Wardens of Archos

by Sarina Langer

  “I can't believe your act fooled me!” She grabbed the candlestick on the commode next to her. It wasn't a sword, but if she could strike him at the right moment in the right place she knew she could take him out.

  “My act?” Ludo cocked his head to the side, and Rachael wanted to laugh. How could someone who had held a knife to her throat only moments ago look so much like a puppy?

  “Your character! Your—your lovableness! I can't believe I fell for it!”

  Ludo grinned like the big boy he’d pretended to be. “That's not an act, Rachael. I'm just adorable by nature.”

  She wanted to throw her candleholder at him in frustration, but forced herself to stay calm. Lady Nerine had believed her to be safe here. Kiana and Cale had their own rooms, and Reeve was still recovering in the infirmary. But two guards should have been outside her door. Why weren’t they helping her? Couldn't they hear the commotion?

  “I'm afraid I had to kill the men outside your door. I tried to distract them, but they wouldn't leave. They’re so loyal to their duty!”

  “You tried to distract them? Why?” If she could just buy a few more minutes, maybe she could circle around the room to her door. Ludo wasn't as quick or as skilled as her Sparrows—unless he’d tricked her on that account, too. She had to get her hands on a real weapon, and fast.

  Rachael frowned. Back in Blackrock she hadn't relied on weapons for protection. Her hands and reflexes had been enough. When had all that changed? Was this better?

  Ludo shrugged. “I'm not here to kill the Parashi, Rachael. I was hired to kill you, no one else.”

  “How noble of you.”

  Just a few steps more and she'd be at the door. Ludo hadn't moved an inch. She could make it if she just moved a few steps more.

  “I know how this must look to you, but I'm no murderer, Rachael. Please understand that.”

  She snorted. “You do realise what assassins do?”

  “Of course! But I don't want to kill you.”

  “Then why? Why now? You must have had hundreds of chances!”

  “Because—”

  Rachael leapt for the door. Her hand brushed the doorknob when Ludo slammed her into the wall with surprising speed and strength.

  “Because a powerful man wants you dead, and I needed a favour.”

  She tried to wriggle free under his grasp, but he was too strong. His strength equalled Cale's. She couldn't believe how many lies she had believed.

  Ludo brought up the knife to her throat, its cold tip testing her skin. “This'll be much faster if you don't struggle. Just hold still, okay?”

  “Did you spy for him?” If she was to die here, right now, she wanted to know just how deep his deception had run.

  “Who?”

  “Arnost Lis!”

  She couldn’t see his face, but he sighed. He sounded tired.

  “No. I didn’t.”

  There was nothing more she could do. His legs pinned hers against the wall. Her arms were trapped behind her back. Her feet couldn't move enough to throw him off balance.

  The door flew open.

  “I heard a noise! Are you all right?” Reeve's voice trailed off when his eyes met Ludo's, and he paled. He didn't hesitate. Ludo was too surprised by Reeve's entrance to act, and was disarmed and pinned against the wall within seconds.

  Rachael hated that she was shaking. She’d come close to death many times in her life, but never because someone she had trusted had tried to kill her. She’d never chanced trust. Ludo would have ended her life, too, if Reeve hadn't arrived when he had. One more second, and—

  “Did he hurt you?” Reeve's voice was a dangerous growl, his eyes fixed on Ludo. To her surprise, he didn't struggle.

  “No. I'm fine. If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead. Thank you.”

  Reeve pressed his own dagger against Ludo's back. “Start talking. Who sent you?”

  “Poczwye, this isn't worth what he promised! I didn't want you to see this, Reeve. Believe me or not, but I actually like you.”

  “He told me the same thing right before he held the knife to my neck,” said Rachael.

  “I did, but I meant as a friend and queen.”

  Something shifted behind Reeve's eyes, but he caught himself and glared at the back of Ludo's head. “Who sent you?”

  “Arnost Lis. That man wants you dead, Rachael.”

  “It's Queen Rachael, you Tramuran bastard.”

  Rachael had never heard Reeve's voice waver before. She had never imagined he'd reinforce her title, either. Somehow, this had shaken him more than it had shaken her.

  “What are your orders, my queen?”

  “Lock him up. We'll question him when we're back from the ruins.”

  “Don't make the same mistake twice. You let him go once and see where that got you! Pinned against a wall with his dagger at your throat!”

  “You're letting your emotions control you, Reeve. We'll put him into prison. Cale can interrogate him when we're back, see what else he knows.”

  If he had information that could help her against the ambassador, she needed to know. She also wanted to know why he hadn’t made his move sooner. Something didn’t add up. He said he hadn’t spied on her, but for some reason he had hesitated. She wanted to know why.

  “Fine. Turn around, nice and slow.”

  Rachael braced herself, ready for Ludo to tackle her or Reeve, but he didn't resist or protest. She didn't think it was another act, but it was strange all the same. Why had he given up? Because Reeve had interrupted him? She’d wondered before if something had happened between Reeve and Ludo. Ludo’s reaction, and the way Reeve had paled, confirmed it.

  “I want you to stay with him,” she said to Reeve. “I want him treated as we would treat any other prisoner back in the White City. I can't be sure of that unless someone I trust guards him.”

  Reeve nodded. “I'll see it done.”

  “I'm sorry I didn't believe you before.” She hoped it wasn’t too late.

  “Yeah.” Reeve shoved Ludo through the door. “Me, too.”

  Rachael was pacing through the courtyard before the palace by one of the fountains. It was early evening; it was quiet and peaceful out here, and after last night's events she cherished nothing more. She’d spent the day exploring the palace, too nervous after Ludo’s attack to wander into town as she’d hoped to. She had also tried to stay away from Cale and Kiana. They didn’t need to know what had happened just yet; Reeve was keeping an eye on Ludo, and Ludo was locked up. Lady Nerine had agreed to keep it quiet for now. Right now, all Rachael wanted were a few undisturbed moments alone, and even that was difficult with the Parashi watching her.

  After the incident with Ludo, Rachael was more determined than ever to see those ruins and collect whatever was hidden inside. She didn’t know what the wardens wanted with her, but she hadn’t feared them in her vision and put her faith into that. Her visions had always been accurate, including emotions. The absence of fear in their depths was a good sign.

  Lord Siraj had agreed to keep Ludo in his prison with Reeve as his guard. Rachael had meant what she’d told Reeve the night before; she wanted Ludo questioned before she decided what to do with him. The punishment for attempted regicide was death, but she was conflicted. Ludo still didn't seem like a murderer to her. What was it he’d said? He’d taken the job because he needed a favour. What had he done that only the ambassador could pay his debts? Was he a criminal after all, or had he been caught at the wrong time over someone else's crimes?

  She worried about Reeve. Leaving him to watch over Ludo was dangerous, but she knew he was too controlled to kill him if his hand slipped at a convenient moment. Maybe he could get the full truth out of Ludo.

  Rachael realised she didn't want him hanged, but she didn't have a choice. She’d grown to like him over the last few weeks, and by his own admission his behaviour then hadn't been fake. But could she trust that? What did Arnost Lis know about him that she didn't? If anyone could get through to Ludo it was
Reeve; she needed Cale and Kiana by her side at the ruins.

  She sighed when she saw Kaida walk across the bridge toward her. Her moment of quiet contemplation would have to wait.

  “We have completed the armour,” said Kaida. Rachael straightened. With last night's chaos, she’d forgotten all about it. “It is ready for you to try on, but I am confident it will fit.”

  “Show me.” After all, the armour had been their primary reason for coming here. If it was repaired, she wanted to see whether it had been worth it.

  “I had it brought to my chambers. Follow me.”

  “Why not mine?”

  Kaida smiled. “I did not wish to disturb you.” Whether Kaida knew what had happened or genuinely honoured her privacy, Rachael was grateful for Kaida’s tact.

  Rachael followed Kaida back through the courtyard. Kaida’s chambers were in a different part of the palace altogether, and Rachael suspected Kaida was positioned close to the royal couple in case they needed help with anything at any hour.

  Kaida opened her door and motioned Rachael inside. “Please, after you.”

  Rachael entered, and was taken aback by the size of the room. Her own chambers were nice, every corner stuffed with comfort and enough space to move unhindered. Kaida’s room was all that but bigger, with another room adjacent to the main space, and decorated lavishly enough to equal the royal chambers. Kaida hadn’t been kidding when she’d said Mist Women enjoyed a high reputation.

  Kaida moved into the other room and asked Rachael to follow her. Inside, laid out on a settee, was the armour they had taken from Temple Island. Rachael almost didn’t recognise it. It had been in good shape before, considering the amount of time it had spent covered in dust, but now it was returned to its former splendour.

  The armour was made from a white material that shone even here inside the palace. Intricate spells and runes decorated every inch, and Rachael realised they were what made it shine. The spells were silver against the bright white, and glistened with power. A faint but audible hum whispered from it, as if the spells themselves were singing. At first glance it looked to be made of fabric, but the way the light reflected off its surface told her no sword would cut through it easily.

  “I knew it would recognise you,” said Kaida. “Can you hear it? It is calling to you.”

  Rachael held out her hand and stepped closer. With every step she took toward the armour, it was harder to turn around. “How can it know me?”

  “It knows your energy and senses the gift in you. It is bound to you in a similar way your sword is. Armours such as this were created for specific use by a seer. It could be it senses the type of gift inside you, but I think it recognises you personally.”

  Rachael couldn’t convince herself Kaida was wrong. The armour was reaching out to her, drawing her closer. Rachael placed a hand on the cool material, and it warmed under her touch. The humming increased. It was singing to her, and it was eager.

  “Try it on.”

  The armour was almost weightless in her hands. Compared to the heavy armour she’d seen the Parashi wear, it looked more like casual clothes. A firm plate covered her chest and middle, and buckles hugged her waist as they secured the armour in place. The material was lighter around her legs but every bit as impenetrable. The same material covered her shoulders and part of her neck. It looked uncomfortable, but once Rachael slid into it the fabric hugged her perfectly. Her throat wasn't constricted as she’d feared, but protected. No part of it could have been a better fit if the armourer had taken her measurements in person.

  The material tightened around her. Its steady hum reverberated throughout her body and left her feeling light-headed. Then the last of the buckles clicked shut, and her world exploded with colour.

  Faces and voices she didn’t know yet recognised deep inside her being filled every corner of her consciousness. They laughed, sang, and danced. They screamed, shouted, and cried.

  She saw a man fight an impossible battle and fall, dropping his sword as he died, and she knew beyond a doubt it was the same sword she carried now. She saw a group of people seal the armour away at the temple, and she saw her necklace fall into the greedy hands of Arnost Lis who used it against her, never knowing what he held between his fingertips. And she saw a book in a faraway place, fires raging in the distance, and the desperate screams of people vanishing with the wind. The tome was taken underground, deeper and deeper, until the sunlight could no longer reach it. It slept. It waited. It—

  Pain erupted in her head, and Rachael cried out. She dropped to one knee, but the agony and the images were already fading.

  “Are you all right?” Kaida asked.

  “I don’t know. I saw my sword, my armour, and—I heard everything. The pleas for help. The begging to make their suffering stop.”

  Kaida placed one hand on Rachael’s shoulder, and Rachael leaned into it. She couldn't imagine Mist Women comforting others often.

  “I am sorry. I should have warned you. As I mentioned, this armour was specifically created for use by a seer. Its unique capabilities were shattered when we found it, but they were among the things we fixed last night. I knew it would affect you, but I did not anticipate it to be so strong.”

  “I'm better now,” said Rachael. “Will it do that often?”

  “I do not believe it will. Your visions will be clearer while you wear it, and it will show you things you need to see, but it will not be a constant attack of images or voices. I believe this was merely its way of introducing itself to you.”

  Rachael would have preferred a handshake. “It showed me one other thing. I saw the armour, my sword, and the necklace, but there was a book, too. Something was being destroyed in the background, but the focus was the book. It was buried somewhere deep underground.”

  Kaida’s usually composed face turned ashen. “The hidden library of Ar’Zac.”

  A chill ran over Rachael's spine. “What does that mean?”

  “Before the war, the sorcerers kept a library, a place to store all their secrets. It was exclusive. Not many people were allowed access.” Kaida’s eyes were distant, the smile on her lips sad. “It was magnificent. All the knowledge you could ever want. I thought it was lost, but if you saw it—perhaps it still exists.”

  “You say that as if you’ve been there.”

  Kaida's eyes focused, and the distant memory behind them disappeared. “We do not have time to discuss the library now. We will be leaving soon and should prepare.” Rachael wanted to press her for information, or at least her true age, but knew she wouldn't get answers. Not in this moment.

  “Thank you for repairing my armour, Kaida.” Rachael blushed. She was claiming it as hers already, like it couldn’t belong to anyone but her. She was the only remaining seer, and the armour fit her so perfectly she wouldn’t have been surprised to hear it had been made for her. Rachael had felt a similar sensation when she’d held her sword for the first time. She hadn’t wanted to let go of the weapon, and she didn’t want to take off the armour now. It was hers, as surely as her limbs were hers.

  “It was no trouble. Now, let us meet with the others. We should not waste more time.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Lady Nerine was already waiting in the throne room along with a small delegation of her best Parashi, Cale, and Kiana.

  The Parashi looked fierce, dangerous, and every bit like the feared army they were. Their armour appeared heavy, but judging by their effortless movements Rachael doubted it weighed much more than hers. Krymistian armour and weapons were infused with the gift, after all. What was better than armour that protected its wearer like any heavy chest plate could, but didn’t weigh him down? The swords by their sides were carried with ease, extensions of their arms more than mere tools.

  Lady Nerine herself wore black and gold armour to match her warriors. Despite the plates, her movements were as elegant as ever, and Rachael realised she was just as used to the armour and weapon as her Parashi were used to theirs. She was
fair ruler, graceful lady, and merciless warrior all in one. Rachael was grateful she was on their side.

  Lady Nerine walked toward her and Kaida with her arms outstretched. “We’re ready to move out. I’ve been assured the winds in the desert have calmed, and camels have been saddled for us. We shouldn’t have any trouble tonight.”

  “Thank you for letting us stay, Lady Nerine,” said Rachael. “We appreciate the break.”

  “We don't turn down guests, Rachael, least of all friends. I apologise for the incident last night. I'm relieved your friend made it to you in time.”

  Rachael nodded. “Where is he now? Reeve said he would make sure Ludo was locked up.”

  “That is correct. My dear Siraj has seen to it himself. The prisons are below the palace, Ludo is held there. Reeve has been assigned as his guard as you requested.”

  “Thank you for humouring me, Lady Nerine.” She knew Lady Nerine didn't have to abide by Rachael's wishes in her own palace. Rachael was grateful she had.

  “The punishment for traitors is severe in Paranossa. If he were one of my subjects, he would already have hanged.”

  “I understand, but—” Rachael stepped closer and continued in a whisper, “I feel like there's more to it. I'm hoping Reeve will uncover the truth while we're gone.”

  “It’s a wise ruler who can see past the surface.” She smiled and glanced over Rachael's armour. “I see Kaida and our blacksmith were able to achieve what they hoped for. Your armour is a marvel!”

  She barely felt the materials. Her velvet gowns back at the palace weighed tonnes in comparison.

  Cale and Kiana joined them.

  “I'm sorry, Rachael, Lord Siraj only just told us what happened,” said Cale. “If we didn't have to leave I'd interrogate Ludo right now. Did he hurt you?”