The Shattering Song (Song Magic Book 2)

by Imogen Elvis

  ‘I only hope we’re not making a mistake,” Kade muttered, in a voice so low Briar barely caught his words. Lara didn’t seem to hear him at all, for she carried on a little way ahead of them, a bounce in her step.

  Briar looked up at Kade, trying to catch his eye, but his gaze was firmly fixed on the horizon, a deep frown furrowing his face. “Kade-” she began.

  “We should be at the walls before evening,” Kade said as if she hadn’t spoken. “We’ll make our way straight to the river but keep our distance until nightfall. I won’t risk attracting the guards’ attention in the daylight.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Lara called back over her shoulder. “We’ve made it this far.”

  Briar wished she could share Lara’s confidence. But there were so many ways this could go wrong, from someone seeing them as they approached the walls in the dark, to the soldiers catching them on the docks, to Lara’s servants selling their information to Master Sachio. Each new worry weighed heavy on Briar’s shoulders. There was so much to think about before they even got into the city, so many things to weigh up. She’d had this naive thought that the worst of their troubles would be over when they reached Mizra. How mistaken she had been.

  The riverbank was pleasantly warm in the late afternoon sunshine. The sun’s rays reached over the water in long, orange fingers, and the river burbled to itself as it flowed on by. Briar stretched out on the lush, sun-warmed grass, her eyelids heavy after their long days on the road. There wasn’t anything they could do until the evening but wait. She pillowed her head on her arms and drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

  She opened her eyes again in the half-dark. Sitting up, Briar blinked a few times, clearing the sleep from her eyes. Lara lay curled on the ground nearby, still sleeping. Kade, however, sat upright, his back to the river and his eyes on the city and the road that wound its way up to the gates. His hood shadowed his face. Briar wished he would sometimes wear it up, if only so she could tell how he felt.

  “Have you rested?” she asked, shifting to sit beside Kade.

  “Some.”

  “But you haven’t slept.”

  “No. There’ll be time to sleep once we make it into Mizra.”

  Once they made it into Mizra. A nervous buzz filled Briar’s chest. It sounded so simple when Kade put it that way. She wrapped her arms around her knees and watched as the last of the travellers trickled in through the main gates. If only she and her friends could walk through the gates, as unafraid as those travellers. Instead, they had to break in like criminals and thieves.

  Torches flickered into life, twinkling on top of the wall, each one a reminder of the guards looking out over the river. The last of the light drained from the sky, and darkness folded around them. There was no sign of the moon just yet, though Briar was sure it would rise soon. Aside from the points of torchlight, Briar could barely make out the bulk of the city, even though they sat so close to its walls.

  “Is it dark enough yet?” Lara yawned and sat up. “They can’t possibly see us now.”

  “Be patient,” Kade said. “Give them time to settle. They’re more alert when the sun first goes down.”

  “If we’re careful-”

  “We will be careful. We’re going to wait.”

  Lara heaved a sigh. “Sometimes I think you’re overly cautious.”

  “That’s how we’ve come so far though,” Briar ventured.

  “I know. It’s just hard to sit here and wait when we’re so close at last.”

  There was a tone of longing in Lara’s voice that resonated inside Briar, despite the anxiety that gripped her. They were so close. If everything went to plan and luck was on their side, they would be walking the streets of Mizra before the stars began to fade. They just had to be patient and wait for the right moment.

  At last, Kade stirred. “It’s late enough,” he said. “The soldiers will be settled in, and the streets will be emptying. We should go.”

  “At last,” Lara breathed.

  Kade slung their single pack over his shoulders. It bounced against his back, its sides slack. The meagre supplies they had been able to buy in the farming town had only just held out until they reached the city. But Lara promised there would be money at her house. They could buy food and a bed in an inn somewhere. Maybe even a hot meal.

  Briar stayed close on Kade’s heels as he led the way down to the very edge of the water. The only light came from the twinkling stars, reflected in the rippling surface of the water, and also from the points of flickering orange light on the wall top. Briar could imagine the soldiers, clustered around those torches, and the thought sent a shiver down her spine. She hoped none of them would look too closely at the edge of the river tonight.

  This close to the city, there were no trees or bushes to conceal them, nothing but the long grass whispering against the hem of Briar’s habit as she crept towards the glinting water at the very foot of the wall. She hunched in on herself, glancing over her shoulder or up at the wall, unable to shake the crawling feeling that someone was watching her. The soldiers weren’t even visible through the dark, and surely that meant that she wasn’t either, but still, it felt as if the night had eyes, and they were all trained on her.

  At least at the edge of the water, the earth was soft underfoot, keeping her tread silent, while the rushing water covered any other sounds she made. Briar gathered her skirts up in one hand, stepping exactly in Kade’s tracks, staying close to her friends more for the comfort of knowing they were near than out of fear of losing them. No one knew they were here yet. She just had to keep reminding herself of that. That was their biggest advantage. Still, she let out a silent breath of sheer relief as they reached the foot of the wall, pressing a shaky hand against its solid, comforting bulk. So far, so good.

  Lara tapped Briar on the arm and tugged her towards the water. No time to be standing around catching her breath then. Already, Kade’s vague shape, barely visible through the darkness, made its way to the very edge of the river. He took one step into the water, then another. The sound of his boots carried back to where Briar stood. In the silence, the soft splosh, splosh of his steps was like a drumbeat. Briar’s eyes snapped to the wall top, her throat tightening. What if someone heard?

  Kade eased himself into the river, step by step, until the water was deep, and he floated freely, letting the current tug him along with it, carrying him through the gap in the walls and out of view, leaving Lara and Briar standing on the riverbank looking after him as he disappeared into the night.

  Lara glanced at the top of the wall, her hand on Briar’s arm. “It looks safe.” Lara’s voice was barely more than a breath in Briar’s ear. “I’ll go next.”

  Briar waited, her fingers twisting together over and over as Lara too stepped into the water, barely raising a ripple. The current floated her away, and she too vanished from view. Briar drew a deep breath. Kade and Lara had made it look so easy. And it was. Just a few small steps and the river would do the rest.

  Voices floated down from above. Two guards talking, their voices stretched thin by the distance so that Briar couldn’t catch their words. It sent a chill down her spine, though the peaceful tone of their conversation should have reassured her that she was still safe.

  Go. Go now, while the sound of their voices would cover any sounds she made. Briar held her breath and stepped into the shallows. Her feet kicked up a little spray of water, the sound cutting through the peaceful burble of the river. She froze, her heart hammering. For an agonisingly long moment, there was no sound at all. Surely the wall guards must have heard that. But then voices started up again, lazy and contented.

  Briar started forward again, slower this time. Like the pounding of her heart in her ears, every move she made seemed as loud as a beating drum. One step. Another. And another. The riverbed fell away underfoot, and the water buoyed her up. Briar spread her arms, lifted her feet, and let herself tip backwards until she floated, allowing the river to drift her along as it willed.
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  Lying on her back in the water, Briar stared up at the stars, a thousand glimmering points of light in the dark sky above. Below those, the flicker of orange torchlight lined the top of the wall. She couldn’t see the guards, and maybe that was for the best. Briar’s heart still hammered, but at the same time, the corner of her lips curled into a tiny smile as the light from the torches grew more and more distant. She’d made it through the wall. She was actually inside the city.

  The lazy current carried Briar towards the dock and the dark, hulking shadows of the boats moored there. A lantern hung from the back of each ship, casting a pale circle of light over the water. Rolling onto her front, Briar swam for the docks, keeping her hands and feet below the water, so she didn’t splash and make noise. If she squinted, Briar could just make out Kade and Lara, as they reached the edge of the stone dock. Stacks of crates, unloaded from one of the nearby boats, stood at the edge of the water, forming a little cover. If anyone was watching from the dock, they shouldn’t be able to see Briar and her friends. It was the perfect spot to climb out of the river and enter into the city.

  Perfect, except for the patrol that marched down the length of the dock towards them, the light of their lantern just visible around the ships lying in port, rocking gently in the water. The two-soldier patrol made their way straight towards the end of the dock where Kade heaved himself out of the water. Briar’s mouth went dry. He couldn’t have seen the guards yet. Water streamed off Kade’s clothes, pooling his feet. He looked around, but the crates that hid him must also block his view of the approaching guards, because he leaned down, offering Lara his hand.

  Briar swam faster. “Lara. Wait,” she called as loud as she dared, eyes still on the bobbling lantern, making its way closer and closer.

  Lara and Kade both paused. “What is it?” Lara asked, her voice barely audible.

  “There’s a patrol. They’re heading right towards us.”

  “Have they seen us?” Kade asked.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Stay out of sight.” Kade backed away from the edge of the water.

  “What about you?” Briar asked.

  “Don’t worry about me. Just stay hidden until they’re past.”

  That was easy for him to say. Briar’s chest tightened. She and Lara pressed against the edge of the dock, their backs flat against the cold, slimy stones underneath the tall stack of crates, which stood right at the water’s edge. The footsteps of the approaching guards echoed as they approached. Closer, closer, closer. Briar dug her fingers into the cracks between the stone blocks and prayed that the guards wouldn’t see them.

  Now the soldiers were right by the stack of crates. Now they were passing them. Had Kade found somewhere to hide? He’d be alright. She had to trust him. As long as the guards kept marching, they’d all be safe. Briar’s fingers tightened their hold until the stones cut into her skin. Just keep walking.

  “Fresh puddle,” a female voice said.

  The boots stopped walking. “So?” the other, male guard said. “We’re by the river.”

  “It’s fresh.” Briar could imagine the woman rolling her eyes at her partner’s obliviousness. “Someone’s been here recently. We should check the area.”

  “Because of a puddle?”

  “We’re supposed to be guarding the dock, Bodri. Or did you just take this duty because you didn’t think you had to do anything?”

  “It’s an important job,” Bodri said, a little too forcefully. “Fine, if you think we should check around for the source of this mysterious puddle, then we will.”

  If they did that, then they were sure to find Kade. There were only so many places he could hide. But already the guards were moving away, searching around the boxes and crates that covered this part of the dock. Briar’s heart thumped painfully in her chest.

  “We’ve got to do something,” she whispered to Lara. “They’ll find Kade.”

  “He’ll be alright.”

  “But-”

  Lara’s hand closed on her arm. “Keep. Quiet.” Her fingers dug deep into Briar’s skin. Briar bit her tongue, squeezing her eyes shut. For a while, there was no sound but the tap, tap of boots on the dock, the scuff of things being pushed across the stones, and someone’s mumbling, low and indistinct. There was some cargo on the dock, but not enough that Kade could avoid the guards forever, surely?

  Finally, Bodri spoke again. “Well, we’ve taken a look around and not seen anything. You satisfied yet, Rin?”

  “I’m starting to see why they don’t let you on any of the important patrol routes.” Disgust filled Rin’s voice. “Anyone could walk right past you because you’re too lazy to bother doing your job.”

  “We did our job. There was nothing there.”

  “Did you actually check your half, or did you just pretend?”

  “I checked it properly,” Bodri said, with the sort of forcefulness that suggested maybe he hadn’t been as thorough as he should have. “Come on. We’re wasting our time. While you’re poking around the sacks, anything could be happening at the other end of the dock.”

  “Fine. Let’s go.” Rin’s voice was like ice.”

  Two sets of boots turned and marched away from the stacks of cargo. The sound of their footsteps faded as the pair headed for the opposite end of the dock. Briar’s whole body shook with relief. She and Lara held still until the guards was so far away that they could barely hear them. Only then did they leave their hiding place.

  Lara clambered out of the water and hauled herself onto the edge of the dock, turning back to offer Briar a hand. Briar climbed out of the water, hauling herself up onto trembling legs. She shot an anxious glance in the direction the guards had gone, but the crates blocked her view completely. No wonder Kade hadn’t seen them coming.

  “Kade?” Lara called in a whisper. “It’s safe.”

  A sack at the top of a nearby pile shifted to one side, and Kade climbed out from inside the stack, silent as a shadow. Something inside Briar relaxed. It was reassuring to see him in person, to know that they were all free.

  “We should keep moving,” Lara whispered. “The guards will be back.”

  Kade nodded. “Follow me.” He slipped away from the water’s edge, ducking around the side of a large pile of crates. Briar and Lara followed in his footsteps, threading their way through the stacks of containers that littered the dock. There were plenty of boxes, crates, and sacks to hide behind here, but they only stretched so far. The main part of the dock was clear, and the mouth of the nearest street gaped wide, far enough from the cargo that there was nothing at all to hide them when they made a dash for it.

  Briar strained her ears, but all she could hear was the soft puff of her own breathing and the gentle murmur of the river. No voices, no footsteps. She could see the glow of the guards’ lantern, over at the far end of the dock. The soldiers turned and started back down the length of the dock. The open mouth of the street was so close. It couldn’t have been more than ten steps to safety, but it felt like a mile. Briar’s fingers wound through the chain around her neck. The moment they broke from cover, anyone might see them.

  “Wait.” Kade gestured for Briar and Lara to stay behind him as he peeped around the edge of a large stack of cargo. “They’ll pass behind a ship in a moment.”

  Briar pressed close behind Kade, her legs cramping with the need to run, and her heart pounding inside her chest. The street entrance was so tantalisingly close, but Kade’s hand still held them back as his eyes followed the movements of the soldiers. They marched back, the light from their lanterns tracing their movements until they disappeared into the shadow of one of the moored boats.

  “Go.”

  As one, they rose and broke from the shadows, heading for the street entrance like three fleeing shadows. Briar glanced back over her shoulder, fear rising inside her at the thought that the guards could see them if they were looking in the right direction. Running would make too much noise, but oh, how she longed to sprint for
the safety of the dark street beyond. It took all her control to keep her footsteps light and cautious, her palms prickling with sweat.

  Three steps. Two. One. Briar slipped around the corner and into the soft shadows of the street beyond the dock. Her skin crawled, anticipating a cry of alarm from the guards, or the sound of running feet chasing them down. But there was nothing. As the light from the dock faded behind them, Briar was struck by the sudden urge to laugh. They had done it. Somehow, impossibly, Lara’s crazy plan had actually worked.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  No one spoke until they were several streets away from the dock, safely hidden by the darkness that blanketed the quiet streets of Mizra. It felt almost like breaking the silence might also break the fragile circle of luck that had surrounded them through that whole escapade. Even now, Briar wasn’t sure how the guards hadn’t spotted them at any point either when they were in the river, or on the docks. But somehow, impossibly, they made it inside the walls. The Tree must have been watching over them.

  It was Lara who broke the silence first, with a burst of nervous laughter. “I cannot believe that worked.”

  “What do you mean?” Briar asked. “It was your idea.”

  “I know. But I didn’t expect it to work out the way it did. I was sure we would be caught before we made it into the city.”

  “And you didn’t think to mention this before?” Kade asked.

  Lara shrugged. “If I had, you’d never have tried. It wasn’t as if we had many options. And it did work out for the best in the end after all, which is the most important thing. Now we can go straight to my house. I don’t know about you, but I would love some dry clothes.” She shivered, rubbing her arms.

  “That was the plan.” Kade’s voice was carefully neutral.

  He didn’t protest, but Briar didn’t even need her magic to feel his deep disapproval, no matter how much they needed money and fresh clothes. Going to Lara’s house meant trusting people, and trust was precious, not to be given away lightly. Lara might believe that her servants would never betray them, but they had no proof. And yet, Briar desperately wanted to believe. What kind of life was this if they couldn’t trust anyone?