The Crow Rider

by Kalyn Josephson

  I leaned forward against the window, focusing on the cool touch of the glass. “I think I’ve done enough damage,” I replied. “Someone else will have a plan.”

  “I thought you didn’t concede?” he asked, and the words pulled at the weight inside me. I’d said them to him the first time we’d sparred in Sordell; it’d been the first night I’d really begun to trust him.

  “Stealing my lines is a cheap move,” I murmured against the glass.

  “You’re not worth more effort in this state.”

  A smile tugged at my lips, the familiar banter filling me like the heat of a fire. I pulled back from the glass to look at him, and he stared back with an easy smile, the one that never failed to make me really, truly see him.

  He was right. I couldn’t walk away from this. I’d begun this fight, and now I needed to end it.

  “You and Kiva have more in common than either of you know,” I said.

  He shrugged one shoulder. “I’m still better with a sword.”

  I laughed. Part of me would love to see if that was true; the other didn’t want Kiva stabbing the boy I liked.

  The boy I liked.

  My cheeks flushed at the thought, and Ericen’s sharp eyes didn’t miss it, but he was mercifully quiet. I ordered tea, and we spent the rest of the time before the meeting just talking in a way we’d never done before. He told me about missing Callo, the stallion he’d left behind in Sordell, and how the horse had loved to go galloping in the rain. I talked about Caliza and what I’d give just to argue with her over something trivial if it meant being there with her.

  When at last the meeting time arrived, I felt thawed, like my layers of guilt and grief had been sheared away by Kiva’s tender strength, Ericen’s stories, and Res’s quiet contentment slipping down the line in soft waves.

  After Ronoch, I’d been afraid to talk to people about the coiling snake and its unbearable weight. But in time, I’d shared with Kiva, and then Caliza and Caylus, and I’d walked myself out of the darkness that had engulfed me.

  It was those relationships, those people, who made me strong, and they would do the same for this alliance. Razel might have magic on her side now, but we had four kingdoms united against her, inside information from Ericen, and a crow whose magic transcended any seen before.

  I prayed it would be enough.

  Twenty-Five

  Rather than meet in the throne room, we’d convened in the war room. A circular table surrounded a round platform in the center that bore an incredibly detailed map of the six kingdoms. The dark wood walls were lined with monks, one beside Kiva at Ericen’s back to my left.

  Estrel sat on my other side. After everything I’d learned, I’d expected to feel a rush of emotions. I didn’t. I was just tired and a little hurt and far more unmoored than I’d ever felt. Like all the strings that had once held me fast to this world had been cut, and the place I found myself in now was something altogether new.

  My world had changed so much the last few weeks.

  When I reached the part in my story about Samra’s crew and Onis’s betrayal, the captain collapsed back into her chair, stunned. Aroch, who perched on her shoulder, nudged her head with his, but she didn’t respond. My throat began to close, and I held back the urge to break down into tears as I explained that the Jin rebels were lost, fighting my way through the rest of the story.

  “Res and I closed the doorway, but Razel has six Sellas on her side,” I concluded hoarsely, addressing Queen Luhara.

  Her dark eyes were thoughtful, her fingers splayed across her mouth in contemplation.

  Samra stood, Aroch clinging to her shoulder. Her good eye was rimmed red, but whatever tears she’d shed were gone. “So what you’re saying is that we’re hopelessly outmatched now?”

  I flinched. With the loss of the Jin rebels and the addition of the Sellas to Razel’s ranks, her strength rivaled ours. Even with Res, fighting this war would be a risk. These kingdoms had already lost so much; could they really be asked to lose more?

  The captain’s normally stony expression turned wary with doubt, and I knew she was thinking of her family back in Seahalla. She had already lost her crew; she wouldn’t lose her family too.

  My eyes unintentionally found Auma, who sat still and silent as a shadow. She’d missed cleaning a few flecks of blood from her jaw, and her dark eyes looked haunted.

  “We can still win this fight.” Estrel stood. “Now that Razel knows about the alliance, she’ll have to gather more troops to counter us. It’ll take time, and we can use that time to hone Res’s magic.”

  “What good will one crow do us against an army of magical beings?” one of the council members asked.

  “One crow with the power of eight,” I said.

  Samra crossed her arms like a soldier barring entry. “Even if Razel’s attack is delayed, it won’t be for long. And when it finally comes, one crow isn’t enough, no matter how many abilities he has.”

  “You’re underestimating Res’s power,” Ericen cut in, and I felt Res puff up, bolstered. “Illucia has faced the crows before. There’s a reason my mother destroyed them before attacking Rhodaire.”

  “Why are you even in here?” Samra snapped back. “He shouldn’t be witness to any of this.”

  I looked to Ericen, who hesitated. Would he fully turn against his kingdom?

  He stepped forward, the monk stiffening behind him and Kiva’s hand going to Sinvarra. But I moved aside to allow him next to me.

  “I’m here to help you,” he said. “I’ll provide you with whatever information I can regarding my mother’s armies and strategy in exchange for amnesty.”

  It wasn’t enough. I could see the reluctance on everyone’s faces. They’d spent too long with Illucia as an enemy to crush their desire to lock Ericen in the deepest, darkest cell they could find.

  I might not be able to get them to let go of their past, but maybe I could get them to see a different future.

  “There’s an additional advantage to granting Ericen’s request.” I paused, looking to him. He hesitated but nodded. “You must remember he’ll inherit the throne after Razel.” A murmur spread through the room, and I spoke over it. “In ensuring his safety and accepting him into this alliance, we ensure that when this war is over, Illucia doesn’t remain our enemy. Razel already disavowed him as a traitor. She was willing to kill him in the wood, and he’s done nothing but help me since before I left Sordell. We can trust him.”

  Auma stood as if rising against a heavy burden. “During my time in Illucia, I was always struck by the prince’s sense of honor and morality in a kingdom that tried to strip it from him. Like so many of us, he is not responsible for the sins of his parents. I believe we can trust him.” She met my gaze with a nod. Then whatever surge of emotion had pushed her to her feet deflated, and she collapsed back into her chair.

  Kiva was at her side in an instant, abandoning her post behind Ericen in a move that left me staring. Kiva’s mother had trained her to leave no room for love, only duty. Looking at her now as she wrapped her arms around Auma, I had no doubt the princess had broken through that armor. Kiva had learned to bend without breaking, something her mother could never do.

  The silence hung like a funeral shroud across the room until at last, Queen Luhara stood. “I’m inclined to withdraw Trendell from this alliance,” she said in a voice of stone.

  “And I the Ambriels,” Samra said. A murmur rippled through the gathering.

  My throat went dry. I looked at Estrel, who stared back wide-eyed. This couldn’t be happening. Without them, Rhodaire wouldn’t survive.

  Standing, I met Queen Luhara’s eye across the room, and she called for silence. By the time everyone had quieted, my nerves had settled.

  “I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to politics, I’m still learning,” I said. “That was always my sister’s calling
, not mine. But it is also Razel’s.” As I spoke, I met the gaze of each person in turn, hoping they could see my sincerity. “She knows exactly what she’s doing. The attack on Samra’s crew? The strike against the Jin rebels? Infiltrating Trendell? They were coordinated, targeted moves meant to hurt each of you and make you think twice about this alliance.”

  “Thia’s right,” said Ericen. “She did this because she’s afraid. From the beginning, her plans have always relied on you being isolated and alone. She doesn’t know how to face a united front. She’s scared to face you together.”

  I nodded. “Dissolving this alliance is exactly what she wants.”

  “So we’re playing straight into her hands,” one of the council members said. “What does it matter if we know that? Even if we band together, can we defeat her?”

  “Ira wasn’t our only stronghold,” Auma said. “There are rebel forces scattered throughout Jindae. We’re not out of this fight.”

  Relief swept through me, even as I realized that Auma hadn’t originally intended to share this information. She’d meant to let us think she had nothing to offer in order to protect what remained of her forces. Did this mean she’d changed her mind?

  “We may have an edge on Razel too,” Estrel said. “That shrine wasn’t the only one of its kind, was it, Your Majesty?”

  Queen Luhara frowned. “That’s correct. There are several others on the grounds. Are you suggesting they possess the same power as the other?”

  “They will once Thia activates them,” Estrel replied. “These roads once connected all the major cities in each kingdom. It’ll take a few days, but we can use the roads to Jindae and the Ambriels to gather the remaining troops.”

  Of course she knew about the roads. It was probably another piece of information the Order had kept for themselves.

  Estrel looked to Auma and Samra. “Do you both have ships?” The two nodded, and she pressed on. “You can both sail to a higher point in Rhodaire and flank the Illucian army. Razel is too confident and didn’t plan for an attack from behind. Her failure to anticipate this alliance leaves her military focused at the front, on Rhodaire.” She looked to the queen. “Thia can funnel the Trendellan forces through Aris and bolster the Rhodairen army from the front. Razel won’t expect our ranks to swell so quickly. With the element of surprise, we can take the fight to her.”

  “That might actually work,” Samra admittedly grudgingly.

  I seized the upward turn of the conversation, leaning my hands on the table. “We’ve all seen what Razel is capable of. What she’s willing to do. None of our kingdoms are safe, and alone, none of us will survive.” I looked to Res, whose eyes glowed a soft silver as his magic awakened. Lightning sparked along his beak and through his feathers. “What she doesn’t know is what we’re capable of. We can still win this battle.”

  Queen Luhara exchanged looks with her husband, and they spoke in hushed tones. Samra regarded me gravely, as if she might see the future in my eyes.

  But it was Auma who spoke.

  “Jindae stands with you.” She rose from her chair. “I too do not abandon my friends.”

  I met her gaze, bowing my head.

  “You have my rebels as well,” Samra said with a nod.

  “And the Trendellan army will honor its pledge,” said the queen.

  Relief flooded through me in a cool wave, only to hit the simmering anger inside me and steam. We had the other kingdoms’ support. With their help, we would reach Rhodaire in time to defend it, and we’d have the strength to win.

  Heat flared through my skin, my nails digging into my palms. I could feel that familiar darkness pressing in the back of my mind, that need to give in, to give up after everything that’d gone wrong. But something hotter pushed back. Something rash and full of talons.

  My heart raced with the rising fire in my veins.

  Even your very heart is armed, Auma had said. It must have peace before you can expect to bring it to others.

  But I didn’t want peace right now.

  I wanted war.

  Twenty-Six

  I was going home.

  I couldn’t believe it. Even as I packed what little I had, even as I gathered with everyone outside the Trendellan shrine, it didn’t feel real. Standing beside Ericen, knowing he was returning to Aris with me, that I wanted him to, only made it stranger.

  They’d given him his swords back, and he stood rigid as a statue beside me, his attention lost somewhere in his thoughts.

  Auma and Samra had already crossed their Sella roads to rally their surviving forces, though Samra had left behind a gift for Kiva. Aroch now perched on her shoulders.

  I rose onto my toes, searching the commotion of passing servants and nearby guards. A flash of auburn caught my eye, and then Caylus appeared in the corridor. He nearly walked straight into a woman carrying fresh loaves of bread, but she managed to dodge him without him even noticing. I met him halfway.

  “You’re leaving?” he asked.

  “I have to,” I replied. “This battle has already begun.”

  “I heard. I have something for you.” At his back, three young boys each wheeled a small contraption forward. They looked like horns with a crank for a handle.

  That familiar excitement filled Caylus’s eyes as he held up the glass Illucian arrow. “I discovered this glass was actually a composite. That means they melt it down and mix it with something else, in this case Alorr. The sound these produce will shatter the glass arrows, but you have to be in range of them, and I can’t guarantee they won’t break anything else of the same composite. Also—”

  I flung my arms around him in a tight embrace. He went quiet, then enfolded me in his arms.

  “Thank you,” I whispered.

  “Be careful,” he said quietly.

  I snorted, pulling back. “Not really my style.”

  A faint smile tugged at his lips.

  I squeezed his hand. “Are you okay?” I hadn’t seen him since Malkin’s true demise.

  “I am,” he replied. “I’m going to stay here and attend the university. The king and queen agreed to sponsor me for a term.” This time, his smile filled his whole face. “For once, I know what I’m looking for.” He offered me a folded paper. “I also made you this.”

  When I flattened it, I found a familiar image staring back. Me dressed in my flying leathers, Res a hovering shadow at my back. He’d redrawn the image he’d made for me that day in his workshop. The one Razel had burned to ash.

  It was a quiet reminder of strength. Of my strength.

  I nodded to him, folding the drawing up and tucking it safely away. Then I joined the others, and together we crossed through the shrine.

  * * *

  We emerged in the castle graveyard.

  The mausoleum was coated in dust and cobwebs, and Ericen had to throw his shoulder into the door to force it open. We stepped out of the dim building and back into Rhodaire.

  The scent of ripened fruit filled the air, sweet and heavy. The long grass swayed about my ankles, brushing against the headstones in gentle whispers. Above, the sky was a familiar, clouded blue, just like the one I’d spent so many days staring up at, dreaming of soaring through on the back of a crow.

  My heart swelled, filling my chest, my throat. I stepped slowly back onto familiar soil, soft and moist beneath my boots. Not frosted with cold or rocky from the sea or coarse and dry—soft, warm earth. I wanted to sink into it and never rise.

  Res trilled softly. I laid a hand on his shoulder, his head too far above me now. “Welcome home.” The bond thrummed with contentment, and he leaned into me.

  “Halt!” a voice called. Two Rhodairen soldiers appeared at the fence line, hands on their swords. They were half-drawn before they saw me. Disbelief dawned slowly on their faces as they took in Estrel, presumed dead, and Ericen, the Illucian prince. By t
he time they spotted Res, they were gaping.

  I grinned, and Kiva stepped past me. “Lyris, Seair!”

  The sound of her voice snapped both guards to attention, though their eyes kept flitting back to Res.

  “L-Lieutenant Mirkova,” Lyris stuttered. “Wh-what’s going on?”

  “Where’s the queen?” I asked.

  “In her office,” the soldier answered. “How in the Saints’ name—” Her words failed her, and she simply pointed at Res.

  I grinned. “Caliza will explain everything soon.”

  We followed Lyris and Seair up the hill to the castle. They kept looking between Estrel, to whom they bowed their heads each time, and Ericen, the distrust evident in their faces, and Res, for whom no emotion seemed large enough.

  We passed other guards and servants, gasps of surprise and excited murmurs preceding us as people went running to spread the news. We’d barely stepped into the entrance hall when someone came sprinting around the corner.

  I caught Caliza in a viselike hug. It may have only been a few days since we’d seen each other, but so much had happened since then.

  She pulled back, smiling broadly. “The alliance?”

  I nodded, and her eyes widened. “I’ll tell you everything in a bit. But first, I brought you a few surprises.”

  The others had kept back a respectful distance, but now Estrel stepped forward, enveloping Caliza in a strong hug. She muttered something in Caliza’s ear that earned a smile from my sister before moving aside.

  Kiva remained at Ericen’s side, her hand resting on Sinvarra. The intimidation of her pose was slightly lessened by the presence of Aroch on her shoulder. “Dungeons or Belgrave?” she asked, referring to the city’s prison.

  Caliza’s expression grew serious as she took in Ericen. “Come. Let’s go into my office.”

  Estrel didn’t join us. Though she’d claimed she wanted to see to her old rooms, I knew the truth: she didn’t want to enter my mother’s office. I let her go. Readjusting to being in Rhodaire would be difficult; she had a lot of ghosts to face, but she’d be there for us when we needed her. I’d find her afterward and update her.