by JA Andrews
Roan stiffened. “The queen has given me orders to see to the protection of the Keepers. And I intend to do just that.”
Before either Madeleine or the Duke could protest, he strode out of the room. Roan’s father sat back down, his face furious.
Sini hesitated before speaking. When she did, she addressed it to Alaric. “There’s more.” Sini told him how Lukas had troops already in motion. “He made it sound like an attack is imminent.”
“Did he say where?” Alaric asked.
Sini shook her head.
“The first and second battalions of the guard are already moving south.” Alaric leaned over the map. “I think we should send the third and fourth as well. The fifth can stay in the city.”
“All of the Greentree and Marshwell troops stand ready,” the duke snapped. “The first and second battalions of the city guard are more than enough.”
“No one doubts the strength of your troops, sir. But we cannot afford to underestimate Lukas. As it seems we have done too many times.” Alaric turned to Madeleine. “Please tell the queen that I strongly suggest she send more troops.
“Sini,” Alaric said, offering her his hand to help her stand, “we should be ready to leave for the Stronghold when Will returns.”
Madeleine rose, her face incredulous. “You are not all leaving.”
“Yes. As soon as we can. If Lukas is threatening the Stronghold, we need to go. With luck we’ll get there before Lukas and bring the other Keepers back safely.”
“The queen must be consulted before you all go do something so perilous.” Madeleine declared, crossing her arm. “What happens now is her decision.”
Alaric’s hand tightened on Sini’s before he dropped it and turned to the future queen. In a perfectly polite voice he said, “Not this time. Tell the queen the Stronghold is in grave danger. We will return with the others as quickly as possible.”
“Keeper Alaric is right,” Duke Greentree said. “They must leave immediately.”
Madeleine fixed Alaric with a black look, sparing a sliver of one for the duke.
Alaric bowed to both of them, seemingly undaunted by either the approval or the censure. Sini did as well, and the room spun slightly at the motion. Alaric offered Sini his arm, and she took it gratefully. Beneath her fingers his arm was tight with tension.
“You can’t leave now,” she said quietly when they’d reached the hall. “Not with Evangeline so ready to give birth.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “They think it won’t be for at least a week.”
“How can they know?”
He shook his head. “I can’t stay here if the others are in danger. Start from the beginning of today, Sini. Tell me everything.”
Chapter Thirty
Less than an hour later, Sini leaned against her horse, her head resting on the saddle. A frosty wind blew through the courtyard. Around her, grooms finished readying horses and stocking the carriage with blankets and pillows. More than a dozen mounted guards surrounded them, waiting to leave.
“Talen will be able to find us with the Stronghold’s response,” Will assured Alaric, fastening a note to the little hawk’s leg.
“Even while we’re traveling?”
“I have no doubt.” Will rubbed his hand down Talon’s chest. “Go see the Shield, little one,” he said quietly, then raised his hand, and the hawk soared away to the east.
Sini mounted and pulled her Keeper’s robe tightly around her. Sora sat nearby on her horse, her hunting leathers covered by a thick wool cloak. Her gaze followed Talen as though she wanted to soar away with him.
“We’ll move with haste,” Roan announced. “The carriage will follow with as much speed as possible.” The soldiers began to form up into a line.
“You know we’re not going to get out of this without running into that dragon,” Douglon grumbled, leading his horse up between Sini and Sora. “I can’t decide which is worse. Facing that dragon—again—or going home to face that wretched throne.”
“Stay with us and face the dragon,” Sora told him. “It might give you a chance to use that big red axe you carry everywhere.”
“I want to see a dragon,” Avina said, clinging to the horse’s neck while Douglon climbed into the saddle.
“If I could trust you to behave,” Douglon told her, a disapproving look on his face, “I would get you as far from the dragon as I could. But since you’re set on biting noblewomen, I can’t leave you behind.”
“She touched my hair,” Avina said, as though that explained everything.
“That’s because your hair looks like veins of copper.” He tousled her head and she swatted at his hand. “Everyone wants to touch it.”
“If you want me to stay,” the elfling said, “why are we going?”
“Because Alaric is my friend,” he answered patiently. “And friends don’t let friends ride toward dragons alone.”
With an order from Roan, the guards nearest the gate began to move out.
“I gave up carrying my axe in the Elder Grove,” Douglon said to Sora, his face pensive. “It sat against the wall in my cottage for over a year.”
She glanced at him. “Did you miss it?”
Douglon grinned. “I did.”
“They’re going to make you give it up when you’re on the throne.”
He scowled. “I’ll be High Dwarf, I’ll carry my axe anywhere I choose.”
“That’s not the way the crown works.” Sora prodded her horse forward. “I’d be looking for an exit strategy. Quickly.”
Douglon’s shoulders sank and he followed her, muttering into his beard.
Sini fell in behind them. The sleepiness Lukas had caused was gone, but she felt numb and vaguely ill. Thick wool pants and a heavy sweater helped her Keeper’s robe ward off the cold, but the dull truth of Lukas’s betrayal sat deep inside her like a cold stone.
She spun her ring and ran through the conversation with him over and over. His unhinged laughter, his face as he clicked the collar around her neck. She had trusted him. The thought made her furious and sick. And then the guilt returned. She shouldn’t have let him put that collar on her. She should have been able to fight it off. Destroying compulsion stones wasn’t hard.
Past the gate the guards formed up around them and Sini gladly placed herself between two silent and stern grey uniforms. The group, large enough to attract attention, trotted at a quick pace out of the city. Her thoughts swirled in the same circles and she hunched down under her robe.
Lukas’s assumptions that she’d been duped by the Keepers stung. Not because of the Keepers, but because she had been so naive when it came to him. And Pest. She felt a sharp jab of anger at the weasel. How could she have trusted him so easily when both Roan and Sora had warned her? Of course Pest had never mentioned anything to Roan about Sini’s mother. He had merely snuck into Sini’s room and lied. And she’d fallen for every word.
Roan was livid about Pest. To Roan’s credit, he never pointed out to Sini that he’d warned her, only apologized endlessly and set such a high reward for Pest’s capture that all of Queenstown was searching for the man. Roan also sent runners to every military outpost in the country with Pest’s description and orders to arrest him on sight.
A trail of wide streets led out of the city and across the long bridge spanning the river. Rolling hills dotted with farm houses spread out ahead of them. Scattered stands of trees were brushed with the golds and reds of early fall. Even that scene couldn’t raise her spirits. When they reached the open ground on the far side, the guards spread out and set a ground-eating pace. They rode hard until they reached a stream crossing, and Sini gratefully dismounted. Her horse drank and grazed while she stretched. Her thoughts still swirled around Lukas. She should have been able to resist him. The Keepers were in terrible danger because she hadn’t been strong enough.
When Will came up beside her, she forced herself not to cringe. “I don’t want to talk.”
“I’m not expecting you to,” W
ill answered easily. “I only want you to listen and know that no one blames you. Compulsion stones are no simple thing. Lukas handed one to me, and I sat on the floor staring into it while he stabbed Killien and tried to kill me.”
“But you didn’t know what it was,” she pointed out. “I knew it from the moment it touched my skin, and I still couldn’t fight it.”
“I knew,” Will said quietly. “A part of me knew the entire time. I knew all I had to do was drop it and I’d be fine. Afterward, I kept asking myself why I didn’t just put the stone down. But I couldn’t. I didn’t want to. And everyone knows you couldn’t refuse Lukas, either. So there’s no point torturing yourself. Lukas violated your trust and stole from you.”
The truth of the statement cut deeply but lessened her guilt a little. “I should have played along with him earlier,” she said dully. “If I’d cooperated before he put that collar on me, I could have lied about where the Stronghold was and escaped later. I just…”
She’d never imagined he’d use a compulsion stone on her. That was her real mistake.
“What I don’t understand,” Will said, “is why he left you there. I would have thought he’d make you go with him once you were wearing the collar.”
“He tried. I was going to go, but then I heard you all calling me, and his hold faltered enough that I could break a few of the stones.”
“A few of them?”
“There were five.”
Will stared at her, open-mouthed. “You fought off five stones?” He ran his hand through his hair. “Never mind. I’m done trying to console you. You’re not even human. Next time Lukas needs to put you in a cave created completely out of compulsion stones and maybe he’ll get somewhere.”
“He did get somewhere!” Sini snapped. “He found out the location of the Stronghold.”
“He has a dragon, Sin,” Will said. “He can fly. It was only a matter of time before he found it.”
“How long do you think before Lukas can reach Anguine and fly to the Stronghold?” she asked.
“No one’s reported seeing a dragon in Queensland. So the closest he could be is the northern edges of Coastal Baylon or Napon. Lukas will have a two-day trip to get to him. It’ll be tight, but we should be able to get the old men out of the Stronghold before then.”
The wave of guilt rolled over her again. “And what will happen to the Stronghold itself?”
Will didn’t answer.
“I’m sorry,” she said, spinning her ring. “I should have listened. You have all been telling me for years how awful he was, and I couldn’t see it.”
“You had faith in his humanity,” Will said. “That is a good thing.”
She thought of how tortured Lukas had looked at the end.
“It seemed like he didn’t want to be what he is now,” she almost whispered. “But he’s become it anyway.”
“He didn’t want to hurt Killien either,” Will said. “But he did. He left him to die. Lukas is too driven by fear and hatred to listen to what he really wants.”
She felt the stirring of something new, a pity for Lukas. “He was…frantic. Haunted.” She looked at Will. “He can communicate with Anguine the way you can with Talen.”
Will raised an eyebrow.
“Lukas said he can feel Anguine’s emotions and almost see through his eyes. It’s not clear, like our vision, but he gets impressions. Apparently the dragon can see heat. Living things are bright.”
“Talen sees in different colors that we do. Things are more colorful. There are more blues and purples than we see.”
“Lukas can give Anguine commands too, desires for things.”
Will nodded. “That’s how I convinced Talen to go to the Stronghold.”
Sini shook her head. “Can you believe that after all this, the Shield was right? The library roof isn’t strong enough to stand against a dragon. No part of the library is strong enough.” Her stomach sank. “All the books will be lost.”
Will glanced up into the sky. “I have spent a decent amount of time wondering what that old man sensed. Dragon attack never entered my mind.”
An unsettling thought struck Sini. “You can call Talen, can’t you? When he’s far away?”
“To some extent. If he’s within a few minutes flight I can.” He squinted at the sky. “I honestly am not sure exactly how it happens. But if he were traveling with us, flying nearby, I could call to him with a desire to come back, and he would.”
“But it doesn’t work far away?”
“I don’t know, honestly. I’ve never tried.”
Sini looked toward the southern horizon. “If Lukas can call Anguine like that, we have less time than we thought.”
A thought occurred to her and she did a quick count of the days that had passed. “I think tomorrow is the day the twins thought they’d finish their book. A few days ago I was wishing I could be there for it. But not like this.”
Will sighed. “Maybe we’ll get to see them pen the last words.”
Once the horses had rested, they pushed ahead again. The afternoon remained cold and a mist rose, leaving them walking through a greyish world with no horizons. Though the soldiers kept up a quick pace, it was hard to shake the impression that they were making no progress at all. She kept wishing she could see the sky, wondering if even now a dragon was flying over unseen. Regularly, she reached up for the thin sunfire slipping through the fog, pulling the energy down and warming herself with it.
The fog persisted and the only sign that the day was progressing was a gradual darkening of the world to blackness. They rode long into the dark, trying to make as much progress as possible. When they finally stopped, the soldiers set up a camp in a copse of trees a little off the road. The cluster of tents was set up with a speed and precision Sini had never seen, and she gratefully climbed into the tent designated for her and Sora.
She felt like she’d barely closed her eyes when the sounds of the camp roused her. Sora was already gone, and Sini lay for a moment, deeply envious of herself just a few weeks ago. It had been so recent that she’d been able to lie warm and lazy in her bed at the Stronghold, her biggest worry how to account for Lukas’s odd behavior.
Lukas.
She shoved herself out of her blankets and into the cold air before the guilt could even settle. She’d slept in her clothes and just added her warmest cloak before ducking out of the small tent.
The sun was just rising, and the morning was stunningly beautiful.
The trees above her glowed, their golden leaves drenched in sunlight. Between them a brilliant blue flung itself gloriously across the sky. The edges of the grass were touched with frost. Wherever the sun touched it, the ground glittered like gemstones. Sini stepped out of the trees and turned her face toward the sun. She closed her eyes and sunfire pressed against her skin. She breathed it in, letting it seep into her muscles. She blew out a long breath and opened her eyes to see it cloud up into a puff of whiteness.
She heard footsteps and turned to find Roan approaching. A soldier called to him and he answered with an easy nod. Their camp was a flurry of activity as the soldiers pulled it down as officially as they’d set it up the night before.
He stopped next to her and looked at her critically. “Are you recovered from yesterday?”
“I’m getting there.” She glanced at the soldiers who were efficiently pulling down the tents. “Are you recovered from the days we had to be at court?”
He laughed and ran his hand through his hair. “Yes. Being on the road cures me almost instantly.”
“How are you going to survive a life at court?”
He blew out a long, frosty breath. “Madeleine and I have discussed how well-suited I am for the job of ambassador. Not permanently stationed anywhere, of course, but we both agree that the kingdom is large enough that having an emissary of the crown travel regularly is a good thing.”
“That’s a good idea. The Keepers believe the same thing. Thus Will’s near-constant travel.”
> “I doubt my travel will be as enjoyable as his, but it will be better than court.”
“Will you get to begin soon? After Duncave and now this, it seems like Madeleine and the queen are in favor of you traveling.”
“I will be officially named emissary in a fortnight.” His gaze grew distant.
“You don’t seem excited.”
He cleared his throat. “It becomes official on our wedding day.”
Sini stared at him. “You’re marrying Madeleine in a fortnight?”
“That is the reason my father came to Queenstown. He felt it was better for the kingdom in a time of crisis, to have the heir’s marriage solidified.”
“And he has the power to decide this?”
“He has the influence and the skill to convince those who do. The queen, who is more worried about Lukas than she appears, was easily swayed.”
“How does Madeleine feel about it?”
Roan grimaced. “Livid, last I saw.”
Sini paused. “And is your father angry that you came with us?”
“I imagine so. He thinks I should stay there as an advisor.” He shrugged. “Let him be mad. He can play advisor while I’m gone. It’s what he really wants anyway.”
The chill morning air pushed on her again, and Sini drew in more sunfire, letting it flow down into her hands and feet.
Voices called out in the camp that everything was readied to leave. She started to turn back when he touched her arm. His face was pained. “I know at court I’m…” He stopped.
“Insufferable?” she offered with a smile.
He almost smiled. “I was going to say formal. I don’t mean to be. But everything there weighs on me so heavily. When my father is there, he criticizes everything from my wardrobe to my posture to my words to my silences.” He rubbed his hand across his mouth. “You are the only person there who I consider a friend.” He looked at her earnestly, and there was a hint of fear in his eyes. “Be patient with me?”
She reached out and grabbed his hand. His fingers were cold, and she funneled some of the sunfire into him. His eyes widened and he started to pull back, but she tightened her grip. “You’ll be cold the rest of the morning. Take the heat while you can get it.” He looked at her for a moment before offering her his other hand. She wrapped her hands around his fingers and in moments they were warm against her palms. She let go.