Crown of the Queen (The Wardbreaker Book 3)

by Katerina Martinez

  “You know, you can stop pretending, now.”

  It was uncanny, this ability of hers to see through my bullshit. I didn’t want to tell her more than I needed to, but I also needed to be able to get past her if I wanted a shot at getting close to Hugo. I also needed to try and find Axel, and hope to all the Gods he hadn’t been frisked by the guards yet; another problem that only grew more likely to happen the longer we spent in here.

  “Fine,” I said, “He was imprisoned here for the crime of having crossed the Coalition. As far as I know, he hasn’t done anything wrong… but I need him.”

  “And you broke into the prison to release him?”

  “I did.”

  “Why? I cannot understand why someone would want to break into this place. You must really need this man.”

  “I do.”

  “Is he your mate?”

  I recoiled. “Not at all.”

  “A friend?”

  “No. He… actually doesn’t even know I’m coming to get him. But he has something I need, and I’m hoping if I can get him out of here, he’ll help me.”

  Azlu took a deep breath through the nose. “Mother says I can trust you, so I will. If you wanted to reach Hugo, you made a mistake by approaching his people.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, figured that one out the hard way.”

  “Hugo surrounds himself with people because he is afraid of this place. He will not let you get near. Especially because he does not like Rita. You will have to tell him you aren’t who he thinks you are, and he will have to believe you.”

  “I can’t do that with his entourage around.”

  “He does not share his cell with anyone. He is alone right now, but the guards will be on alert after what just happened. You must wait before you make a move.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t do that. Someone’s bound to find the real Rita way before then. I don’t have time to wait. How long will the lockdown last?”

  “It’s hard to tell. Possibly a few hours. I spend most of my time in solitary confinement, so I cannot say with certainty.”

  “What? Why?”

  She shrugged. “Because I prefer it there.”

  “But… isn’t solitary confinement bad?”

  She smiled at herself, her eyes turning dreamy. “It’s dark down there. And cool, silent… and safe. It isn’t often that someone else gets thrown into my hole, so I can be alone with my thoughts. With mother. Sometimes they even forget I’m there. It’s bliss.”

  “Wait, isn’t solitary confinement… solitary?”

  “Sometimes they change the rules. It’s hard to know what they are from day to day.”

  I watched her, curiously now, the urge to fight slowly fading away like the ebbing tide. “You’re a strange one,” I said, “But not wanting to be around people? I get that. People suck, mostly.”

  “Imagine being an Outsider, instantly hated by everyone who merely looks at you.”

  I nodded. “Yeah… that must suck way more. I’ve met your kind before… maybe not your kind, exactly, but I’ve met Aevians. I’m friends with your people.”

  “I appreciate the sentiment, but I am not Aevian. I am Arachnon. Our peoples are very different.”

  “Well, it looks like we’re gonna be stuck in here for a few hours, so we should probably do our best to become friends, right?”

  “Why? We will not see each other after this is done.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “What did you do to get thrown in here?”

  She shrugged. “I am an Outsider. It is enough.”

  “Don’t you want to go free? I could… I mean, I could bring you with me?”

  “And go outside? No. Mother says, for the time being, this is the safest place for me to be. My meals are given to me, I get to isolate myself as often as I like, and as long as I’m up here, most of you humans can’t reach me in order to hurt me. I am far safer in here than I am outside.”

  “Yeah, I guess that’s a good enough reason…” I settled into the bottom bunk. “If you change your mind, let me know.”

  Azlu moved across the ceiling again and let herself fall into the top bunk. My body was still sore from the stunning, so I allowed myself a little time to rest before the breakout. I had a couple of hours to kill. I could only hope Axel hadn’t been locked in a cell with a murderer or something. With any luck, he would also be thinking about breaking out in a couple of hours.

  Otherwise I’d have to go looking for him.

  This is what you get for changing the plan, Izzy.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  In the silence of the prison cell, I daydreamed of the man Axel had transformed into. He was old, with wild and unkempt grey hair and a grey beard. Strangely, he reminded me of Ifrit, if Ifrit was a real person and not a little flame thing. I had no idea how these two beings could even remotely resemble each other, but they did, and it made me chuckle.

  That’s what he looks like!

  Sitting bolt-upright, I smacked my head against the underside of the bunk. Wincing, I rubbed my head. Azlu’s head dropped, her eyes wide. “You shouldn’t sit up so fast,” she said, “That’s one of the reasons why I take the top bunk.”

  “Good advice,” I said, shaking my head. “Do I still look…”

  “The same as when you came in? Yes. I would suggest you do whatever you’re planning on doing soon.”

  I slid out of bed and stood up. “Alright, then that’s my cue, I guess.”

  Azlu sat on the top bunk and looked at the door. “How are you going to get out?”

  I unzipped my jumpsuit a little and reached into it. Ripping the duct-tape free from my skin stung, but what I produced was a small pouch filled with half-a-handful of sparkling, grey dust. I walked over to the cell door, took a pinch of the dust, and then blew it against the metal. The cell door unlocked on its own. All I had to do was pull it open.

  “Impressive,” Azlu said. “How were you able to do that?”

  “A magician never reveals her secrets,” I said, “But the offer to come with me is still on the table, if you want it.”

  Azlu shook her head. “The world outside frightens me. Anyway, once they find the real Rita, they’ll probably have questions for me. I’ll answer them in a less than satisfactory way, and they’ll throw me into solitary confinement for a while. So, you and I both win from this.”

  “Are you sure that’s all they’ll do? I mean, who even are the people that run this? Are inmates given proper sentences? Are there rules that govern this place?”

  “I don’t know, but mother seems to think I’ll be okay, and I trust mother more than I trust you. No offence.”

  I nodded. “None taken.” I paused, my hand on the door. “It’s a shame I’m not going to cross paths with you again. I have a feeling you’d make a really useful ally.”

  “I don’t know about that. I can barely remember who I am, or where I come from. I’m not sure I would be useful to anyone. But I appreciate the thought.”

  “Take care of yourself, Azlu.”

  “And you, human.”

  Peering out into the cellblock already set my heartrate running. If there were cameras out here, if anyone could see me right now, I’d be screwed. No one was supposed to be walking around the cellblock right now, and I’d just opened a door. I was lucky Hugo’s cell was on my floor, but the utter quiet and the lack of movement meant I wasn’t going to be able to go and find Axel before getting to Hugo.

  I was going to have to talk to him on my own, and that was if I could make it to his cell without being spotted.

  The guard post was on the opposite side of the cellblock. Form inside, they had a commanding view of the whole place. All it took was for a single pair of stray eyes to glance up, and if I wasn’t being careful, I’d get spotted. There were only two ways to play this.

  I could make a mad dash for Hugo’s cell, or I could stick as close to the floor as possible and crawl on my belly. The second choice would take a lot longer than the first, but I was less l
ikely to be spotted. The first option, though, would help me get this over with a lot faster than if I crawled.

  There was also the added problem that, if any of the inmates saw me walking around, they were likely to start making a bunch of noise, and then it was all over anyway.

  Dammit.

  I was going to have to try something in between.

  With one eye on the guard post and another on the group of cells directly across from mine, I slid out of Azlu’s cell and into the main cellblock. Slowly, I shut the door behind me, sealing my way back. The only way now, was forward—toward Hugo, or out of here in a blaze of glory. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to the latter.

  Not yet.

  I pressed my back as far against the wall as I could and crouched, using my hands to help guide me as I moved toward Hugo’s cell. From where I was, I could see into the cells across the block. The doors were huge metal slabs with a single window on them, so unless someone happened to be directly looking out, I had a feeling I would be safe.

  The guard post, on the other hand… knowing discovery was just around the corner had my heart beating in a frenzy. Step by step, my body as taut as a bowstring, I moved across the level and toward Hugo’s cell. It wasn’t far. A few meters, no more than that. But there was a set of stairs between me and the cell, and that meant there was some open ground to cover.

  Axel fluttered into and out of my thoughts as I went.

  He could’ve been in any of these cells right now, waiting for a sign from me. I thought as hard as I could, screaming his name in my head. If there ever was an appropriate time for him to catch one of my floating, surface thoughts as they came, now was that time.

  He was just as locked away from his powers as I was, though, so… fat chance of him catching the mental waves I was putting out into the world. Still, it couldn’t have hurt. Movement in the guard post caught my eye. One of the guards was on his feet, but he hadn’t left his post—he was stretching.

  I watched him for a few seconds with my heart wedged in my throat. Was he going to leave his post? Was he going to start his rounds? He scratched his ass, had a little walk around his post, and then sat back down. I exhaled, relieved, and then I noticed the second empty chair in the post.

  Someone directly beneath me coughed, and my ovaries shot up into my throat to join my heart. I’d been so focused on watching the guard post, I hadn’t been paying enough attention to the floor below. One of the guards was moving toward the set of stairs I was going to have to sneak past in just a couple of seconds.

  Hugo’s cell wasn’t far. One quick dash and I was there, but not before this guard caught me. Shit. I could’ve risked it, but what I was doing was already risky enough. I had to do something, and I had to do it fast, because there was nowhere to hide up on this metal gantry.

  I reached into my jumpsuit again, this time ripping a small, almond shaped pebble off my body. I had to time it just right; wait for the guard to come right up to the top of the stairs and—I tossed the pebble directly at his back. The guard didn’t seize up, he didn’t convulse, instead he started going down. Before he could hit the floor with a loud thud, I was on him, grabbing him and pulling him against the wall.

  The bastard was heavy, but I was able to get him down without making a sound.

  From here, there was only one thing left to do. I couldn’t leave him out in the open. He’d be spotted within seconds. I also couldn’t go back to Azlu’s cell and drop him off in there. Not only did I not have the time to go back, it wasn’t fair on her.

  I dragged the guard by his feet toward Hugo’s cell. When I got there, I blew some more of the grey powder onto the door and heard it unlock. I yanked it open, and Hugo shot up and out of bed, sucking in a deep breath. I put a finger up in front of my lips and told him to shush, then I dragged the unconscious guard into the room and shut the cell.

  “What the hell is all this?” Hugo asked.

  I stood upright, breathed deeply, and stared at him. “This is your rescue party,” I said.

  “Rescue? What are you talking about? And what did you do to that guard?”

  “Hold that thought,” I said, pinching my left wrist with my right thumb and forefinger. A quick thought and a breath was all I needed to do to dispel the magic making me look like someone else. The disguise melted away within seconds, returning me to my former self and sending Hugo staggering back into the wall.

  “Who are you?” he asked, frowning.

  “I told you,” I said, “I’m here to bust you out of prison. All you have to do is cooperate.”

  “Cooperate? Nobody busts out of Harrowgate, girl.”

  Girl. So he was that kind of guy. I sighed, pushing the anger down. I hated being called that. I advanced, moving in on him like a predator. “Now, you listen to me,” I said, “My name is Isabella Warden, and I just broke into this prison so I could pull your ass out.”

  He shook his head. “Why? I don’t know you.”

  “Because I need you to do something for me. But I warn you, the next time you call me girl, I’m going to stun you just like I did this guard, and then I’m going to take my Elemantic magic and brand dicks into your face that even you won’t be able to get out. Understood?”

  Hugo paused. “That sounds… unpleasant.”

  “I’m sure it does. Now, we have a little while until that guard wakes up, but his friends will notice he’s missing any second now. You can stand here and ask me twenty questions, or you can agree to help me with what I need if I get you out of this place.”

  He frowned. “Help you with what you need? If it’s Aetherglass you want, forget it.”

  “Forget it? Why?”

  Hugo jabbed a finger at me. “I knew it. That’s all you want from me, Aetherglass. I’m done with that. I don’t make it anymore, for anyone.”

  I shrugged, then turned around. “Suit yourself. You can rot in here, then.”

  “Rot? No. Someone else will be around to pick me up eventually.”

  “I hate to break it to you, but I am that someone else. You can take your chances in here, or you can help me once I get you out of this place.”

  A pause. “Do you have any idea what you’re asking me to do? I don’t know who you are. I don’t know your motives, your politics. I’m not just about to give you one of the greatest gifts the Tempest ever gave us. You must understand why?”

  “I do, and if I were in your position I’d probably resist too, but when we get out of here, I can prove I’m one of the good guys, but you’ve got five seconds to decide.”

  “You’re asking me to make an impossible choice.”

  “I don’t think it’s impossible. Uncomfortable, sure. It looks like you’re something of a Lord in here, what with your entourage and everything. But it being inside this shit hole better than being free?”

  He paused. “Okay fine. But I want safe passage out of this hellhole state; then I’ll help you.”

  “You help me as I secure your safe passage.”

  Hugo screwed up his face, thinking. Sighing, he nodded. “Deal.”

  “Good enough for me,” I said, extending my hand.

  Hugo stared at it, frowning. “You a handshake person?”

  I ripped another little pouch off my body and sprinkled some glowing yellow dust onto my hand. “Shake it,” I said, “This is magic pledge powder. I need you to shake my hand to seal the deal.”

  “How do I know touching you isn’t going to kill me? How do I know you’re not an assassin?”

  “Because if I were, you’d be dead.”

  Still frowning, Hugo shook my hand. A cool breeze passed between us, the powder glowed brightly, then disappeared, and the deal was made. I turned around and moved toward the cell door. Glancing outside, everything looked calm and quiet.

  “Time to go,” I said, blowing a little grey powder onto the door. It unlocked, opened… I peeked around the corner, checking for guards, movement—Axel-. All was quiet. I glanced across at Hugo and nodded. Just as I took my
first step through the door, the entire prison came alive with the sounds of blaring alarms.

  Our time was up.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Shit, shit, shit.

  I had to fight my instinct to shut the door, otherwise I’d have to use more magic to unlock it again, and I needed to ration the powder if we were going to get out of the prison. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it looked from up here like the guard in the post was mobilizing. It wouldn’t be long before more arrived.

  “What did you do?” Hugo asked.

  “A lot of things,” I said, “Shit, maybe they found the bodies.”

  “Bodies? Did you kill someone?”

  “No, only stunned them and stuffed them in a closet so we could pretend to be them. Be quiet, and let me think.”

  More movement downstairs. Guards? No, that was a cellblock door swinging open! I edged out of Hugo’s cell and went toward the ledge looking over the floor below. Axel waved frantically at the guard in the post and called to him.

  “Hey, idiot!” he yelled, “I’m over here!”

  The guard’s eyes widened, and he sped out of his post, magic arm cocked and ready to strike. By the time he got around the post to fire the first stunning spell at Axel, Axel had already taken cover behind the thick metal door. The spell struck the door with a loud thwang, as if it had been hit by a bullet.

  Axel was taking cover, but he could leave as long as the guard was shooting stunning spells off at him from where he stood. And the guard wasn’t staying where he was. He was calling for backup with one hand, shooting stunning spells at the door, and trying to go around it at the same time.

  “That’s our cue,” I said, “Let’s go.”

  “Go? Into that?”

  “It’s about to get a lot uglier than this, and you have a guard in your room who’s about to wake up. Where would you rather be?”

  Hugo nodded and tentatively stepped out of his room. I quickly zipped around the top level, yelling down at the guard. “Hey look!” I yelled, pointing across from where the guard was standing, “A dragon!”

  The guard stared at me, wide-eyed, and then he turned around. Moron! Axel took the opportunity to rush out of cover and get into a spot behind a column. From there, the guard wouldn’t be able to hit him, and Axel also wasn’t pinned next to a cell.