Eventually the front door opened and multiple footsteps approached, indicating the others had arrived. Her few moments of peace and relief over Connor’s return to the living were coming to an end.
Cass walked straight up to Connor when she entered the room and gripped his arm in a warrior’s greeting. Introductions between the men were made, then they all gathered at the table, mugs of tea in hand. Celina looked toward Rodric to begin. Her part of the mission was complete. Now, it was time for his to take precedence.
Slowly, he went over the whole story for Connor. “Our best guess is that they’re using this old fortress as a temporary holding facility.” Rodric brushed his finger over the map. “We need to know what other intel you have about these people, and ideally that site, before we move forward.”
Connor studied the map intently, tension in the set of his shoulders as he leaned over the table. “Your instincts about the fortress are good. It could definitely be a holding facility.”
Sighs of relief sounded around the table at his statement.
“There’s a problem though. It's been a while since I was injured. They tend to move the taken individuals every few months, shifting them to new locations.”
“How close are we cutting it?” Rodric asked.
Celina put her hand on his leg under the table. This was what they’d worried constantly over with every decision made along the journey. Had they made it in time to save Brenna?
“Too close. We need to do reconnaissance and move in immediately if we have any chance of getting her out.” Taking a breath, Connor continued, “We don’t typically do this type of retrieval. It’s our policy to rescue those we can en route to the facilities, but we leave the facilities alone. It’s the only way we can operate with any degree of anonymity. This type of operation has never been done before, so I can’t offer much experience from that perspective.”
“You’re still willing to help us? Risk the potential fallout and consequences of going against your military protocols?” Rodric asked.
“Hey, they declared me dead, right? Can’t reprimand someone who doesn’t exist.” Connor smirked before turning to meet Celina’s eyes. “Besides, this is about family. That makes it different. I’ll deal with whatever they want to throw at me once everyone is safe.”
Celina smiled, nodding her thanks to her brother. Though he’d entered the military soon after their mother died, he’d always been there when she needed him. Helping her raise Cat, taking on some of her responsibilities of their family estate, supporting her desire to train as a healer. And now, he was accepting Rodric, and by extension, his soul-daughter, taking on their protection as part of his responsibility to the family.
“I’ll loop Daya in when she returns from her morning hunt. This whole mountain range is her territory, and she guards it fiercely. She deserves to know what’s happening, and she’ll know the best routes for us to take,” Connor said. “You can leave your excess gear and horses here while we’re gone. We’ll have to pass this way again on the return trip.”
“Excellent. You three handle that aspect of things.” Cass nodded to them. “Connor and I have a date with a sword before we go anywhere.”
Connor groaned dramatically. “You’re going to flatten me just for fun, aren’t you?”
“That depends on how well your arm healed and how much of your muscle memory was restored.”
“Welcome back.” Celina hugged him before he left, grateful to have him safe, his mind whole again. She’d remember the piercing feeling of him not knowing her for the rest of her life.
His answering smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, causing a sinking sensation in her stomach.
Chapter 23
Ridgecrest Fortress, Realm of Eldridge
Filtereddawnlightturnedthe overgrown landscape into wild shadows looming around them. The dense greenery was uncommon in most of Eldridge, only growing close to the Zamyran border. It was an odd combination of jungle, forest, and mountain territory, as if the land didn’t quite know what it was supposed to be.
Rodric held back a muttered curse as he ducked under the feathery moss hanging off a low branch. Having spent his life roaming the forests, canyons, and mountains present in the middle of the realm, hiking through the deep overgrowth was a little unsettling. With so many things left to chance, out of his control, the unfamiliar setting added weight to the many things throwing him off balance. Settling down into a position on the opposite side of the complex as Connor, he began the daybreak watch.
A flash of sunlight at the wrong angle across the far side of the complex told him that his comrades were in position. Cass and Connor had insisted on taking the closest, most dangerous assignments. Wise, given their skill sets, but aggravating.
The two warriors had been very in sync since their weapons practice that morning. There was something in their behavior he couldn’t put his finger on. Not suspicious exactly, but something they knew that the others didn’t. He didn’t know Connor yet, but he trusted Cass, so he’d let the observation go. Had they been on a hunting mission, he and Sev would probably act much the same—completely in their element in a fundamental way the others couldn’t quite match.
As close as they were to the facility, Rodric was actively fighting the urge to rush in and attack. His mind knew that he needed to wait and stalk his prey until the opportune moment. Hunters learned the mental game of patience early if they wanted to succeed.
His heart was another matter. After a long night of worrying and discussing possible plans, his anxiety was at a high, making it difficult to still his body and do the needed recon. Working smart was apparently hard on his nerves.
Thankfully, Celina had agreed to go with Sev and Daya to a higher vantage point, where they were mapping the facility from above. The huntress—and her pair of hawks—had decided to join them and had proven an excellent addition to their group. With her knowledge of the mountain range, it was the longest stretch they’d gone without referencing their trusted map.
A second flash indicated that Cass was beginning her infiltration of the facility. The first rays of light had produced a myriad of shadows for her to use as she took a closer inspection. With only six of them, including two non-combatants who would stay outside the fortress, they were hanging their plan on the critical information gained during their morning reconnaissance.
High walls crumbled in places, coming as much as halfway down. The remnants of stone were overgrown with dirt and vines, a living extension of the outer walls that used to ring the fortress. The time and natural destruction gave him a decent line of sight.
Nearest to him was a stable and a small building, what was once most likely a guardhouse, on the close side of the entrance gate. Similar to the rest of the fortress, the highest floor of the guardhouse showed old damage from storms or sieges, but not enough to make it unusable. The stable was fully in use, with horses lazing about in the fenced area as well as making noise from inside.
