I duck so I can walk through the hole in the door, Anya right behind me. When Caiden reaches us, then blows out a relieved breath. “You’re alright?”
I nod while he scans me for injury, then pulls me into an impossibly tight hug. I hate that I feel better in his arms and I don’t let myself linger. I step away from his embrace. “Anya was hurt, she needs a doctor or matron.”
“I’ll be fine,” she says. “Who were those people? Bandits? Rebels?”
“They were Iskvalandian,” I say.
“Where the fuck is Ludis?” Caiden asks.
“I didn’t see him,” Stanley says. “All the rooms were empty and the tavern cleared out during the attack.”
“He must have fled,” I say. “Do you think he went back to the camp or was he in on this?”
“I don’t know,” Caiden says. “I should have known better than to trust he’d wait until we met with his parents to betray me.”
“You knew he’d do something like this?” I demand.
“Not this, exactly, he really does need you to help secure his position,” Caiden says. “But I suspected he’d try to kill me and put someone else in my place to rule Pendralia after he was on the throne. Keep you there as his puppet.”
“This would have been helpful information,” I say.
“That injury is too close to your eye,” Stanley says, changing the topic. “If it doesn’t heal properly, you could lose it.”
“It’s nothing. Just tore open my old wound,” she argues.
“No, there’s a new one. You really should have it checked,” Stanley insists.
“We can’t stay here.” I grab Anya’s hand. “Come on, we’ll find you a doctor. There has to be someone in town who can help.”
“We have one at camp. He’ll be better with an injury like this than a town healer,” Caiden says. “Can you ride? It’ll be faster than the carriage.”
“I can ride,” she says.
“You’ll ride with Stanley, he’s a better rider. Faster, too,” Caiden explains. “Taylan, you’re with me.”
Anya gives me a look with her good eye that seems to ask if she really heard what he just said. I shrug in response.
Caiden takes my hand in his and starts leading us over the corpses. That’s when I realize that they’re all silent. Not a singleone of them speaks to me. Did they all pass in peace? Was I blocking them out? Whatever the reason, I was grateful.
“Where are the rest of the legionaries who came with us?” I ask, seconds too soon.
I hear them seconds before I see them. Agonized voices full of regret and anger. Some are begging, others praying to gods who aren’t listening. There’s a few who are confessing. Sharing secrets about lovers and murders and betrayal. But I can’t make out most of the details as they all talk over each other.
My pulse races and I’m fighting against the onslaught. It’s too many at once. Too much death. All of them seem to be fighting to speak over one another and I don’t know if it’s because they know I can hear them or if that’s just how the dead are.
There’s bodies on the stairs, and more in the hall that leads to the tavern. As we walk past the tables toward the front door, I see a few faces I recognize.
The voices grow louder and I whimper without realizing it. My body tenses and my head throbs. It’s too much. I feel like they’re in my head, vying for dominance over me. The pressure intensifies and I worry my brain might just explode.
Caiden lifts me and I realize I’d stopped moving. He carries me like a bride through the tavern and down the street. As we continue, the voices subside and I regain control of my breathing. My eyes flutter open. I hadn’t even realized I’d closed them.
“You can put me down, now,” I say.
He does without a word.
“Are you alright?” Anya asks me.
Her injuries look even worse yet I’m the one who was carried like a helpless child. “Don’t worry about me, please.”
