Bastian’s exhausted, Danil sent back. I’d wager he won’t make it more than fifteen minutes before heading to bed. Say… two gold coins?
You’re incorrigible. He was right though, Bastian had slipped into the glassy eyed stare of someone who was only minutes away from much needed sleep.
Chapter Seventeen
Julianne stepped out into the cold evening air and shivered. “Yes,” she said, reading Garrett’s mind. “I should have brought my cloak.”
Garrett laughed. “Aye. I wasn’t going to say it out loud, so ye canna blame me for thinkin’ it.”
“It’s sensible advice,” Julianne admitted. They walked quickly, footsteps echoing through the quiet night. “It’s late for a meeting. I wonder why she didn’t want to wait until morning?”
“Perhaps Arcadia has had trouble of the sort we saw in the Heights,” Garrett suggested.
Julianne didn’t answer, and they walked in silence. The streets were empty except for the odd patrol of soldiers, and some staggering drunks. A cat screeched, making Julianne jump before it ran off into the night and a loud argument a few streets over carried through the night air.
“And people wonder why we hate the bloody city,” Garrett sighed.
“It’s certainly different from home,” Julianne remarked.
They walked on, only to stop when a stifled cry caught their attention. They paused.
“Over there,” Garrett said in a low voice. He gestured to a dark alleyway. “Wait here.”
“To hell with that,” Julianne said. She didn’t bother to lower her voice as she darted over to the entrance.
The moon was bright enough to illuminate the narrow street, where a tall man stood against the wall. “Stay still, bitch, or it’ll hurt all the more when I fuck you.”
“Step back, pig fucker,” Julianne called.
The man spun, letting the woman he’d had pressed against the wall fall to the ground. She heaved a sob, then scrambled to her feet. Her footsteps slapped on the cobbled road as she fled.
“Oh, you want a turn, too? I’ll fuck you so hard your teeth’ll hurt.” He grabbed his nuts, which dangled freely from his unlaced pants.
“Love your cock, don’t you?” Julianne asked, smiling.
“You’ll love it, too, if you give it a chance.” The man grinned. “Tell ya friend to piss off before I knock his head off. Then I’ll show ya why I love my cock so much, bitch.”
Garrett hefted his sword, but Julianne waved him down.
“Must be a mighty fine cock,” she said as the man shuffled closer, hand still grabbing his bulge. “Why don’t you give it a squeeze?”
The man stopped, his hand tightening. His eyes widened as his arm started jerking. “What… what the fuck?” He bent over, wrestling with himself.
“Squeeze tighter,” Julianne said, her voice hard as stone. “Squeeze it until it pops.”
“What? I… ahhh!” He whimpered in pain and crumpled to the ground.
“Come on. We don’t want to watch this.” Julianne turned and took Garrett’s arm, the rearick’s face white in the moonlight.
The whimpers behind them turned to screams of pain for a minute, then cut off.
“You… you let him go?” Garrett asked.
“Oh, hell no,” Julianne said. “He probably passed out from the pain. He won’t be sticking that dick in anyone ever again.”
They walked on, Garrett swallowing dryly.
When they reached the offices, an aide named Marie greeted them. “The Chancellor apologizes for pulling you out so late, but it was the best time.”
“I understand,” Julianne reassured her, thinking back to the days after Selah had passed away. They’d slipped by so quickly, buried under a sea of work.
“Julianne!” Amelia flung open a door and stepped out, ushering Julianne inside. The women shared a brief hug. Garrett refused the invitation into the Chancellor’s office, instead taking a seat in the hallway outside.
“I’m so sorry for the short notice, Amelia.” “Oh, it’s fine.” Amelia said as she waved a hand in the air. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you. So much has happened and even more has changed. We’ve rebuilt the factory and had to set up a whole new trade industry to fund the restoration of the city.”
“The work seems to agree with you.” Julianne was pleased to see the healthy flush on her friend’s cheeks, and the sparkle of excitement in her eyes, though something seemed a bit off—maybe even forced.
Amelia grinned. “It’s a lot of work, but it was worth it. Seeing it all come together like it did and knowing how we impacted the people in the city was incredible..”
There was a pause before Julianne said, “I couldn’t help but notice that you used a lot of past tense there. Was incredible?”
Looking down to her desk for a moment, Amelia said, “There is so much happening. I want to tell you, but I also just wish we could have a normal visit.”
Julianne forced a smile, and hated herself adding more to Amelia’s plate. “It sounds like we have a lot to discuss. I’m just passing through, Amelia, but I needed to speak with you. I have things that need my immediate attention as well.”
A look of concern crossed Amelia’s face. “You first. You went out of your way to come here. It must be important.”
Without hesitation, Julianne said, “There was… an incident up at the Temple.”
Amelia sat, and gestured for Julianne to do the same. “That must have been one hell of an incident for you to have come here in person.”
Julianne nodded. “A group calling themselves the New Dawn appeared a few days ago. I don’t know who’s leading them, but they’re crazed, convinced that mystics are the only ones fit to rule. They want that rule to be absolute.”
“Shit.” Amelia shook her head, thinking of Adrien’s rule over their city, but also of the recent things that had been happening. “That sounds familiar. Unfortunately, a bit more familiar than you can imagine.”
“How so?” Julianne responded.
Taking a deep breath, Amelia said, “To keep a very long story short, I accidentally hired Adrien’s bastard daughter to be the Dean of Students. More than that, she has what I could only describe as a dark mystic in her employ. I don’t know if she’s one of your New Dawn people, but Scarlett is definitely up to no good.”
Julianne’s eyes widened, unable to believe what she was hearing. Was it possible this Scarlett was one of them? One of the New Dawn? The name didn’t sound familiar to Julianne, but that didn’t necessarily mean that she didn’t know her. The rogue mystic could have changed it, or she may have been at the Temple before Julianne had met her.
Their situations seemed so much different until then. It was possible they both faced the same enemy, but she had no way of knowing for sure without a little digging. Julianne’s eyes flashed white as she dipped into Amelia’s mind. It was obvious the Chancellor knew it was happening, but she allowed the intrusion with no protest.
When she was finished looking, her eyes returned to normal. “This Scarlett person is unfamiliar to me, but that doesn’t mean anything. I know nothing of the New Dawn yet. It’s possible she is self-taught, or perhaps she left the Temple before I met her.”
“How much of a threat do they pose?” Amelia asked.
Julianne shifted in her chair. “They’ve managed to find some way of shielding that can’t be penetrated, so I can’t be sure. It seems they hail from the other side of the Madlands, which is where I’m headed now.”
She sighed, shaking her head. They’d fought together before, and she wished she could stay and help now, but with so many lives on the line in the Temple—her people’s lives—she couldn’t pull away from her mission.
Finally, she said, “I wish I could stay to help you. I feel compelled to, but I have a responsibility to my people, and they atta—"
“No, no, no,” Amelia said, reaching over to give Julianne’s hand a light squeeze. “Don’t do that. You don’t have to make excuses to me
. You always belonged in the Heights, and I belong here. We worked together to free the city, but we have our responsibilities to our homes. I know you’d stay if you could. I would go with you if I could, but my city is in danger, and I can’t leave. I truly understand. Seems we have our own paths to take.”
Julianne smiled, but it was forced. It hurt her deeply not to be able to help her friend.
Amelia sighed. “Still, I can’t help but ask. Are you sure that’s a good idea? Going to the Madlands, I mean. If something happened to you out there—”
“The Temple would have all the resources it needs to carry on without me. I’ve planned for the worst, though I certainly hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“I see.” Amelia gazed over steepled fingers. “If there’s anything I can do to help, I will. Our resources are thin, and I’m stuck here, but I’ll commit what I can.”
Smiling, Julianne said, “No, there’s no need. I only came to warn you of their presence, but it seems like you may have already been aware of it. Of the six that came to us, only three remain. I assume those three are the ones that attacked us on the mountain.”
Amelia gasped. “Attacked?”
“Yes. We almost lost someone, not from our party but known to our rearick. I couldn’t leave without telling you. Actually, could you spare a messenger? I need to let my people know what happened.”
Swallowing hard, Amelia nodded. “Of course. I only have a very few trusted guards, Marcus among them, though I’ve had him buried in responsibility training the new Guard recruits. I’ll brief those who need to know and perhaps put some feelers out for more information if I can. You’re sure there’s nothing else I can do to help?”
Resolutely, Julianne shook her head. She could see Amelia was stretched thin already.
Amelia nodded. “Very well. Please let me know if that changes. I’ll send a trusted courier to your room at the inn tomorrow morning to take your message. I wish you all a safe journey and a fast return. Stay safe, Julianne. Irth needs you.”
Amelia showed Julianne to the door. They hugged briefly, and Julianne stepped outside, the lock behind her clicking shut after a moment.
“And where has my intrepid protector gone, I wonder?” Julianne murmured to herself. She rounded a corner and caught sight of Garrett, leaning against a wall, deep in conversation. She froze, recognizing that blonde hair and easy posture anywhere.
“Oh, aye, there she is now,” Garrett said, gesturing her over. “Look what I found rolling ‘round the hallways of the Chancellor’s office.”
“Hello, Marcus,” Julianne said, using a meditative trick to slow down her suddenly racing heart.
“Julianne!” Marcus grinned widely. “I see you’re off on another adventure? And what on Irth happened to your face?”
“Just a mishap,” she said, shooting Garrett a quick look. He shrugged.
“Oh, he didn’t tell me anything. I just hadn’t expected to see you outside of the Heights again so soon. Are you heading back, or will you stay a few days? Perhaps we can catch up while you’re here.”
A hopeful lilt to his voice made Garrett snort. He raised his hands in defense when Marcus shot out a foot to kick him in the ankle. “Well, perhaps the young guardsman here will offer to escort the lady back to her accommodation? If so, I have me own business to tend to while we’re here.”
“It’s almost midnight,” Julianne snapped. “What the hell kind of business could you have now?”
“Well, it mostly involves a soft pillow and a lack of opportunity to stick me boot in me mouth, to be honest. If I may?”
Unable to outright forbid him from leaving, Julianne nodded. “We leave early. Be ready.”
“Aye, lass. Farewell, Marcus. Try not to get stabbed before I see ye next.”
“You, too, rearick.” Marcus waved as Garrett sauntered away, then turned to Julianne. “You’re going home already?”
“No,” she admitted. “I’ll be away for a while, actually. I’m looking for someone, a mystic who was last seen across the Madlands.”
Marcus let out a low whistle. “Jules, that’s not a trip to take lightly.”
She raised her eyebrows at him.
“I know you know it’s risky. I was just surprised, that’s all. Especially because I’m headed the same way,” he said.
Suspicious, Julianne narrowed her eyes. “Really.”
Marcus grinned. “Really. I miss it, crazy as it sounds. Plus, we had a remnant attack not long ago. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to go spy around and make sure they stay there in the Madlands while I find my own path. Since Amelia took over, the city has been getting much better. I like it here and all, but it’s so… boring.”
“Shouldn’t that be a good thing?” Julianne asked. “And aren’t you needed with all the things going on right now?”
“It is a good thing, really, and I know Amelia needs me, but I think I could be of better use out there. Even with everything going on, I think the people are safer now than ever.” Marcus shrugged. “I planned to head out to the border, see if I could pick up some work there, maybe find a small travelling party who are moving through. I spent so long fighting out there and never saw what’s on the other side.”
“Probably more of the same,” Julianne said. “People, towns.”
“Probably.” Still wearing that ridiculously charming smile, Marcus tapped his chin with one finger. “I have to go. Gotta make sure a bunch of whiny recruits are hitting the sheets. I wake ‘em up good and early. Take care, will you? I don’t want you to get eaten out there.”
“I’ll be fine. Garrett’s coming, and we both know he can fight. Others, too,” she added, once again feeling the chafe of her solitary journey becoming a group venture. “Farewell, Marcus.”
Marcus hesitated, then darted in and brushed his lips against her cheek. She flushed, but before she could find her tongue, he was walking away.
Pressing a hand to her sternum to recenter herself, Julianne hurried away. It was late, and she would need to catch as much rest as she could before setting off in the morning.
Chapter Eighteen
A tap on the bedroom door woke Julianne with a start. The few snatched hours of restless sleep had made even her dreams tense and she jerked awake, then relaxed as she realized it was just the innkeeper, waking them as requested.
Rolling out of bed, Julianne pulled her riding dress over her petticoat. Throwing the few belongings she’d unpacked back into her bag, she nudged Bette.
“Time to go,” she whispered.
Bette sat up, then threw her legs over the side of her bed, inserting them straight into a pair of boots. She stood, stretched, and slung her pack over one shoulder before walking to the door.
“What, that’s it?” Julianne asked, wrapping the leather cord around her boots. “And I thought I was low maintenance.” She stood and slipped on her white robe.
“It comes with practice,” Bette admitted.
Julianne slipped into a light trance. She reached out to give Danil and Bastian a sharp nudge, but couldn’t help but notice Bette’s quiet pride at Julianne’s remark. It made the mystic smile.
Bette had been a pleasure to ride with, and was quick witted to boot. Julianne had a hunch that Bette’s presence would take some of the edge off of travelling with so many.
A thud sounded through the wall, and then came a grumbled curse. “Bitch’s oath, they’re loud.”
Julianne chuckled. “That they are. Come on, let’s wait downstairs. By the sound of it, we’ll be lucky if they don’t come out with their trousers on their heads instead of their backsides.”
Bette barked a loud laugh, then slapped a hand over her mouth. The two slipped down the narrow staircase and outside, whispering thanks to the innkeep as she stoked the fire for the morning meal.
It wasn’t long before the courier showed to take her message—just as Amelia had promised. She'd quickly scrawled it the night before, a hurried explanation of their encounter on the mountain and a war
ning to stay safe.
Stamping her feet to ward off the cold, Julianne waited for the others and sent Bette to start readying the horses. Bette returned only a moment later with a stable boy, leading all five horses between them.
“The innkeep planned ahead and made sure our horses were ready,” Bette explained.
“Ahh, thank goodness for small favors.” Julianne patted her mare’s neck, snuggling in to share the warmth.
The door opened and Garrett tumbled out alongside Bastian. Though Garrett was dressed and ready, Bastian’s pack still hung open as he struggled to drag his robes on, boots in one hand.
“Here,” Julianne said. “Let me help.” She took Bastian’s pack, then tugged the robe on properly. He gave a thankful smile and sat to pull his boots on, almost tripping Danil in the doorway.
“Oops, sorry.” Danil said. “Jules, you should have woken us sooner.”
“How am I supposed to wake you while I’m still asleep? You lot had just as long as we did to get ready. It’s not our fault you’re slow. You’re like a couple of teenage girls.”
“What did I say?” Bette remarked dryly, causing a burst of giggles from Julianne. “Here, take yer horse, Garrett.”
He did so, mounting quickly and moving away so the others had room to do the same. By the time they were on their way, the sun was just cresting the horizon.
Did your meeting with Amelia go well? Danil sent as they walked their horses to the city gate.
As well as could be expected. It seems the Arcadians have some issues of their own, but Amelia is strong. I have faith in her, she replied.
Do you think… Danil’s thoughts trailed off as something caught his attention. His face hardened. Someone’s waiting for us at the gate.
Julianne quickly reached out with her mind, then jerked her reins as she recognized the slim shadow on his horse by the exit to Arcadia.
“Marcus! What are ye doing out so bloody early?” Garrett called.
Butterflies danced in Julianne’s stomach. She knew exactly what he was doing.
“When I heard a party was headed for the Madlands, how could I not? I’ve been itching to return for months.” Marcus moved his horse forwards and bowed a greeting. “I spent years fighting at the border. Never once did I see the other side of it. I figured, now’s as good a time as any. If you’ll have me, of course.”
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