32. Arrival
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Arrival
Once again, we found ourselves traveling under darkness. I rested against Cassiel’s chest, and he kept his arm fastened around my waist.
The horrors of the eve before had yet to leave my mind. They turned over in my thoughts. The Registry had spawned a branch: the Reliquary—closer to a redblood death camp than any prison.
I now understood why amulets were only in Elite households. They were a luxury to repel Hollows. In the span of my thirty annums, I had seen many, many amulets.
Each one symbolized a murdered redblood.
The worst bit of it all was that the amulets must be replenished. When Liadan explained that the murder of a redblood only held repelling properties for a single annum, it felt as if my heart would break.
Cassiel had remained silent, not speaking a word out loud or in my mind. Nothing past simple questions about my comfort.
In the distance, a dwelling sat in the midst of shrubbery illuminated by the rising dawnlight. Simple, small, and sturdy. The horses clopped ahead; Abrax followed last with Cassiel and me on him.
This was where the Resistance was located? It was not quite as I had expected.
Ahead of us, Morak and Liadan whispered to each other, hurried and rushed. They had not stopped their back and forth.
‘They argue over bringing me here,’ Cassiel informed me.
Having advanced hearing was rather useful.
Archer had not spoken a word. He continued to look around with piercing focus as if awaiting an attack.
“Understandably,” I muttered under my breath. Cassiel went rigid against my back.
‘You believe I would betray you?’
I bit my tongue and instead shrugged. I wanted to respond with a resounding ‘yes’, but I knew it was false. There would be nothing he would gain from turning against the Resistance. He well knew the council had only used him.
Despite being a frigid, uncaring, and ancient man, he was not stupid.
The hawk flew overhead with a sharp cry, and Morak took the lead.
Liadan guided his dappled horse over to us. “I’ll take the rear.”
Cassiel pushed Abrax forward, closer to Morak.
We rode to the side of a worn dirt path.
Wheat stalks and trees surrounding us. Morak cut a swath through the terrain.
Wheat rasped against our sides. We rode like this for a long while until we came to a stop before what looked to be an abandoned stable.
‘We are surrounded.’
I scanned the mix of trees and wheat, but under the moonlight, I could not see a thing. Movement brought my attention to a slim woman leaving the wheat field. She was dressed in trousers!? She moved quickly, crossing to meet another man before the front of the decrepit shack.
The two figures moved in tandem, opening the doors. Morak moved forward, and the rest of us were on his heels.
Once inside, the doors shut behind us, enclosing us in darkness. My vision adjusted. A small gas lamp came on, illuminating Tabby. She stood beside another man who was older with lines bracketing his mouth. She shoved the gas lamp handle at him, and he scrambled to catch it.
“Thank Saints.” Tabby ran toward Archer.
The bit of light allowed me to see Archer dismount and catch her.
The bottom of her dress flared out as he twirled her.
Their love was pure. I couldn’t help but compare it to myself and Cassiel.
She had started assigned to him, and they had fallen in love.
It was clear that was what she felt about him.
Cassiel moving to dismount brought me out of my mind.
“It took you long enough. I was close to sending out scouts to bring word back of you lot—” The older man stopped talking to gawk at Cassiel. “Saints,” he breathed. “Is that who I think it is?”
Cassiel said nothing, hand still outstretched to take mine. I shook my head, gripped the front of the saddle, and dismounted to the opposite side.
Morak walked over, leading his horse and took Abrax’s reins. Cassiel stiffened.
“Your Highness, we have a stall for your mount. He will be well taken care of,” Liadan said.
I worked on unwinding the satchel and tossing it over one shoulder. Abrax was guided away, leaving me staring at Cassiel across from me.
“I am so pleased you are all safe,” Tabby announced, approaching to grab my hands. She wound her arms around me. The softness of it—no expectation, just friendship—warmed my heart. Tears welled, and I blinked them away as I pulled back. She looked over my shoulder.
“My lord.” She curtsied. Cassiel kept quiet, but inclined his head. “Come, come, you must all be exhausted. I will take you to your chamber.”
She hooked her arm in mine and pulled me alongside her, striding over to the older man. “Amara, this is Waylan, one of the elders.” Waylan inclined his head and walked ahead of us. He seemed more worried than anything.
“Elders?”
“There is a lot to explain. We will get to it, but rest comes first.”
I followed her to the corner of the hovel.
Dust tickled my nose, coaxing a sneeze free.
Waylan crouched, bringing the gas lamp close to the ground to show a circular metal handle.
He pulled it, then the slab of wood creaked and rested open.
I could not see a thing until he stepped inside holding the gas lamp.
Stone steps descended. Tabby released my arm, and I followed her downward.
Deeper and deeper we walked. The walls had slabs of stone pressed against the surface and a thick stone-made paste slathered along to reinforce them.
As we went deeper, there were hidden grooves carved into the walls.
Not until we had gone deeper did I understand what they were all for.
On my next step, I looked to the side, and the following crevice came into view. A shadowed face greeted me; the lean body it belonged to sat against the curvature.
‘Above you. It will explain his presence.’
I looked up and there, hidden within the stone, were various blades jutting menacingly.
The blades seemed to run along the entire wheel-like structure.
The amount of traps tripled with the last stretch of steps until we reached the end.
As we finally descended the final stretch, five individuals were there with weapons all pointed at us.
Waylan walked down with the lamp in hand and lit the stairs.
“It is us,” Waylan said, and the blades retreated.
Another light flared on, and it showed a chamber carved into a rounded entrance that led in two paths. Both people at opposite ends of the space reached to hang the gas lamps onto the hooks along the wall.
Three men held swords directed at Cassiel. They were rough-looking men, scars littering their skin, hair cropped close to the scalp. Cassiel flung an arm against my front and pulled me behind him.
“There’s no need for all this,” Tabby said sharply. None of them reacted.
“Put them down.” Morak’s order was abrupt and harsh. The three of them hesitated for a split second before retreating, shoving their swords into their sheaths. Morak jerked his head toward the rounded entrance that led deeper. “Get back to what you were doing.” He rushed people out of the way.
I caught sight of a child peering between the skirts of two women.
He was a small boy in overalls. His wide eyes were fixed on Cassiel in fear and amazement.
He caught me watching him and sank behind the skirts.
Morak waved to the rest of the onlookers.
The three men with their blades sheathed remained, leaning against the stone wall.
“They never believed they would be so near the king,” Tabby explained, wincing. “Forgive their impertinence.”
Cassiel didn’t spare her a look; he was too busy scanning every inch of the carved-out entrance.
“You mentioned you were not part of the Resistance last I saw you. Was that a lie?” There was no reproach in my tone. If they hid it, it was only for their safety.
“We were not, but after the King found us, we feared.” She trailed off. I touched her arm.
“I understand.”
She smiled slightly. “Morak had approached Archer before about joining the cause. Archer had denied him until recently.” Her smile turned fond. “My husband is quite stubborn.”
I slowed. “You’ve wed?”
Redblood and blueblood marriages were not heard of, and I could not contain my shock.
“We were unable to register the record with the Kingdom, but we wed in a small ceremony.”
“Well, as soon as we end the council, it will not simply be symbolic.”
“You truly think we will succeed?” she breathed.
“Yes,” I said with full conviction. Conviction I did not have the proof to back, but that did not matter. Tabby looked over my shoulder and I followed her focus to Archer speaking to Waylan in a hushed tone.
“She needs to rest,” Cassiel announced. He rested his hand on my shoulder.
“Of course she does,” Tabby exclaimed. “So terribly sorry, Amara.”
I gave Cassiel a withering glare.
“Come, come, I will take you to your chamber.” Tabby turned her back and waited for us to follow near the entrance. Archer stopped his conversation with Waylan and neared.
Cassiel placed a hand on my lower back and urged me forward. The opening led through a dirt hall supported by stone bricks along the sides as well as brick columns dispersed throughout.
It was a well-cultivated underground village.
The left opened to a yawning chamber with a rug spanning across most of the stone floor and three rounded tables surrounded by cushioned seats.
We continued until we reached a split off.
Tabby continued to the right. We crossed many wooden doors until they grew fewer into an empty, quiet stretch. When a door came into view, she slowed.
“I have placed you both in the only chamber with running water. Otherwise the plumbing is only in the communal bathing chamber.” She opened the door. I looked over my shoulder. Archer had followed along with one of those men with swords strapped to them.
Two candles sat upon the nightstand beside a large bed. A bronze snuffer beside it. The low glow of the candles was enough to see most of the chamber.