With a swooshing sound, a net flew out from the clock tower in the town square. It wasn’t a direct hit, but a corner caught hold of the condor’s wing, which began tilting, as if attempting to shake off the net. It tilted hard enough at one point that it dropped its rider, then flew away.
Harlyn winked at me. “We have nothing like Brillian technology or Endrick’s magic, but never say the Halderians can’t make the best glue in the region.”
More condors were coming. From his position in the tower, Basil hit the second one directly, a riderless bird which sharply nose-dived. He hit the third as well, though by now, the others seemed to know he was in there. They began circling over the tower, higher than Basil could reach with his nets, if he even knew they were there.
“Get out,” I mumbled beneath my breath. Did Basil understand he was being targeted?
Whether he did or not, the largest condor suddenly angled toward the tower. At the last moment, it dropped downward and the rider launched fire pellets into the open tower windows. Seconds later, the entire tower exploded, crumpling like it was made of twigs. My breath caught in my throat. If Basil was anywhere inside that tower, he could not have survived.
That’s when I heard the first call of the oropods, their screeches and cries as they fell into the underground river. It was followed by the shouts of other riders to stay off the dirt. I also recognized angry growls that must have come from carnoxen falling into the holes and becoming trapped midway.
But it was only minutes later when those that had survived flooded the street directly ahead of us. Harlyn emptied her disk bow as they approached, though it took multiple disks to bring down any single carnox. When more kept coming, I withdrew my sword, then said to Harlyn. “I’m going out there.”
“Me too.” Harlyn withdrew a thinner blade from a sheath at her side. “I’m with you, Simon.”
My smile at her was grim, but there was no time for anything more before beasts began entering the square.
Once outside, I first engaged an oropod that had been charging directly at me, stabbing it from the front, then pulling it down by the reins. The rider leapt to his feet, but Harlyn caught him from behind. When he fell, she smiled at me, though her grin immediately dropped as a new sound entered the square.
“Carnoxen!” Harlyn cried.
At least twenty of the beasts streamed toward us, most of them stampeding for the city’s rear gates, but a few had noticed us. Trina had described them well, though she had failed to mention their thick dark fur from their shoulders to the tail. That would make it harder to know where to aim.
“Stay near me,” I called to Harlyn. I raised my sword at the beast, but the blade merely grazed it across the shoulder. Its flesh was more than leathery; it was like stone. The carnox turned on me, baring its teeth, but Harlyn caught it from the side, stabbing it from above, at the back of its neck. It howled with a gravelly cry, then fell dead.
“There’re too many!” Harlyn cried as she was nearly overrun by another incoming horde of animals.
I grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the shop, hoping we hadn’t been seen by any riders. I didn’t think so, but Harlyn and I still stood with our backs against the door to hold it closed, in the event anyone tried to get in.
Gradually, the noise outside faded away, the danger passing by. Harlyn rolled toward me, keeping one shoulder against the door. With only the single clearstone for light, I felt her gaze more than I saw it, and it seemed to heat the air around me. Finally, she said, “That probably wasn’t the way you hoped to wake up.”
I peered out the window and indeed, the streets had gone silent. Seconds later, Harlyn was at my side, her hand on my shoulder. She whispered, “You’re a good fighter. Your mother would be proud of you.”
Instinctively, I stepped back. “Harlyn, last night—”
That was as far as I got before Harlyn leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “My mother would be proud of me too, Simon. Don’t ruin this moment with logic.”
“Simon! Harlyn!” Basil’s voice startled us apart. I flung open the door and was relieved to see both Basil and Trina on horseback. Basil was filthy, as if he’d rolled in sweat and dirt, but both of them were uninjured, better news than I had dared to hope for.
Basil trained his eyes on the city’s rear gates. The army that had emptied out through there was no longer visible, but he continued staring as if watching them flee. “It’s time to follow the battle into Reddengrad, my friends. I daresay it will be far more difficult there.”
“We’ve honored our half of the agreement,” I said, facing him. “Now honor yours.”
Basil smiled. “I already have, days ago. Before we left the Lonetree Camp, I asked one of the Coracks to give Tenger a message. It will tell him everything he needs to know of where I hid the Olden Blade. He’s probably on his way to retrieve it right now.”
“Where is it?” Trina asked, sounding far too eager.
But Basil shook his head. “It’s better if no one else knows. If you’re captured in the coming battle, I don’t want that information tortured out of you.”
I’d been wrong about Basil. He was neither the fool nor the villain I had made him out to be. More likely, I’d been wrong about nearly everything thus far.
I showed Basil and Trina the storehouse of saltpeter and together we loaded it into a wagon while Harlyn fetched other supplies I’d asked for, namely salt, sugar, and any food that was easily available.
Once we were ready, Harlyn invited me to ride along in the wagon with her but I made excuses to go on horseback, claiming it was safer. That was true enough. My emotions were brittle and fragile, and Harlyn was eager to heal them. I knew what would happen if I spent too much time alone with her, what had almost happened back in that shop. So I accompanied Trina and Basil out on horseback, following the wide path of destruction torn by the oropods and carnoxen.
We’d stopped a good number of them, but not enough. Far too many had gotten past us, and surely the Dominion had another wave still coming, which meant by morning, the planned devastation of Reddengrad would already be under way.
It was dark when we arrived at Brill’s capital city of Osterran. I wasn’t sure what the buildings here were made of, but the walls were as white as Brillian hair and glistened in the starlight. Rather than the cobblestone or hardened dirt roads of Antora, the Brillian streets were like glass, slightly translucent, appearing almost as if water flowed beneath them. The homes were equally smooth, with no clear seams in the corners. Instead, one home connected fluidly to the next.
The only exception was the palace, which sat alone in the center of a large and rolling field of grass, still green despite the late season. The palace was made of the same smooth material as the houses, but the gold Brillian flag with the black circle in the center flew from every spire. It was entirely unlike what Endrick had made of his palace back in Highwyn, which felt as foreboding and cloistered as Endrick himself was.
Thinking of him, of my responsibilities against him, I shuddered in my seat. “I shouldn’t have come,” I murmured.
At first, I didn’t think anyone had heard me, but then I noticed Wynnow’s eyes had narrowed sharply. “What are you talking about?”
“The Dominion will seek revenge for my rescue,” I said. “They’ll bring war to the Halderians, or to Reddengrad or the Coracks. I’ve got to go back to Antora, do my part.”
Wynnow shook her head, suddenly in the role of a stern governess. “Your part is to learn magic! Don’t you see how vulnerable you are right now? Your memories are incomplete, your magic is nonexistent, and you do not have the Olden Blade. Where is it?”
“I don’t know! But I can still help in that battle.”
I’d spoken more sharply than I should have, and Wynnow’s tone now reflected mine. “Your purpose is bigger than that battle! Learn magic. Nothing else matters, because without the Olden Blade, magic is your only chance to stand against Lord Endrick. Until you can use it, his terrible reig
n will continue.” She leaned forward. “If you can’t learn to stop him, then every death, every burning village, every prisoner filling your father’s dungeons will be your fault.”
Her words hung in the air like a dense fog. I nearly choked on them, unable to offer any defense for myself.
“That’s unfair, Wynnow.” Loelle put a hand on my arm and gave it a comforting squeeze. “Kestra is not responsible for Lord Endrick’s crimes.”
Imri leaned forward, her eyes on me. “No, not for the crimes, but if she does not learn magic, the crimes will continue, and she must accept blame for that.”
“She will learn it,” Loelle said. “With my help.”
“Or ours.” Wynnow spoke as if that were the end of the matter, timing her words exactly as the carriage door opened for us.
Four men in long gold robes awaited us on the steps to the palace entrance. They bowed low to Wynnow as she passed, and after they straightened, one man stepped forward.
With a voice of confident authority, Wynnow asked, “Where is my mother? I have good news for the queen.”
The spokesman simply said, “The queen sent us.” As if that was enough of an explanation.
Wynnow sighed before saying, “Counselors, this is Kestra Dall—Kestra, the Infidante of Antora. With her is a physician in service of the Coracks.” Who apparently would go unnamed, and I knew from Loelle’s clenched jaw that she felt the insult. Wynnow had no need of introducing Imri, who took her place at their side, facing me with an expression of disapproval far worse than anything I’d seen when she served me at Woodcourt.
I decided to mirror them. It seemed appropriate. Or at least, equally rude.
“What can you do?” the spokesman asked.
Already irritated, my brows furrowed. “Do?”
“You are tasked with killing Lord Endrick, correct? What skills do you have to accomplish this? Can you use a sword?”
I would have loved to demonstrate my skills right then, preferably on him. “Yes, reasonably well.”
A grunt followed that. “Do you have any special access to Endrick’s court?”
Lately? “I highly doubt it.”
A longer grunt, to be sure I heard it. Then, “Is it true, that you lost the Olden Blade?”
I’d had enough. Rolling my eyes as visibly as possible, I said, “It is true that I am the Infidante, and I will do my best to succeed in my quest.”
Loelle stepped forward, addressing Wynnow. “The Infidante is tired. Perhaps you would show her to her quarters?”
“Of course.” Wynnow dismissed the men who descended the stairs while we continued up.
In a voice not nearly as quiet as it ought to have been, Loelle said to me, “Don’t worry about what anyone here thinks, you’re doing fine. Among other flaws, Brillians are not patient. They don’t understand that you need time to figure out your magic.”
“I’m not patient either,” I snapped, then took a breath. If she was a friend to me, then Loelle was one of the few I had. I couldn’t afford to lose her help. In a calmer voice, I added, “Wynnow isn’t the only one who’s wondering if I can complete this task, or how my magic might manifest. I doubt myself more than anyone.”
Loelle put an arm around my shoulders. “Maybe they couldn’t figure it out inside the carriage because your magic won’t fit in such a small place. Tomorrow, we’ll try something on a bigger scale.”
I knew she intended that to comfort me, but it had the very opposite effect. I kept hearing Simon’s words in my head, that the more powerful I became, the more dangerous I would be if I turned bad.
When I turned bad.
Loelle said nothing more while Wynnow finished escorting me to the south wing of the palace. She opened the door for me, revealing a room far more elegant than anyplace I’d ever been, even when I was recognized as Sir Henry’s daughter. The ceiling was tall and painted to resemble the clouds in the daytime and to produce starlight at night, as it did now. The curtains were shear and radiated various pastel colors at different angles. The carpets were soft and thick, but nothing to compare with the bed that beckoned me to enter and disappear within its blankets. How I longed just to sleep.
Wynnow said, “I’m sorry for what happened in the carriage, and for the ill manners of the men who greeted us. That was about me, not you. My mother is disappointed that my joining the Coracks has not produced quicker results, and I’ve passed that burden on to you.”
So Brillians even spurned their own. I said, “The burden was already mine. I’m the one who must complete the quest. All that the rest of you can do is hold our battle lines until I do my part.”
“Agreed.” Wynnow stepped in closer. Her eyes gave the appearance of sympathy, but something deeper in them was calculating the exact words she wanted. “And we will do our part until you can use magic. But you must remain here to learn it, no matter what is happening to our friends in Antora. If you leave before you’re ready, you could become the reason the rebellion fails.”
As she’d intended, her words struck me like a hot iron. They triggered another memory in me, similar words that had come from Lord Endrick.
I’d be his wolf among the Coracks.
Unaware that my heart was nearly pounding out of my chest, Wynnow wished me a goodnight and I stumbled into my bedroom, shutting the door, then sliding to the floor beside it.
I was the reason the rebellion would fail.
My hand flew to my throat, to where Endrick’s necklace had been. My eyes closed, and I tried to collect the memory. It was the necklace. What was the necklace?
With the question came the answer, twisting deeply in my gut. Endrick’s words returned to my mind, almost perfectly. This gift will register everything you see and hear while you are with the Coracks. Once I get it back, I will have the means to find the Olden Blade. Then I will destroy them all.
“My lady?” Loelle’s voice on the other side of the door accompanied her knock.
I flew to my feet and flung the door open, words tumbling from my mouth. “Before I was rescued from the Dominion camp, my necklace was pulled off. Someone would have found it and it will make its way back to Lord Endrick. I know what the necklace was for.”
Loelle’s eyes darted to either end of the corridor, then she pushed past me inside the room and shut the door behind us. “You must be more cautious, my lady.”
I shook my head. “Loelle, that necklace was collecting information about the rebellion. Everything I’ve seen, everything I know. It will destroy them.” I started to open the door again. “I have to warn them!”
Loelle grabbed my hand and held it tight, then took a deep breath. “I wasn’t going to show you this, but I think I must.” With her free hand, she reached into a pocket of her overcoat and withdrew the necklace.
At first, I froze, incredulous at not only seeing it again, but seeing it with her, of all people. “You had it? How?”
“Wynnow had it. She pulled it from your neck that night, knowing it would force you to enter the Blue Caves to survive. When we stopped in Snowbourne, I stole it from her satchel, to protect it. It’s safe from the Dominion now.”
I exhaled an enormous breath of relief. Whatever else I’d done, at least the necklace was in Corack hands.
Loelle added, “Wynnow doesn’t know I have the necklace, and she’ll expel me from Brill if she learns the truth. I ask you to keep this a secret between the two of us … and”—she lowered her voice—“one other secret as well.”
Curious, I nodded, and Loelle led me to a chair on one side of a grand fireplace, then she took the other.
After nearly a full minute of gathering her thoughts, Loelle began, “I know this is a difficult time for you. You’re full of questions and doubts, and as the last hour has proved, being here certainly won’t help with that.”
“Maybe what I feel isn’t magic. Or maybe my power might be so small, we won’t even know that we’ve discovered it.”
“Used correctly, even a small power can be dang
erous. But bear in mind, that you may also be developing a power that we will have to curtail, lest it becomes too dangerous after Endrick is defeated.”
I sighed. “That’s what most Antorans believe will happen to me, no? That this magic—powerful or not—will corrupt me. But it might not, since it has never corrupted you.” I leaned forward. “Why not, Loelle? When it has corrupted all other Endreans?”
She smiled back at me. “This is the reason I came, to answer that question. The answer is simpler than you probably suspect. I cannot be corrupted like an Endrean because I’m not Endrean. I come from a different race, filled with magic, but from far across the sea.”
That took me a minute to absorb, though I didn’t doubt her words. Uncharted lands extended in every direction from the seas around Antora. Of course, Endreans would not be the only ones to have magic.
Loelle continued, “Many years ago, war came to our land. My family was destroyed—most families were. I was rushed onto a boat with a few survivors, but our ship crashed on the rocky shores off southern Antora. It didn’t take long to understand what was happening to the Endreans. We decided to blend in with the other countrymen and say nothing of our magical abilities. I ended up with the Coracks, and over time, they have come to believe I’m Endrean. I’ve never corrected them.”
“How many of you are left?” I asked.
Her smile fell. “I’m nearly the last one who is … fully alive. The majority of our people settled in All Spirits Forest.”
I bit my lip, thinking of Darrow again. “Where they were cursed by Lord Endrick during the war.”
“He calls it the eternal punishment.” It took a long time for Loelle to finish her thought. “Every day since losing them, I’ve tried to find a way to bring them back. So far, it’s all been in vain. I can heal a person on the edge of death. But once they’ve gone over that edge, if only by a whisper, they are beyond my reach. My people will likely be extinct within a few years.”
“I’m sorry,” I told her. But I was also sorry for myself, because if she wasn’t Endrean, then maybe Simon had been right, and there wasn’t much hope for me now.
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