They didn’t give him a chance to say anything, circling him like vultures over a kill.
“I like the eyes,” said Balera, leaning in close to Galen’s face. He stared back, trying to lean away and not be rude at the same time.
“Decent muscles,” Obelia murmured.
Her mother smiled. “Your father will be pleased.”
The three women exchanged a glance and then smiled at Evony. “We approve,” Zarina said.
Evony offered a half a smile then focused back on the task at hand. As happy as she was to see her family, and as much as she wanted to properly introduce them to Galen, they had far more important things to do. “This isn’t over,” she told them. “We still have work to do.”
The easy smiles disappeared and the women in front of her went from being her family back to being warriors. “Tell us what you need,” her mother said. “Marnin, give her your quiver and your spare arrows. She’ll need them more than you will.”
Her brother pouted, but complied. Evony turned to Galen while he was doing that and said, “I know you have to go. You need to show everyone who’s loyal that you’re safe. You need to rally them to finish this. We’ll send half our warriors with you.”
Galen frowned at her. “Where will you go?”
“To finish this. Someone needs to cut the head off the snake. Or at least see it, instead of spending all of our time chasing its tail.”
Marnin came up then, handing over his quiver stuffed with arrows. Evony smiled her thanks then held his gaze with hers. “I need you to go with Galen,” she told him. “I want you to stay with him, to protect him for me since I have a different task. Can you do that for me?”
His chest swelled and her brother nodded eagerly. “I will fight with honour!”
She nodded back then looked at Galen. His expression made it clear he wanted to protest. She sighed and stepped close to him so she could speak quietly. “I don’t want Marnin in the worst of the fighting. He’s only thirteen, as much as he thinks of himself as a warrior. But he’ll also be helpful. He’s a tactical genius, the best in the clan. He’ll know how to use my people most effectively, and if you explain the tactics of your soldiers, should be able to help you with yours. He’s young but well trained.”
Galen frowned but only sighed. She flashed a brief smile at him then turned to her mother. “We need two groups. One to accompany Galen to rally the loyal nobles and break out of the barracks if they haven’t already gotten out. The other group needs to come with me so that we can head out to take care of those who started this.”
Zarina nodded sharply and then turned to the assembled Amazzi, shouting orders and getting the group to split. Evony turned away from her, her gaze going to Balera. “Will you take a small group and guard our wounded or find a way to take them to the medicus wing? I don’t want to leave them here alone.”
Her sister wrinkled her nose. “As long as at least one of them is awake and can tell us where to go, we’ll get them to the medicus. It’s one of the first places we wanted to secure after finding you.”
“I thought as much, but just wanted to be certain,” she replied, turning back to Galen. He was watching her, expression impossible to read. “What?”
“I had not thought you knew who was orchestrating this coup.”
Evony snorted and pointed to the leader of the group that had been attacking them. Or rather, his corpse. Under the light of the lanterns he and his men had brought, the colour of his tunic was unmistakable, even underneath the blood. “I won’t pretend I’m not surprised,” she said through gritted teeth, eyes ablaze at the thought that she could have done this. “But I have noticed what colour has been dominant among those who have attacked us. And I know you wouldn’t have eliminated anyone whose family you had any kind of suspicion about arranging this whole rebellion.”
“I should know by now that you have unexpected depths,” Galen replied.
“So I’m not an uncultured barbarian then?”
That got a tiny upwards quirk of his lips. “I only thought that at the beginning.”
She smiled and leaned in to kiss him quickly. “I love you. Don’t die.”
“I return the same feeling to you.”
The clearing of Zarina’s throat drew their attention away from each other. “We’re ready.”
Evony nodded. “Then let’s finish this.”
With her mother and younger sister behind her, Evony led the way towards the building that held the visiting nobles. She was glad she remembered where it was from when she’d first arrived at the palace. She hoped they’d find everyone they needed there, but had her doubts. But at the least there should be one or two. None of the women here fought, so she could be guaranteed of finding her there.
“Where are we going?” Obelia asked, after a glance behind them at their half of the Amazzi warriors.
“Nobles’ quarters,” she replied. “It’s where the people who started this nonsense will be. At least some of them.”
Zarina grinned harshly. “Just show us where the traitors are.”
“That’s what I intend to do,” Evony said as they continued their loping run through the halls. She ignored the faint weakness she could feel in her arms, her muscles tired from all the abuse she’d put them through in defending the storeroom. She had work to do, work more important than anything else she’d ever done, work that would affect Galen’s safety. She couldn’t afford to give in to her body.
The darkened halls and walkways were only lit intermittently with lanterns that had been left by groups of the enemy, a few areas showing signs of battle. One still had two men, but they ran at the sight of Evony’s group. Neither made it all the way out of the light’s circle before arrows cut them down, the archers barely slowing in their run as they shot.
They turned down a hall and headed out through the arch, into the cooler air of the night. The whole group crossed through a garden, getting up onto the nearest walkway then turning right before continuing on. The barely visible moon was much lower in the western sky than Evony remembered it being earlier, making her wonder how long they’d been inside, how long she’d been fighting.
Their soft shod feet were near silent on the stone of the floor even with their numbers, their lack of armour keeping them quiet. Which is how no one noticed them until they rounded a corner of the building to follow the colonnade around it.
Evony stopped short as she saw the shadows of two figures. She blinked and watched as they moved into the light, the long-haired figure striking out at the larger one with a rod of some type. The man in the purple tunic dropped with a thud to lay unmoving on the ground. The girl shivered, moving what appeared to be a firepoker closer to herself. She slowly straightened, and as the hair fell away from her face, Evony recognized her.
“Admina?” she said, staring at the shorter girl, not sure she was seeing right.
Her friend whirled and stared, the poker hanging loosely from one hand before it finally fell with a clatter. Admina didn’t notice as she’d launched herself across the distance between them. She wrapped her arms around Evony and clung to her, shivering.
Evony awkwardly patted her, wondering just what had happened to have her this upset. Then again, she had just seen Admina hit someone with a firepoker, and that wasn’t something she’d ever thought she’d see. Of course, she hadn’t ever expected to see Admina take out anyone. “Are you alright? What happened?”
“Hey!”
The shout drew Evony’s gaze to the handful of men fast approaching. They stopped and froze as they saw the forest of arrows pointed at them. One of them, a man in red, cleared his throat after a few moments. “Rector Admina?” he called softly.
Admina stiffened slightly then pulled away from Evony. She discretely wiped her face, smoothed out her dress and only then turned to face the men. “It’s qui
te alright,” she said, voice even, though Evony could see how a hand was clenched around a fistful of her skirt. “She’s on our side.”
Knowing better than to step on her friend’s pride, Evony nodded. “We’re on our way to deal with the people who started this.”
At the word we, Admina glanced around. Her eyes widened as she took in the assembled women before she flushed. “I’m sorry I didn’t find more help,” she whispered, focus on the ground. “I did all I could.”
Evony smiled and patted her shoulder. “You did well.”
The men didn’t notice the exchange, too busy staring at the Amazzi. One of the guards, this one in black, stepped forward. “We would like to aid you, brightness.”
Evony hesitated after a glance at Admina. While she would welcome the men, she didn’t want to take protection away from her friend. They had already seen more roving groups of rebels and she had no idea how many more were still out there. Her sister solved her conundrum by stepping forward after an intense study of the girl. “Why don’t I take your friend and any of her men who want to accompany us to rejoin the others? You said your Galen was rallying nobles, and if she’s a Rector, she definitely counts.”
Evony smiled gratefully at Obelia before turning to Admina. “Will you accompany Obelia to Galen? He needs all the support he can get when we don’t know how many of the other nobles are loyal. He’s in the Pleasure Hall, or should be.”
Admina looked into Evony’s eyes, then down, then glanced at Obelia. She bit her lip but nodded. “I am not the ruling Rector, but my brother won’t show himself until he’s certain he can join the winning side, so I guess I’m all we have to represent Miletum” she said quietly, then turned to the men. “Men of Miletum, will you accompany me?”
The two men in red bowed. “Always, Rector.”
“Be careful,” Evony told Admina.
Her friend bowed her head, grabbing Evony’s hand so she could squeeze it with both of hers. “You need to be careful too,” she said, meeting Evony’s gaze with her slightly watery one. “If anything were to happen to you... You need to be safe.”
“I’ll do what I can,” she replied with a hint of a smile, thinking that Admina was saying things similar to Galen. “Trust Obelia. She’ll ensure you get through safe.”
“Better than you would,” her sister quipped, shifting her bow to her other hand so she could lay the nearer hand on Admina’s shoulder. “Nice to meet you, friend of Evony’s. I hope you know where we’re going, because this place confuses me.”
Admina ducked her head and nodded. “I know the way.”
“Then we’ll take our leave,” Obelia said, as the two soldiers in red came to stand to either side of Admina. “Don’t die, and don’t be too much of a show off.”
“Funny, coming from you,” Evony retorted, before stepping further into the hall. The men in black fell behind her, while her mother came to stand beside her. She looked back at Obelia and Admina and offered a last smile and raised hand, then started off at a walk.
Once her group was past her sister and friend, she slowly sped them back up to their usual loping run. As much as Evony wanted to see to Admina’s safety herself, she couldn’t. But she knew Obelia would do well by her. After all, they had the same training.
But worry still gnawed at her. Evony knew it would until she finished this, until the palace was safe again. Until she killed the people responsible for this whole mess.
Chapter 26: Colour of a Traitor
Standing in a garden only a few minutes’ run from the Pleasure Hall, Galen pressed a hand against the gash in his arm, glad the bleeding had all but stopped. He’d already had to wave off one of Evony’s clan who had wanted to bandage it. They were low on them for the moment, and there was no sense in wasting one on what was a light wound.
He looked back the way they’d come, the walkways shadowed and dark. He hoped Evony was safe. She was with her people, and the Amazzi with him had already shown their martial prowess on their way here, but he couldn’t help the sharp-edged worry that ate its way into his stomach. If anything happened to her...
Movement in the small circle at the centre of their group that had been left around him drew Galen’s gaze. Her hair far more dishevelled than when he’d last seen her, but Galen still recognized Rector Admina of Miletum. Following close behind her were two men in the red of her province and one of Evony’s sisters. Ice flooded his veins. She’d been with Evony and if she were here to find him—
Something of what he was feeling must have leaked through his walls because Evony’s sister nodded. “Evony’s fine. More of your people had joined her when we left. If you’re going to have one of us as a lifemate, you’ll have to learn to trust us to keep ourselves safe. Amazzi are very hard to kill.” The grin she turned on him was one that he had seen more than once on Evony’s face, making him relax.
Galen turned his attention to Admina, noting that she had gone pale, her eyes wide and staring at him. He couldn’t remember a time that she’d ever met his gaze before. “Is everything right with you?”
She flinched and looked away. One hand clenched before she met his eyes again. “Miletum stands with you, Your Majesty,” she said, bowing to him. The soldiers behind her followed suit.
“Thank you.”
The arrival of Marnin and the other Amazzi they’d sent to scout with him cut off any further talk. Galen did notice Evony’s sister moving in to murmur something in Admina’s ear out of the corner of his eyes, but he paid it little attention, not when Marnin stopped directly in front of him. “Several groups of the traitors are in the hall. Their forces look about even with ours, though some of the men don’t appear to be in fighting form.”
He frowned. “You are certain they are with the rebels?”
Marnin snorted with the kind of attitude only a boy on the cusp of manhood could muster. “We overhead some of the men talking about what their plans were once you and Evony were executed. We’re certain.”
Galen pushed down the flare of anger and fear at the thought of Evony being executed. As much as he’d like to focus on her, he was the emperor and his empire was under attack. He needed to finish this as quickly as possible to ensure the safety of his allies and the empire as a whole. “It would be best we trap them, if we can, but I do not want to waste our people unnecessarily.”
While one foot drew circles in the grass, the boy frowned and was silent for several moments before he looked back up at Galen. “Sweeping in from both sides would be the best option then. We picked up enough of your people to make it easier to split into two groups. Your men will come in from the near side, while ours will come in from the other. They’ll focus on the shield wall and we can pick them off from behind. If the worst happens and they turn to face all of us, we can still block them in and keep them from escaping. You’ll need to come with our people so we can ensure your safety. Are there any other entrances besides the big one on this side and the two small ones on the other?”
Galen blinked, the certainty of Marnin’s voice and the speed at which he’d come up with the plan both a surprise. Evony hadn’t lied when she said her brother was good at tactics. “No, those are the only entrances.”
The boy nodded. “Then everything should go well. Or as well as any battle can.”
Glancing around at their troops, it hadn’t escaped Galen’s notice that the Amazzi had formed the first circle around him, not allowing even his own guards closer to him than they were. Loyalty and honour. That was what surrounded him, not just that of the Amazzi, but of his own troops. He made a mental note to reward all of them for this, if they survived.
His eyes found Marnin again, the boy’s gaze steady. Still young enough to believe himself immortal, he had the same eyes as his sister. Dark, steady, and entirely too filled with stubbornness. He understood better why Evony had sent the boy with him.
The weight of their lives and the empire as a whole pressed down on his shoulders but Galen kept his head up and his back straight. The burden was a familiar one, and though there was more uncertainty and danger surrounding him than there ever had been before, he refused to show it. He was Emperor Galen Fuscienne and he refused to let those who had turned against him win. “Pass the word to your people and I will speak to my men. We will go with your plan.”
Marnin flashed him a grin filled with far too much enthusiasm before he loped off. Galen turned his attention to his men, ignoring the way two of the Amazzi attached themselves to him, hands on their bows. This would likely be the end of it, and live or die, Galen took comfort in the fact that Evony was far enough away with enough of her people that she could get away if the worst happened.
* * *
Evony and her group met no others as they continued their way to the building across from the imperial wing. They heard a number of retreating footsteps, but without light to see who they were, none of them risked the shot. The last thing they wanted to do was kill an ally, especially when they had so few.
They only slowed as they approached the nobles’ quarters, Evony not wanting to spook their targets into running. Not that she was even sure there would be more than one there, but she had to believe there were at least some waiting. Otherwise they’d have a long night of hide-and-seek ahead of them. She held up her hand for silence, not that anyone was talking. She led the way quietly towards the building, pausing often to listen, but not hearing anything until they were at the archway that went inside.
Like they weren’t aware how stupid they were being, Evony could see several soldiers in a mix of silver and purple uniforms milling around one doorway, the lanterns inside all lit so they were clearly visible. Their enemies’ footsteps were loud in the relative quiet of the night, only the distant sound of shouting interrupting what would have been a peaceful night. While Evony had been taught never to be upset over an enemy being stupid, she couldn’t believe it. Not only had they basically telegraphed where the people they were guarding were, they’d made it possible for her and her people to size them up from outside without being seen.
The Emperor's Arrow Page 24