31. Thirty-One

Thirty-One

An eerie feeling crept up my spine and settled into my gut like a heavy weight. My breath caught in my lungs as I jolted from my pillow.

Landers was gone, and rays of sun had not yet risen over the sprawling sandy landscape. I scrambled from the bed, throwing back the blankets and pulling on any clothes I could find.

Hushed voices flowed from the sitting room as I hurried down the steps.

“What’s going on?” I asked, stepping into the room.

Andrues’s head snapped toward me.

He was standing over Landers who was sitting in a wingback chair, the gold accents glowing in the fire light as he dragged his hands over his face. Pri and Wren were standing on both sides of Andrues, covered in a silvery substance I recognized.

That was blood.

Tragus blood.

The taste of it coated my mouth at the memory and I swallowed hard.

Wren glanced in Landers’s direction before answering me.

The silver blood flaked off of Wren’s face as his brow furrowed. Landers nodded, not looking over at me as Wren let out a small huff of air.

“We no longer have days here. We have only hours, if that.” The muscle in Wren’s jaw feathered as he spoke. “They know where we are and an attack has already been put in motion.” A quiet gasp escaped my lips. “We were only able to make it to the first camp before we were ambushed by Tragi. We hid our scent as we tethered, but we didn’t have enough time to do a thorough job.”

“They knew Landers,” Pri said, taking a step toward him. “They knew we would come here. That is the only way they would have been able to find us so quickly.” I had never heard her voice so panicked, so full of fear.

“The only people that know about this house are mine and Pri’s Intelligence Officers and Asrai,” Wren stated, starting to pace while locking his hands firmly behind his back.

“It seems as though one of your officers may have been compromised,” Andrues said slowly, trying to contain the frustration coating his words. Wren’s face dropped, the little color he had left in his complexion faded as his eyes turned to Landers.

“It was bound to happen eventually,” Landers finally said, glancing over at me. I could see the gears in his mind turning, putting a plan together as he turned his focus back to Wren. “Send word out to all the officers you have in the realms, tell each of them a different place for our next location. When Ammord or The Silliands show up there, we will know who the compromised officer is.”

Pri and Wren nodded, and I could see the disappointment seep into Wren’s face, like this was happening because of him.

“Thank you, both of you,” Landers said as he stood. “We would have been defenseless to this attack if you had not gone out to gather intel. Are either of you injured?”

“Just a few scratches; nothing we can’t handle,” Pri said with a weary smile. Landers gave her a nod before turning to me.

“Wake the house. Get everyone ready to leave quickly.” The words left his lips with no warmth, and I nodded back to him before turning on my heel and racing up the stairs.

Within minutes everyone was awake and hastily gathering their belongings.

The tense silence ate away at us as we congregated in the sitting room. I paced back and forth, unable to sit still as I waited.

“What’s the plan, brother?” Ardan’s voice cut through the silence and my head snapped towards the sound. Wren dropped his and Pri’s bags as he stepped into the room, clasping the back of the couch with both hands. His face and hands were now clean, but his hair and clothes were still coated with dried blood, streaking his raven hair silver.

“We tether to the safe house in The Silliands. We will land about a mile out so I can make sure it has not been compromised. Landers will tether elsewhere with a few of our belongings to hopefully lead them in a different direction, or at least confuse them long enough to give us time to cover our real scents, then meet us there.” Wren threw a large, empty satchel at our feet in the center of the room. “Put your items in there, the stronger the scent, the better. It still won’t be as strong, but it will be something to throw The Silliands and Ammord off.” Everyone started rummaging through their bags as I glanced around the room, looking for Landers.

He was at the table, hunched over a map, studying the path he was going to take.

I weaved my way through the crowded room toward him. As I neared the table, Landers lifted his head and met my eyes with a frustrated expression.

“Do you have to do this alone?” I asked, my voice quiet.

Landers turned fully to me, leaning on the table while pushing his hands into his pockets. “Yes,” was all he said as I shifted my weight.

“I . . .” I hesitated. “I don’t want to go without you.”

I met his gaze. His green eyes, dark and shadowed, bore into mine as he reached out an arm, pulling me into him. I closed my eyes, trying to shake the chill from my body and held him tighter.

“Today is not the day that I die.”

“Please, come back to me, whole,” I said, my voice hushed. I could feel my eyes starting to water and I did my best to push the tears away. One snuck past my barriers and slid down my cheek. Landers lifted a hand, brushing it away, keeping his eyes locked on mine.

“Here.” He pulled a silver chain out of his jacket and held it tight between his hands. Pressing his lips to a small opening between his thumbs, he breathed onto it before draping it over my neck.

I plucked it from where it hung on my chest and examined it. “What is it?”

“If something happens to me, this will break at a single link. If I die, it will shatter. But if it stays whole, I am fine. And it will stay whole.” I looked up at him, the chain rolling between my fingertips.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Cin.” I turned to the sound of Wren’s voice. “I need your items.” I nodded and walked to my bag, squatting over it and pulling out my night shirt.

“Will this work?” I held it out to him.

“Yes, but I’ll need more just that. The quilt would work.” I could feel my face pale as he looked down at me. It was one of only two things I had from my life before this—before the academy.

“That is all she has of her family,” Ata said from behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“We do not have time for sentiment, Ata,” Wren snapped and extended his hand to me. I knew he was right, but my heart fell as I brushed my fingers over the torn fabric.

I had never been separated from it.

I choked back tears as I lifted it to his hand, gripping it tight as he tried to pull it from mine before finally letting go. Wren shoved it into the satchel and my vision blurred as tears filled my eyes. I brushed them away as I closed my bag again and swung it over my shoulder.

“I am so sorry,” Ata whispered as she pulled my hand into hers. She knew the deep significance that blanket held.

Some nights, it was the only source of solace—of warmth—I had.

My ears started to ring as my mouth grew dry and my throat tightened. A thousand fingers scratched against my skin as I nodded down at her.

“Are we ready?” Andrues asked from the corner of the room, pushing himself off the wall and walking toward us.

Pri and Wren shook their heads “yes” in unison.

“Good. Taft, Ardan, you are with me.” Andrues strapped his bag over his shoulder, adjusting it around his sword to keep it easily accessible if needed. “Hyacinth, Wren will take you. Ata, you are with Pri.”

We shuffled around the room to stand next to our assigned partners as Wren handed the satchel of our things to Landers.

I stared at the bag, trying to figure out if there was any way to steal my quilt back as Andrues put his hand on Landers’s shoulder.

“May the Gods be with you, brother.”

And just like that, Landers vanished from the room.