The king held my stare for a moment before bursting into riotous laughter. His court members joined in, staff and soldiers alike. I let them consume the moment, not rushing to my defense to explain. The longer I had, the better, even in a place as foul as this.
“You’ve caught me in a good mood today, spy. If a successful king such as myself would, for some gods unknown reason, look toyoufor counsel, what would you advise me?” His smile never faltered, amusement gleaming in his viper eyes.
I swallowed. “You need to send the army north, now, before they’re prepared to move. Catching them off guard will be your best chance for weathering the coming storm. Even still, you will lose many, if not most, of your army. This enemy should not be underestimated, and if you think you have allyship with them, you’re mistaken.”
The smile slid from his face. “You are a foolish girl with nothing in that tiny magic infested brain of yours. You don’t think I can’t see what you’re doing? Asking me to remove my army from Highcrest’s borders when that pompous KingNicholas prepares for siege? To put distance between my soldiers and your precious littlecamp?”
“They are only there because you invaded first,” I snarled, unable to contain the pure rage that coursed through me when I considered how many of my people had fallen at his whim. This man sat in luxury while my people bled, and he held no remorse for it. “I can tell King Nicholas to stand down.”
His eyes turned cold, calculating. “You know, I considered what to do with you if you came back. Spy on retainer, I thought maybe. But you are too impertinent to trust.”
“You can kill me, but know that your death will follow soon after. And in that moment, when you see it coming, and realize it was your own flippant superiority that was your undoing, my warning will play in your mind as the last song you’ll ever hear.” Envisioning the terror on his face in his final moments brought me one last glimmer of happiness in this world.
I, at least, could die knowing I had done my part in keeping my loved ones safe. Whether a sword cut me down where I stood, or if I was hauled away to the dark, dank dungeons to be executed, I would welcome death’s embrace like a friend. A life lived with honor, a purpose fulfilled, a heart that loved.
Taja casually plucked another few grapes, then leaned forward, his velvety green robes draping over his sides. His jet black hair was long and loose below his corrupted crown. “I think you would be all too happy to die here today. For no other reason would someone allow their tongue to flap in my presence, as you have done. So, here’s what I’m going to do. A kindness, if you will.” The glint in his eye told me the opposite would hold true.
“There happens to be a convoy sent from the camp in the north, refueling with supplies. You almost missed them, but it seems fate wanted to play her hand. I think I’ll send you back with them. If they are as dangerous as you say, you’ll have anopportunity to speak reason with them. Beg for my kingdom, as you seem so insistent on me doing.” His snake eyes narrowed upon me. “Of course, they shall know of your treason within their ranks. Hm, I wonder what they’ll do with you then.”
The thought of being sent back north, to be drained of magic, had my stomach plummeting to the floor. I had no bargaining chip, no way to sneak out, so I hurtled the threat toward him. “They will know that you sent me, and your allegiance will fall sooner, dooming you and your kingdom.”
His serpent smile reappeared. “Will you? Tell me what you’ll say.” He watched me with feigned interest.
I went to speak, but a guard hooked a piece of cloth over my head, wedging it into my mouth. I yelled against it, but my screams came out muffled. They made quick work to tie the fabric so tight it felt like it could cut the sides of my mouth.
“Always underestimating me, Miss Collins. You think I’d send an unruly guest to my allies in the north? No, I’ll send them a quiet one.”
A foul smelling cloth covered my face. I fought against the arms that held me, but they didn’t soften their grips. Despite telling myself not to breathe in the drug, my body eventually decided for me. It burned my nostrils and throat, causing my eyes to tear. A moment later, my head spun. Reality distorted until I couldn’t even recognize gravity. Darkness encroached my vision and—
68
Dae
Two days of travel, hitching rides in the backs of wagons, and prowling in my shifted form at night brought me quickly to Basemount. The small town at the base of the southernmost mountain range separating the land from the sea was only occupied by a couple hundred villagers.
Moonlight bathed mud and straw rooftops in blue, and oil lamps in windows hinted at who might be awake. If I had arrived during the day, I would’ve had to wait until the cover of night regardless to seek out my brothers—if they were still here. In my shifted form, my sense of smell heightened to levels more proficient for tracking than human eyesight.
Wild forest surrounded the village, but I’d already spent a couple hours searching to no avail. The only scents there led me to a group of teenagers drinking stolen ale around a campfire and dry humping each other. My brothers, luckily, were not among them.
Though, I supposed they were older than the last time I’d seen them. Matured into men some time ago. How many years had it been? Three? Four? My heart splintered at the lost time.
A trickling stream weaved through the rolling hills, and I hid myself as best I could, creeping along the tall marsh grasses and reeds. Several families remained awake, some baking bread at the late hour, others roasting meat. The aromas bled from their chimneys, but when I ventured closer to their homes, I sensed how many were inside, whether they were sleeping or awake.
No sign of my brothers. A large bird shadowed against the night sky, a hard distraction to adjust to. Life had been essentially non-existent up north, and the scurrying squirrels and rabbits in the woods gave me more things to be mindful of.
A dozen houses lay before me, stretched over the prairie land. Hope dwindled like the staunch of blood flow from a clotting wound. Without Delia, I wouldn’t know the group’s most likely next move, where they’d go after Basemount. That was, if The Order hadn’t finally caught up with them.
If my search tonight ended fruitlessly, I would need to question the villagers in the morning. A caravan rolling in and out of their tiny village at the edge of the kingdom would certainly be the biggest gossip for weeks.
With primed focus, I continued stalking the stream, winding my way to the last houses. With each one revealing no more than three sleeping occupants, I was brought closer to the reality I’d been fighting not to face.
Then a familiar scent drifted on the breeze. My feline nostrils flared. The beat of my heart became frantic when the scent strengthened with every prowling step.
Stealth was abandoned for speed. My lethal paws slammed into the ground as I raced across the plain to the property I knew contained my brothers.
They weren’t in the house, but I tracked them to the rickety shed that sat at the back of the property. Their scents were here, tangled among several others.
I shifted, standing on two legs, barely able to breathe. There was no padlock, allowing me to pry open the door. In the darkness, I beheld nothing but tools lining the shadow cloaked walls.
