by Ayer, T. G.
“So your placement within my team was purely to benefit the Walkers?” Illyria looked like she didn’t entirely believe her.
“Yes. I do believe they have friends in high places. Sentinel wanted to be certain the Rebel army wasn’t a threat to the Walkers being held here.”
“Anjelo is not being held here. He can leave whenever he wants,” Illyria answered defensively, probably pissed off that she had both a Widd’en and a Sentinel mole in her ranks. She probably didn’t need to be reminded of that either. “Because of our treaty with the High Council, I will neither hold you or charge you, but please could you ensure you leave my barracks immediately?” Her voice was clipped and tight, revealing her dissatisfaction.
“Of course. I will request an immediate extraction. And I do apologize for invading your privacy. I was only doing my job.” Cassandra’s lips twisted in apology, and Illyria sighed.
“I understand. I have nothing against you. Although, you can understand why I feel betrayed.” After a pause she said, “As long as you leave as soon as possible.”
But I hesitated. “Wait. Maybe we could take advantage of her skills?” Illyria stared at me as if I’d grown another head. “I’m serious. Once we have the intel, we will be making a mission into the Widd’en compound. What better way to do it than with a shape-changer who can change her looks as she goes? She could get in and find out where my mother is without raising any alarms.”
I knew I had her when she began to nod and looked decidedly impressed with my plan. “I will authorize that as long as you are sure you can trust her.”
I looked at Cassandra, my lips twisting as I considered her. “I don’t know her so I can’t vouch for her, but I know who sent her and I trust that person with my life. So yes, I will trust her.”
***
As we left the training area and headed down the tunnel, another Wraith came running up to us. He weaved past the front guard and Anjelo and Lily, stopping only when he reached Illyria. She seemed pleased when he handed her a small, folded-up piece of paper, then turned and disappeared down the tunnel again. My heart knocked against my ribs. I hoped it was what I thought it was. The intel that would give us my mother’s location.
Illyria had Cassandra taken to the war room where the Sentinel agent was instructed to wait. Despite her assurances that she was going nowhere, she was watched by two of the Rebel guard while Illyria called us into a meeting with Anjelo and her generals. I still found it strange that the hierarchy within the Rebel army was so similar to the armies of the human species. But the Wraiths used to live side by side with humans, much like the Fae until the Wraiths were banished, so it wasn’t all that surprising for them to model their army reporting structure on that of the humans.
We all filed into Illyria’s office with Lily, who looked pretty impressed that she was being included. I noticed she had my satchel over her shoulder and had brought my crossbow and scimitar, the metal of both weapons peeking out from the top of the flap.
I took a seat in front of the Rebel leader, and Lily stood beside me. Then I wondered if there was some sort of protocol, if maybe only the three generals were allowed to sit. But nobody made a face or chided me, so I figured I was safe.
Illyria opened the message and said, “As you must have suspected, I have in my hand the intel from our mole within Widd’en’s army. I am not going to assume this information is untainted. We need to be prepared for anything, including another betrayal. My only hope is the news of Ni’kai’s failure to kill me would have died with him. Then we have the element of surprise to our advantage.”
Illyria nodded at one of her generals, who now stood un-hooded beside her desk. He turned sharply and went to a shelf behind the desk. The rickety wooden bookcase was filled to the brim with rolls and rolls of maps. He looked through the stack, found what he was searching for, and handed it to Illyria. She opened the small catch that held the roll together and spread the map open on her desk.
Over her head, the general glanced up at me and my heart stopped. The dislike in his eyes was so strong I could almost taste it. Even my panther mewled with concern. What is his deal? I didn’t recall having any dealings with him since I’d arrived.’
I pulled my gaze away as Illyria began to speak. “Widd’en’s army is holed up here.” She pointed at a range of craggy mountains. “This is called the Black Mountain of Wrygos, and the compound is on the north face of the range. It is a sixty-mile hike to the mountains, over dangerous territory. Between here and Wrygos, the land is bare and frozen, dotted with treacherous patches of thin ice. The ice in certain places is thinner because of underground geysers that spout hot water to the surface. But this is not ordinary water. The Black Lake of Wrythiin contains a liquid similar in construct to oil, sticky and wet. And poisonous. Drinking this water is a death sentence to anyone not born of Wrythiin.
I raised an eyebrow. Talk about a treacherous journey. I glanced up at Lily, and she immediately sent me a narrow-eyed glare that said, Like hell are you making me stay behind.
Illyria looked up, her gaze meeting mine first, then Anjelo’s. “If you come, you must be prepared for the journey. This is not a mission for a weakling.”
I nodded, leaning forward as if the mere action would assure her. “We will be fine, Illyria.” Then I fell silent. I decided the less said, the better. Better not to make light of things in the face of a mission that looked quite likely to take at least one of our lives before it was done. Anjelo looked at me, then glanced up at Lily. She must have given him the same glare, because he almost flinched, then hurriedly looked away. I wanted to laugh but quickly suppressed the desire.
Illyria continued. “Who will be responsible for the Sentinel agent?”
The room was silent for a moment, but I hadn’t intended for anyone else to volunteer for babysitting duty. I nodded at the Rebel leader. “I will. You won’t have to worry about her, though. If she says she will do the mission, then you can believe her. She did save your life.”
“You were saving my life when she barged in and took over,” snapped Illyria.
I smiled. “Technicality,” I said, and Illyria laughed in response.
“I suppose you are right. She was placed here long enough to have killed us all in our sleep if she wanted to, but all she did was watch. But just to be sure…” She tilted her head in the direction of her general and said, “General W, do a little investigation among the senior officers as to Cassandra’s behavior and her actions while she has been with us. And find out how she got here in the first place. I’m curious how Sentinel knew how to get someone inside our compound without alerting a single person. Says a lot about our security.”
I shook my head. “All it says is Sentinel is pretty good at their job. Nothing is impenetrable to them. If they want to get in, they find a way and they get in. They have incredible technological advancement at their disposal. You really aren’t much of a match for them if they wanted to storm the place and take over.”
Illyria laughed. “That’s comforting to know.”
“Sorry.” I shrugged an apology, but she waved it away.
“Either way, we still need to find out how my cousin was turned. And who else they have hiding out in our compound until they find the right moment to strike.”
***
Chapter 16
She rose, disbanding the meeting, and everyone scattered. “I would suggest a meal and a good night’s sleep. You will need it for the journey.” Then she glanced at Lily. “I was wondering if I could enlist the help of your friend?”
I glanced at Lily, whose head shot up, her eyes wide and curious. “Sure,” I said, wondering what Illyria was up to.
“Since there are so many of you going on the mission, I thought it would be best to have one of your team remain with me, just in case. There are dangers to having all of one’s officers on a mission. Particularly if something goes wrong.”
I stared at Illyria, impressed and hurt all at once. I knew exactly what she was a
sking, and from the stiffness of Anjelo’s spine and Lily’s clenched hand, I could tell they were both on the same page.
Illyria wanted collateral.
I lifted my head and met Lily’s eyes. There was nothing for it. She couldn’t demand to come with us without offending Illyria and without raising suspicion. Lily visibly relaxed. Then she smiled and said, “It would be my pleasure. You could show me around and maybe we could gossip a little about Anjelo.” I had to hand it to her. Her acting skills were beyond reproach.
Illyria laughed and the tension in her own shoulders eased. “Of course. As long as Anjelo doesn’t mind.”
“No way. Anjelo has to mind for it to be worth it.” At Lily’s words, everyone laughed and then got up to leave.
I rose to follow them out, but as I neared the door, Illyria’s voice stopped me. “Kailin. I am sorry I had to do that.” Her expression, even with her tight Wraith skin, was very apologetic and more than a little sad. “It’s hard to place one’s trust in every person who crosses one’s path.”
I shook my head and pursed my lips. “Not to worry. I believe I would have done the very same thing.”
Illyria inclined her head in thanks, and then I left her alone to contemplate her conscience.
***
Outside, Anjelo and a rather dejected Lily waited in the tunnel. Lily opened her mouth, but I shook my head and she took the cue, falling to silence as Anjelo led us to our rooms.
Once safely inside the small room, Lily turned and faced us. “Do I really have to stay?” The tone of her voice said she knew she had to, but I understood how she felt.
“I’m sorry, Lily. But maybe it’s a good thing. Maybe this way you can stick to our Rebel leader like glue, make sure she’s not orchestrating some plan to have us killed on the way to the compound.”
That seemed to perk her up a bit. Anjelo laughed as he opened his arms for a hug. “That’s better.”
Lily went to him without a word. “I just found you,” she whispered into his shoulder.
“I’m not going away forever, Lily. We go to Wrygos, rescue Celeste, and come straight back.”
She shook her head, then let go of him. “I’m sorry, Kai,” she said, staring at me with moist eyes.
“What for?” I asked, sinking into the nearest of the beds with a sigh. There were two single beds, what seemed like rope springs and mattresses stuffed with something soft. A strange fur covered the bed, and I wondered what types of animals lived in this world.
Lily cleared her throat. “The mission is to save your mom, and here I am sniffing like a baby because I have to stay behind.”
“Oh, Lily, you are certifiable sometimes,” I said, and she giggled. “Now can we get something to eat around here?” I looked at Anjelo hopefully.
“What do they eat here anyway? Hope it’s not worms or larvae or something.”
Anjelo laughed hard. “What makes you think that? Of course they have livestock here, but this is like any normal barracks. Mostly bread and soups supplemented with chunks of meat. And don’t worry. Everything is edible and definitely not human.”
Lily snorted. “I didn’t think they ate humans,” she said, clicking her tongue.
Anjelo headed to the door. “Come. If we get there now, we’ll be the first ones in. Then we can grab our dinner and bring it to our rooms without anyone asking any questions.”
“Brilliant idea. Lead the way.” We headed to the dining hall, which turned out to be the same hall we’d first walked through to reach the war room. Now, the far corner of the room contained a few small, sturdy tables bearing platters of hot bread. Beside them sat two gigantic metal pots, the contents of which steamed and bubbled. To say it looked unappealing was putting it mildly.
On the way back, Lily and I stared dolefully at the grey mush, and I knew she was wondering the same thing. Is this stuff even edible?
But once were in our room, we were both pleasantly surprised. Where it lacked in looks, it made up in flavor, and soon the bowls were empty and our hunger appeased.
***
Later, we were readying ourselves for bed in the small, cold room. With no fire, we were in for a freezing night, but I suspected the furs would be warm enough. Lily took the far wall, undressing in silence, then diving under the covers.
Fatigue pulled me to sleep, but I shoved myself up onto my elbow. “Lily?”
“Mmh?”
“Are you going to be okay here without us?” I asked, determined to find another way to do this if she even hinted she couldn’t do it by herself.
Lily shifted in her bed and the rope springs creaked. “Yup. I’ll be fine, Kai. Don’t worry about me.” She faced me and smiled. “What are sidekicks for?” she asked, giving me a wink.
“You know, I forgot to say I’m going to have to hold interviews when we get back home.”
“Interviews?” Lily asked sleepily.
“Yeah, for the position of sidekick. You know… considering Anjelo will be back.”
Something came sailing at me, and I heard a soft spludge as Lily’s shirt hit the floor. “Shut up, Kai. You should be sleeping instead of talking crap.”
I snorted and snuggled down and was asleep before I even got comfortable.
***
The next morning arrived with Anjelo shaking us awake. He handed us bowls of something hot and very similar to oatmeal. Lily grimaced as she ate and so did I. It was like eating the worst bowl of oatmeal ever, like shoveling globs of glue or paste into our mouths. I swallowed it courageously and dressed as fast as I could while Anjelo and Lily said their good-byes.
With my satchel over my shoulder, I waited by the door as Lily and Anjelo came to me. She leaned toward me and I gave her a hug, then held her away to look her straight in the eye. “Keep your eyes open, okay. You just never know what you’ll see. And don’t trust anyone. Stick as close to Illyria as you can without making it look suspicious.”
Lily nodded, although her eyes had a sad droop. “Sure, I’ll just complain I’m lonely. She should believe that.” She shrugged, her mouth turning down. “I don’t think she likes me very much.”
“Don’t be silly. Illyria doesn’t have the time to like or dislike people. She’s too busy trying to fight a war.” I gave her one last hug, then set her away and walked to the door. Lily had never been known to be clingy, but I was afraid more for me than her. I had to admit to myself that I was very afraid. If something went wrong, what would happen to Lily?
With Anjelo and Lily behind me, I hurried down the tunnel toward the meeting hall. I glanced back at Anjelo’s face, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Then I cleared my throat. “I need to talk to Illyria for a moment before we leave.”
“Sure. If you see her, grab her. I’m sure she won’t mind.” I nodded and followed him as he turned into the entrance to the hall.
We’d just stepped inside when Illyria walked off the podium after having addressed her troops. She headed for us, and I gave her a weak smile. “Thanks for allowing us to go.”
“It sounds to me like the most logical option. You need to find your mother, so you will be an asset more than anything else.” I nodded, unsure of what else to say. She made it easy for me by saying, “Good luck and take care of yourselves.”
She shook my hand and headed off to one of her generals peering at a map spread out on a nearby table. He was eating an apple and had stuck a small dagger into one corner of the parchment to keep it from rolling closed.
I caught sight of Cassandra striding over to Anjelo and Lily. She glanced over in my direction, and I waved at her before beckoning her to join me.
When Cassandra drew abreast of me, she smiled. “Good morning.”
“Hope so,” I responded wryly. “Could we talk for a moment?” She nodded and led me to the farthest corner of the hall without actually having to leave the room.
“So what do you need to know?”
“It’s not… that. I just needed to make arrangements just in case.”
“In case of what?” Cassandra asked, seemingly oblivious of my tumultuous worries.
“We have a dangerous mission ahead, and that’s not even bringing in the fact that we have to attack a garrison of powerful Wraiths. I just want to make sure I put certain measures in place in case Anjelo and I don’t make it out alive.”
Cassandra blinked as if the possibility had never occurred to her. Then she cleared her throat. “Okay, what do you need from me?”
“What method do you have of leaving Wrythiin?”
“I was brought here by a Teleporter since I’m not one myself. But I have a way of letting them know there is trouble.”
“How does this method work?” I asked. I was more attentive when I heard her mention a Teleporter. I’d gone to so much trouble to obtain a key to Wrythiin; I’d be really pissed if I found out there was an easier way to get here.
“The Teleporter that brought me does a daily quick trip to check on my messages.”
“Do you have a specific place?” I asked, and she nodded. “And you can leave messages to let them know you need an extraction or backup? Okay. Is it possible for you to tell Lily where this place is?”
Cassandra fell silent for a moment. Then she sighed. “I see. Should something happen to us, you wish for your friend to have a method of leaving this place safely.” I just nodded. There was no need to elaborate. “I think in this particular situation, I would be allowed to provide Lily with the correct information.”
“This situation?” I asked.
“Yes. Given that my orders were to ensure your friend and mother were safe, and then you of course. In your absence, the girl is my responsibility, so I will speak with her before we leave.” Cassandra glanced around the room and spotted Lily beside Anjelo. She turned and headed over to them, and I followed closely. The moment we arrived, Cassandra said, “Lily my dear, there is some information I need to impart before I head off to the mountains with your friends.”