Chapter 37
Revna
The weight of my sword at my hip was only a small comfort.
S?ren and I walked hand in hand out of the inn.
The sun was setting steadily below the palace spires in the distance, warming the day.
The Seeing Ones were packing up, most tents already disassembled.
Those who planned to fight with us—which was most of the caravan—outfitted themselves with weapons and whatever armor they’d been able to scavenge.
Sonja jogged up to meet us, skirting around some younger members of the caravan who were helping put out the campfire.
S?ren wrapped her in an embrace. His shoulders were stiffer than usual, the only visible symptom of his own nerves.
Sonja offered me a hesitant smile when she pulled back.
Maybe she was uncertain about me, too. I wouldn’t blame her—as we’d worked out our plan, we’d butted heads several times trying to decide the best course of action.
Namely, she thought she needed to come with me and S?ren.
Despite the arguments we’d had, I understood her desperate need to protect the brother she loved. And she’d finally caved, understanding her help would be necessary elsewhere. Now she turned to me. “Take care of him.”
“I’ll do my best,” I promised.
We reached the center of camp. All eyes turned to us, and I hated that I knew some of them relaxed a bit because of our presence. I can’t guarantee your lives, I wanted to scream. This might not work.
But instead, I asked, “Everyone knows the plan?”
Nods of affirmation. “Good,” S?ren said. “Mira and Astrid will return here shortly to transport us all to Bhorglid. Remember, do not act until one of them returns to give you the signal.”
A loud crack sounded and Mira appeared, her face cloaked in shadow and evening light. Astrid followed shortly after. She hadn’t been thrilled with our plan, but it was our only chance of getting Freja, Volkan, and Jac out of prison, so she was begrudgingly helping us.
“The priests have started riding out to occupy the other cities in Bhorglid,” Mira said. “Minimal casualties thus far, and enthusiastic compliance from most Lurae. Still, I think this is our best chance.”
“Are we ready?” I turned to look at S?ren.
He slid the wolf skull mask on and latched it into place. It changed his voice instantly. “Let’s do this.”
Astrid pursed her lips, grabbed the two Nilurae closest to her, and teleported away. Mira did the same. A few moments later, both women returned and repeated the process.
This continued until all thirty-five of the capable fighters were gone and only Valen stood with us. The Seeing One turned to me. “We are all with you,” they said.
Motion caught in the corner of my eye. I looked up to see all the remaining caravan members, bowing to me. To us.
I may not be queen, I realized, but fighting for what’s right has earned me the respect of the Seeing Ones, at least.
Mira reappeared, and the world vanished once more.
We rematerialized in the hidden clearing on the mountainside, where S?ren and I had practiced my Lurae. When Astrid and Mira had scouted ahead earlier, they’d checked to see whether the priests or Arraya had discovered it.
Our luck held thus far. I adjusted the sheaths on my upper arms, the daggers S?ren made for me secured there. My hand found Aloisa’s hilt, and I breathed deeply, forcing my body to calm.
We had to be swift and careful.
“Callum—Arraya—whoever the fuck they are, stays in the castle most of the time. Unless they’ve managed to sneak away in the last hour, they should still be there,” Mira said.
She was as jittery as I was, her hands shaking as she rushed through her explanation.
“There are at least ten priests in the courtyard, but the rest are all in the city proper. Wait until a few leave before you make a move.”
S?ren nodded. “We’ll be careful. This is a stealth mission, not a battle in the making.”
“What about the sword?” I asked. “Do you know where she’s keeping it?”
Mira grimaced. “I haven’t seen much of the queen the few times I’ve done reconnaissance here, but when I saw her yesterday, she had it on her person.” She glanced between us. “At what point do I come to get you out?”
“Not until all of the people who came with us and the prisoners are safely away,” I said. “At that point, you’re welcome to come—but be alone and ready to fight.”
“I don’t like it,” she said, hands fisting at her sides. She looked to S?ren. “I’m not going to leave you both in there with no escape plan.”
He placed his hand directly on her head, a gesture that made me think of Erik.
“We won’t need a rescue, because we’re going to kill the queen.
If something goes wrong, we can play it by ear.
But this won’t work unless everyone does their job.
Sonja and Astrid will need help to corral all those untrained fighters—you have real battlefield experience. I need you to keep them safe for me.”
“Fine.” Mira turned and pointed an accusing finger at me. “Anything happens to him, you’re dead.”
“I know,” I told her.
She hesitated, then rushed to continue. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for trying to kill you in the wastes. You’re good for S?ren. I’m glad to see him happy.”
Then she was gone.
A few heartbeats passed before I turned to the Hellbringer. “How concerned should I be if Mira thought this was the last chance to apologize to me?”
S?ren’s reply was light, but I heard the gravity behind it. “She most definitely believes we are both going to die today.”
And Mira had been his right hand through the entire war. I took a deep breath, forced my fear down. There was no place for it here. I beckoned him to the thick foliage that obscured the clearing from view of the mountain path. “Hide here, so we can see when the priests leave.”
He ducked down next to me. I barely had time to settle in before a boom echoed up from the city below, orange plumes of fire billowing from the southwestern temple.
They lit up the night, a beacon in the darkness.
Smoke began to float through the sky. We waited with bated breath for three, four, five minutes.
They aren’t going to leave, I thought, desperation clutching at my chest. They aren’t going to—
Hooves pounded down the path, and several priests on horseback galloped by, slowing only a bit to take the sharp switchback down to the city. Several of them were shouting a conversation to each other, scythes in hand.
“Nilurae bastards again—”
“Fucking insolent, that’s what they are.”
“Can’t wait to slice their throats like—”
I closed my eyes, squeezing them tight and counting to ten until the urge to follow them and ram my sword into their stomachs faded enough. Then, when all was quiet, I beckoned S?ren forward and we began to ascend the path ourselves.
“Only six went by,” he muttered as we jogged toward the castle. “That means at least four stayed back.”
I huffed. “Inconvenient. My grandfather built this place as if we were going to be under siege at any moment. It’s incredibly difficult to sneak up on the castle. This might take longer than we expected.”
He glanced over his shoulder, down to the city. “The fire from the explosion is spreading. Hopefully it buys us enough time.” I heard the rest, though it remained unspoken. And hopefully there are no innocent casualties.
The explosion was the only diversion we’d managed to think of with enough of an impact to pull priests in from all over the city.
We needed eyes away from the castle and the prison while we worked.
But we’d also known how dangerous it would be.
Fear seized my gut again at the thought of someone with no involvement in our plan dying. Because of the decisions we had made.
We reached the top of the path, ducking between trees to stay out of sight.
As we studied the courtyard—two hooded figures standing beside the castle doors, scythes in hand—another loud boom sounded from behind us.
The second half of the diversion, an attempt to force the priests in the city to call for backup from the castle and from the prison guards.
More flames flickered to life on the north end of the city right as we arrived at the manor.
It was close enough to pull most of the remaining guards from the streets.
“How do we get rid of those bastards?” I murmured.
S?ren studied the long expanse of ground before us, no hiding opportunities in sight. “Can you still throw the daggers well?”
I raised a brow. “You doubt me, Hellbringer?”
I heard the grin behind the mask. “Never. I’ll start running toward them and see if I can catch them off guard.
While they’re busy trying to fend me off, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to throw your blades and take them out.
Hopefully they’ll get the attention of the other two, wherever they are, without alerting Arraya and Callum. ”
I chewed my lip. “It’s risky.”
“There’s no other way.”
He was right. The chances of alerting our prey were high, but it was unavoidable now. Mira hadn’t known the castle layout well enough to teleport us directly into a spot where we were guaranteed to be hidden. We knew a moment like this might come.
I pulled the daggers from their sheaths. “Let’s go.”
S?ren crept through the bushes lining the path, going as far as they allowed before he drew his weapon carefully and stood, sprinting for the priests.
They spotted him almost instantly, and while I couldn’t hear their shouts, their waving scythes showed their panic.
Even when they certainly knew S?ren was without his Lurae, they still feared him.
The Hellbringer, omen of death, come to end them.