CHAPTER 36
“How will I know when negotiating has failed?”
“It cannot fail. If the others will not fall in line, we will negotiate by force.”
—Recounting from the private diary of Jerris, Dragonbound
SERAE
Mid-Autumn, Beymon 1036
My decision was made. If our father knew that Bale was here, he would send as many forces as he had to retrieve his heir. It was the only thing that made sense. And, the only way to stop this madness? Return the heir.
It was difficult to convince Bale to go along with the plan, but in the end, he knew it was the only way to protect the innocent people of Drakh.
I just hoped Eldreth would forgive me. In case things went wrong, I ripped a page out of my journal and wrote him a note explaining everything.
Then I stripped off my boots and tucked the pair of sollars into my skirt pocket.
I was better at using Vaya’la’s magic, but I wasn’t taking any chances.
“Be with me,” I called to Vaya’la. “I can’t do this alone.”
“You’re never alone, Small One. I will be here when the need comes.”
The stone underfoot wasn’t a bad connection, but resting my hand against the moss-covered walls, already glowing with lifelight, was better.
I closed my eyes, flooded my senses with power, and connected to the lifeforce of Jaeda herself beneath my feet.
Shimmering strands of magic crisscrossed my mind’s eye.
Just like I had with the sacred tree, I searched through the threads seeking a familiar connection.
Focusing on Inraens in general was too broad, so I concentrated on specific ones.
No strand touched my father. The lords Fethersen and Ingleton were missing as well.
“Who would be leading the soldiers?” I asked Bale.
“Naton.” He spat the name. “He’s always had a thirst for war.”
As soon as I thought of that pompous ass, I found the thread that connected to him. Through it, I could sense his lifeforce, but it was sickly and wrong. I choked and yanked myself free.
“Serae…” Bale was at my side, rubbing my back. “What’s going on?”
“You need to trust me.”
“I do,” he said, but his eyes held a wariness I’d never seen aimed at me before. He ran a hand through his black hair, which had grown nearly to his shoulders.
There was no time to unpack this. I connected with Naton for long enough to know we needed to head east.
Sprakt let out a screech and flew on ahead.
“Let’s go.” I ran after him, trusting Bale to stay on my heels.
Making our way back up the winding passage to the hidden stone door was only the beginning. I was winded from sprinting at an incline, which didn’t bode well for what we had left to do.
The end of the tunnel was nearly pitch black. My hand fumbled along the wall. “I know it’s here somewhere.”
“Let me help.” Bale moved to my side. He ran his hands along the door and wall as I did the same.
There was a soft sound, and the door eased open.
“Found it.” He grinned.
Sprakt darted out and led our way, thank the Martyrs.
He had remembered all the twists and turns, which I had no hope of doing.
I was running on instinct alone. Our footfalls echoed down the hallways as we ran, but we had yet to encounter a single person.
Still, I jumped at every turn, expecting to be caught, but it was as if the entire keep had been emptied.
When we finally hit a corridor I recognized, I grabbed Bale’s arm and pulled him to the side.
“This way,” I hissed, changing our course.
The garden path was just beyond the back of the keep. There were still the castle walls to worry about, but I had a plan for that, too. We rounded the last corner, and I froze.
Too late. Three guards stood at the end of the corridor, blocking the door to the garden. All three had looked up the moment we barreled around the corner.
“Shit,” Bale whispered.
I walked forward, acting as if it were perfectly normal for me to be fleeing barefoot during a time of attack.
“What’s happened, my lady?” one of the guards asked, breaking post to head my way.
I knew that gravelly voice. It was one of Dane’s personal guards, Braedur.
For once, he was not paired with his brother, but with two other guards I didn’t know.
Both stalked down the corridor, eyes trained on me like I was a threat.
“Why are you not guarding Dane?” I asked.
He put a fist to his chest. “We all have different duties during times of attack. Please, let me help you back to Dane.”
“I need to get outside.”
He stopped. “I can’t do that.”
“Just for a minute, I promise.”
But he was already shaking his head. “Wep’s orders were clear. The family stays inside the keep. Only Wep is out there.”
“Dane and Ell are inside?”
“They’re in the Receiving Hall. I’ll escort you.”
Bale stepped closer to me and hissed in my ear, “What now?”
That was the wrong thing to do. Braedur turned his eyes on Bale. “Who’s that with you?”
“No one. It’s fine, he’s safe.”
He stepped forward, eyes locked on Bale’s dark hair. “There’s a prisoner missing matching his description. Step away from him, my lady.”
“No, please. He’s under my care.”
“She’s helping him escape,” one of the guards spat, her lifelight radiating scarlet with anger.
Braedur waved her back, but both guards at his sides drew their swords. “We can’t let you go—either of you.”
I held up a hand. Just like she had in the market months ago, Vaya’la spoke through me. “Let us pass. I have commanded it. Step aside, or suffer the consequences of my wrath.”
Despite her using my voice, I was in control. I hesitated, giving the guards a chance to back down.
Braedur was edging backward, hand on hilt but no weapon drawn. The other two guards, however, stepped forward. Bale at my back hissed my name in warning.
But I was Vaya’la, and Vaya’la was me.
Barefoot on the stones, I reached down with my magic. I had to dig deep to find the roots beneath the stone floors. With a thought, they grew. The ground shook. Two roots surged through a crack just as the guards began their charge.
“Do not hurt her!” Braedur cried out.
My roots lashed out, wrapping around one of their ankles, but the other came at me full force.
I sidestepped his first wild blow, his lifelight blazing with orange.
His fear of us was my ally. Vines shot from my hand and snaked around his wrist, but he did not drop his blade.
He slashed again, but this time, he found his control.
Muscle memory alone allowed me to jump aside and then duck his next reversed strike.
I knew this combo. Eldreth had trained me, too.
His blade thrust toward me. I ignored Bale’s shout and rolled into the blade, smacking the flat of it away with my palm.
As predicted, he pivoted and brought the blade down on top of me, but I dropped to the floor and kicked out his knees.
He went down, and Bale lunged on top of him, slamming his head against the stone and ripping the sword out of his hands.
Braedur continued to shout. “Stay back! She’s not to be touched by Dane’s order!” He blocked the door with his body, but his sword was still sheathed.
“She’s a traitor!” the other guard shouted. “She freed the prisoner, and she’s brought the Inraen army to our gates. How can you defend her?”
She was on me in an instant, and she was fast. “Bale!” I cried, extending my arm for the weapon.
“Really?” He asked, stepping in front of me.
“You’ve been training for a couple of months, Serae.
I’ve been training for years.” He lunged forward, and metal rang through the hallways.
He had more skill than I gave him credit for.
He parried, dodged, and blocked every attack the guard sent his way, but his speed was no match for hers.
Step by step, I could see her gaining the upper hand, pushing him back on his heels.
“Enough!” I screamed, but both ignored me.
The guard’s strikes were becoming predictable. Every chance she had, she went for a high strike. Bale blocked and parried high, matching her, but all he could do was keep on the defensive. This was a losing battle.
I willed the roots to grow toward her, but Braedur finally drew his sword and hacked them back. I switched tactics, throwing power into my arms and shooting more vines straight at her, but she spun, slashed them aside, and was back on Bale in a heartbeat. He was leaving his left side open.
“Bale!” I screamed, but it was too late.
Her hit was deeper than a glancing blow but not a direct hit. He cried out and clutched his side with one arm, his sword arm still aloft.
I charged, hurtling into the guard in an attempt to knock her to the ground, shoving aside her sword in the process.
It dropped as I connected, and we both collapsed into a heap.
She was bigger than me, and in an instant, she had the upper hand.
I tried to twist the roll, but she redirected my weight in a move Eldreth would have been ashamed I missed.
She had me pinned.
Frustration took hold of me. Vines exploded uselessly from my hands and scattered along the floor.
Spikes erupted from my skin, piercing into her.
She screamed but did not let go. She ripped a dagger from a sheath at her ribs and plunged it into my arm, the same arm that Meralda had pierced mere days ago.
Agony reverberated through me as she nicked bone. A scream tore from my throat.
Her arms flew into the air as I gasped for breath. Bale had the sword to her throat, but Braedur now had his sword trained on Bale.
I locked eyes with him, the guard who had been by my side since day one. “Please,” I rasped. My thorns retracted, and I clutched my bleeding arm. Spasms of pain shot through me. “We need to get out. It’s the only way to stop the attacks.”
“Get up,” he growled.
My eyes widened when the guard on top of me rose to her feet. With one swift blow, Braedur knocked her out.