by Rae Brooks
A few of the others stepped in with the statement, and offered their agreement on the issue that Leif and Taeru were not, in fact, outnumbered. “I think you’re the ones that ought to run. We all know you’d probably lose to the Phantom Blade by himself, let alone with people helping him!” a younger girl laughed.
“Yeah, try and arrest all of us!” someone else called. Aela smiled at the support, and she found herself hating Telandus far less than she had before. These people weren’t cruel, they were just frightened—and apparently Taeru’s appearance had begun to vanquish that fright. Just as he’d intended, according to the book.
For his part, though, Taeru looked stunned. He was looking around at the people with a note of disbelief in his blue eyes hidden by the mask. Aela grinned. Perhaps he was finally getting a little help. The nobles, well aware that the citizens were right, left the area with a few empty threats. Everyone was immensely proud of themselves, clapping each other on the back as the nobles retreated.
Taeru actually laughed, and then he shook his head. He looked preposterously dashing in that black outfit, and she was certain that his little blond friend would be even more attracted to him now. The book, though, the book had been right on every count except for one, now. Who would have thought that Taeru would go so far as to put on a disguise and help people? Aela had always known that he was prone to helping others, but that was a new standard, even for him.
He pulled himself, as though he were walking up stairs, onto one of the rooftops and bowed appreciatively. “Thank you,” was all he said. A few of them said things to him, and a few girls asked him to marry them. Aela giggled. Then, she saw the blue eyes flash, and when she looked to whom they were looking at—she saw Leif.
They stared at each other for a very long, very slow moment. Her heart sped up in her chest. She hadn’t the foggiest idea how Taeru would react to this. Leif’s breathing was shallow, and she could see that from here. The intensity between them was palpable. Then, though, Taeru just offered a smile and a bow and vanished to somewhere that Aela couldn’t hope to follow.
A few people slapped Leif on the back for his contribution, and Aela was quite sure, in the couple of cycles that she had been here, that she had never seen the people in such high spirits. How lovely, she thought. Taeru really was some kind of influence. As Leif reached her, he took her by the wrist and led her away from the crowd.
Once they had put enough distance between themselves, and the rest of the people, Leif let out a breath. “He knew who I was,” he said, without question.
“You knew he would.”
“Right, but I didn’t expect he would have put on a mask and come to the rescue of any bloody commoners who happen to be having a bad sun. Your brother is absurd, Ael—ic. I hope you know that.” Once again, she giggled, though if Taeru was a hero—so was Leif. A flush spread over her cheeks at the thought of Leif in that outfit.
She took a breath. She wouldn’t tell Leif about the book, not yet. After all, though the odds of a coincidence were slim, she still had one hope. Though, there was a suspicion that had formed in her stomach, and she desperately hoped that it would not be verified. They continued towards the wall. “This is the perfect distraction, regardless. Those louts will be too busy blubbering about how unruly the citizens of Dark District are for the guards to be paying attention to the walls. They will be far more preoccupied with the gates,” he said cheerfully.
They continued walking, and she found her heart beating a tad too fast as she observed Leif. He had interfered for a citizen of Dark District, just as Taeru masqueraded about saving them. But Taeru she had always known was dear to her, special in a different way, because he was her brother, and she loved him. But Leif—Leif was not her brother, and Aela’s feelings were getting out of hand. “You could have been hurt,” she told him.
“Would you have had me stand idly by while that woman was tormented?” he asked. “Though, I suppose the Blade Ghost or whatever the Lightless he was… would have appeared to save the woman without any help from me.”
She laughed at his butchering of the name, but she still wished he wasn’t so reckless. “Just… I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Of course you don’t,” he said emphatically. “I have so much to think about now. I really couldn’t afford to have my throat slit.” She winced at the casual way with which he referred to what had nearly happened to him. She had watched Leif nearly die far too many times not to respond to whatever feeling was building in her chest. “Your brother! Really!”
She gestured towards the wall that they now stood before. There was a sunken part of the stone that made footholds easier to come by. “Regardless, we are here. Now—let’s get on with it, shall we?” Her eyes met his for a moment, and he stared at her without expression.
Leif frowned as he took a breath. “Are you sure you want to do this? I know you’ve climbed before. Just… this could be dangerous. I feel as though I should be protecting you better than I am. Yet, I find it very difficult to say no to you.”
The statement made her smile, and she just threw her head to the side as though she hadn’t heard it. “I am sure. I came here with you to help, not to be a precious stone that needs guarding. Trust me, Feil.” She spoke his fake name with as much emotion as he could.
“Very well,” he said warily. “Let’s proceed.”
Aela had no idea why Leif felt the need to be so formal about it. She was scared out of her wits, though the level of bravery she was experiencing had increased with the knowledge that her brother was in Telandus, and he had been for five years. Clearly, the patrol in Telandus was lacking at best. Leif began climbing first, and she watched the way his arms and legs moved as though they had climbed the wall many times before.
She frowned, knowing she would lack much of the grace that he portrayed. She knew Leif had climbed plenty when they were children, but being reminded was unnecessary. After all, she had not climbed all that much, and she was sure that she would make a fool of herself. Following him, though, she pushed the thoughts of humiliation from her mind. If they remained at the wall for too long, then someone would be sure to pass by and see them.
The ascent was easier than she’d expected, and she could tell that Leif had taken special care to ensure that Aela would be able to climb the wall that he found as well. Perhaps he trusted her more than she thought he did, but then again, he had obviously spent extra time making the climb easier for her. She decided she should stop complaining so much and followed his movements nearly identically.
Neither of them spoke, as what they were doing would land them in all sorts of trouble. They would be sentenced to the dungeon at best, and hanged at worst. She tried not to think about it, instead thinking of her brother in his black, phantom outfit. How long had he been doing that? Her book certainly wasn’t that specific, but she had a feeling that the ordeal was not new to him. Taeru really should stop working to make everyone else happy, lest he be swept up in the effort and forget that he himself needed tending to as well. Then again, he had the blond for that—the blond who Aela fervently hoped was not the fraud that she suspected he might be.
Once they reached the top of the wall, they hurried down the other side. Leif grabbed Aela’s arm the moment they hit the rather sparkly stone ground and pulled her behind one the outhouses. She saw the overly dressed nobles, and after her experience with the ones earlier, she hated all of them. Truthfully, they were not very different from Cathalar’s nobles. The women seemed a little more bubbly than those in Cathalar, but the men were the same, straight-faced men to which she’d become accustomed.
No one looked the least bit worried that a few commoners, or even Cathalari citizens, might be wandering through their streets. Leif pulled her at intervals, using the backs of buildings to make their way closer to the looming black castle. At least the castle in Cathalar was just fancy. She wasn’t ever intimidated when she looked at it, and looking at the Telandan castle, she was sure that she would be int
imidated, even if she’d lived in it.
After a few more quick movements between houses, they were just outside the castle walls. Leif pulled her around, away from the gate. She didn’t know why she was surprised—not as if they would be able to walk right through the gates. “Where are we going?” she whispered, trying to keep her voice as low as she could.
A quick glare from Leif said that she had not been quiet enough, and she stifled any further questions. The castle was massive, she realized, and much bigger than Veyron’s. She’d thought her father had been obsessed with the idea of size, but this castle was huge. Cathalar may have had many things over Telandus, but size was not among them. Sheer size of buildings, however, would do little to win a war.
Trusting Leif, for she had no way of knowing what they were doing, she followed as closely as she could. Her heart was in her throat at the sheer possibility that any of the passing nobles might catch an eyeful of her. After all, she’d made sure to fit into Dark District, and as such, her pants and shirt were a mess—and her face was still covered in dirt. She continued forward for a moment too long after Leif had stopped, and he yanked her back against the wall.
Naturally, she landed squarely against his chest. She almost let out a yelp and then shoved it back down her throat forcefully. When she glanced up into his eyes, though, she realized that she couldn’t have made a sound if she wanted to. They were close to one another—too close, in fact. His breath touched her lips for a moment, and her entire insides twisted into a quick knot.
She had never really looked at Leif’s lips before, but as she did now, she found herself squirming. They were inviting, and she was sure that kissing him in the middle of the Telandan Shining District would be a bad idea. Though, the romance of it could certainly not be denied. Then, she noticed the red tint that his cheeks had taken on as he eased her away from him. She was grateful he’d had the willpower to do so. He gestured with his head, indicating that they needed to keep moving, and she nodded.
When they rounded to the back of the castle, there were two men. They were both clad in their guardsmen uniform and smoking. Clearly, they were taking some sort of break, and a smirk twisted onto Leif’s face. “How convenient.”
She wondered what precisely Leif was going to do. If they attacked the men, then surely others would be alerted. She was also aware that this area, with the small table and patio, must have been a common break area for the guards. Leif couldn’t have expected to just walk up to them—and—do what exactly? She had no idea. She wasn’t going to ask him right now either. Surely talking would alert these men, who stood only paces away from them.
Leif glanced across at her, and a knowing grin spread across his face. He must be aware that she didn’t have a clue what he intended to do. He put his fingers to his lips, which she wished he wouldn’t do—as it brought her unruly attention back to his lips. She really shouldn’t be thinking about this sort of thing when they were in the middle of an entire district that would have killed them without a thought.
With a few more gestures, Aela got the idea that she was supposed to remain where they were while Leif did whatever he intended to do. She didn’t mind, as without her bow, which she had come to miss dearly on this sun—she would be of very little use. She could always assist if he began to lose, too, and they wouldn’t expect her. She nodded her head, instructing him to go forward with whatever plot he’d concocted.
Leif smiled again, and he seemed grateful that she wasn’t questioning his motives. He eased out into the opening, though he kept his body close to small objects so that the men were not made aware of any immediate movement. Aela’s heart pounded and she readied herself, preparing for the moment that these men saw Leif. Though, Leif moved with such silence that both of them remained oblivious.
Her eyes widened, watching Leif’s careful movements. She had always thought that she was stealthy, but watching this boy move put any sneaking she’d ever done to shame. She frowned at the thought. If Taeru had stuck around for a few more years, she surely would have been able to hold her own against the likes of Leif. How had he learned to be so furtive, anyway? She watched, though, still prepared to react if things went badly.
They didn’t, though, as Leif moved forward, slamming a hand into the back of the first man’s head, far too hard for the man to remain conscious. Then, before the other one had a chance to cry out, Leif’s elbow crashed into his throat. With another swing of his hand, the man was rendered unconscious, as well. With a renewed quickness, Leif dragged the two of them back to where Aela was standing.
She widened her eyes to let him know how impressed she was, but standing before two newly incapacitated men, she didn’t have the nerve to speak. Leif just offered a smug smile and then he began undressing the men, unceremoniously. She flushed, as he stripped the men down to their undershorts. “Put these on,” Leif said, handing her the smaller man’s clothes. “Keep your clothes on, though. You’ll fill out the uniform better.”
That she was grateful for, as stripping behind the Telandan castle was not anything she’d ever intended to do. She began pulling on the pants, whose belt was still pulled as tightly as it could be, despite the added padding of her other clothes. She had to roll up the sleeves of the shirt, though she buttoned it quickly.
Lastly, she grabbed the sheath and put it around her waist. She hadn’t been graced with a sword in some time, and having one on her hip made her grin. She glanced to Leif, who had only just gotten out of his clothes. Heat slammed against her when she caught a glimpse of him. She’d seen him before, when she had patched his injuries, but this time—there were no injuries, and the full wonder of Leif’s chest was before her.
He was not any sort of divine being. He was still relatively small, reminding her a little of Taeru, though Leif was much taller. His abdomen was so perfectly designed, though, for her tastes. She felt her throat knot for the umpteenth time, and she gritted her teeth. What had gotten into her? Before this adventure, she hadn’t even liked Leif. Or had she? Perhaps that was why she’d tried so hard to avoid him. She had always anticipated not liking whoever she was forced to marry, and then there was Leif. Leif, the boy who had teased her as a child, had become so entirely charming.
No, now was neither the time nor place for these kinds of thoughts, she reminded herself. She’d been trying to leave Aela Lassau back in Cathalar, though Aela Lassau didn’t seem to know how to be quiet. “You do like what you see,” Leif asserted firmly. Aela’s fists clenched, as there was no denying that she had been staring.
Unable to defend herself, Aela took a quick breath. As Leif dressed, she said nothing, though she knew that Leif wouldn’t be able to slow down and insist that she respond to him. Her body may be responding, and her mind may be responding, but her mouth certainly wasn’t going to respond. Once he finished, and admittedly, she preferred him in no clothes than the guard uniform, he grinned. “Embarrassed, princess?” he asked quietly.
She thought of reminding him of how meanly he’d glared at her when she had spoken out of turn, but rather than bothering, she simply turned her back. “You can stop gloating whenever you like,” she growled.
A smile twitched at the corners of Leif’s lips, and he quickly dragged the men into the bushes nearby. Then, he tossed his clothes next to them. Waking up next to commoner clothing, while wearing next to nothing themselves, would be an interesting experience. “Let them make what they will of that,” Leif said idly. He took extra care to move the first man so that his head laid dangerously close to the second’s waist. Aela tried very hard not to laugh, and eventually had to look away for fear of losing control. “Come on,” Leif said, chuckling himself. “From what I’ve seen, the guards know little of one another. Just don’t speak much and keep your head down. No one will be any wiser.”
With a quick nod, she glanced once back to the men in the very suggestive position, and then she followed Leif to the break area. Another guard exited the building just as they returned, he looked at
the two of them for a moment. The moment felt eternal, and Aela was sure that her heart would explode. Then, the man nodded to them and found a seat on the bench.
They walked back into the building without so much as a word. The guard didn’t seem to think much of it. The inside of Telandus’s castle was just as intimidating. Unlike Cathalar, it didn’t really seem that fantastic—or not to her tastes—instead it was filled with black and crimson. The entire place felt like some sort of prison, and she felt immediately uneasy as they entered the building. None of the halls had windows, or very few of them did—well, the one they were in didn’t.
“Lacks a certain ambience, doesn’t it?” Leif murmured.
The fact that the hallway was lit with torches all along the walls didn’t say much for his statement. Though, the castle did seem to be rather dark. With a smirk, she nudged him in the side and continued down the hall. She decided that casual interaction was good, as it kept her mind from going insane. She was in the Telandan castle—oh, if they had any idea who she was. She didn’t want to imagine what would happen to her! “Any idea where we’re patrolling?” Aela asked quietly.
“I’m just walking without direction now,” Leif admitted warily. Well, he hid it well—until this moment, she’d been sure Leif had a clear destination in mind. Then again, that made very little sense, since Leif couldn’t possibly know the layout of the castle. Walking down the hallway for a little longer, they finally reached the exit. This was the grand hall, she assumed, as the balcony loomed overhead, and it was filled with all sorts of portraits. Very faintly, it reminded her of the Cathalari grand hall—but at least that grand hall had some color.
Still, the unnecessary need to prove to the citizens who ruled the kingdom was there. No ruler ever seemed content to rule without shoving the idea in other people’s faces. Aela, getting an epiphany, as perhaps all rulers were similar somewhere beneath the surface, grabbed Leif by the wrist and hurried him towards the back of the grand hall. To the side, there was the ballroom—and she knew that instinctively, without needing to look in. Yes, despite the darkness of this castle, the layout was similar.