The Dreg Trilogy Omnibus

by Bethany Hoeflich

  Mara allowed herself one brief fantasy of them blowing through the emperor’s elite guards with ease as she rode off to rescue Ethan. It sounded like a story lifted from the pages of a cheesy romance novel. She shook her head. “There’s no point. Even with the three of us fighting together, it wouldn’t work. We’re outnumbered. Unless I had an Augeo, they’d swarm me with bodies and wear me down. It’s what they do in training.”

  “So, what, ye’re just gonna give up? Never took ya for a quitter.”

  “There’s a difference between quitting and picking your battles,” Mara snapped. Her breath hitched, and he shoulders sagged. “The guards will leave him at the border of Lingate and he can move on with his life. He’ll be safer if he’s not with me. Those close to me tend to end up dead. The best thing I can do for Ethan now is to let him go.”

  “Mara . . .” Oona reached out tentatively to touch Mara’s shoulder, her eyebrows squeezing together. Her soothing tone set Mara on edge. It was the kind of voice people used when they were about to deliver bad news. Mara recoiled, her head pounding. She couldn’t take any more bad news. Oona shot Wynn a panicked look. “She’s going to pass out!”

  “Well, what do ya want me to do about it?”

  “Something!”

  It sounded like they were speaking underwater as blood rushed to her ears and she flushed hot. Mara swayed. Something hit the side of her face and spots danced before her eyes. She screamed, clutching her cheek.

  “Wynn!”

  “What? Ya told me to do something!”

  “I didn’t tell you to slap her!” Oona yelled. She pulled Mara over to the bed and helped her down.

  Mara slumped over, her head in her hands. “Just tell me.”

  “The emperor’s gonna kill Ethan,” Wynn said, not bothering to soften the news.

  “What?” Mara fisted her hands in her hair. “No, that can’t be true. Nash told me he was exiled.”

  “I’m sorry, Mara.” Oona reached out and squeezed her hand. “I overheard the guards talking about it. The exile was just for show. You must have known that the emperor wouldn’t allow him to live.”

  “They’re takin’ bets on who’s gonna be the one to do it. The guards are gonna dump his body across the border of Lingate and frame his death on the clans.”

  “Wynn, could you please show some tact!” Oona hissed. Her tone softened. “There is some good news. Alex insisted on going with him. I think it threw the emperor for a loop, honestly, but he couldn’t deny the request—he has no jurisdiction over Order business, and not even an emperor wants to cross a Guardian.”

  Mara nodded slowly. “That could buy him some time, but for how long? It’s just the two of them against . . . how many guards? Ethan’s not a fighter. And if I can’t reach him . . .”

  “Hold that thought.” Oona crossed the room and cracked the door open, whispering something to the guards in the hall.

  “What did you say to them?”

  Oona held up a finger and turned her attention to Wynn. “Wynn go get Tamil and bring him here. Mara, get your things. I suggest you pack light.”

  She watched as Wynn obeyed without question, shutting the door silently behind her. “What did you do?”

  “I informed the guards that you requested Isaac to meet you in your chambers,” she said with a coy smile, though there was something simmering under the surface that she couldn’t read.

  Then the implications of what Oona said hit home. She jumped off the bed, horrified. “But they’re going to think—”

  “Exactly.” Her face twisted like she’d tasted a lemon. “It doesn’t matter. It’ll work, just watch. Isaac will be so intrigued he’ll have to come.”

  “He doesn’t know about Ethan! What am I supposed to tell him?”

  “The truth. Now listen, you’re not going to have much time to persuade him. The guards left an hour ago with Ethan, and you need to catch up with them before they reach the border into Lingate. You must convince Isaac to help you escape. Take Wynn and Tamil with you, too.”

  “What about you?”

  “Why are you still standing here? Go pack!” She herded Mara toward the wardrobe and pulled out an empty satchel. “I’ll stay here and help as much as I can from the inside. I don’t do as well in the wild as you do.”

  Mara grabbed a pair of suede leggings and a long-sleeve tunic and tossed them on the bed. She was still wearing the red gown from the race track. She’d have to change into something more practical if Isaac agreed to help her. That was a big if. What if he reacted poorly to the news? Isaac had been nothing but kind to her, and she didn’t want to hurt him.

  Oona added two more pairs of trousers to the pack and frowned. “Ethan knew this would happen.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “Last week, he brewed a massive amount of the Soperallias elixir—three times the size of his typical batch. He wrote down the instructions to brew more, and he showed me how to make the ones he created.” Mara tamped down a surge of jealousy that Ethan had shown Oona and not her. “They won’t be as good as his, but they should be good enough to get by.”

  Her hope grew. She might actually have a chance to save Ethan. She doubled her efforts to pack, throwing clothes in the satchel. “Mikkal and Ella will need to stay here as well. They’re too important, and if they left now, we might as well surrender.”

  “There’s the Mara I know. Don’t worry, they’ll understand. I doubt the emperor will allow them to stay in the palace once they discover you’re missing—actually, it might be safer for them if they find accommodations in the middle ring now. I’ll keep you updated as often as I can.”

  A knock sounded on the door. Mara smoothed down her dress, trying to look presentable. She planted her feet and pulled her shoulders back. Isaac deserved to know the truth. “Come in.”

  Isaac poked his head in through the door. “I have to admit, when the guards said you’d summoned me to your chambers I had a different idea of what I’d find.” His gaze volleyed between Mara and Oona, and a little vee formed between his brows. “Not that I’m complaining.”

  Oona shot her a look that said, ‘I told you so.’ Isaac stepped into the room and closed the door firmly behind him. “What is going on?”

  “There’s something you need to know, and I think you should hear it from me instead of from gossip.” Mara drew a shaking breath. “I kissed Ethan.”

  “Oh, is that all?” He laughed. “That explains why you look like you spent the afternoon launching puppies over the wall with the trebuchet.”

  Her face scrunched together as she tried to make sense of his reaction. “I thought you’d be angry.”

  “Why would I be upset over that?” His gaze flickered toward Oona, so fast she almost missed it, and his face softened. “We tried to make the best out of the bad situation, but we would have been miserable together. We’re just too different. You don’t love me, and it’s clear you never will. My parents were lucky that they were able to marry for love, and I think we both deserve the chance to find the same happiness.”

  Oona watched him with a strange intensity.

  “Well, if that’s all, I’m going back to the library. You interrupted an interesting game of tiles with your impromptu confession.”

  “Wait! I need your help.” As quickly as possible, she explained what the emperor had done, and what Oona had overheard. She tried to impress on him the severity of the situation.

  His frown deepened. “You plan to go after him?”

  She gave him a curt nod. “I have to, but I can’t do it alone.”

  Isaac tapped his bottom lip. “You’re asking me to break about a dozen laws here.”

  “I know. I wouldn’t ask if I had any other choice. This goes beyond a kiss, Isaac. He saved my life more than once, and now I have the chance to return the favor. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least try.”

  He was quiet a long moment, and Mara worried that he would say no. “Finish gathering everything you
need.”

  “You’ll help?”

  “Of course I will. But you can’t leave until dark.” Mara opened her mouth to protest, but Isaac held up a hand to silence her. “It’s the only time you have a chance of escaping without being discovered. If you tried to leave now, you’d be caught in minutes and there’s nothing I could do to stop it. My father’s word is law.”

  “But Ethan could be dead by then.”

  “No, Oona is right. He would have ordered the guards to wait until after they’ve crossed through the pass. If I know my father, he’s using this to serve two purposes. First, the obvious, to get rid of the Magi so he doesn’t interfere with his plans. And second, to get revenge on the Head Magi. He hasn’t forgotten the disciples that attacked me, and while he might have publicly accepted Cadmus’s excuse that the attack was coordinated by rogues, he’s no fool. He’ll kill the Head Magi’s son, then frame it on the clans to avoid drawing suspicion to himself.”

  “It’s terrifying how well you know this.”

  Isaac shrugged. “I understand how his mind works. He’s a scavenger. He won’t do anything if he believes it will cost him, but if he sees an opportunity, he’ll take it.”

  Just then, Wynn returned with Tamil tucked under her arm. Mara realized the brilliance of Oona’s plan. They were heading to Lingate. They had the opportunity to reunite Tamil with his father.

  “You’re taking them with you?” Isaac asked, glancing between the two.

  She nodded.

  “Good. They’ll be able to help you so long as they don’t slow you down.”

  Wynn snorted, but Mara said, “They won’t. Besides, I made a promise.”

  Tamil’s eyes widened. “Truly?”

  “Truly. We’re going to save Ethan and get you back to your father.”

  15

  Waiting was torture. Mara had already packed and repacked, organizing the supplies with obsessive care, but there were only so many times she could fold a tunic before it became overkill. With nothing left to do but watch the time tick by, she began to pace long enough to leave a groove in her floor. Wynn and Tamil had curled up on the bed together, sharing one last tray of pastries from the palace kitchens and talking about what they’d miss the most.

  “All the poisons they have here,” Tamil said wistfully. The young Venelo had been adding new venoms and poisons to his arsenal on a daily basis. “Having to look for them in the wild will be exhausting.”

  “The Pistor in the kitchens.” Wynn licked chocolate off her fingers. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she patted her belly. “Ya sure we can’t bring him with us?”

  “Adding kidnapping to our growing list of crimes doesn’t sound like a wise idea.”

  “Probably for the best. If I stay here much longer, I’m gonna put on a hundred pounds. Oona’s lucky she gets to stay. Maybe she can train that hawk of hers to deliver parcels.”

  A smile tugged at Mara’s lips before fading away. “Oona was born for this city.”

  “What about you, Mara?” Tamil asked, offering her a lace-like cookie that had been curled into a cone shape.

  She waved it away, unable to stomach the thought of eating right now, and walked to the window. As the sun began to set, the city came alive as a hundred thousand street lamps were lit. “I’ll miss helping people the most.”

  “Doesn’t count. Ye’re still helping, just from a distance now.”

  That was true. Oona had left hours ago to prepare alternate housing for Ella and Mikkal in the middle ring. It killed Mara to leave them, but at least she could take comfort in knowing that they would continue building the army without her. If all went to plan, they could rendezvous in a few months. But they weren’t the only ones she’d be leaving behind. Before Oona left, Mara had pulled her aside and asked her to keep an eye on her father, too. It was the best she could do.

  She’d never see him again. Once she left, she would be considered an enemy of the crown.

  But that seemed too heavy for such a light-hearted conversation, so she made a face at Tamil and said, “Bathtubs I can swim in. That’s what I’ll miss the most.”

  By the time the sun set below the horizon, her veins were buzzing. Her despair had long since burned away into fierce determination. She glanced at the door every few seconds. What was taking him so long? They were supposed to wait until Isaac returned, but what if he’d gotten caught up with something? Every moment they delayed took Ethan farther away from Merrowhaven and out of her reach. If he didn’t come soon, Mara would have to resort to Wynn’s suggestion.

  Thankfully, Isaac slipped into her room a few moments later. Now that he was here, Mara felt jittery. This was it. She wrung her hands. “Well?”

  “I should be able to buy you a day before you’re missed. I gave Mary the day off to spend with her family, and I’ll spread around the rumor that you’re ill and shouldn’t be disturbed.”

  “Good. Good. That’s . . . good.” She nodded and picked up her satchel, looping it over her shoulder.

  Wynn and Tamil gathered their packs—after a brief look of regret, Wynn opened hers and dumped the remaining pastries inside.

  “Where do we go?”

  “Take the stairs and turn left. You’ll find a hidden staircase that leads deep below the palace. I marked the tunnel on here.” He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.

  Mara wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. He stiffened in surprise and patted her awkwardly on the back. She whispered, “Thank you,” before standing on her toes and pressing a kiss on his cheek. “I hope you find someone who deserves you.”

  Twin splotches of red darkened his cheeks and he gave her a bashful smile. “You, too. Although, I guess you already have.” He stepped back and gestured to the door. “You’d better go now. I took care of everyone except the guards.”

  “Goodbye, Isaac.” She took a deep breath and opened the door.

  She rendered the guards outside her door unconscious, using her Gift to slowly drain their energy until they curled up on the floor like they were asleep. It wouldn’t last long, but hopefully just long enough for them to put some distance between them and Merrowhaven before the guards came after her.

  Wynn scouted ahead, jumping from shadow to shadow while Tamil padded quietly at her side down the stairs deep into the bowels of the palace as they made their way to the tunnel Isaac had marked. Mara ignited a ball of light in her palm and squinted at the crude map he’d drawn. There were multiple tunnels that burrowed beneath the city—escape routes in the event of an attack. Most led toward the harbor where the royal family could flee by boat, but two led out the eastern side of Merrowhaven. One would take them outside the dreg encampment where a pair of horses were waiting. If they could reach it without being caught.

  Her boots scuffed against the stone stairs and she forced herself to slow down, placing each step with care. While it didn’t appear as though anyone were down here, it was obviously well-cared for—cobwebs and dust had been cleared away. Soon, the man-laid stone gave way to bare earth and natural rock that smelled damp and musty. They descended into an open area where stalactites drooped from the ceiling. The rhythmic dripping of water echoed in the cavernous space and Mara pulled Tamil closer. She raised her hand and brightened the light. Shadows cast from monstrous stalagmites danced on the walls around them and she shivered.

  Up ahead, Wynn crept along the far wall, searching for the tunnel. After a few minutes, she spotted it, tucked away behind a hidden wall. The tunnel appeared to be deserted and Mara held her breath, praying their luck would continue just a little longer. Every minute they delayed took Ethan closer to the border, and his execution.

  At best, it would take three days to reach it without killing their horses in the process. Somehow, she doubted the guards would take long breaks—they would want to get it over with as quickly as possible and return home to their families. Mara had to go even faster if she was going to make it in time.

  Still, there w
as a chance they would be too late. She shuttered the thought immediately. No. They would make it in time. They would free him. Alex would be able to hold off the guards until they arrived.

  Soon, they reached the end of the tunnel. Mara cracked open the trapdoor, straining against the roots and vines that had grown over it. She could barely make out tree trunks and brambles through the crack. With a heave, she pushed it open and climbed to the surface, scanning the surroundings. She could just make out the main road through a dense copse of trees. It wasn’t the most strategic location. If an enemy force where marching up the road, they would easily spot anyone trying to flee from the tunnel. Maybe that’s why it was deserted.

  Mara signaled the all-clear, and Wynn and Tamil followed her out of the tunnel. They glided silently through the wooded area to the dreg encampment. Evelyn and Kya waited with the horses who were saddled and ready to go. Packs of supplies were tied to the saddles. Isaac had thought of everything. Her heart swelled in gratitude. She hoped he found someone who deserved him.

  Mara approached Evelyn and pulled the older women into a hug. Her throat constricted. Would she ever see her again? “Thank you for everything.”

  “It’s me who should be thanking you.”

  “Oona will stop by tomorrow with more supplies. Anything you need, let her know and she’ll take care of it for you.”

  “Go, child. We’ll be just fine; don’t you worry about us.”

  Blinking to ease the burning in her eyes, Mara turned to Kya. “Well, it looks like you’re getting what you wanted. Try not to cause too much trouble while we’re gone,” she said, coaxing a reluctant grin from the sullen girl.

  Kya didn’t respond, and Mara got the distinct impression that she’d been wanting to see her gone for a while now.

  Mara lifted Tamil onto the saddle then climbed on behind him. Isaac had insisted on adding riding lessons to her already busy schedule. She hadn’t seen the sense at the time, but now she was happy he’d insisted. She wasn’t an expert, but she was far better than she had been. Memories of her traumatizing ride out of Oxrest ran through her mind. At least now she could keep her seat without bouncing around in the saddle like popcorn in a hot pan.