“You know we could force our way in,” Kreya said. “This is a courtesy only.” Of course, if they had to force their way in, they’d use resources they couldn’t spare fighting against people who weren’t their enemy. She’d rather the guards cooperated.
The two guards stepped back to confer.
“Do youevertry tact?” Jentt whispered.
She gave him a tense half smile. “Not if I can help it.”
“Fair enough.”
For a second, her vision clouded. Kreya rubbed her eyes.Overtired?she wondered. It had already been a long night, buttomorrow would be longer still. She had to keep pushing herself. The more statues she could prepare, the fewer innocents would die. She hoped.
When the guards stepped forward again, they looked resolute. The female guard spoke: “We are deeply sorry, Master Kreya and Master Jentt, but our responsibility is to Grand Master Lorn and without his approval, we cannot grant your request.” They looked scared at the possibility this might end in violence, yet they also stood firm.
Kreya opened her mouth to argue more, but Jentt drew her back. “Not the right battle to fight,” he whispered. Replying to the guards, he said, “We respect your dedication to your duty.” He kept pulling her down the stairs.
She wanted to race back up and force their way in. He stepped onto one of the cloud lifts. “Jentt, the pillars in there are twice the size of the ones in Zera’s palace. You know how useful they would be—”
His lips close to her ear, he whispered, “That’s why I stole their keys.”
Ahh, he’d been the blur that had clouded her vision—it hadn’t been exhaustion. She should have realized it. Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
After they broke apart, he said, “East of the palace. Servants’ entrance.”
Using the cloud lift, they skirted around the grand master’s palace. Jentt spotted the servants’ entrance, tucked behind several topiaries. He swung the bag of spare bones over his shoulder as if he were carrying supplies for the kitchen, and he strode with purpose down the path. Kreya followed.
In seconds, they were inside, and Jentt had slipped the keys back into one of his many pockets. With Grand Master Lornon the third tier, the palace was nearly empty. Kreya heard the clink of pots and dishes from the kitchen, as well as a low hum of chatter, but once they reached the grander halls, it felt abandoned.
They used speed and stealth talismans to dart through anyway, and Kreya added carved bones to the massive skeletal pillars, using up the last of the supply. She gave these colossi her strongest, deepest carvings, throwing every bit of power she could into them.
In total, there were twenty-four.
When she finished, she surveyed them. In the shadowy hall, they looked both menacing and beautiful. Coming up beside her, Jentt kissed her neck. “Ready to wake them?” he asked.
“We have to evacuate everyone from the palace first,” she said.
“On it,” he told her.
He zipped away.
She walked between the pillars. If this worked...
For one beautiful moment, she let herself bask in hope and silence. It was the first time she’d been alone in weeks, the first time she’d held still when she wasn’t asleep, the first time she’d allowed herself to breathe without a hundred thoughts tumbling through her head, and it felt almost peaceful.
And then Jentt was back. “Everyone suddenly found themselves in the topiary garden.” He rubbed his hands together. “Let’s do this. Are you ready?”
Was she? Such an interesting question. Years ago, she’d felt ready for whatever the world would throw at her. With Jentt by her side, she’d felt as if she could face anything and of course good would triumph and happiness would be her reward. But then she’d lost him, and everything she’d thought she knewabout the world—all that certainty—had drained out of her. Now, could she ever say she was “ready” again, knowing how badly it could all go and how much was beyond predicting or controlling?
Hell yes, I can.
She took his hand in hers. “Ready.”
“You know, if we pull this off, there will be ballads about us today.”
“There are already ballads about us,” Kreya said. “Best we can hope for this time is that they’ll rhyme.” She faced the pillars. “Vasi rae. Lindar rae. Abrutri inari rae!” She released Jentt and raised both her hands over her head as she called to them,“Follow me, my friends! Fight for me! Fight for the bone workers of Cerre!”
For a moment, nothing happened. And then, slowly, the pillars lurched forward. Chunks of ceiling rained down as they yanked themselves off their perches. Kreya and Jentt backed toward the massive doors.
More pillars ripped themselves from the floor and ceiling. Their skull faces were sightless, but still Kreya felt as if they were focused on her. She guided them out of the grand master’s palace. Their massive stone feet shattered the marble as they walked, and the first through the doorway smashed into the door frame. Stone and gold plummeted onto the steps below. Jentt waved an apology to the guards, but Kreya ignored them, marching to the cloud lifts.
