hold of the thin rope and started to climb.
The bone in her right arm was long healed, but Ahnna felt the loss of strength in the muscle as she worked her way toward the spiral.
Her heart pounded, half from exertion and half from fear of discovery by the soldiers below, but there was no time to rest. Already, the mist was beginning to clear, and when it did, not even her dark uniform would be enough to hide her against the bright moonlight.
Faster, she ordered herself. Fucking climb!
Her muscles shuddered as her gloved hands dragged her higher, and though instinct demanded she look down, look to see how much farther she had to go, Ahnna only stared upward at the brightening orb of the moon.
Hurry!
Her hand struck metal with a dull thud. Tilting her head backward, Ahnna swiftly examined the railing and then hooked her legs more firmly around the rope before reaching with one hand to grasp the ornate iron barrier.
Within a heartbeat, Ahnna was on the other side of it.
Watching for a break between soldiers patrolling the base of the tower, she tugged on the second line that was fixed to her belt, which released the primary from where it was mounted below.
She swiftly pulled both ropes up, leaving behind no trace for patrols to find.
With the ropes hooked around her shoulder, Ahnna began the long climb up to the Sky Palace. She moved as swiftly as she could while still maintaining silence, for while the wind moaned through the spiral, Ahnna well knew how the sound of running feet echoed in this place.
Higher and higher, but as she reached the bend that would reveal the gate to the courtyard into the palace itself, she dropped into a prowl. Keeping tight to the shadows, she edged around until she could see the gate.
As expected, it was locked tight, several armed men staring through the thick bars, hands on their weapons. Ahnna backtracked a full rotation, then grasped the railing and leaned out.
Looking up.
The palace reared above her, walls as smooth and unclimbable as she remembered, but the tops of them more heavily patrolled. She marked the distance between glowing lanterns. “Shit.” Too close together by far for her to shoot a grappling hook over the top without one of them noticing.
Which meant it had to be a window.
She slowly circled the spiral, searching for a dark window in a location unlikely to have anyone in it at this time of night.
Spotting a likely square of glass, Ahnna readied her bolt and its rope, then climbed over the railing.
Like the spiral itself, the palace narrowed, the whole of it slightly conical, but the angle was still awful for what she needed to accomplish.
Grimacing, Ahnna fastened her second rope to the rail and then around her waist. Taking a deep breath in a fruitless attempt to calm her racing heart, she leaned back.
Terror threatened to take hold, because if her knots failed, it would be a long drop to the stone below, so Ahnna forced herself to look upward.
To angle her crossbow just right to shoot the hook through the small square of glass, which was big enough for her to fit but not so large that the shattering of it would catch the attention of guards above and below.
Breathe, she whispered. Just breathe.
And then she released the trigger.
The bolt exploded upward at a slight angle, her aim as true as ever as it punched through the glass, the wind carrying away the sound.
A few shards fell, and Ahnna winced as the sharp glass cut the side of her head.
Birds hit the windows often, and with luck, that was what would be blamed come morning.
Pulling the hook tight and jerking the rope several times to ensure its hold was good, Ahnna began to climb.
Wind buffeted her from side to side as she rose up the thin rope, using the knots she’d tied in it to secure her grip as she pressed higher.
Her arms shook with the strain, every muscle in her body agony, but Ahnna clenched her teeth and climbed.
She reached the base of the palace itself.
It was made of different stone than the spiral, but was every bit as slick.
She climbed carefully past a large glass window through which light faintly glowed, the occupants concealed by heavy curtains.
Higher and higher, eyes fixed on the dark opening above.
All she needed to do was get into that window, and then evade capture while finding a way to poison Alexandra. It had to be poison. Had to be something that could be pinned on Amarid avenging Katarina.
She kept between the large panes of glass that belonged to bedroom suites, almost all of them revealing nothing but thick curtains.
Yet as she passed one, Ahnna noticed that the curtains had been pulled too far in one direction, leaving a gap next to the frame through which she could see.
Motion caught her eye, and she leaned forward.
To see William speaking with Lestara.
They were arguing, the queen pressing one hand against her very pregnant belly as she pleaded with him about something Ahnna could not hear. Lestara abruptly tensed, and Ahnna frowned as she watched the other woman grip the foot of her bed, all while she continued to argue with William.
She’s in labor.
Ahnna had delivered enough babies to recognize the signs, but William seemed oblivious as he continued to berate the crying Lestara.
Climb, you idiot, she told herself. It’s not like you can hear them, anyway.
Yet she remained in place, her boots resting against the rock and her arms trembling from the strain of climbing. Lestara reached up one gloved hand to cup William’s cheek. Only for him to shove her away. She fell, weeping, and William stormed from the room.
Pity filled her, for Ahnna doubted that Lestara had found any more happiness in this life than she’d had in the harem in Vencia.
Lestara peeled off her gloves and flung them aside, then set to work on unfastening her gown.
The contractions were close together, but Lestara made no move to call for aid.
Climb.
If she delayed any longer, her strength would fail her, so Ahnna progressed higher. Up past the next level, the broken glass of the window that was her target beckoning her with salvation.
Then a tremendous gust of wind blew Ahnna flying sideways.
Her body bounced against the palace, sending her twisting in circles.
The ground far below spun around her, and Ahnna reached a foot out for the wall, trying to stop the spin—knowing that if she didn’t, the motion would rip the hook loose and she would fall.
A fall so long and horrifying that she’d have more than enough time to think about how stupid this plan had been.
Her foot bumped the top of a window as she spun, around and around, only for the rope in her hand to go slack.
Ahnna dropped.
A scream tore from her lips, only for it to be cut short as hands closed around her wrists, arresting her fall.
The person who’d caught her dragged her through an open window and Ahnna landed on her back on thick carpets, breath coming in ragged gasps as she looked up into a Valcottan woman’s face.
She was beautiful beyond measure with warm brown skin, large eyes framed with thick lashes, and loose dark curls that reached her shoulders.
“Fuck me,” a familiar voice growled. “It’s Ahnna Kertell.”
Keris stood beyond the woman, arms crossed but a knife gripped in one hand.
“It’s Ahnna Ashford now,” she managed to croak out.
“I’ll make sure they know that when they carve your name on the tombstone,” Keris replied.
“Is James here?” There had been little hope in her heart that James was in the Sky Palace, but she’d hoped all the same. Hoped for some clue as to what had gone wrong with Cardiff, but even more than that, for certainty that he was alive.
“He’s apparently near Verwyrd, but if he’s smart, he’ll stay hidden.
He’s a wanted man.” Keris drew in a steadying breath, and Ahnna noted the signs of exhaustion that were written across his face, his expression as grim as it had been when Zarrah had been a prisoner on Devil’s Island.
“We know about the poisoned grain. Is—” He broke off, pressing fingers to his temples as though asking the question brought him physical pain.
“They’re fine,” Ahnna swiftly assured him. “Everyone is in hiding, either in the wilds or the outer islands, but my plan…it didn’t go as we’d hoped.”
“That’s abundantly fucking clear.” Keris caught hold of the Valcottan woman’s arm. “Zar, if she climbed up, we can climb down. We have no choice but to risk it.”
Zar.
Zarrah. Realization struck Ahnna, and she managed to say, “It’s an honor to meet you, Imperial Majesty.”
Empress Zarrah of Valcotta looked down at her and smiled. “Likewise, Your Highness. I’ve heard a great deal about you.” She crossed her arms. “We’ll talk about climbing down shortly, but first, Ahnna, I want to hear why you’ve risked climbing up.”