Keira
“My sentiments exactly,” Florian said thickly, as if holding down a similar response.
Beside him, even Yvette was looking a little green.
“I, for one, will be walking home, thanks,” Lilith stated sourly, to a seemingly unanimous agreement.
Knox’s arm jutted out, catching himself against a tree as his balance faltered.
“Don’t you dare!” Lilith warned as he doubled over. “You need to keep your tonic down. We don’t have enough for you to keep coughing it back up.”
Knox growled in response, and Keira reconsidered the wisdom of bringing him along so close to the full moon. His tonic would stifle the change, but it wouldn’t dull his temper.
“You could have warned us,” Rhea accused as the sound of Gareth retching caused Florian to gag.
Keira rubbed her fingers over her brow, though her discomfort stemmed from an entirely different source.
After Keira had transported herself to the wintry forests outside of Northall, she had been able to form a connection to Yvette back in Grimlocke.
Her head was pounding, body aching from the stress of holding the portal between them open long enough for them all to step through.
“I hadn’t foreseen it as an issue. It’s been so long since I learned transportative magic, and it never affected me so-” Her point was punctuated by Florian losing his stomach behind a tree. “Dramatically.”
“How close did you manage to get us?” Lilith asked, looking through the trees.
Keira surveyed the area. She had taken them to the forest west of Northall, as she didn’t know what to expect as they came closer. One never wanted to appear in the midst of enemies, especially not… compromised.
Gareth finally found his footing and stood, hand resting on a sturdy tree. “Never again,” he grunted.
“Northall is just through the trees,” Keira said, nodding in the appropriate direction.
Rhea followed her gaze shrewdly. “We should send a scout ahead to see what awaits us.” They all knew she meant Lilith.
“I hardly think they’ll be expecting us,” Keira said. “Deepgate wouldn’t be in a hurry to inform anyone they were bested, if they even could send word so quickly.”
“Victor is cautious and will be tense now that he is so close to his goal,” Yvette offered. “Many of his swords will have come for the wedding. I can only assume the instructions they’ve been given.”
Keira was just about to argue that she didn’t care if she had to get through an army when Rhea nodded in agreement.
“It is always best to approach the unknown with caution.”
She ground her teeth as a ripple of tension echoed through her body, desperate to be unleashed.
Patience was what Rhea had asked from her in exchange for her help, and by extension, the rest of the Blades.
It was a generous offer considering their usual fee, but still, Keira was finding it increasingly difficult to hold up her end of the bargain.
Lilith went off ahead, footfalls almost silent even through the snow and leaves. Keira watched her go until she was lost to the wood.
“Hey,” Florian said, coming to her side. He was still looking uncharacteristically pale. “We’re going to stop this wedding.”
Keira shook her head to hide the tears building behind her eyes. “I thought he was dead once, Florian. As long as he’s alive, I’ll tear this world apart to get him back.”
“Let’s all pray to the Fate that it doesn’t come to that, then,” Florian said, bumping her shoulder playfully.
Keira laughed, a mix of a chuckle and a sob.
Their silence sobered as they both watched the trees until Lilith returned.
“They’re camped all around the castle, lots of them,” she reported breathlessly.
“Some had bear flags, and the others were red with black dogs. That was most of them, but the royal rose was there with a bunch of other ones too.”
“The black hounds fly for the Redfield soldiers,” Yvette supplied.
“There were a couple hundred, probably,” Lilith said. “They aren’t ready for a fight, but we can’t take those numbers. And the gate is down. We’ll have to get inside to raise it.”
“I can get us in,” Keira said easily. She didn’t give a Fate’s fancy how many there were, and a little thing like a gate wasn’t going to stop her magic.
“What about the rest of us, love?” Florian asked.
“What if we go ahead?” Yvette suggested, looking to her. “I can make us both invisible, and you can get us through the gate unseen?”
Keira studied her. It was a brilliant plan… if she could be trusted. If not, it was also a wonderful trap.
“The rest of us can find another way in,” Lilith said. “There’s always a backdoor.”
“I’m not doing any climbing,” Gareth said, still leaning a bulk of his weight against a tree, “or sewers.”
Lilith rolled her eyes.
“If speed is your priority, this is the way,” Rhea said. “It would be in our best interest not to alert those inside that we are coming. Who knows what this Redfield lord will do if he thinks his plan is failing.”
They all looked to her.
Keira knew it was entirely possible she was making a dire mistake as she agreed, but she was out of patience. As they discussed the details and contingencies, Keira tried to comfort the wrathful anticipation curling in her chest.
“See you on the other side,” Florian said with a smile. Keira didn’t miss how his gaze lingered more softly on Yvette as they separated from the others.
Yvette reached out her hand, and Keira met her gaze.
“Let’s finish this,” Yvette said steadily.
Keira took it, eyes laced with warning. “Let’s.”