Chapter Twenty-Two #2
She led them for some distance, skulking through winding lanes and silent courtyards, down narrow stairs and alleys.
Crickets chirped, and bats darted silently after moths overhead.
Eventually, Adreona halted them in front of one of the many abandoned villas.
They crept along its walls to a boarded-up window at the rear of the building, and after wrenching the slats of wood free as quietly as they could, they climbed through it one at a time.
Still not content with the secrecy and safety of their position, Adreona held a finger to her lips.
She left her warriors behind to keep watch and ushered the rest of them deeper into the house until they reached a small, open courtyard at its heart.
Beneath the stars, an empty fountain stood dry amidst withered plants and dead trees.
A layer of dirt and grit covered the mosaic floor, thick enough to hide the pattern in the tile.
The neglect and the painful emptiness of it struck Donan, who could easily imagine the Askari family who had once enjoyed spending time together in this private sanctuary.
Only here did Adreona remove her cowl and reveal her face. “I believe we will be safe here,” she whispered. “But only for a short time. When Myrina discovers your escape, she will scour the city to find you.”
“She threatened to torture us,” Alenia said.
Lorath nudged her. “I told you it wouldn’t come to that.”
Tyrael sat on the edge of the fountain. “I recognize that our time is limited, but as I said inside the prison, we have much to discuss.”
He then explained what he had discovered, first in the palace archive, then deep below the city.
His description of the ruin filled Donan with awe, and he almost wished he had been there to explore the Firstborn city himself.
Lorath and Adreona then recounted their experiences on Athulua, including the Drowned incursion, the fallen watchfire tower, and the sound of the leviathan, which all now agreed must be the same titan that sank Sho-Ren’s vessel.
After Donan shared what he had discovered in the vault and in the pages of the journal, Tyrael fell silent for several moments.
“It grieves me to learn what happened to Keldon,” he finally said, “and to the other Horadrim, for I am the one who sent them here.” Then he stood.
“We know this much: A titan has been released. We know that Sho-Ren was aware of this, and she sought a scepter with the power to control the titan. We know that she and the surviving Horadrim fled Skovos without this scepter, and it seems likely the titan sank their ship. It appears the titan also destroyed the watchfire, allowing the Drowned to assault Athulua.”
“And let’s not forget that Myrina knew about all of this,” Adreona added. Even in the dim light of the courtyard, Donan could see her face redden with anger. “She has known it for some time, and she has kept it all her secret.”
“But why?” Alenia asked. “Does she want to destroy Skovos?”
Adreona seemed to give that possibility some thought. “I don’t believe so. I have known Myrina for a very long time. She is ambitious, and she can be cruel, but I don’t believe she is a traitor.”
“What about Etara?” Lorath asked. “Do you think she’s aware?”
“No,” Adreona said. “I cannot allow myself to believe that any of this was done on the orders of the queen. This was Myrina, whatever her true purpose might be, and that means the queen must be told. I doubt she will listen to me over her own daughter, but I must try.”
“ We must try,” said Lorath.
Adreona turned toward him and took his hands in hers, a gesture of affection that was more surprising to Donan than it perhaps should have been.
“Lorath, listen to me,” she said. “I have learned there is corruption in the palace of my people. Corruption among the Amazons. I will find it and root it out. But you must go.”
“Go?” Tyrael said.
“Yes.” She let go of Lorath’s hands. “Skovos is no longer safe for you. Tavie and I will help you free the Arabel, and then you must flee.”
“I think you’re forgetting something,” Lorath said.
“What?”
“I don’t know when to quit. And I’m not starting now.”
The mention of the Arabel had caused a pang in Donan’s chest, a reminder of what they had already lost. “You’re forgetting something else,” he said.
“Someone else. Keldon died for Skovos. If we leave now, his sacrifice will have been for nothing, because the Drowned threat is still out there—emboldened by the extinguished watchfire—and if we don’t stop it, all of Skovos could be lost.”
His mention of Keldon turned the mood in the courtyard solemn, and Adreona said nothing to argue with him.
“I am no seer,” Tyrael said, “but if Skovos falls to the Drowned, I believe that all of Sanctuary will suffer greatly. We Horadrim have a duty to stay and defend these islands.”
Adreona looked back and forth among them, overruled and without any recourse but to surrender with a shake of her head. “I think you’re all fools.”
“I’m inclined to agree,” said Alenia. “But they are brave fools.”
“Fools or not,” Adreona added, with a glance at Lorath, “I am grateful to you. Though I’m still not sure how we’ll convince the queen. We need evidence if we’re going to openly accuse Myrina of treachery.”
Tyrael asked, “How certain are you the queen knows nothing of this?”
“Certain?” Adreona puffed out her cheeks and sighed. “I’m not certain of anything anymore. But I have to believe she is ignorant of it. Perhaps willfully so, but not directly involved. Why?”
“Is there anyone left in the palace you trust?” Tyrael asked.
She nodded. “Myrina may own the silks, but I still have a friend or two.”
“If they can get a message to the queen,” Tyrael said, “I believe Etara would agree to meet with me.”
“Why would she meet with you?” Lorath asked.
“Because I will agree to answer her questions,” he said. “And if I do, it is my hope she will trust me enough to believe what we tell her about Myrina.”
“You’re taking a risk,” Donan said. “You don’t know what Myrina may have already told her about you. And the queen could still be part of this whole thing.”
“That is true,” Tyrael said. “But I trust Adreona.”
“I appreciate that,” she said. “I only hope your trust is not misplaced in either direction.”
After a brief search of the villa, Tyrael found a scrap of parchment and a bit of charcoal in one of its fireplaces, which he used to write a letter to the queen.
He expressed regret at not having been more forthcoming with her considering the hospitality she had shown him, and he requested an audience with her the following day at midday, in the garden where she had returned El’druin.
He had no seal nor wax, but he folded the parchment, and Adreona took the letter with her when she and her Amazons left.
After that, the Horadrim and Alenia settled in to wait, doing what they could to make themselves comfortable for the night.
The villa had long ago been looted of most furniture and valuables, but they managed to scrounge up a few rugs and tapestries to use as bedding.
Donan made Alenia a spot of her own, set away from the men for her privacy.
She thanked him as she laid down on the woven rug he had brought her, and once again he was reminded of his mother.
They spent the rest of that night and the next morning resting, which Donan found he needed after his sleepless nights in the prison. When Adreona returned, she brought them food, and as they ate, she reported that the message had been delivered and the queen had agreed to meet with Tyrael.
“So now we just have to get you inside the palace before midday,” she said.
“That will not be an issue.” Tyrael smiled. “We will simply enter the palace the same way I left.”