“My liege, are you certain you wish to do this?” Segonax asked with a frown. “I do not believe our army is large enough to retake our castle from the Air Court. If I did, I would have made this suggestion myself. And then, even if we do manage to retake the stronghold, there is the Wood Court to consider. The air fae built a wall to prevent them from attacking, but I fear it will not hold. The Wood Court has never tried to enter Findius. They wanted us to remain exiled, even if their enemy court was the one keeping us in line.”
“Yes, my liege,” Heremon added in a nasally voice, his hands tucked into the pockets of his dark robe. “If we attack and lose, I fear we will not have enough airgead to make it through the year.”
“I know how to take care of the Wood Court situation, and I have made my decision,” the king growled. “However, Tarrah must agree to one thing.”
Tarrah frowned, but she gave a nod for the king to go ahead. This, she had not foreseen.
“To prove that you are truly dedicated to this cause and not merely a puppet master pulling strings, you will join us on the battlefield. You stated that you have trained in combat, yes?”
Her stomach twisted. Tarrah was not a fighter. She hated the scent of blood. “I know archery, my liege, but that is all.”
The king gave a nod. “Then, it is done. We will begin our preparations. Our war with the Air Court has begun.”
21
Reyna
Reyna opened the door at midnight. Lorcan stood in the corridor, leaning lazily against the wall, until he caught sight of her garments. He jerked, surprise flickering in his dark eyes. She smiled. That was the reaction she’d hoped to see.
For her adventure into the city, Reyna had pulled one of her old tricks out of the bag. A collection of garments she’d gathered from her time spent as a Shieldmaiden, randomly cobbled together. Her bodice was ragged from wear around the sleeves, and her simple linen trousers had a hole in one knee. Both were dirt tone in color, ideal for blending in with the surroundings. To hide her silver hair, she’d found an old brown neckerchief and tied it around the top of her head like a makeshift hood. She’d topped things off with a pair of well-worn leather boots that were snug around her feet.
“You, ah...”
She smiled. “Something the matter?”
“I was under the impression that I was meeting Princess Reyna here this night.”
“Princess Reyna is busy,” she said. “But Shieldmaiden Reyna is ready for her trip into the city.”
“Something tells me that Shieldmaiden Reyna causes far more trouble than she’s worth.”
She arched a brow. “Well, if you’re not brave enough to go through with the plan...”
Lorcan smiled wickedly. “Oh, that’s not it at all. I was merely thinking how fun it would be for the High Queen and her courtiers to see you now. You would be the talk of Dalais Castle.”
“You don’t think I should save it for my wedding day?”
“Well, one thing is certain, your new husband would be eager to get those rags off of you, if only so he could burn them.”
Reyna’s face flushed, and Lorcan fell strangely quiet, almost as though he had only just realized the meaning of his words. Clearing his throat, he glanced down the corridor and then motioned for Reyna to join him. She shut the door quietly behind her and fell into step by his side. They strode quickly in the direction of Zephyr Tower. As they hurried along, Reyna risked a glance at Lorcan. He was tall and commanding, the shadows of the corridor hugging his muscular body like a cloak.
Her heartbeat quickened.
“I can only get you a couple of hours in the city,” he murmured, keeping his gaze focused on the stone floor ahead. “Whoever you plan to see, you need to do it quickly.”
“A couple of hours should be sufficient.”
The silence of midnight rose up around them as they roamed the castle. Lorcan took her through one corridor after another, down curving stairwells, and back up again. After awhile, Reyna had absolutely no idea where in the castle they were. She had put all of her trust in Lorcan. A frightening thought. He could very easily be taking her to the prince. Or, even worse, the High Queen herself.
“Here,” he said quietly when they finally came to a stop at the base of a stairwell. A long tunnel disappeared into the darkness. “When Dalais Castle was first built, hidden tunnels were carved out beneath it. This one leads into the city proper. We’ll come out through a false grate in the merchant district, which should be quiet and empty this time of night.”
Reyna gave him a look. “We?”
“If you believe I would allow you to wander through the streets of Tairngire, alone and unarmed at high moon, then you are not as quick-witted as I thought.” He grunted and shook his head.
“No one will speak to me if I have a castle guard stuck to my side,” she said, pointing down at her well-worn trousers. “This entire disguise will be rendered pointless.”
“I didn’t tell you to wear a costume, princess.” He shifted closer and flicked the edge of the neckerchief tied around her head. “Andnothingcould ever hide that wild silver hair of yours.”
