Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Ellery
“Not all,” a man muttered in response. “The Countess of Halsbad wasn’t at home.”
The Countess of Halsbad was the mother of the Earl of Oakley’s sons. She never married the earl, and her sons resided with their father, but she didn’t. She probably didn’t know her sons were dead.
“Perhaps at the palace,” Ruby said.
“Perhaps,” the man said.
“The Baron of Muzek and his family also weren’t there,” a woman said.
“How many children does he have?” someone else asked.
“Two daughters and a wife,” Luna answered. “His daughters are over three hundred years old.”
“Well, they won’t see four hundred,” someone else stated, and a small cheer ran through the cavern.
“Is that all?” I asked. “Was everyone else there? Are the rest of them dead?”
We all looked at each other, but no one offered any other survivors. Someone started laughing. “They’re dead. They’re almost all dead.”
Silence descended as that realization sank in. For all our lives, the aristocrats had ruled this realm, and while things under Leo’s rule weren’t too bad, many amsirah still experienced cruelty, depending on their status.
Luna endured her abuse at the earl’s hands while Leo remained alive. Even before the Ghoul War and Leo’s capture, the aristocrats made it clear who meant something in Tempest and who didn’t.
All those beautiful castles they’d either built or inherited, and buildings that they considered fortresses of protection, had turned into their tombs.
Despite my sorrow over losing Ryker and the darkness staining my soul, a bubble of happiness welled inside me. That same joy spread over the faces of those from the encampment as hope bloomed like flowers in the spring.
The cheer started low at first, but it built until it rebounded off the walls. They forgot their coldness, hunger, and desolation as many leapt to their feet. Everyone started hugging each other and spinning in circles as they danced around the cave.
While I felt their joy, I couldn’t experience it with the same abandon. We’d cut off most of the tail of the snake and drastically weakened the duke’s position. Until Veni was dead and Ryker freed, I couldn’t experience true happiness, but I could smile over our success.
We’d done something the ghouls and every other invader of Tempest had failed to do… we’d destroyed the aristocrats.
Ianto came to stand beside me while the celebration continued. It couldn’t go on too much longer, as we had to put the rest of our plan in motion. Time was wasting, but I didn’t have the heart to intervene yet.
“How are you holding up?” Ianto asked.
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“A little stunned that we actually pulled it off without losing anyone.”
“We did, but the worst is yet to come.”
He rested a massive hand on my shoulder. “We’ll succeed in that too.”
When I looked up at him, whatever he saw on my face caused sadness to fill his eyes as he squeezed my shoulder.
“Are you ready for this next step?” I asked.
“I won’t lie—flying with those gargoyles isn’t my idea of a good time, but I’m ready to end this.”
“Do you think it will ever end?”
His hand tightened on my shoulder. “I do. One way or another, it will come to an end.”
But who will come out the winner? And how many will we lose in the process?
I couldn’t think of that. Everyone moving onto this next step had agreed to do so.
They all knew the consequences, and no one was forcing them into it. Still, if I managed to survive this, I’d bear the weight of their losses for the rest of my life.
“We should go,” I whispered.
“We should,” he agreed.