KseniaclaimedEstrelewas the closest human country to the wall andUchariathe closest city. Prince Leo’s family had overseen the defense and maintenance of the wall for generations, receiving some sort of compensation from the other countries on an annual basis for assuring their safety from theGeistfor yet another year.
I wondered how many humans lived in the other cities, or the other countries for that matter.Kseniahadn’t told me. I’d questioned her about the warriorsUchariaheld, what size armyEstrelewas capable of amassing in a moment of need.Kseniahadn’t answered that either. It was clear she and Roman, my assigned guardians, were keeping secrets from me, clear that they still didn’t trust me. I didn’t blame them. I didn’t trust them either and, if truth be told, I wasn’t surewhyI was so interested in the militaristic and population numbers of the human territory, just that Iwas. Maybe it was all those years my grandfather had spent trying to teach me to be more inquisitive.Maybe now that I had something new to ask questions about, I found I couldn’t stop. Either way, I didn’t blame them for not answering. I wouldn’t have told them about Sanctuary either if they’d asked.
There was a knock on my door and I turned away from my examination of the city through my open window. I crossed my lavish accommodations to the breakfast one of the palace servants had left for me hours ago.
“Come in,” I called, plucking a strange, bitter fruit from the tray and taking a bite.
I wasn't surprised to seeKseniawhen she strode into my room without hesitation. I was even less surprised to see Phantom padding along at her heels. The beast settled itself by the fireplace, already licking its paws, asKsenia approached me and helped herself to one of the pastries I’d left untouched.
“Yours is the only beast that comes anywhere near the palace,” I announced, earning a moment ofKsenia’sattention as she glanced up at me, brow raised. “There are no other riders here. Why?”
“They’re busy,” she replied, as noncommittal as ever.
“Where? With what?”
“That information is above your pay grade, Viper. All you need to know, all I came to tell you, is that we’re leaving. Today.”
I blinked in surprise as she turned away.
“We'll wait for you in the courtyard,” she informed me, already heading back for the door, her creature loping gracefully after her. “Don’t take too long. Roman gets grouchy if he has to burn in the sun for longer than necessary.”
I frowned and wondered what, if anything, didnotmake Roman grouchy.
With no personal belongings to pack and no weapons allowed to me by the prince’s orders, I had little to gather before striding afterKseniafor the courtyard below my window.
They'd given me luxurious accommodations, much of it reminded me of my room back in Sanctuary, but the intent was clear. I was given such fine rooms with attentive servants and a trifling view of the city because I wasn't supposed to leave it. The prince had never ordered me to remain in my room or even on the palace grounds, but I saw the beast following me in the shadows every time I set foot in the hall. I didn't fail to notice the way Roman always seemed to reach the palace gates at the same moment I did orKseniacould be seen lounging in a high window, polishing her gleaming daggers, whenever I chanced a stroll through the courtyard. So it became easier to remain in my room, preferring my solitude to the attention of my watchful guards. Until now.
Now, it was time to leave, to begin the sole mission the human prince had given me. Find Adrian, preferably before theGeistor any of their squadrons, and stay alive in her presence long enough forKseniaand Roman to introduce themselves and their cause. I’d thought of little else since the prince decided to involve me in his plans.
This corruption that Adrian could wield, this darkness I wouldn’t believe the girl from the Third Ring capable of if I hadn’t witnessed it myself in the ninth Trial, was not something I truly understood. The prince had called it a weapon,Kleio seemed to think it was an abomination, but I found it difficult to refer to anything that had saved my life as either of the two. And it wasn’t the magic that worried me.
The last time I'd seen Adrian, I'd sent her to her death. No matter what had occurred afterward, no matter that she'd survived, we both knew what I'd done. We both knew I’d thought what I was doing might kill her. And I'd done it anyway. How did you face someone who used to be bonded with you closer than anyone you’d ever known? Someone you'd loved? Someone you'd then betrayed and, far worse, attempted to end? Shewouldn’t be pleased to see me. That was an understatement. And with what I now understood her to be capable of, she could kill me where I stood before I even got within ten feet of her. I wouldn’t blame her if she did.
I wasn’t eager to face my own execution. So when I emerged into the blinding sunlight of the stone courtyard to an enthusiasticKseniaand an impatient Roman, my mood darkened considerably. If my companions noticed, however, they made no mention of it.
Roman spent a few minutes explaining to me how to ride a horse in an irritated tone.Ksenia chuckled at my hesitation to climb onto the back of the snorting beast and outright laughed when I failed to do so the first few times. Eventually, Roman had to help me into the saddle. I grumbled with embarrassment as the gates rolled open and we rode through them onto the street outside the palace. Rather, Roman and I rode through them.Kseniaclimbed aboard Phantom and the two of them took off soaring out of eyesight a moment later.
“We'll meet her beyond the wall,” Roman grunted as I watched them disappear on the horizon.
I'd assumed as much but didn’t say so. Roman was not the sort for conversation, idle or otherwise, so I settled into my saddle and focused on every movement of the horse beneath me instead. It took nearly every ounce of my concentration to remain seated upon the animal. Docile as my mount seemed to be, I noted the powerful, sleek muscle of its legs, the enormous size of it beneath me, the way it tossed its head back and forth, wary when citizens of this sprawling city passed too close.
I hadn’t had too much experience with any animals at all. We didn’t have many animals in Sanctuary other than the occasional bird or cat or dog, sometimes mice and insects, but here, in this human city, they seemed to abound even in the cramped quarters with the humans. Horses filled the palacestables, merchants dragged their wares through the streets with assistance from smaller mounts thatKseniahad called donkeys, and small, furry creatures flitted down streets and through alleys in search of any discarded food or waste to make use of. I doubted I would ever be comfortable with their existence, no matter how interwoven it seemed to be with human life here, but I couldn't help but be fascinated by the sheer amount of creatures living and breathing around me that I'd never even known existed.
Hardly anyone seemed to notice as we passed. So engrossed in their daily tasks were the citizens ofUchariathat they barely gave us a passing glance, other than to mutter about how much of the street our horses were taking up as they slipped past. A few children waved at the horses, reaching out with smiles to brush their flanks. The animals bristled every time but Roman held his well in hand and, on occasion, reached over to reign mine in as well. I let him, still focused on simply remaining in the saddle as men and women passed so closely their arms brushed against my calves.
I could breathe easier once we were out of the city. Having left the crowds behind us, both Roman and I and our horses were far less on edge as we trotted forward into the burning sands.Kseniaappeared above us a moment later, Phantom swooping low once to inform us of their presence. Then they led us onward, soaring high above our much slower horses.
Mostly, they remained within eyesight, Phantom slowing significantly and sometimes looping back around to give us time to catch up. But, from time to time, they would fly far ahead, only to return a matter of minutes later,Kseniagiving a curt nod to Roman below before turning back to the lead. I assumed she was scouting the way forward, ensuring there were no dangers ahead for two lone horsemen to come upon unprepared. At thatrealization, I wondered for the first time what dangers might await us in the desert.
I'd been so preoccupied with worrying about what would occur when we finally made it to our destination and I saw Adrian again, I hadn’t even considered the danger of the journey. TheGeistand their squadrons roamed these sands as well, squadrons trained to killZverand their riders.Kseniaand Phantom were our greatest defense but how would they fare against theGeist’strained warriors? And how would Roman and I possibly stand against them if our rider and her mount should fall? I’d been trained, somewhat, inPavosand a bit in Sanctuary but what of the Captain? I knew nothing of his skill nor of what to expect of his method of fighting.
Finally, I realized just how exposed we were here, how meager our little party of three truly was. And that was just against theGeist. The Fallen were out here somewhere as well and I hadn’t the faintest clue what they were capable of.
“You’re rather young for a Captain,” I said then, glancing sideways at Roman and, more specifically, the long sword sheathed at his side.
“You’re rather ignorant for a Victor,” he replied gruffly.
I bristled but held my tongue.
