Chapter 56
Iskarya rode in front of Ishim, sweat slicking her skin.
Dried blood crusted the corners of her mouth and the gag he’d removed before shoving her onto his horse.
The Demons had cut out her tongue, we’d discovered, no doubt to prevent her from speaking of what she’d seen.
But they hadn’t removed her hands, which meant she’d still be able to write.
The Zahal whispered soothing words to her, his arm banded tight around her stomach. Her head lolled, and he jerked her. “Stay with me. We’re almost there.”
But she slumped to the side and retched.
Maelsar sucked in a sharp breath beside me. “She’s been poisoned."
I whipped my attention to him, finding him watching the Padisa intently. “Fuck. Protect Sylaira.” I kicked my horse forward, grabbing Ishim’s reins. “Hold onto her. We have to get her to a healer. Now.”
Ishim gave me a curt nod, his arms tightening around his lover while his legs gripped the saddle. The drumming of hooves was as fast as the beat of my own heart as we raced toward the outpost.
The trees were thick here, and I blasted branches apart to clear our path. I wasn’t doing this for Ishim, but for the information, for the leverage we could gain.
If there were Angels truly switching sides, I needed to know how and why. And she might also know what happened to the real Saethir.
I cast a glance at the pair, Iskarya looking even worse than before, a sickly pallor clinging to her. Her eyes were no longer open, and she was boneless in Ishim’s arms.
The clearing appeared ahead of us, and I screamed for aid. Soldiers threw themselves out of the way as we barreled through the tents, spearing to the heart of our makeshift city.
Oshenai burst from within the healing center, Thalyon and several others hot on his heels. He took one look at me, and relief softened his features.
I slowed our horses, leaping to the ground before my stallion had even come to a full stop. Ishim handed me Iskarya only long enough to slide off. Together, we helped the female onto a clean table.
“She’s been poisoned, the same as they used on Maelsar,” I told Thalyon in a rush of air.
Iskarya coughed, her whole body arching off the flat wood. A moan quaked in her throat, and her fingers clenched and unclenched, moving as if she were searching for something. But her eyes rolled back in her head, and foam mixed with blood on her mouth.
“Someone do something!” Ishim roared, all propriety forgotten.
Thalyon shouted at an underling to fetch the antidote, and she raced away, digging through a massive trunk on one side of the tent. Others pressed cool rags to Iskarya’s forehead and lips.
The fucking Demons had known what they were doing when they handed her over. And we hadn’t been wise enough to check that she was in any condition to trade for.
Rage roared inside me as I watched the Padisa’s life fade away. Along with whatever intelligence she carried.
“I can’t find it!” the underling shouted, a desperate edge to her tone.
“Search harder!” Ishim barked, half-collapsing into the table that held his lover. He stared at her like his gaze alone could force the poison to recede.
A tremor wracked her frame, subtle at first, before warping into a full-blown seizure.
“No!” Ishim snarled, grabbing her by the shoulders. “You will not die on me.”
Her eyes flew open, clouded and unseeing. A gasp ripped from her throat. And then she collapsed backward. Unblinking. Unmoving.
Fuck.
Sylaira skidded to a stop beside me a heartbeat before Ishim roared, his fury shaking the canvas around us.
Sylaira grabbed my arm, giving it a hard tug. “We need to go. Now.”
“What? Why?” I turned to her, pure fear in her eyes piercing me.
“I had a flash of the near future after you sprinted away,” she said, dragging me into the light. “Ishim went mad. Killed the people around him.”
I scrubbed at the beard on my jaw. “I need to speak with Oshenai. Gather our things and I’ll meet you at the officer’s building.”
She nodded, sprinting away, white cloak whipping in the wind behind her.
The Zahal still raged inside the tent, screaming at each healer who had let Iskarya die.
I couldn’t even find it in my heart to pity him.
And with his Hive power, with what Sylaira had glimpsed, he could turn every single person in this camp into a mindless soldier and send them on an immediate death march.
I spun to find Oshenai, only to crash into him. The chieftain took a step back, dipping his head in apology. “Lyriasthe mentioned your departure.”
“Come with me.” I motioned for him to follow me away from the madness.
We rounded a corner, and I swiveled my head, searching for any potential eavesdroppers.
No one could hear what I was about to say.
“I wish you could come with us. But I need someone here to ensure that Ishim dies in the next fight. For our plan to work, that is imperative. Though you might need to call Thalyon away before he’s harmed. ”
The islander dipped his head to me. “For you and the Seraelth, I will ensure it happens.”
“Lead the retreat straight to Sivy. We will meet you there,” I told him.
“May I ask where you are going?” He lifted a white brow.
“Ilyth?on, though I doubt we will arrive before Ishim wishes to retaliate for his loss. Which is why it is imperative that we depart immediately.” To emphasize my point, the Zahal’s furious shriek ripped through the air.
“I trust that our Radiant Mother has offered your mate a reason for this.” He swept into a deep bow. “It has been my honor getting to know the both of you. You will make fine rulers indeed.”
I pulled the chieftain into an embrace, slapping him hard on the back. “The honor has been all mine, Oshenai.”
He hooked his thumbs together and pressed his palms over his heart as I stepped back. “Goddess save you, Issaraeth.”
“Vaeron.”
Oshenai grinned, the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkling. “Vaeron. Our Radiant Mother is on your side.”
“I pray for that every day.” A group of new recruits passed by, absorbed in their conversation. Once they were out of sight, I stalked forward, acutely aware of every voice around me.
The Zahal had quieted down, at least. Though that didn’t fill me with relief. I knew all too well the cold embrace of rage. What happened when one sank into the silence rather than unleashing the screams.
Sylaira, Maelsar, and Lyriasthe were waiting for me at the rear of the officer’s building, out of sight of most of the camp.
The forest was only a short distance away, and tied to the nearest tree were our horses, saddled with overstuffed bags draped across their rumps.
The three most important people in my life each sported a heavy pack on their backs.
Maelsar handed an additional one to me, and I settled it across my shoulders.
“Do we have everything we need?” I asked them.
“Aye. Let’s get the fuck out of here before Ishim notices we’re missing. The farther away we can get, the better,” my second-in-command replied, shooting a glare toward the striped healing tents in the distance.
I closed my eyes and sent a pulse to Ilae. He replied with an image of the four of us from high above, Ysolthe perched at his side.
“Follow,” I told him. I wasn’t certain if the image I’d Seen alongside Sylaira would be enough to give him a mark of the High Priestess, but it was better than nothing.
A hum filled the air overhead as the auravane took flight.
“Mount up,” I said, striding for my horse. He tossed his head as I settled astride, picking up the reins. With one last look at the camp, I kicked my heels, urging him forward.
And together, the four of us raced between the trunks of alpine trees, carving a path straight south toward the location of the High Priestess of the Demons.
The sacrifice that might bring an end to this brutal war at last.