“And no longer need to work with anyone to grow in power,” Ian finished for her. He stared at the tapestry, reaching down to carefully trace the lines of chaos magic that divided the Majis. “Gareth continues to be deceptively brilliant,” he said. “We knew he was sowing fear, but he has also been slowly breaking us down, trying to separate us. Every attempt he has made to kill me and Erich and Father—it was him doing this.” He pointed to the tapestry. Ian looked back up at Ashlin. “My father?”
“Still lives,” she replied, her face taut. “But he is getting worse. His breathing is shallow and grew labored last night. The physicians are concerned but can still do nothing for him.”
Ian nodded. “Gareth is draining him somehow. Where is Onric?”
“In the council room,” Ashlin replied. “Gareth has placed Zimri in charge of the castle defense and has been keeping Onric busy with unimportant work.”
“And that makes him inaccessible to us without us running into Gareth,” Ian said, looking to Robin.
“What do you need?” Ashlin asked.
“It is time to take back the castle,” Ian said, dropping his voice to be barely audible though no one else was in the room. “Sol is in the forest with an army of Majis. I am here to open the gates.”
Ashlin’s eyes grew wide with alarm. “You are here to bring the fight inside the castle?”
Ian nodded. “I did not want to bring death inside of our home, but Gareth has brought it here regardless. This is our only chance to surprise him and force him to reveal his true self to the people.”
Ashlin nodded in understanding, but her eyes were still pained.
“I need Onric to be ready to signal the loyal guards when I open the gate,” Ian said. “Can you reach him?”
“I will try,” Ashlin said. “We have avoided each other entirely here so that Gareth will not discover our connection. But I think we are beyond the point where that safety matters.”
“I am sorry,” Ian said.
“It is necessary,” Ashlin stated. “If Onric is not there to give the signal, then we risk more lives.”
“Thank you,” Ian said. “Be safe. Or your father—and my brother—will have my head.”
Ashlin sent him a small smile. “Same to you.”
Ian turned to Robin and Lane. “Now we just need to find a way to open that gate.”
“Easy,” Robin said, turning to the door.
Chapter 56
Robin kept her face hidden behind the large pile of linen clothing in her arms. It had been over ten years since she had been inside the castle kitchens, but she still knew her way through the maze of large counters, even with her vision obscured by soiled linens. She had not expected the bustling kitchen to feel so familiar. It was almost comforting to be back. While she’d never truly felt at home in the castle, this was one space she had loved. The smells of simmering meats and rising dough definitely helped.
The castle laundry was located in a large room behind the kitchens. The shared wall of the two rooms held the large ovens, used on one side for cooking and on the other for heating the tubs of water for scrubbing.
In the midmorning bustle, none of the busy staff noticed or questioned another maid bringing a pile of soiled linens through the kitchen.
Fortunately, the laundry itself was empty. The arduous task of filling the tubs with water and beating out the linen, silk, and wool was best done with early-morning energy.
After dropping her pile of laundry near the closest tub, Robin perused the racks of drying clothes. With the uncertain weather patterns, the castle had enough space to dry laundry inside.
Robin selected three of the knee-length, gray tunics that marked the livery of the Iseldis castle guard.
The bulky uniforms were still damp, making the pile of them heavier than she had expected. She balanced the weight of them over her good arm. When she had put on the simple dress Ashlin had found for her, Robin had removed the sling from her injured arm to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to herself. But she still kept her arm pinned tightly to her side to avoid moving her shoulder as much as possible.
Taking her borrowed loot, she slipped out the other door of the laundry directly onto a broad path that ran between the castle keep and the castle wall. She could not see the front of the castle as it was around the corner up ahead, but the walkway was busy with passing soldiers and guards.
She could feel their eyes on her, and she felt the sudden urge to run down the path until she reached the enclosed space behind the stables where Ian and Lane waited for her.
She resisted the fear, smiling to herself. Speed would attract attention. The younger version of herself—the one that had snuck through the nearby kitchen for an apple and bread roll in the early mornings as she escaped down this very route to the stables—had run down this path. She had run from the expectations of what it meant to be a lady in a castle, run from the dozens of eyes tracking her every movement, looking at her with curiosity and pity.
But she was no longer that young girl. She had learned to walk with confidence, no matter where she was, no matter what disguise she wore on the outside. She didn’t need to run. Passing the root cellar and granary, Robin turned into the small, dark nook by the stables.
