Chapter 58
Robin relaxed her good arm, dropping the tip of the borrowed sword she held to the ground.
Now that the current fight was over, her heart had started to race. She looked around the courtyard, noticing who was wounded. A Chendas soldier lay curled against the base of the wall, clutching his arm. Two of Onric’s guardsmen helped a third to sit upright near the gate.
But the Majis who had formed the shimmering shield moved among the wounded, so Robin’s eyes did not linger on any of them.
Instead, her gaze found the man standing at the steps of the great hall.
Ian was looking for her. He was covered in sweat, breathing heavily, and blood dripped down the sleeve of his sword arm. His eyes found her a moment later.
Her shoulders fell as she returned his gaze, releasing more of the tension she’d been holding. She sent him a small smile.
He was alive. She was not sure if he could look any more exhausted, but he was alive.
Sol and Aizel moved up the steps and stopped next to him. They also appeared unharmed.
Robin stepped forward to join them. Gareth had disappeared during the fight, and they needed a new plan.
In the few short steps it took for her to reach Ian’s side, Onric, Aden, and Erich had also flocked to him. Robin did not miss how it was Ian, their older brother, they all gathered around.
Ian, however, was looking at Sol. “As the acting king of Iseldis, I ask you, Sol, both a Majis and a prince of Iseldis, to become the next general of the army of Iseldis.”
Sol dropped to his right knee. “It would be an honor to serve Iseldis, my king.”
Ian looked to Robin as Sol stood.
She nodded her approval. Ian had made this decision on his own, without consulting any of them, but it was a brilliant move. Sol was a Majis. And in front of several witnesses, Ian had just given him command over an army.
Dropping his voice, Ian spoke to Sol directly. “Can you take the remaining army to the city and ensure that Gareth’s remaining soldiers are routed or surrender?”
Sol nodded.
“We need to ensure the people are safe from Gareth’s chaos magic wielders,” Ian continued.
“Take half of my guard,” Onric said. “They are known in the city and can be trusted.”
Sol nodded his understanding.
“Go, then,” Ian said. “We have one more fight here at home.”
“I will ask some of the Majis to remain with you,” Sol said. “To help diffuse any chaos that Gareth has remaining.”
Ian nodded. “Thank you. That would be greatly appreciated.”
Sol stepped down the stairs, and Ian turned his attention to the locked doors of the great hall.
Robin noticed the tension in his jaw as the relief of one victory was replaced with worry. His mother and father were still inside.
“We need to get inside,” Onric said, stepping up to the door and pulling at its handle in vain. “Every second he is in there with them . . .”
“We will get to them,” Robin said. “Gareth cannot have blocked every door into the keep.”
Aden pointed to his right. “Isa is in there, too. I will go this way and check every door,” he said. “Erich, you check that side.”
Erich ran down the steps without offering a reply.
Aden jumped over the steps altogether, leaping onto the ground and running in the other direction.
Robin stepped backward down the steps. Gareth had been inside the great hall for several minutes. He’d had enough time to lock every door of the keep. She leaned back, looking at the balcony overhead.
Ian walked down the steps toward her, twisting his body around to look at the balcony as well.
The stone surrounding the doors was smooth, white marble. It was not climbable—by hand or by biter—but a thick vine grew up around the door frame.
“We can get to the balcony,” Robin said. Ulli appeared silently at her other side.
Ian must have already come to the same conclusion because he was stepping forward, ready to make the ascent.
Robin also stepped forward, reaching toward the vine in front of him.
It would be smarter for her to go first, to assess the danger before he walked into it.
But the movement of her arm pulled through to her shoulder, flaring the burning pain of the chaos magic that still festered there.
Hiding her wince, she dropped her arm and pressed it against her side before anyone could notice.
Ulli noticed immediately. “Allow me, Your Majesty,” he said, stepping in front of Ian to reach the vine first.
Robin caught the flash of hurt that crossed Ian’s face—subtle, quick, hidden almost before it appeared.
Ulli had never called Ian by a title in all the time they had spent together.
He was using it as a formality now, in this moment where Ian was leading them as a king.
But she could see that Ian would still have preferred for him to go without.
Robin pressed her good hand over her burning shoulder. Lyra’s harmony magic had eased the pain, but the woman had not had a chance to look at her wound in several hours. Perhaps . . .
Ian moved to follow Ulli up the vine, but Robin touched his arm. He stopped, turning to her.
“The weakness of harmony magic is that it is amplified by the number of people who are in harmony together,” Robin said, repeating the words Ashlin had recently told them. The harmony magic of a single person was not strong. Lyra’s magic alone helped, but it was not strong enough to fully heal.
“Did you just figure something out?” Ian asked, understanding her even if he did not appear to understand what she was thinking.
“Go,” she said. “I am staying down here. I will find you soon.” She felt an odd mixture of panic and excitement—she was letting a member of her band go into danger without her as backup, but it was possible she might be right about the magic.
Ian released the vine, giving her his full attention. “What is wrong?” he asked. “Are you injured? It is not like you to voluntarily remain behind.”
Robin shook her head. “It is the opposite. I think Aizel and the Majis can heal my shoulder. Fully heal it. I do not know how long it will take, though. And you need to get to the rest of your family. Go. I will find you as soon as I can.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “You are taking care of yourself.”
“So that I will not be useless when you find Gareth,” she replied.
He nodded, but a small smile played across his lips. “It is a good idea. I hope it works.” He squeezed her good arm, just below the shoulder, then turned back to the vine.