Chapter 45

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

“ T hey’re here.”

Terena stiffened, bolting upright as Rydon strode into the stables. Sonah gasped. Her hands stilled as she was gathering the reins of her mount.

“They’re here!” Croak said, coming in seconds behind Rydon.

Rydon turned and twisted his lips at her brother.

“Croak, you and Sonah take the horses out the main gate and bar it behind you. Wait for us on the west side.”

Terena turned to Rydon, laying her hand on his forearm as she leaned in. “Can you and Gabriol cover me from the roof of the stables? I’m heading to the east gate. I’ll start firing once I get there and you guys make your way to me.”

Rydon gave a curt nod, turning quickly with Gabriol at his heels.

“How do I bar the gate from the outside?” Croak asked Terena as he lengthened his stride to keep up with her.

“Figure it out! You’ll have plenty of time. They don’t know we’re?—”

“Soldiers!” Sonah hissed as she came running back in.

Terena swore. Looking around, she motioned for Croak and Sonah to follow where Rydon had gone up to the loft .

They had reached Seleste the night before without trouble. No Heylisian soldiers or Liodari in sight. Now, it seemed their relief was a joke from the Fates as Terena eyed the soldiers outside.

As the others ran for the ladder, Terena hid behind a bale of hay and peeked out. She didn’t recognize any of the soldiers, but they wore the Imperial uniform.

She swore again.

They didn’t seem to be in a hurry, but she silently urged them to move away from the gate.

Gaia was smiling down on her. The soldiers moved further inside. She backed up and took the ladder up to the loft.

“New plan. Croak, you, Sonah and Gabriol take the horses to the east gate. Slowly!” Rydon cautioned.

He turned to Terena. “You and I will cover them, and once you see them safely outside the city, we’ll make a run for the main gate and bar it ourselves.”

“Still want to meet up at the west?—”

“No,” Rydon bit out, shaking his head. “Ride for the main gate and we’ll head north from there. Fell River is only a few miles from here. We ride hard, we’ll be in the north before they can reach us.”

As the others went down the ladder, Terena peered down. “Hey, hey!” she hissed. Three sets of eyes looked up at her. “Take that cart in the back and dump some hay in it, please. Then push it out the back. All right? Just outside.”

Croak pointed his finger at her as he turned toward the cart. Gabriol followed. A minute later, the three of them left the stables, leading the horses as quietly as possible.

Terena pulled her bow over her shoulder and looked back at Rydon.

“Ready?”

He nodded once and she turned, moving in a crouch to the window. Swinging her leg over the ledge, Terena ducked under the opening until she was out on the narrow lip of the roof. She edged along until she could clamber up to the top of the building, Rydon right behind her .

Thankful for the moonless night and snowfall hiding their movements, Terena watched the soldiers loitering in the square.

As she was about to turn her head to ask Rydon if he saw the others, she caught sight of Daris Antonius striding toward the soldiers.

Ice slid down her spine as she watched him. A cascade of emotions battled inside her, her heart thumping wildly as she watched this man who’d made her feel alive again, who had touched her heart.

Knowing the whole damn time he had lied to her. Had killed Lerek.

And destroyed her.

“Those are Aurora’s men,” said Rydon, crouched beside her.

“Aye.”

“What are they doing in Osta?”

Terena cast him a side-eyed look. “Shall we ask?”

“Are they working with Sparta?”

Terena let out an exasperated sigh and stared at Rydon until he shrugged.

She pulled in a shaky breath and tore her gaze away to look back at Daris. Despite the leather patch across his eye—or maybe because of it—he looked more dangerous than ever. He had on dark armor unlike what he’d worn the last time she’d seen him. Atop the bronze plates at his shoulders, he wore a thick cloak snapping as he walked. From the stiff lines of his body to the way his gloved hands clenched at his sides, the anger rolled off him in waves she could feel even at that distance. The soldiers closest to him flinched away at whatever he was saying, and hastened off to do whatever he’d barked at them.

Turning to Rydon, Terena asked, “Are they clear?”

Rydon watched for a few more seconds before turning to her. “Aye.” He nocked an arrow as he shifted beside her.

Terena pulled back on the bowstring as she lifted the bow, aimed—first at Daris—then swung to the soldier behind him and to his left.

And let it fly.

Rydon’s arrow was a split second behind hers as she quickly nocked another and fired. Chaos broke out as the soldiers scattered, those unfortunate enough not to have outrun their arrows falling around them. Terena and Rydon kept shooting until she grabbed his arm. They both turned and ran in a crouch toward the lower roofline. Her foot slipped, and Rydon gripped her arm a split second later. She took off again, and they jumped onto the hay cart where the others had left it.

Rydon pulled himself out, then helped Terena. Surging forward with Rydon a step behind, they raced for the gate. Two guards stood huddled together near the gates. Terena caught both men across their throats with her dagger. Rydon had pulled one gate and Terena ran to help him pull the other until they shut with a bang.

Croak and the others rode toward them.

Rydon grabbed his sword and jammed it into the ground in front of one door and angled it so it blocked the other as well.

Gabriol leaned over his horse and tossed Rydon his own sword. Rydon slammed it into the ground across from his own before pivoting and running for his horse. Gabriol held the reins for him. Croak pulled Nyx forward and Terena ran to them.

“We can lose them in the storm,” she said, panting.

“Stay close!” Rydon yelled at them.

Gabriol turned his horse and bolted, Rydon and Sonah close behind with Croak and Terena pulling up the rear.

They rode hard, Terena looking back only once as the snowfall closed around them.

They were safe for now, but Terena knew it wouldn’t be long before the soldiers caught up. She hoped they’d be at least at the river before they did, and if they could get there first, she knew they’d be safe on the other side.

An unwanted thought invaded her mind. Would Daris be with them? Would he and his men follow them, too? And if they did, would he…

Terena shook her head. If Daris caught up to them, she had a feeling she wouldn’t win a second fight.

“They’re here.”

Daris looked up from the letter he’d been writing as Fane came into the room. He dropped the quill and sat back. “Who is she with?”

“The merc from Decu and the girl. Her brother and the Roison I did not see.”

Daris stood. “They’ll be here too. Where?”

“Stables,” Fane answered.

“Make sure none of the men are seen,” Daris said as he strode for the door. The common room beyond was filled with his men, all of them turning their gazes to him as he appeared. “Tobias, take three and guard the eastern gate, Michael, you and three more get to the main gate, but make sure you stick to the wall. They’re at the stables now, but I don’t want to chance them seeing any of you.”

He strode through the room, hearing the others rise as they all made to follow. “No one is to hurt any of them, understood?” Daris turned back, eyeing each of them. “Especially her. We’re fucked if she uses her powers, and I don’t want to have to do anything to hurt her to save any of you.”

His men nodded and murmured their agreement. Daris turned, heaving open the door. He made to say something to Jason, who followed behind as the others peeled off when he froze, catching sight of something sending a shock of anger through him.

He swore softly under his breath as Jason said, “What are they doing here?”

A squad of Duke Aurora’s soldiers had appeared near the city gates and were dismounting. Daris pinched his lips as he made his way toward them, the element of surprise he had counted on to get Terena to listen to him gone in a frenzy of shouting men and an overzealous captain barking out orders. It had taken him the better part of two days to clear out Osta’s soldiers. How did Aurora’s men even know to come here?

As he neared the captain, he saw the soldiers fan out, racing past him and his men in every direction.

“Captain,” Daris called out, his face a mask of displeasure, “this isn’t necessary. ”

The captain only flicked a glance at him before turning back to one of his men.

Daris caught the man’s baldric, whipping him around so his face was inches from Daris’s own. “Did you not hear me?”

The captain flinched but didn’t back down. “I’m here on direct orders from Duke Aurora. Your King?—”

“And I’ve just told you this isn’t necessary. My men and I will take care of it.”

“I’m not here to steal your glory, Commander ,” the man sneered, and Daris’s eye widened. He heard a choked sound coming from Jason. “I have orders from?—”

Daris hauled the man closer, as he hissed, “I don’t care who gave you orders. I am taking her in, so you and your men can leave.”

He pushed the man, satisfaction lifting his lips as the captain stumbled back, bumping hard into his man behind him. Flustered, high color rose in the man’s face as he sputtered, “You have no authority! I demand you step aside!”

Daris didn’t bother to respond as he turned to Jason. “Get?—”

Shouts sounded across the square as arrows whistled through the air. Several soldiers behind Daris yelled, and he spun in time to see two of them fall. He roared for his men to find cover as he raced toward the nearest building and ducked. Leaning forward, Daris cursed as more arrows whistled past and caught soldiers not fast enough to hide. He motioned to Jason, who had sheltered behind a barrel next to a small house, to stay low. Jason nodded, then looked out at the yard as others scrambled to find cover.

Daris waited. Whoever had fired those arrows—and he had a pretty good idea who—seemed to have stopped. He leaned further out, sword in hand, then nodded to Jason as both sprang out onto the main thoroughfare, Daris calling out to his men. They raced to the inn, mounting their horses quickly without regard to the captain or his men as they rode for the main gate.

“Shit!” Jason swore as he jumped from his horse and ran for the closed gates. The two men posted there were dead on the ground, their throats slit .

“They’re barred from the outside!” Jason called up to Daris as he mounted his horse.

Daris wheeled his horse around, and his men followed as they tore across the city to the eastern gate. He cursed again, their pursuit slowed by the terrified citizens running out of their way—or rather, into their way in their panic to get out of the path of charging horses.

When Daris saw the gates, he yelled at the people blocking their path, slapping the reins as he urged his horse into a full gallop. He turned his mount left after exiting the gate and hoped was the direction Terena had taken.

Behind them, he heard the captain’s men close in. The snow let up enough for a few moments he urged his horse faster, his men riding in formation around him as he tore across the plains.

At dawn, the snow stopped. Daris pulled up, his men doing the same around him. He swore, turning his horse as he glanced around the snowy landscape. Mist swirled over the ground, the weak light of dawn making everything appear eerie.

The captain and some of his men finally appeared, drawing up when they caught sight of them.

“Did you see them?”

The absolute fucking gall. “No, I didn’t catch sight of them, Captain,” he bit out. “I wouldn’t be sitting here, would I?”

The captain didn’t seem to catch the sarcasm as he looked about. Like he expected to see them in the wide open space.

“Are you sure they went this way?”

Daris dropped his chin. His head snapped back up as Michael answered. “Must have. You can reach Fell River from here.”

Daris shot his man a look that shut him up.

The captain didn’t seem to notice. Of course not .

“Yes,” he muttered, looking in the direction Michael had indicated. “Fell River is about a mile or two away.”

“We’re so close to where The Event occurred, the river’s sure to be frozen enough to cross on horse,” one of his men said at his side, his mount dancing beneath him.

Daris shot another death look at Michael, who ducked his head .

“Right,” the captain said. “Listen up! Our quarry seeks to evade us, but we are men of Aurora and we will bring that traitorous bitch right to the duke’s feet!”

He turned his mount and shot forward, his men following behind as they all roared their bloodlust.

“Follow behind, but do not engage,” Daris said to his men. “If we get to the river and they are not there, we’ll fall back to the city.”

“And if they are?” Jason asked.

Daris looked up as the soldiers faded into the distance. He turned his mount in a tight circle. “If they are, we take out Aurora’s men.”

He didn’t bother to acknowledge the shocked looks on their faces as they glanced at him, then at each other.

Jason nudged his mount close to Daris. “What do we do with Terena and her sister after we take out Aurora’s men? They won’t come easy.”

Daris glanced at him with a frown as he tightened his grip on his reins. “We only go after Sonah. Whatever happens, she comes with us.”