“There’s every chance whoever they pick will kill you,” Dae whispered. “If you lose but don’t perish, one of The Eleven might do it. Even if you win, they might do it as an act of dominance, anyway.” He shot to his feet, dragging his fingers through his onyx hair. “Is this worth it to you? Do you want to die?”
“Obviously not.” I flexed my hands, testing the give.
“Nothing is worth this, Ro. If you leave now, you’ll have a ten-minute head start before they begin searching for you.”
“I can’t leave.”
“Why?” Anger rose to his surface, ire lighting his dark eyes.
Maybe it was the accumulation of all he’d done for me, or maybe it was seeing how scared he was. Or, maybe, within minutes, there was a very real possibility this would all be over for me, so I let the truth finally pour out. “Because this is all my fault!” My eyes stung, glossing over when the crushing reality reared its ugly head.
Dae erased what tiny distance remained, resting his hands gently over my hips. “What do you mean?”
I closed my eyes, shutting out the voices that told me I had already lost. “My camp is a group of dissenters from Windguard. Our settlement is beyond Highcrest’s border.”
“Magically blessed,” he said in a whisper, not quite a question as much as a realization.
I took a deep breath, but it shook with my shame. “Years ago, I infiltrated Windguard Castle, posing as staff so I could spy on the military’s movements. During my time there, I came across his treasure room. It didn’t take long to learn the soldiers’ postings and when the room was left vulnerable.
“One day, I snuck in and stole a mortar and pestle carved from the same stone they used to build The Temple in Argora Vale. It rested among a trove of much more interesting heirlooms, but it was tucked near the back of the room, and I figured it wouldn’t be missed if I snagged it. Up front and center was a well-preserved ancient wind blowing instrument, behind that the first crown of Windguard’s first ruler, and then a cool collection of historic weapons and jewelry.
“Who would have missed an old kitchen supply you can buy at a market stall for a few measly coins? It blended in so well it was hardly noticeable against the grandeur and significance of everything else. Plus, The Temple isn’t even part of Windguard’s history, and was destroyed a century ago. Completely irrelevant, if you ask me.” I absentmindedly rubbed the fabric around my knuckles.
“When I successfully snuck out of the castle without being apprehended and imprisoned, I thought by the time anyone noticed, a random staff worker wouldn’t have even been remembered. But I’d been wrong.” Guilt, shame, and embarrassment all slashed at my heart with monstrous claws. “They’d pegged me as the culprit, and apparently had been on the lookout for me for years. The woman who you saw me traveling with, she…”
I almost didn’t want to say it. Didn’t want to sully her memory, or have Dae misinterpret my intentions when I fired that arrow. But he deserved to know. “She had been attacked by Windguard’s soldiers who’d discovered our camp. All because they were looking for me.
“She tried to spare our camp’s slaughter by turning me in, bringing me to a meetup point that was crawling with soldiers who dragged me back to Taja’s castle. He offered me a deal. Well, less of a deal per se, more like blackmail.
“If I could sneak into a heavily guarded imperial vault, then surely I’m the person who has the highest chances for success invading this camp and discovering any information that may indicate he has a problem coming.”
I met Dae’s stare with readily falling tears. “If it were up to me, I’d let whatever this camp has planned for him happen if it meant his head would roll.” My lip trembled so much I wondered if the words would even come out whole. “But he said he’ll attack my camp if I don’t return within the month with information.”
There was a pregnant pause, the air in the room swelling with the weight of conflicting emotions and impossible stakes. “So yes, risking my life by coming here will always be worth it, if it means there’s a chance I can save my camp that I endangered in the first place.”
He crossed his muscular arms, his brow furrowed in thought. “So when you said you were sent by the king, you weren’t joking.”
I shook my head, a stray strand of copper hair that fell from my ponytail dancing in my vision. “I didn’t realize this group is responsible for all the kidnappings across the kingdoms, or stealing magic, or is related to the dark magic resurgence in Argora Vale. Though, even if I did…”
“You still would have come.”
“How could I not?”
His throat bobbed, his eyes darting around as if trying to track and string together his racing thoughts.
“I’m telling you this, Dae, because if I do die out there, I want to ask for your help.” I stared at the tent wall, as if I could see to the beckoning fighting ring beyond. “If I die—”
“Quit saying that,” he whispered, staring at the floor, nostrils flaring.
“I need you to send word to my camp. Let them know what happened to me, to Alba. That Taja knows their location and plans to strike. I was going to send Braxius once I got here, so I could fill them in on what’s going on up here as well, but he might have gone back already. If you can’t explain what’s going on here, that’s fine, but they need the heads up.”
His reply was instantaneous, like he wanted to get this out of the way. “Where do I send it to?”
“Highcrest Castle. Address it to the queen.”
Confusion deepened his brow.
I would have laughed if each passing second wasn’t weighing me down like a hammer striking an anvil. “She’ll know what to do.”
