Brandi couldn’t let that happen. She needed to be here.
Several soldiers erected a tent for the commanders, complete with Prince Keevan’s light green banner flying from the tallest pole. Shad, General Stewart, Prince Keevan, and Lady Lorraine disappeared inside.
Brandi caught Jamie eyeing the tent. He had to be thinking the same thing she was. After all, what was the use of being a Blade and a sort of Blade trainee if they didn’t use their sneaking skills? “Want to listen in?”
With a sly smile, he eased to his feet. Brandi followed him on tiptoes as they skirted the edge of the camp. Sticking to the shadows, they sidled up to the side of the tent and crouched by a tree.
“…Blades here, here, and here.” Shad’s voice filtered through the canvas.
“Can we slip past them?” Prince Keevan’s voice rasped.
“No. They’re spaced far enough apart that a small group could slip through, but not the whole army.” Paper rustled. “Respen has his army stationed here with their eastern flank anchored against Walden and their western flank on this ridge in the foothills. The rest of the line curves between those two points. If we try to bypass them through Flayin Falls, they’ll swing around and squeeze us against Nalgar Castle.”
“So a costly frontal assault is our only option.” General Stewart’s growl cut through the air. “Hit them in the center and try to break the line.”
Brandi bit her lip. She didn’t understand much about military planning, but that didn’t sound good. Especially if she was going to be a part of this “costly frontal assault.”
“I wouldn’t advise it.” Shad’s voice accompanied a tapping sound. “Several of the Blades Leith spotted had been with the division attacking the western towns. We’re facing Respen’s entire army. There are about ten thousand men down there.”
“Not a pleasant prospect.” Lady Lorraine’s voice cut through the tent’s thick fabric. “Is there any way to hit their flanks?”
“They have sentries watching the Spires Canyon behind Walden, and there’s too much open space to sneak from that side.” More rustling paper accompanied Shad’s words. “On the other end, a Blade is stationed on this cliff overlooking the ridge. It’s the highest elevation in the area, and he’ll see our army coming. But, this canyon here is hidden from view. It’s too small for our entire army, but a hundred of my Riders could circle around from the west and come out on this steep slope. The Blade wouldn’t see us until we were between him and Respen’s army.”
“That Blade Leith Torren could’ve been an asset.” Keevan’s tone sounded almost guilty. “His scouting expertise could’ve been useful.”
Brandi grimaced. Her cousin’s stubbornness had forced Leith to choose the path he had. If Leith wasn’t here now, then Keevan had no one to blame but himself.
“Leith isn’t here, but Jamie, his trainee, came along. He’s a part of my division. He has all the training of a Blade.”
Beside her, Jamie eased a hand to touch the top of his right shoulder. He was probably thinking about how close to the truth Shad was. Shad didn’t know Jamie was a full-fledged Blade. Perhaps not as skilled as Leith, but still sneaky.
Brandi would have to be just as sneaky to join those hundred riders when Shad picked them out of their division of two hundred and fifty. No way was she going to be left out of that adventure.
“Their flank should crumble, and their line shatter.” General Stewart sounded satisfied with that thought.
Crumbling and shattering sounded like good things to Brandi.
“I say we do one better.” Something tapped, like a finger on paper, as Lady Lorraine spoke. “General Wentle will expect a flank attack since it’s the best option for assailing his position. So let’s give him two flanking attacks. As we’ve discussed, Captain Alistair will take a hundred of his Riders on this circular route to hit the western flank. To divert General Wentle’s attention, we’ll send Captain Stewart with the rest of the three hundred and fifty Riders down the Spires Canyon. They’ll hit the eastern flank stationed around Walden. General Wentle will be forced to reinforce his eastern flank when his sentries report the attack.”
Brandi leaned closer to Jamie. “Captain Stewart?”
“General Stewart’s son.”
One guess as to how he got his position as captain.
“When my father sees what’s happening, he’ll rally Walden’s defenders and hit that flank as well.”
“If your father is still alive.” Keevan rasped.
Brandi rolled her eyes. Of course her cousin had to be the sour apple in the basket.
“He is. No one else could’ve kept Walden standing this long.”
“Precisely.” Lady Lorraine’s tone chided the others into silence. “With such a strong attack from the east and the foot soldiers and archers attacking the center, General Wentle will weaken his western flank to reinforce the rest of his line. That’s when Captain Alistair should make his move.”
Brandi tilted closer to the tent as everyone inside lapsed into silence. Probably mulling over the plan and looking for problems. She didn’t see any, but she wasn’t a military planner.
General Stewart’s gruff voice broke the silence first. “I’ll instruct Captain Stewart to proceed cautiously. If he’s observed, he should look like he’s attempting a sneak attack. If he isn’t seen, we’ll have two sneak attacks, which would be all the better.”
“It is imperative, Captain Alistair, that your sneak attack proceeds without detection.” Lady Lorraine’s voice had the sharp quality of a commander instructing a captain rather than a future son-in-law. “The Blades will give General Wentle warning of the rest of our movements. We’re depending on yours to be a surprise.”
“With Jamie’s help and a hundred of the best Riders, it’ll work.”
Jamie drew his shoulders straight, as if preparing himself for the burden of the sneak attack’s success to rest on him. Brandi squeezed his shoulder. Now she had to make sure she was one of the hundred. No way would she let Jamie face all that pressure alone.
“Your Highness, do we have your approval of this plan?” General Stewart’s tone softened into a deferential, yet fatherly timbre.
“Yes, please proceed with the arrangements.” Keevan’s voice changed into a stuffily official tone. “See to it that messengers are sent to Calloday and Ably. It’s possible that they might send reinforcements once they hear I’ve returned to Acktar. I’ll write the messages for you to give them. I’ll instruct them to rendezvous with our army at Aven.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” The pitch of General Stewart changed, as if he was bowing. “Do you wish to send a rider to Dently?”
“Not yet. It’s too close to Nalgar Castle, and thus at greater risk of the rider being intercepted.”
Jamie climbed to his feet and waved for her to follow him. Brandi staggered to her feet and followed him back the way they’d come. When they returned to their bedrolls at the edge of camp, Jamie sprawled on his blanket. “Don’t need to listen to more. Captain Alistair will be looking for me before long.”
She lay back on her blanket and pulled her leather helmet down over her eyes. “I’ll just be sleeping. No reason for him to notice me.”
“Except to pick you for the mission.” Jamie scowled, like he wanted to try to talk her out of it but realized it’d do no good.
“Yes, except that.” It might be a bit tricky, trying to impress Shad without him recognizing her or Blizzard. Then again, how hard would it be? Shad didn’t expect to see Renna’s little sister strutting around in boys’ clothes and leading Blizzard. All he’d see would be a skinny fourteen-year-old boy with an ash gray horse.
But no matter what it took, Brandi would ride into that battle on Blizzard with Jamie at her side.
36
Today was her eighteenth birthday and the day she’d die.
Renna pinned her hair up as best she could without a mirror. Eighteen. What had she done in those eighteen years? She’d spent so much of the l
ast few years hiding. And recently, what had she accomplished?
Perhaps if she’d married Respen, she could’ve done something. Or maybe her purpose now was to die as bravely as she could.
She stared at the flickering candlelight, praying away the seconds. Soon she’d join Mother, Father, Aunt Mara, Uncle Abel, Aunt Deirdre, Uncle Leon, and her cousins in Heaven.
Brandi. Who would look after her now? Surely Leith would take care of her. If he couldn’t, then Lord and Lady Alistair would.
Leith. Would he try to rescue her? What if he was killed in the attempt?
If only she’d had a chance to tell Brandi and Leith a better good bye.
Her door creaked open. Martyn stood in the doorway, his eyes a swirling, liquid brown. “Renna, I…” His voice broke, and he swallowed.
It was time. Renna climbed to her feet. As she walked out the door, she held her head high. A bolt of dread pierced her stomach, but she refused to give in to it.
Martyn gripped her elbow as he led her down the flights of stairs. She could feel a tremble in his grip, a tightening in his fingers.
As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Renna halted. When Martyn glanced towards her, she laid a hand on his arm. “God is with me.”
He looked like he wanted to snort in derision, but the imminence of her execution halted him. When he stared at her through his blond curls, he seemed young. Small. She was tempted to give him a hug. Without the faith she clasped so tightly, Martyn didn’t have any comfort. Nothing she said could give him the comfort she felt pouring through her.
Was this how Uncle Abel and Aunt Mara felt in the moments before their execution? Was that how they’d been able to sing on their way to death?
She’d be all right. Her chest warmed, even though the tips of her fingers and the pit of her stomach remained blizzard cold. If Leith came to save her or if she died, she’d be all right. God was with her.
As they crossed the common room, two Blades joined them, one on either side. The one, a dark-haired Blade Renna didn’t recognize, swept his gaze over her, a sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth. The other, Ranson, ducked his head as soon as she glanced at him.
Martyn tugged her from the Blades’ Tower and across the bridge to the passageway that connected the cobblestone courtyard with the Queen’s Court. Ranson and the other Blade kept pace, hands on their knives.
As they turned toward the cobblestone courtyard, Renna spotted the block and axman framed in the light at the end of the passageway. Her heart beat in her ears. Her stomach skittered, and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled with the sensation of the ax slicing down.
She couldn’t let herself think about it. She wasn’t going to let fear be her last emotion.
Uncle Abel and Aunt Mara had sung on their way to their execution. They’d sung for her, but they’d also sung for themselves to place their focus on God instead of the death waiting them. Perhaps she could do the same. Would it distract her from the ax waiting for her?
The words of Aunt Mara’s favorite song breezed through her mind. Renna opened her mouth and sang. “In doubt and temptation I rest, Lord, in Thee.”
The words coated her tongue with a bittersweet honey, filled with memories of Aunt Mara singing her and Brandi to sleep with this song in the long nights following their parents’ deaths. Renna closed her eyes, trusting Martyn to guide her to the block. “My hand is in Thy hand, Thou carest for me.”
She could tell by the echoes that they’d left the passageway and stepped into the open courtyard. She cracked her eyes open. There, beyond the block, a crowd of people stood by. Mostly soldiers, but a few of the castle staff as well. The skinny cook shook, his eyes wide. The old woman was being held back by a soldier, her face moist.
A few of the soldiers shouted, but the rest remained silent. Eerily silent.
All she could do was walk forward and sing away her final moments of life. Her voice echoed in the hot, quiet courtyard. “My soul with Thy counsel through life Thou wilt guide.”
Martyn halted her. The wooden block crouched in front of her, brown with bloodstains, rough with the slices of the ax. Her voice faltered. Her knees buckled on their own, sending her crashing painfully to the cobblestones. The pain didn’t matter. It’d all be over in a matter of moments.
Her hands and body shook. This was it. Tears built in her eyes. Her breathing changed into a ragged gasp.
No. She would not panic. God would grant her courage to face even this.
She laid her neck in the groove on the block. The wood scraped against her throat, the back of her neck exposed to the ax.
Squeezing her eyes shut and her fingers into fists, she poured her breath into the last line of the song. “And afterward make me in glory abide.”
Glory. Focus on glory. God. Jesus. No pain. No tears. Just glory.
37
Leith vaulted over the battlements and landed in a crouch on top of the North Tower. With the two guards focused on the courtyard below, no one noticed him.
Someone was singing. A glance at the courtyard showed Renna falling to her knees and placing her neck on the block. His heart froze. Too late.
Not too late. Perfect timing. He slipped behind the guards and brought the hilt of his knife down on the backs of their unprotected heads. First one, then the other, crumbled. The clanking of their swords hitting the stones drew the attention of the guards on the walls on either side of the tower. Leith stepped onto the battlements with a knife in each hand. He glared at the soldiers and held the knives as if he were prepared to throw them.
The soldiers had no way of knowing that he couldn’t throw knives to save his life. But as long as he fooled them, they wouldn’t take a step toward him.
“Lord Respen Felix!”
In the courtyard below, the executioner halted. The crowd, already silent, gaped upward. The Blades Harding and Daas reached for their knives. Martyn stared, a look that might’ve been pain twisting his features. Renna’s white face tipped upward, her eyes wide. With hope? With fear? He couldn’t tell from this distance.
The window of Respen’s chamber creaked open. Sunlight washed across Respen’s face and glinted on his beard as he stepped closer to the window. “I knew you would return, my traitorous Blade. Your foolish sentiment has made you weak.” Respen’s deep voice rang loud enough to carry, but soft enough to appear bored.
“Perhaps. But you need my foolishiness to keep me here.” Leith brandished the knives. The sun shot daggers of light along their blades. “I evaded the five Blades you sent after me. I survived the Waste. If you kill her, I’ll leave, and you’ll never catch me.”
He had done what no Blade had ever managed to do: outrun Respen’s punishment. Respen couldn’t afford to let him leave again. He held his Blades under his control because they knew they couldn’t escape the punishment. But if Leith proved it was possible, some of the others would be tempted to try as well.
If only Leith could bargain for Renna’s freedom, but Respen wouldn’t let her go. All Leith could do was buy time with his surrender. Respen would keep Renna alive as a tool to break him.
Respen mulled Leith’s ultimatum over for only a few seconds before he twitched his hand. Martyn darted forward and dragged Renna to her feet. Even with the distance of the courtyard separating them, Leith could see Respen’s nonchalant shrug. “I can wait to kill her until after you are dead. It makes no difference to me to delay her death by a few more days. I will make her watch me break you.”
He couldn’t focus on Respen’s words. He’d known what he’d face. He’d known it from the first moment he’d stepped into Lord Alistair’s study with the intention of joining the Resistance. All the months of hiding and running, they’d all led to this.
The inevitable.
“I’ll surrender. But first I have a message for you.” Leith drew in a deep breath, gathering the words of the formal proclamation that Prince Keevan had him memorize before he’d left. “Lord Respen Felix of Blathe, you are hereby c
harged with high treason against His Majesty King Leon Eirdon as well as the murders of King Leon, Queen Deirdre, and three of their sons. You are ordered to surrender yourself to justice. If you do not do so, you will be hunted and arrested by the order of His Royal Highness Prince Keevan Eirdon, true heir and prince of Acktar.”
Respen’s face mottled. He pounded the windowsill. “Prince Keevan’s dead. You killed him yourself.”
Leith tipped his head, unable to resist a smile. “It seems I was a failure as a Blade even then.”
Respen gripped the windowsill, his knuckles white. “First Blade, return Lady Rennelda to her cell and see to it that Torren is brought to the Tower.” With a final glare at Leith, Respen slammed the window closed so forcibly the panes rattled.
Leith had done what he’d set out to do. He’d shaken the king. Badly. Hopefully Respen would remain off balance and blind to Prince Keevan’s plan.
More than that, Prince Keevan’s return took away Respen’s one main reason for killing Renna. She wasn’t a threat to his throne, and once again, she’d be worth more alive to use against her cousin than she would dead.
In the courtyard below, the lines of soldiers milled about. A captain shouted orders and began herding his men back to their barracks. Martyn grasped Renna’s arm and hustled her from the courtyard, Daas and Harding following. Instead of heading for the North Tower and the dungeons, Martyn steered her toward the passageway between the two courtyards.
Where was Renna’s cell? Leith craned his neck and watched until they disappeared in the passageway. Respen’s chambers lay in that direction, as well as the guest apartments and the bridge to the Blades’ Tower. Had Renna been locked in the Tower these past weeks?
Defy (The Blades of Acktar Book 3) Page 20