“Wouldn’t I better serve you here?” she asks with a flat tone.
I watch as the puncture continues to bleed and say, “No. They’ll need you to light the way and if things get worse. The medic will need to see what she’s doing.”
The warrior doesn’t bother hiding her annoyance as she helps the wounded man to his feet. She may not like my command, but her insubordination could result in her prince’s wrath. And nobody wants to be on the receiving end of what Kyron will dish out.
“And then there were ten,” Leif says, offering me his hand.
He pulls me to my feet, and I brush the grass from my armor. “It’s enough to separate and search the palace for Micah and Borin,” I say.
Terro wipes his bloody blade on the ground. “Let’s hope we don’t run into any more ravenous felines inside. Or whatever the hell else the Allaji can turn into.”
I pray the rest of this mission is that simple, but as I stare through the glass double doors at the back of the palace, I doubt it will be the case. Everything is dark and too quiet. No guards. No servants. No king and his husband. Either everyone has made it out, or we’re walking into the middle of a slaughter.
I pull on the ornate door handle, but the door doesn’t budge.
“They have enacted a lockdown,” I say, resting my head against the glass and allowing the cool surface to calm me. Shit. I should have thought of palace protocol before I dragged everyone out here.
“That is an easy fix.” I recognize the deep agitated voice. It’s the Stigian that wanted me to kick the guards at the Omnis. He shoulders his way through our group, demanding a wide berth, and I back away. The man appears to have a vendetta against the door as he pulls back his meaty fist.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Leif says with a singsong tone.
The warrior glares at him and swings. His knuckles hit the glass with a gong that rattles the doorframe. Other than the smudge mark he leaves, the glass remains intact. Anger etches into the Stigian’s face as he rubs his clenched hand.
Leif shakes his head. “Did you forget that this is the king’s palace? It’s a fortress, and the glass is impenetrable. We’ll need to find another way in.”
I lift the visor on my helmet and rub my palm over my eyes. “The entire point to the lockdown is that no one gets in or out.”
“True. But you’re not the only one who knows about secret passages,” Leif says, tugging on the collar of his armor with a cocky grin. He takes the lead, guiding our group in a single-file line. We inch along the back of the palace. When we reach the corner, Leif holds up a hand and peers around the wall. He blows out a puff of air that rattles his lips and turns back to us.
“The coast is mostly clear, but there are shifters in the distance. Everyone needs to get down and move as fast as you can,” he says, lowering to his stomach.
I lay on the ground and scoot across the tall grass behind him. The distant growl of an animal comes from the edge of the property. The light of gifts illuminates a cluster of animal and human bodies. The king’s guard fights alongside soldiers clothed in black—Kyron and his unit. They block the Allaji from storming the grounds, but it’s only a matter of time before the line is broken and the shifters reign havoc on this place.
A nagging feeling grows inside of me. Why are the Allaji focusing on the palace? If they want to destroy our city, they can effortlessly do so. Yet here they fight at the edge of the Lucent king’s home. The nagging morphs into fear as the answer becomes clear to me.
They want Micah.
Leif stops and kneels over an iron plate embossed with the Lucent emblem. He wedges his fingers under it and lifts the heavy metal, shoving it to the side to reveal what looks to be a dark maintenance hole. The bottom is nowhere in sight, and someone nailed wooden planks to the side in a makeshift ladder.
“What is this, a sewage hole?” I ask, shivering against the frigid air that billows out of the ground.
My best friend lowers his legs onto the first rung. “No. It’s just a strange entrance into the back of the wine cellar. My guess is that someone on the staff dug it to have quick access to Micah’s wine stash. To keep anyone from looking into it, they threw a lid on top with the kingdom emblem.” He climbs down saying, “When you reach the last step be prepared for about a five-foot drop.”
My legs wobble as I find the top of the ladder. “Why did he feel the need to add that part?” I ask Terro.
“Because it’s fun watching you sweat over heights when we know how badass you are.”
A tinge of dread flows through me when hands reach my waist, signaling that it is time to jump. I squeeze my eyes, focus on Leif’s hold on me, and let go. My breath hitches as he places me on the ground. Brushing away the sweat beading on my forehead, I take in the gloomy cellar. The lanterns on the walls are burning low, their oil and wicks almost gone. The room is cool, and the walls are made of smooth river rocks. Countless wine bottles rest in rows upon rows of rustic shelves. Micah always enjoys a glass of wine with his dinner and sometimes breakfast, depending on the day ahead of him. But I had no clue that he was such a connoisseur.
Scraping of iron on gravel sounds from above as the cover is put back in place. Seconds later, Terro descends the ladder. I remove a lantern from its decorative hook and the others do the same. We climb the steps out of the cellar and enter the kitchen.
Chopped fruits and vegetables line the wooden countertops, turning brown from hours of sitting in the open. The oven and stovetop are cold, and piles of the dishes sit in the steel sink. The kitchen staff abandoned their duties in the middle of the day, which they would never do without a good reason. I just pray that it was to hide and not that they came face to face with the Allaji.
“We will split into groups of four. Two of you willcontinue searching this floor, and us five,” I say, pointing to Terro, Leif and two warriors. “We will split and take the second story. I want the palace completely evacuated, so gather everyone you find. We’ll meet in the sitting room and exit the back doors together.”
With everyone in agreement, we part ways.
My group follows me into the foyer, and we climb the imperial staircase. When it splits, we separate to search the wings. Staying true to their promise to Kyron, Leif and Terro follow me into the hallway reserved for Micah and Borin’s quarters and offices.
