Chapter 32 Hell
We gathered beneath the cover of the trees just before they broke to reveal the wall. I knew the path by heart now. The first rescue had carved it into my memory. Even so, my hands trembled. I tucked them behind my back before anyone noticed.
There was no science to this. No perfect plan that guaranteed everyone came back unmarred, or even alive.
Every rescue relied on too many things going right, and far too many things could go wrong.
I hated that. I hated even more that Liv insisted we split into teams.
She was right, of course. There were simply too many girls to rescue one by one.
It did not stop me from wanting every person I cared about within arm's reach.
Raf and the two girls Liv had assigned to our team did not seem to share my nerves.
I fought to steady my breathing while they spoke excitedly about their powers, their training, and how ready they were.
The girls, especially, could barely contain themselves.
The chance to save others like them, detested women who had spent their lives in hiding, seemed to eclipse any fear they might have felt.
I had not crossed back into Verith since we fled.
The first rescue had never required us to pass the wall.
I had been grateful for that. At first, I had missed Verith.
It had been the only home I had ever known.
Now...this was home. The Sanctuary. The girls.
The people who had chosen one another. The thought of being captured and trapped in Verith again twisted something deep in my stomach.
“Now, does everyone know where they are going? And does everyone know who they are getting out?”
Liv’s voice was quiet but stern. I could not help but watch her in awe.
She had become a leader. Fearsome. Steady.
Strong. So far removed from the girl I had met in the alehouse.
Raf held up our map before folding it carefully and tucking it into the pocket of his shirt.
He patted it once, as though reassuring himself it was still there.
“We have everything arranged. One girl will stay with me and the other with the Blacksmith. Do you really think this is necessary?” I asked. “Splitting up?” Liv raised a hand, cutting me off before I could continue.
“There are too many girls, and not enough hours in the night. We cannot afford to still be inside Verith when dawn breaks. We lose the protection of the shadows the moment the sun rises.”
I looked toward Ezra's group, then back to ours.
Every instinct I possessed screamed that this was a mistake.
Liv smiled softly and rested a hand on my shoulder. “All will be well.”
I forced a smile and drew a slow breath.
“Well then... I believe we are ready.” I stepped toward the wall.
“Lydia, you are with me. Arabella, with the Blacksmith.”
I looked between them. “We chose the two of you because you made tremendous strides during training. You are capable. You are strong.”
My expression hardened. “But this is not training. If either of you separates from your assigned adult, there may not be another chance to find you. Stay with us at all times.”
The girls' confident expressions faltered.
“Hell,” Liv said with a small sigh, “do not frighten them.”
She stepped beside me and smiled at the girls.
“She is right about one thing,” she said.
“Do not leave the adult you've been assigned to. We want every one of you to make it home.”
The girls nodded, their resolve returning, and looked back to me.
“Once I open the wall, be ready. According to our informant, there have been increased patrols of enforcers. We will need to stay vigilant.”
They nodded once more and moved to the side of their assigned adults.
Lydia edged closer until her shoulder nearly brushed mine.
The confidence that had filled her only moments ago had all but vanished.
Good. Fear keeps people alive. I caught Liv's eye and gave a single nod.
She returned it. Then I reached for my power.
The stone wall trembled beneath my feet.
Dust sifted from the ancient cracks as the hidden fracture, once sealed, slowly pulled itself apart.
I moved to step through first, but Raf caught my wrist, stopping me.
He said nothing. He simply shook his head once before stepping through the opening himself.
Ezra followed close behind. They stood motionless for a long moment, searching the darkness beyond the wall for any sign of movement.
It was unnaturally quiet. Not even the crickets dared to sing.
Ezra drew a slow breath. Shadows spilled from his feet, slithering silently across the forest floor before disappearing into the trees.
We waited while they searched the darkness for us.
After several long moments, the shadows returned to him.
They curled around his boots before melting back into him.
He looked toward us and gave a single nod. The path was clear.
I waved the girls forward, and we slipped silently into the forest.
Margaret had crafted new clothing for all of us.
Surprisingly, it had been Ezra's idea. Every piece had been chosen with purpose.
Deep greens. Blacks. Muted blues. Colors that disappeared beneath the trees and melted into the shadows.
Gone were the stiff corsets and cumbersome skirts.
Margaret's new bodices were soft, unboned, and allowed us to breathe.
Leather holsters rested at each of our waists, a dagger tucked neatly inside every one.
Even Liv wore trousers. She tugged at the waistband every few steps, still unused to them.
I almost laughed. I had always preferred trousers.
She preferred gowns for their beauty and whimsy.
Beautiful things got caught on branches.
Whimsical things slowed you down. Either could get you killed.
We continued down the forest path, careful where we placed each step in case traps had been laid among the undergrowth.
Satisfied the way ahead was clear, I paused and looked back one last time.
My eyes found Liv. I said nothing, but silently begged her to stay alert.
If she fell, this rebellion would fall. Then I turned my gaze to Ezra, the warning unspoken.
Protect her. He met my gaze and gave the slightest nod.
He would sooner burn in the Seven Hells than allow harm to find her.
That, at least, I believed without question.
We split onto our separate paths. Their group disappeared toward the Holudrums while ours veered toward Baresia.
Thankfully, neither route required us to pass anywhere near Diviners' Row... or the Council.
The path was narrow, barely more than a game trail swallowed by the undergrowth.
Raf led us, following the map toward the first girl's home.
The two girls remained between us while I used my magic to move loose earth back over our footprints, erasing every trace of our passing.
The faint firelight of the sleeping city glimmered through the trees ahead.
I let out a slow breath. According to Elsbeth's reports, the forests near the border should have been crawling with enforcers.
Yet we had crossed the wall and reached the outskirts of Verith without incident.
It felt... wrong. Too easy. Just as the thought settled in my mind, boots crunched over gravel somewhere beyond the trees.
Raf froze and looked back at me. I already knew.
Without a word, we each seized one of the girls by the hand and pulled them into the thick brush.
I pressed a finger to my lips, willing them to understand. Do not make a sound.
“Collins!” one enforcer called. “Over here! I think I heard something!”
“On my way!” another voice answered from somewhere behind us.
I slipped from the brush just enough to see the path, one hand outstretched as I suspended a stone the size of my head in the air.
Footsteps grew louder as he approached unhurried.
His shadow stretched across the ground a heartbeat before he stepped into view.
I released my hold and gravity finished the work.
It struck him squarely in the crown of his head, and he crumpled without so much as a cry.
Raf was moving before the body hit the ground.
He hooked his arms beneath the enforcer's shoulders while I took his ankles, and together we dragged him into the brush.
“Collins?” The second voice sounded much closer.
I nodded to Arabella, and she returned it with her own nod of understanding.
She took a deep breath in just as Liv taught her and reached for her power.
Her skin began to twist, and her bones cracked as she let out a small, strangled gasp.
Then she rose to her feet, but not as herself.
Arabella had the magic of mockery. All she needed was a name.
So long as she knew a person’s name, she could mock their appearance, their voice, their entire being.
“I am here.” Arabella’s now deep voice rumbled as she stepped away from the brush.
“I could have sworn I heard movement over here, did you see anything?” The other enforcer’s voice was hushed.
“No, nothing here, it is all clear.” The man hesitated. “I will continue to search the area, you should head that way.” She pointed him away from us. “Keep to the outskirts, just in case there is someone here, and they try to flee.” For one terrible heartbeat, he simply stared at her.
“Right. Call out if you find anything. We will rendezvous at the post, Collins.”
Arabella nodded, then held perfectly still until his footsteps faded into the distance, far from us and far from the path Liv and Ezra took.
She looked as though her knees might give out beneath her.
I placed my hand on her shoulder. Only then did she release the breath she'd been holding.
We waited a long moment to be certain no one else was coming. Then we moved. We crept low across the clearing, keeping to the shadows whenever we could. Where the moonlight left us exposed, I raised low walls of stone just high enough for us to crouch behind until the way was clear again.
Just as we reached the edge of the city, flashes of light erupted from the far side of the forest.
A heartbeat later came the unmistakable sounds of battle.
My stomach lurched. I spun toward the chaos as shadows, brilliant light, and twisting vines exploded above the treetops before vanishing as suddenly as they had appeared.
I couldn't breathe. Raf caught my wrist before I could take a step toward them.
“I know.” His voice was low but urgent. “I know what you're thinking.”
I pulled against his grip. “We have to trust them,” he said.
“Believe in their strength.” My eyes never left the forest.
“We still have two girls depending on us,” he continued.
“And countless more inside that city who will suffer a far worse fate if we fail them.”
I still could not move. “Helena!” His voice cracked like a whip.
“Now!” My eyes finally found his. “They will make it out,” he whispered.
“If you cannot trust me, trust the gods.”
If only he understood. Liv and I had already learned that the gods did not always answer.