Chapter 19 #2
Thinking of Raya sent a warmth into my heart.
The second I’d touched her in my mind, I longed to be closer to her.
Even though I knew she barely wanted to be in my presence—she’d made that much abundantly clear—the desperate need to be near her, to just breathe the same air as her, was enough to break my concentration more times than I could count.
Lana grinned and drew me into a hug. “Maybe when this is all over, we can finally live the lives we always dreamed of. We just have to make it out alive first.”
“You know who I’m talking about?”
This time, instead of hugging me, she slugged my arm. “Everyone would know who you mean. Come on, Ian. She can only appear in your mind. That alone is obvious enough. Besides, the tension is so thick, you’ve made everyone around you nauseous.”
“Don’t even start with me on tension, with you and Kade eye-fucking every minute of the day,” I grumbled.
Lana gasped, holding a hand to her chest in mock outrage. “Not every minute.”
The tree line ended and we stopped, halting our progression.
Once we crossed the field ahead we’d be close to our well-used hidden entrance into Ellevail.
“We’re getting closer. We’ve got to make it to Dukes Pub by daybreak without being seen, even if the likelihood of us not running into a dark one is slim.
Which means we have about an hour left if our plan is going to work. Are you ready?”
Lana took my hand, squeezing it once before she donned her hood, hiding her hair. “It really is like old times.”
Moving silently through the fields, we ran in tandem.
Even with the likelihood of failure and death, in this moment I could see Lana free.
Running, her arms out beside her, feeling the flowers as she passed, I watched in awe as they leaned into her.
How we thought she didn’t have magic with nature’s responses to her was beyond me. We’d all been idiots.
A slim ray of sunlight peeked over the horizon, and a warm breeze swirled around us, guiding us forward.
We approached the concealed stone grate on the outer wall of the city, and the energy in the air shifted. The warmth disappeared, replaced by a dark, foreboding chill, despite it being the middle of summer.
The grass surrounding the outer wall appeared dead, straw-like and void of its lush green color. The usual morning sounds of birds chirping was nonexistent. Instead, we were met with silence, and goose bumps ran up my forearms.
Lana turned to me as we crouched by the steel grate that would let us into the city. “It’s like there’s no more life left in Ellevail,” she whispered. “You can feel it, right?”
I nodded, quietly yanking away the metal bars. “I can. Andras has ruined our city.” I slid through the tunnel, checking outside before beckoning her forward. The street was deserted. Noiseless. “We will restore Ellevail and Brookmere to the way it should be.”
Grabbing my hand, she squeezed it. “Atheria.”
I nodded. “Right. That will take getting used to.”
We continued making our way through the outer limits of Ellevail, keeping to the shadows as we had done so many times before.
Sweat broke out over my skin. We were home. Yet the memories of my last time here threatened to overcome me. I faltered, leaning against a wall. My breathing hitched, unable to get a deep enough breath.
“Ian?” Lana asked, bringing a hand to my chest. “What’s wrong.”
I shook my head. “Just need a second.”
Her face softened and she leaned in to me, resting her head on my shoulder. “You’re not there anymore,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around me. “You’re here, with me. Real as roses.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Real as roses,” I repeated. There had been too many times we’d brought each other out of the dark. If we could do this, succeed in this war, I prayed we never had to endure this pain again.
“You will heal,” she said softly. “And I’ll be beside you every step of the way, just as you have always been beside me.”
I rested my head on hers for a moment and took a steadying breath, as if that could rid me of the memories. There would be time for working through the nightmares of the dungeon, but for now, we had to press on.
We rounded a corner, halting abruptly as a lone dark one limped into a side alley, headed away from us.
An agitated energy thrummed in my veins, waiting to be set free.
Seeing the twitching creature on our streets infuriated me.
This darkness didn’t belong here, or anywhere for that matter, but seeing it permeating the city we called home made it worse somehow.
Lana put a hand on my arm. “He’s alone. Let me use Apollo first to see if he can be saved.”
I frowned, hating that idea immediately since it added more risk to our plans. “It could draw too much attention.”
She settled a stern look at me. “I have to try,” she hissed.
Drawing my blade, I stalked our prey, prepared to engage the second after Lana cut him if need be. We used the shadows of dawn to our advantage and crept alongside our target. Lana jumped, grabbing his arm and raked her blade down its length.
The man sharply sucked air through his teeth as the inky-black darkness seeped from him in waves. He blinked a few times before his nostrils flared, rage contorting his face. He shoved forward against Lana.
Not wasting a moment, I thrust my sword into his back, tearing clear through his stomach. He hit the ground before he could even mutter a sound.
Lana stared at the man so long I almost intervened. But then she sighed, looking up and meeting my gaze. “Not everyone can be saved,” she said. “One down.”
“A hundred or so more to go.” I wiped my blade on the seam of my pants.
As we continued to move through the city, the view turned my stomach.
Lana remained silent as her eyes darted around, taking in our surroundings.
Even in the early hours of the morning, it was strange that not a single soul milled about, preparing for the day.
Windows remained tightly closed, homes were dark, and the flowers sitting in window boxes, usually bright and vibrant, appeared withered and dead.
We’d prepared to enter the city as it woke, sneaking through the lower levels filled with Fae getting ready for their days. We hadn’t expected to find eerie silence.
A child peeked through a window and met my gaze. Her eyes widened with terror as she watched Lana’s cloaked figure next to me. She quickly shut the curtain and disappeared out of sight.
Our people were living in fear.
Everything King Alister and Queen Roxana did for the Fae to build a community, to protect them, encourage them, had crumbled.
Lana’s breathing stuttered, and I took her hand in mine, knowing she was fighting to hold back tears.
Her home, which was once so full of life, had been destroyed, fading away under Andras’s reign.
I had worked with these Fae every day. They were my people too. Fae whom I’d sworn to protect when I took my vows as captain. The resolve to finish this with Andras burned in the deepest recesses of my body. I would not let them down—our people deserved better than this.
“We’re here,” Lana whispered, as we stopped in front of the door to Dukes Pub. She knocked three times, pausing a second between each one as our informant had instructed. The hook above the door normally holding the establishment’s sign lay bare.
A makeshift peephole slid open, and a wide eye pressed against it from the other side. “Password?” a gruff voice sounded from behind the door.
“Tambourine mar-marching band?” Lana stuttered, a hint of skepticism in her voice.
The peephole slammed shut without another word from the burly sounding man.
Lana and I stared at each other for a moment in confusion. “Do you think we got it wrong?” she asked.
Suddenly, we heard locks turning before the door cracked open, one chain lock remaining in place.
“Name?” the man with the gravelly voice asked. The small sliver we could see of him gave nothing away as to his identity. A wound stretched under his eye, red and raw, still healing. Whoever he was, he clearly didn’t have strong healing magic.
“Ian Stronholm, former Captain of the Royal Guard.” I pulled Lana back. I would rather give my name in case this didn’t work. Lana could at least have a chance to escape and Andras would only be able to guess if she were truly here or not.
“And your friend?” he growled.
Lana looked at me as we hesitated, but only for a moment. She nodded, then raised her chin like the queen she was born to be. “Illiana Dresden. Rightful ruler of Brookmere. If you are a friend, you will let us in, and quickly so we can get off the street before we are seen.”
The door slammed shut in our faces, and we were left wondering if we were being met with friend or foe.
The chain slid on the other side of the door, and slowly, it swung open.
We were ushered into the bar before the door closed shut once more.
The man locked the handful of bolts and chains before turning to us.
He stared at Lana, who remained cloaked. After a few moments, she took the hood off.
The man stumbled back a step and bowed. “Your Majesty.” He rose hastily, limping toward the back. “Take a seat, I’ll get Tommy.”
Lana nodded and sat at one of the nearby tables. “Thank you, sir.”
He let out a chuff, but I saw the grin on his face. Lana had a way of making people feel seen.
“He probably hasn’t been called ‘sir’ ever,” I chuckled. “You flustered him.”
I stood beside Lana, ready just in case this was a trap. Looking down at her, I noticed she left her hand on her thigh, right on the hilt of the dagger in its sheath. She was prepared for a potential fight. I’d taught her well.
Two minutes later, Tommy Soloman appeared from around a corner. “I miss the days when breaking tables was the biggest problem you caused me, but now”—he paused surveying Lana and me—“ look at you.”
“I—” Lana started.
Tommy shook his head. “Doing the king and queen so proud.” He bowed his head low. “What can I do to help serve the crown, Your Majesty?”
I could see the muscles in Lana’s shoulders relax as she exhaled a large breath. “I heard you’ve started up a resistance.” She smiled at the barkeeper. “I’m hoping perhaps we could work together to take back our kingdom.”
A crash in the kitchen caused all of our attention to immediately shift to high alert. I positioned myself in front of Lana, sword drawn. I would take no chances when it came to her safety. Not when we were so close.
“Not again,” Tommy muttered.
A second clang of a metal container being dropped sounded, and a figure appeared in the kitchen doorway, just beyond the bar.
I dropped my sword in disbelief. My eyes had to be playing tricks on me.
The man before me had his sleeves rolled to his elbows and flour spilled all the way down his pants.
“Leif?” I practically whispered at the sight of my friend.
Lana jumped from her seat and ran toward him. “Oh, Leif.” She threw her arms around his neck. “You’re alive. You’re all right?” she asked, squeezing him so tightly I didn’t know if he could answer.
When she pulled away, she shoved him as she cried and laughed all at the same time. “I’m so angry you risked yourself, but you saved them all.” She wrapped her arms around him again. “I am so happy to see you.”
Embracing her back just as enthusiastically, Leif held on to her, chuckling. “And I would do it a thousand times over, Your Highness. I’m relieved you’re safe.”
I stepped forward, grinning as my own eyes welled. “You’re okay,” I said under my breath, like I needed to reassure myself. “You’re alive.” I forcefully blew out a breath, hardly believing he stood before me uninjured.
Leif untangled himself from Lana and held out his hand. I grabbed it, tugging him closer, and froze.
My smile fell as fear tightened my chest and my stomach dropped. I let go of Leif’s hand, reaching for Lana. “Lana, get back.”
She turned to me and then looked back at Leif, whose arms returned to his side. He frowned at me. “Ian?”
I pulled Lana behind me before gripping Leif’s arm and shoving his sleeve up higher.
What should have been a moment of joy and gratitude lay ruined in an instant.
“No,” Lana whimpered. Her expression transformed from shock and confusion to one of pure outrage. Though it was impossible to hide the despair there too.
Her voice shook, tinged with anger and pain. “You had better have a damn good reason for that mark on your arm.”
As she spoke, her eyes rested firmly on Leif’s arm and the black mark designating him as a dark one.