But, with a sigh, the Pillar turned on his heel and went back the way he’d came, muttering about patrols and the wall acting up.
Breaths ragged from nerves, she pulled them down the street. The first faint lines of dawn were streaking against the bottoms of the clouds that dotted the sky and Eira knew they had to get to the Archives before the sun rose. The attack from the other nations would be launched at some point today. If she wasn’t ready, she might miss her opportunity entirely.
Moreover, the houses between the first two walls were, as expected, much more occupied. And once all those occupants were awake and moving, it’d become significantly harder to maneuver unnoticed.
Everyone in the inner circles was no doubt a Pillar, or so loyal to Ulvarth they might as well be. Which meant they couldn’t riskbeing seen at all. Eira kept her illusion as they wove through what side streets there were and squeezed through passages of buildings that Alyss managed to widen just enough for them to sidestep between by shaving off a layer of stone. But eventually they came to a point where their only option forward was the main road that led to the entry of the next wall.
None of them had said a word since they’d left the first wall. But now, as they caught their breath, it was clear they were all grappling with the same question:What next?
Unlike the first wall, this second wall was visibly patrolled both on the ground and by Pillars stationed at intervals along the wall’s ramparts. Their robesswished, revealing ominous glints of steel plate in the lamplight. These weren’t the same as the random Pillars they’d encountered so far. It was clear that these men and women were part of the Swords of Light—the illustrious force dedicated to the defense of the Faithful of Yargen.
“We could go up?” Cullen suggested, keeping his voice the barest of whispers. “Along the rooftops? Wait for an opening and use an illusion to get across?”
“Going up seems more overt than staying on the ground.” Plus, while her illusionary skills were great, Eira wasn’t sure if she could manage maintaining one across all of them, simultaneously, while jumping from rooftop to rooftop.
“Under, then?” Alyss chimed in. “I could make a tunnel.”
Eira considered this. It was an elegant solution…but there was a reason they hadn’t done it from the start. “Check for passages as subtly as possible.” There was a reason Deneya hadn’t used the tunnels to get Eira closer to the Archives all those months ago—there were none. So if Alyss sensed any passageways, it had to be assumed they were Pillar made and controlled.
Alyss pressed her palm to the ground. It only took a few pulses of magic for her to pull it away with a muttered curse. “There’s many.”
“As I thought.” They were doubtlessly all trapped or patrolled, too. “Damn the Pillars for being such good moles.”
“Indeed. Being a good mole is my responsibility,” Ducot said under his breath. Eira didn’t dare a laugh, but she did crack a smile.
“If we can’t go over, or under, then…” Cullen let his train of thought trail off, as much at a loss as anyone else.
“We go through,” Ducot said, a little louder but still mindful of the shuttered windows all around them and the sleeping people that were surely inside.
“What?” Cullen asked.
“There are too many patrols for us to just waltz through it.” Olivin made it sound like Ducot was being ridiculous. “Moreover, the gate is closed.”
“We go through,” Ducot said to Eira, “just like we did to escape them before from the Champion’s Village.”
“Ah.” The idea was brighter than the nearing dawn. “But then we had?—”
“There’s a building, not far, that is within a hand’s width of the wall. We navigate through the buildings, out of sight of any patrols, to a place that’s so narrow no one would even think to look.” Ducot motioned toward Alyss. “Between her and me, we can button it all back up to look like no one was ever there.”
“What about the peopleinsidethe buildings?” Cullen’s question was hasty. They all knew they didn’t have a lot of time to stand around and debate.
“We’ll be careful. You’re good at sensing people, Cullen, and Eira and Olivin’s magic will be free to illusion while Alyss and I keep us moving.” Ducot shrugged. It wasn’t the most confidence-inspiring answer. But it was an honest one.
“We don’t have time to scheme out a better plan,” Eira murmured. Then, with more confidence, “All right, let’s do this.”
They all gave motions of affirmation.
“You lead,” Alyss said to Ducot.
He took a step forward toward the side of the house and pressed his hand against it, walking toward the back. Finally he stopped and nodded, pointing to the stone. Alyss was there, unraveling the mortar and brick. It sounded like the whisper of sand on a beach underneath one’s feet.
Ducot stepped inside, then gave a small wave. The rest of them followed into what was some kind of back entryway for another alley. With a wave of her hands, like spinning on an invisible loom, Alyss seamed the wall back up.
Eira moved for the door and unlocked it, glancing into the alleyway. There was a line of sight to the wall, but no patrols were there yet.
“Quickly.”
They followed her lead out the back, Alyss closing the door whisper-soft. On light feet they raced toward the dead end of the alleyway as another patrol ventured into their line of sight. Cool stone at their backs and chests heaving, they all held their breath and waited, listening.
