Chapter 43
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
ABBY
M arein is in absolute chaos as word spreads of our immediate departure. I thought we were ready for this, but now I realize we’re far from it. People scramble for their weapons while arguing over who stays and who goes. This should have already been decided, and perhaps it was, but clearly not everyone was agreeable to the plan. Now that the moment has come a full week early, what should be an organized army has dissolved into a squabbling mess.
I stand with the wolves on one side of the beach. Aside from Fern trying to join, all of Quinn’s people knew their place. He’d left it up to them who would join us on this mission and who would stay behind with the Mareiners. Altogether, there are sixteen wolves at my side—not including Quinn, who I haven’t seen for some time. He’s no doubt trying to ready the other groups that have slowly been gathering a short distance down the beach.
I spot Erwyn among the sirens, though I’m a bit surprised Aurelia isn’t with him. She’s likely stayed in case we’ve got this wrong and Lunae is planning another attack on us. All we know for certain is that the shadows that have been churning around Lunae for months are gone, and for all we know, so is Void. It’s a hard choice to leave Marein now. To rescue Arabella, as well as the innocent people of Lunae that we believe are in danger. If we’re wrong, those we leave behind will pay the price.
I feel Quinn through the bond and know he’s close. I turn towards Marein in time to see him striding through the crowd towards me. He takes my hand in his and leads me further down the beach until we come to a stop ahead of the gathering. Ahead of our army .
The remaining bickering ceases as Quinn takes a step forward and raises his hands for silence. His demeanour is hard, and I know this isn’t my Quinn. This is the Quinn he becomes when he’s wearing the mask of a general.
“This is happening a lot faster than we’d hoped,” he says, his voice carrying on the wind and demanding attention. All eyes are on him and although I stand beside him, I feel invisible in this moment. Insignificant next to the sheer power this man commands, every bit the man his father wanted him to be. “I know a lot of you are scared—and you should be. Fear is normal. It’s healthy. We fear losing the things we love. We fear losing our homes, our family, our friends. We fear losing our very lives. But that fear is what gives us strength. It gives us something our enemy doesn’t have—something worth fighting for.” He pauses, gesturing a hand wide and then catching the air with a fist before bringing it to his chest. “Find your reason and hold it close, because nothing is going to be the same from this moment forward. We’re not leaving to Lunae to fight, but you need to be ready for that possibility because war is coming. It may not be today or even tomorrow, but this is a battle that can only end in blood.” His warm hand slips around mine. ‘I’ve found my reason.’
‘And I’ve found mine.’
Murmurs of agreement erupt from the sirens as swords clank against shields and the ends of spears thump into the sand. A few of the wolves howl, and although I don’t hear them, I know many of the dragons are just as eager to summon their claws and tear them through flesh. We may not be going to Lunae to fight, but these people are more than happy to.
I wish I could say the same. I’ve had a knot in my stomach since the moment I first learned of the shadows’ sudden disappearance, and it’s only grown larger since. This is the worst timing imaginable. Teagan still hasn’t woken, and although Tess is confident she will, I’m not going to be here when she makes it through the fever. Whether or not the curse is passed to her, I’ll be in Lunae and quite, possibly fighting for my life just as she now fights for hers.
Petra will stay with her, of course, and that’s one less fighter we have on our side. Merrick is coming with us, but he’s leaving behind Dru with strict orders not to leave Nuri’s side. Knowing the dragons, they probably wish they could come with us, but there’s no way any of them will risk the unborn heir. I’m surprised Merrick isn’t staying behind himself. The distance isn’t going to be easy for him. Though, I suppose, just as Quinn said in his speech, Merrick has his reason to fight.
Quinn doesn’t have to say it for me to know that we only have minutes to say our goodbyes. Many already have, but I wanted to wait for him. It’s hard enough leaving people behind, but it’s worse knowing that there’s a very real chance that not everyone who leaves with us will make it back. Kaylee can’t see the outcome of this, and until we have Arabella, we’re essentially blind.
“I know you’re still mad at me, but—” Quinn starts to say to Tess when we reach her, but she cuts him off with a hug tight enough to know the wind out of him.
When she releases him, she turns straight to me. “You make sure you bring that fool back to me.”
I laugh in effort to break some of the tension that still very much lingers between them. “Even if I have to drag him.”
Tess moves to Nuri’s side before Quinn can finish whatever he was meaning to say to her, and perhaps that’s for the best. We all need to be in the right headspace for this, and now isn’t the time to air out grievances. Tess’s hug spoke volumes, and that’ll have to be enough for now.
“You ready?” Quinn asks Merrick as he passes.
“Give me a minute.” Merrick heads straight for Nuri and bends to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek. Then he drops to his knees so that he’s at level with her stomach and takes her hips in his hands. Speaking low, he says something in a language I don’t understand.
Nuri runs a hand through his hair and laughs. “We are not naming them that.”
He stands, a playful grin I’ve never seen from him before twisting his lips. “I still have months to win you over.”
“And it won’t be long enough.”
Kaylee and Rhett cross the beach to join us and Quinn tenses. For the first time, this might have absolutely nothing to do with their relationship. “I take it this means you haven’t reconsidered,” he says, his jaw tight.
“I have not,” Kaylee says with a sweet yet stubborn smile. “We’re coming with you.”
I don’t think Quinn ever doubted Rhett would come, but Kaylee? He blows out a sigh, apparently choosing not to argue with her. Instead, he turns his attention to Rhett. “It’s your job to keep her safe. If this turns into a fight, she’s not to get anywhere near it.”
“ She is right here,” Kaylee says, jabbing a finger into her brother’s chest. “I have no intention of fighting, but I need to be there for Arabella. If this turns into a war, weaving may be the only thing that saves us.”
He can’t argue with her there, even if he wanted to. He puts his hands up in front of him. “Forgive me for not wanting to see you on a battlefield.”
She rolls her eyes. “If I were Evan, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“If you were Evan, we wouldn’t need to. He was destined for a crown, not a sword.”
“Just in case,” I say, stepping between them and unsheathing a dagger. I hold it out to Kaylee and she takes it, only studying it for a moment before tucking it into the belt at her waist. I can’t help but wonder if she knows how much these blades mean to Quinn. If she does, she doesn’t let on.
Instead, she turns away from us, calling over her shoulder to Quinn as she ushers Rhett away. “You shouldn’t talk to me about destiny.”
We travel at a slow but deliberate pace through trees that have never looked so threatening. Quinn is in his human form for now, but as soon as the sun sets, he’ll be forced to shift once more. He and Erwyn came to a tentative agreement that while Quinn is unable to speak, he’ll lead if Lunae attacks us in the night. The wolves will be with me and Merrick will be in the air, which leaves Erwyn the next best person to command the fighters on the ground if Quinn can’t.
We only get about five hours before the decision is made to set up camp for the night. I’m not sure how far we are from Lunae, but we’ll likely reach the border sometime tomorrow.
Quinn and I sit by one of the many low fires created by the dragons. They’re built into shallow divots in the earth to help keep their glow hidden in case any Guardians are patrolling tonight. Though, I doubt they’d go unnoticed if they were. If anyone got close enough to this camp to be a danger, one of the many, many pairs of eyes that see far better than a human will easily spot them at distance. Altogether, we have sixteen wolves—not including Quinn, five dragons—or we would, if Jade actually bothered to show up—and about a hundred sirens. It’s not much, but it will have to be enough.
I remind myself again that this isn’t supposed to be a battle. This is a rescue mission. The plan is to get in and get out under the cover of night and get back to Marein before Lunae can rally.
Despite that, I can’t help palming a dagger with my left hand. I was never very strong with my left hand to begin with, but now with the missing finger, my grip is significantly weaker. Each time I think I have a good hold, the blade slips.
‘That’s what the ring is for,’ Quinn says through the bond as he watches me try again.
I flex my hand to get a better view of the ring. ‘Would you laugh at me if I said I don’t fancy the idea of getting blood on it?’
He snorts a laugh, and I guess I have my answer. ‘You might change your mind tomorrow.’
‘How are you so calm?’ He was anxious when we first left Marein, but he’s seemed perfectly fine since. Answering questions and barking orders as needed while we traveled, and now blinking lazily as if he’ll have no trouble sleeping tonight.
He moves in what can only be a wolfish shrug. ‘I’ve been preparing for this since I could hold a sword. It’s ironic that I’ll likely have to fight this war without one.’
Before I can answer, a flash of light bursts behind my eyes and I double over at the intensity of it. “It’s Ty,” I gasp, trying to rein in control of the image overlapping with my own vision. As it comes into focus, I see a room of sleeping Guardians and a torch lit hall.
Quinn disappears from my side, only to return a moment later with a very confused siren. When she sees me, she must understand because suddenly I’m seeing the vision in my head projected in front of me as if we were really in the palace. Others have moved behind to watch, though I don’t risk turning away to see who.
‘Can you hear me?’ Ty asks as he slips out of the room and pads down the empty hall.
‘Yes! I can hear you.’ Distance must really have been the issue.
I’m about to ask if he’s alright, but Quinn’s hurried words slip through my mind and into Ty’s before I can. ‘This is happening now. Void’s darkness has faded, and we need to know why. We’ve camped a day’s walk from the city. I need whatever information you can give me.’
‘I don’t know anything. This is the first night I haven’t felt like I was being watched. I don’t know how long I have before—’
‘Take a left up ahead!’ I say quickly when I realize where he is. It’s normal for this part of the palace to be less guarded, but I’ve never seen it this empty. I’m not about to pass up the chance to send a message.
‘There’s no way out from that end,’ Ty objects. ‘This is the—’
‘I know what wing this is,’ I say, cutting him off again. ‘Turn left.’
He does, but I can feel his anxiety rising. I know he was headed for the gardens in search of privacy, but I have a better idea. It’s so strange seeing these halls through another’s eyes. It feels like years since I last walked them myself, though it’s been mere months.
“Something’s not right,” I say aloud. “There should be a Guardian at the end of this hall.”
“Maybe they are all asleep,” Erwyn chuffs from behind me, as if that would be the dumbest decision and something to be expected of Lunae’s army.
“No, she’s right,” Merrick agrees, though I wonder how he would know. Jade was always the one slinking around the palace to be closer to me, so unless he reported back, Merrick shouldn’t know the schedules of the Guardians within the palace. “They’re somewhere, but not here.”
I don’t hear what he says to the dragons, but within seconds they’ve summoned their wings and taken to the sky. Rhett is the last to lift off the ground, pausing only to kiss Kaylee before chasing after his kind. I can only assume they’re going to check the perimeter.
‘Stop,’ Quinn says suddenly and Ty freezes in place. ‘Go back through that open door.’ There’s an urgency in his voice that wasn’t there before.
‘Why am I in here?’ The room is small and cramped, and I recognize it as one of the storage rooms used mostly for linens.
‘Someone’s coming.’ Quinn’s words have my blood running cold. Maybe this was a mistake. I should have just let Ty go to the gardens.
‘I don’t hear anything.’
‘I’ve been a wolf a lot longer than you. Stay down and be quiet.’
Less than thirty seconds later, I hear soft footfalls and even softer voices drifting closer from one end of the hall. “Majesty, he has returned.” The voice is male and I don’t recognize it.
A groan that could only have come from one person. “Finally. I’m growing tired of waiting.”
Imelda.
This was a mistake. If she finds Ty…
The footsteps grow distant and I release the breath I was holding. That was too close.
‘Should I follow them?’ Ty asks.
‘No!’ I say at the same time Quinn does, though he’s far calmer.
‘Keep going,’ I urge him. ‘The door at the end of the hall. On the right.’ As long as Imelda doesn’t come back this way, he should be fine. He’ll be safer in there than he will wandering the halls now.
Quinn turns his head to me, realization suddenly blooming on his face. He’s only been in this palace once and he’s finally figured out exactly where Ty is. “Are you sure?”
“It’s fine,” Kaylee says from behind us. This is the first time she’s spoken, and she’s watching the vision intently. Of course she would recognize this place too, even if she’s likely never been there herself.
Ty reaches the closed door and stares up at the silver handle. It’s more intricate than some of the other doors, and for good reason. ‘I can’t open this.’
I don’t bother to mention that he probably has all the strength he needs to knock it down if he wanted, but we absolutely do not. ‘You don’t need to. Scratch.’
I feel his annoyance at being compared to a dog, but he does as I say and drags a clawed paw down the stone door. The sound is gravelly and rough, and I’m bracing myself for him to do it again when the door suddenly opens a crack before swinging wide enough for a pale face to peek out from the shadows.
Arabella’s eyes widen for just a moment before her brows crease. “You’re not Quinn.” She pulls the heavy door open wider. “Get inside. Quick.”
‘You’re going to have to shift and tell her everything,’ I say hurriedly. ‘Tell her we’re coming and to be ready. She’ll get you out of the palace and then we need you to spread the word among the people.’
‘Abby—’ Quinn tries to cut me off, but I keep going. This is too important. He may command this army, but the wolves are mine. I haven’t wanted to admit that—haven’t wanted to accept it, but I feel it. I feel Terranous’s magic flowing through me and into them whenever I tap into the connection they all share. I’d felt it the first time in the spider’s cave when I told the wolves not to let Quinn near me and they’d chosen loyalty to me over him. I can’t say it’s exactly like how Merrick is to the dragons, but the wolves are mine in a way I don’t understand and may never understand.
‘Tell them the Lady of the Marked has returned to liberate them all.’