Harold didn’t dare question the mage.
“Have your men check every nook and cranny of the premises. I want every single stone of this building checked. Do you understand?” Rendal asked.
“Yes, sir. I’ll start it immediately.”
“I’m going down to Mason. If they’re going to attempt something, it’ll include freeing him. She’ll be the one to do that. When she does, I’ll be waiting for her.”
“That seems wise, sir,” Harold agreed. “Would you like me to begin the inspection?”
The mage nodded. The fire in his eyes died, and he looked at his second-in-command. “What time is it?”
“Three in the morning, sir.”
Rendal had canceled his classes earlier, intent on discovering Riley’s plans.
“Yes, begin the inspections. Harold, you need to be prepared. Something is going to happen very soon. I can’t see everything. Truthfully, I can’t see much. Lucie and that other man are blocking a lot of my sight, but I can tell they’re planning something.”
Rendal looked forward, nodding to himself.
“Exactly as I thought they would. They can’t handle leaving their Assistant Prefect dying in public like that, so they’ll come tonight, or tomorrow. Either way, be prepared.”
His eyes flashed to Harold. “I fear, old friend, that if you’re not prepared, you may die. I fear that we all may.”
Riley remained hidden. She was alone for the first time in a long time. For weeks, she’d constantly been with someone—Worth, William. Even those bastards Belarus and Harold.
Now, though, she was alone and watching Mason. The moon was nearly below the horizon, and the sun would be rising soon. Two people would determine what happened next: Verith and her. Perhaps Verith was the most important because she was depending on him to move toward Mason.
Part of her wished she had waited with Alexandra and the Chosen. That she had learned more, especially Psychic Magic. She wished she could reach forth and talk to Mason, who hung in the cage. She couldn’t, though.
She had to simply wait, and when the explosives sprang into the sky, move.
Time was growing short.
This would all be over soon.
Verith hadn’t counted how many men he’d had to kill to get inside the castle’s walls. The number was growing higher, but he still hadn’t arrived at where he needed to be.
The men he killed weren’t good guys. He was certain of that because the good guys had already left or weren’t showing up for work. The ones still here were loyal to the mage, so their deaths meant nothing to Verith.
He’d reached the first of the six corners.
He stood in the darkness, looking out at the area. He had to do this quickly, but he also didn’t want to be reckless. There was always a chance that they’d been discovered and he was walking into a trap.
Verith saw no one.
He stepped out of the darkness, pulling the matches from his pocket. This set of explosives had the longest fuse. If his math was correct—which he really fucking hoped it was—he would be able to move from corner to corner of the castle to light them all, and when he finished, run out before they all blew at the same time.
If his math was off... Well, Verith would be blowing up with the rest of the castle.
Verith approached the castle wall, still unable to see the explosives. This corner was Erin’s; she’d done an excellent job of hiding the bombs.
Verith reached the corner and squatted, looking behind the large bush.
There it is, he thought. Good job, Erin. Good fucking job.
He brought the matches up to his eyes, ready to light them.
“It really was a genius idea.”
Verith turned, standing up in one smooth motion that rivaled Riley’s speed.
“Whose idea was it?”
Verith knew the man standing in front of him—or knew of him at least. The mage’s second-in-command, Harold.
“Mine,” Verith told him. He held the matches at his side now, no longer even thinking about lighting them.
Harold stood seven feet away with ten guards behind him. They were all heavily armored and armed. Harold had his sword already drawn.
“I mean, it really was a smart idea. I’ve finally put it all together,” the head guard said. “I can’t say I did it by myself, of course. Rendal was the one who put me on the correct course. The man is more powerful than any of you can imagine, and that’s where your fault lies. You keep thinking you can beat him, but you can’t.”
Harold smiled, a sad thing that spoke only of pity for Verith and his friends.
“You see, Rendal saw that something was about to happen. He didn’t know what, but his instructions are always spot on. He told me to inspect every stone of the castle, so I did. I started four hours ago, and I found your explosives. That was when I put it together.”
Harold gestured toward them.
“They’re at every critical structural position of the castle, and there’s enough to level it. The entire damned building. I understood then. You guys saw what we’ve got downstairs, didn’t you?”
Verith nodded. There wasn’t any sense in lying now. He was caught, and while there was a chance he might fight his way out, it was small.
“And rather than try to go down there and destroy it all and then fight your way out, you decided to just bring the whole thing down at once?”
Verith nodded again.
Harold smiled. “Truly a genius plan. You would have pulled it off, killing us all in one swoop. You have my respect.”
“Keep your fucking respect.” Verith gritted his teeth. He knew it was nearly time.
“I will, then. I have to tell you that I can’t let you light those explosives, though. In fact, I can’t let you leave this place.”
“You can try to stop me,” Verith responded. He unsheathed his sword. “You see the blood on it? That’s from those who tried to stop me from getting in here.”
Harold looked at the wet blood on the steel. “Ah, yes. You were racking up quite a body count. I’m sort of sorry to see it end, but...” He shrugged. “What can you do?”
Verith raised his sword.
“One question before we begin this dance,” Harold interrupted. “There has to be some signal. I imagine—as does Rendal—that you’re going to be attempting to break Mason out of his prison at the same time you blow this place to hell. What’s the signal?”
“The signal is when my friends hear you screaming,” Verith said. “Then they’ll know that it’s time to get to work.”
“Not going to make this easy on me, huh?” Harold asked.
Verith moved forward, his sword at the ready.
The sound of his steel echoed in the early morning.
He fought admirably, but in the end, there were simply too many enemies.
When the sun rose, Riley knew something was wrong. It’d broken over the horizon ten minutes before, and still she’d seen no explosions shooting into the sky.
Mason was finally waking in his cage. He looked worse than ever.
Riley remained atop the building, staring at him, her body ready for war but the sign not coming.
What is wrong? she wondered.
Nothing. It’s just taking longer than expected.
She told herself that, but she didn’t believe it.
Something was off.
“RILEY!” The voice echoed off the buildings surrounding the square. “ENOUGH WITH THE CHARADE! COME DOWN! YOUR PLOT HAS BEEN FOILED! IT’S OVER!”
She knew that voice. There wasn’t any doubt in her mind. Rendal.
She stood, able to see a bit more of the square.
The mage stood in the middle.
He wore his robe, the hood off, revealing himself to the world. His face immediately turned to her when she stood up.
There you are, his voice filled her head. Come down and let’s talk. There are no explosions coming.
His eyes were bright red.
Riley un
sheathed her sword and stepped to the edge of the building. Her own eyes lit red and she stepped off the side, slowly floating to the ground. She landed softly, her eyes returning to normal.
“Where’s Verith?” Her voice was steel moving across ice.
“He’s dead, Riley. I told you back on my ship that I’d take everything from you, and so I am. Your Prefect’s top general is dead, his blood staining the grounds of Sidnie’s castle.”
Riley smiled. “You’re lying.”
“If I am, then where are the explosions? Why isn’t wind carrying rocks and screams right now? Why is the castle still standing behind me?” The mage smiled. “I’m not lying, Riley, and you know it.”
She glanced up at Mason. He was standing in the cage, his hands gripping the bars closest to her. He shook his head but remained silent. She knew what he was saying: No. Don’t fight him. Escape.
Fuck that, she thought.
She looked back at Rendal. “I guess this means you’re ready to die, coming out here all alone.”
He smiled. “You’ve learned some magic, I see. I could tell the moment you entered the kingdom. You and I—we’re meant to be.”
“We’re meant to be like water and fire are meant to be, you psychopath.”
Rendal continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “I wanted you to come to me when you first got here because you don’t understand what’s coming out of you. You don’t understand your magic or your potential. I didn’t want to be forced to kill you, which I might have been if I hadn’t acted.”
“Kill me?” Riley almost laughed. “You’ve faced me time and time again, but you’ve never been able to hurt me no matter how hard you tried.”
“Because I want you alive, Riley. Not dead. But had you been successful in detonating those bombs or destroying my weapons, I would have been forced to take action. I don’t have to now. You and I, we can still rule together.”
“You’re delusional. Truly, Rendal.” Riley shook her head, unable to believe the man. “You are delusional on a level I can hardly understand. I’m taking Mason, but I will grant you quarter. If you let me and my friends leave, I will not chase you anymore. If you keep away from my kingdom and from those I care about, I won’t kill you.”
The mage smiled. “Do you think you have control here? Is that what all this is? The castle still stands, your general dead at my guards’ feet? Your Assistant Prefect hanging in a cage behind me, his body being drained of its very life. Does that make you think you’re in charge?”
“Stand in my way at your peril,” she told the mage.
Riley started walking forward, her eyes turning red. She was only concerned with getting Mason. Freeing him from the cage and returning to New Perth.
The mage began to laugh.
Riley didn’t look at him as she approached the cage.
She reached it, standing beneath the metal bars. Mason was looking down at her.
She reached into the air, focusing on the bars trapping Mason.
Riley blinked, and when she opened her eyes, the mage was standing inside the cage. He was behind Mason, his hand wrapped around the Assistant Prefect’s throat, his eyes red. “You or him, Riley. Right now. Choose.”
She stared upward.
“You pledge allegiance to me now or he dies. It’s as simple as that. Your honor will hold you to me.” Rendal nodded. “Your life for his.”
“No, Riley,” Mason told her, his voice strained. “It’ll never end. If you pledge yourself to him, he’ll still come for New Perth. He’ll never stop. I command you not to do this.”
Riley took two steps back, her eyes not fading from red nor looking anywhere but into Rendal’s cruel eyes.
“Quickly, Riley, or I kill him,” the mage commanded.
Her senses took in everything around her. Her body was poised to act, a fighting machine once again. Now, though, she added magic to the mix.
And the death of a friend.
Verith was dead, and he hadn’t deserved that. He’d been trying to help.
And this sonofa-fucking-bitch had Mason, his hand wrapped around the Assistant Prefect’s neck.
“Oh, I can see your wheels turning, Riley,” the mage spat. “You’re an open book to me. Even now, your mind is deciding on war. You think you can kill me. That you can beat me back. He will die, and you will still join. Bow. Take my hand. Kiss my bracelet. He can live, and we can rule together.”
Riley’s eyes narrowed.
For a single second, she considered it. Letting Mason out of that cage and taking his place, only instead of having a hand wrapped around her neck, she would be on her knees, head bowed to the insane monster inside.
“No,” she whispered. “No. We will both die before we serve you.”
Mason nodded. “Yes, that’s right. Death before dishonor.”
A sick smile spread across Rendal’s face. “So be it.”
His hand erupted into flames only seconds before hers did.
She raised them to the sky, blasting streaks of fire from them.
The flames slammed into the cage, melting the bars even as fire raced across Mason’s throat.
She bent her knees slightly, unsheathing her sword and placing the point on the ground. She leapt into the air, kicking toward the burning cage. The weakened metal bent beneath her strength and she pushed herself inside.
Her right hand flashed out, grabbing Mason’s wrist. She flung him hard, wrenching him free of the dark mage. He flew across the cage, slamming into the bars. His body was on fire, but he was alive.
Riley turned away from Mason, trusting him to handle himself. She looked at Rendal. “You missed your chance, and now you’re fucked.”
The mage’s right hand was still ablaze, and the bracelet on his wrist was bright green, delivering more nanocytes to his bloodstream.
“Perhaps you must die then,” he said. “If you won’t bend, I’ll break you.”
Rendal tossed his left hand up and Riley flew across the cage, unable to stop herself. She hit the opposite side, her head colliding with the metal.
Riley saw stars as she turned to face her enemy.
Flames raced toward her, Rendal turning the cage into a fiery hell.
Riley brought her hands together, her own flames slashing out. They hit Rendal’s, stopping his attack.
She bared her teeth, set her feet, and forced more flames out of her hands.
The heat grew tremendously, sweat pouring down her face. The fire in front of her partially hid the mage, yet his powerful flames continued pressing against her own.
He’s too strong, she thought. I can’t beat him by force of will.
Riley spun, her fire dying as Rendal’s slammed into the place she had just been. The cage shuddered, the metal bending and then breaking as flames rushed into the morning sky.
Riley quickly spun around the pole in the middle, coming at Rendal’s side, her sword flashing. She swung it down hard toward his collarbone.
The mage turned his head, staring at her with his bright red eyes.
A blue shield shot up from his shoulders. It looked ephemeral, but when Riley’s sword slammed into it, sparks flew upward.
She wasted no time, but simply brought the sword low, swiping it at his Achilles tendons. The mage jumped over the attack as if it were a child’s game of jump rope.
He brought his hand up, his speed rivaling hers, and smashed it into her nose.
Blood splattered across Riley’s face as she backed up. Her vision blurred as hot tears rushed to her eyes.
The mage turned, flames burning across the metal cage. Everything was hot. Riley could feel the bottom of the cage burning through her boots.
“Ready to die?” Rendal asked.
Riley looked down at her feet.
Worth had told her she wasn’t ready.
William had told her she should wait.
Yet, she’d come anyway, and now here she was, in front of the monster she’d been chasing for so long. Only, she wasn’t strong e
nough. She wasn’t powerful enough to stop him.
“Yes, that’s right,” Rendal agreed. “Your potential is great, but you understand nothing. You’re like a child in a world you don’t know. I was to be the one to show you the way, but you ruined all that and now you’ll die. Then your precious Mason will die. Then your precious kingdom will die. Know that, silly girl. Everything you love will still fall, but unfortunately, you’ll be too dead to notice.”
He smiled.
Maybe Worth had been right. Maybe she should have stayed with the Chosen. Maybe she’d made mistake after mistake to end up in this inferno, facing a man who seemed to know no bounds.
But she was here all the same.
And she was a fucking Right Hand.
She had trained for many years to fight for Justice and defend the kingdom at all costs, even if it cost her life.
And if that was what this took, her life, then so-fucking-be-it.
Riley looked up. “Let’s see if you got what it takes to kill me, old man.”
She rushed forward, eyes blazing red and sword slashing. She swung the blade with her right hand, streaming both lightning and flames from her left.
The mage parried with his magic, both dodging and meeting her attacks.
Riley didn’t stop moving forward, slamming her sword down repeatedly, the mage giving ground as the fire grew around them. It reached out for her, singeing Riley’s skin. She kept forcing herself forward, battering the mage backward.
Finally, she had his back against the burning bars. He wore a smile even as he defended against her attacks, his hands moving as fast as hers, having backed up as far as possible.
Riley focused on her sword, seeing its beautiful metal in her mind.
A blue shield wrapped around the mage but Riley hardly noticed.
She brought her sword down a final time, all her energy and force focusing solely on killing this man.
It hit the blue shield, flames ripping forth from her steel as electricity filled the air around them.
Riley barely saw the explosion.
One moment she was trying to slice through Rendal’s shield and the next she was flying into the air, the bars that had held her firm shattered. Higher and higher she went, frantically searching for Mason.
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