Ninety-Nine Camilla

Thunder cracked and clashed above the palace, and I wondered how loud it must be to reach down here. I shivered on the floor, my cell dark and cold. I tucked my arms in close against my body, my wrists bandaged but still throbbing and burning. Water dripped from the ceiling as someone far off and down below hummed a tune. A door clanged, and three sets of armored boots grew closer.

They stopped outside my cell, and I rolled over, lifting to my knees while trying not to jar my arms. Vincent stood between two guards, towering over them in his half-cloak and lightweight armor.

“Nismera’s trained pet come to piss on me for amusement now?” I spat, and the guards shuffled, trying to hide their smiles. They loved seeing me powerless, it seemed.

Vincent’s cold, blank expression did not waver. “I told you. I will always choose her. You were a fool to think otherwise.”

“Why are you here?”

“To make sure you haven’t died of sepsis yet. The king has work for you yet,” one of the guards said, and Vincent nodded.

“I mean, despite having no hands, the rest of her looks fine,” the other guard said. “Say, Vincent, can we have a turn with your ex-whore now?”

They laughed viciously, looking at each other and then at him hopefully. Wet gurgles replaced their laughter as twin silver blades erupted from Vincent’s folded arms, piercing their throats. Blood sprayed the cell floor in vibrant red as they fell, grabbing at their necks. Vincent stepped over their bodies, leaving them to drown in their blood behind him.

Vincent knelt in front of me and pushed his cloak to the side. He pulled out a folded bundle and unwrapped it, revealing my hands. I held out my wrists, and when he carefully cut away the bandages, I felt my magic crawl forward. I jolted back as my hands mended to my wrists, feeling that comforting cool balm wash over me, my power settling into my veins again.

I glanced up at Vincent. He still knelt in front of me, staring at my hands. “You got your rings back?” I asked, nodding at his decorated hands.

It jarred him out of whatever thoughts had claimed him. “Oh,” he flexed his fingers, “yes, I hid these from her when I first arrived. I told her I wanted nothing that reminded me of Samkiel. It worked.”

I saw the pain in his expression over his fallen friend. He’d helped drive a blade through Samkiel and, in the process, damned the world. I knew he had nightmares, and I wondered how many of them revolved around his family. He shook his head and leaned forward. Bracing a hand under my elbow, he helped me up, his eyes still locked on my hands.

“I’m fine,” I said, holding them up and even wiggling my fingers for effect. “I swear.”

Vincent’s mask slipped, pain etching his features as he gently grabbed my hands and placed a kiss to each palm. “I’m still so sorry, Cami.”

Cami. Why did I love that nickname now?

I smiled and placed a hand against his cheek. “It had to look convincing. Nismera is brutal. We have to match that to trick her. Besides, it was a simple regeneration spell. A child could do it.”

He nodded. “I hated that plan.”

“It had to be convincing,” I said again. He had been so against this plan that I knew nothing I said right now would make him feel better.

“I didn’t mean what I said.” Tears filled his eyes, and not knowing what else to do to help him, I pressed my lips to his.

I pulled back just enough to whisper, “I know.”

Vincent kissed me again, sweet and slow, before moving back a step. He dropped one of my hands and dug into his armor, pulling out a key. “I got this, as you said. She will return once she hears the prisoners have escaped, and we need to be gone.”

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

GUARDS RUSHED PAST OUR HIDING PLACE IN THE ALCOVE. ONCE THEY were gone, Vincent moved first. He refused to let go of my hand, holding tight as if he were afraid I would disappear. We darted toward the war room, ducking inside as another wave of guards passed.

“What are you doing in here?” a voice snapped. We spun, surprised to see Elianna standing near the table. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she clutched papers to her chest.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

She took one look at Vincent, and her face flushed. So we weren’t the only ones attempting a coup.

“Kaden hasn’t come back. I don’t think he is going to. The sky no longer burns with Samkiel’s power. He has returned.”

Vincent and I looked at each other in disbelief. “What?”

Elianna nodded, but I saw the grief in her eyes. “He’s dead. Kaden’s dead. I don’t know how or why, but I know it. I feel it.”

“Samkiel’s alive?” Vincent whispered.

Elianna nodded again and pointed to the window. We nearly ran around the table. The night exhaled in our faces as we pushed the large balcony doors open. I was dumbfounded, but I saw it and felt it. His return. The sky no longer held the shimmers of silver. There was nothing but pure open sky, the stars flickering and flashing in celebration of the return of hope and the one true king. I turned toward Vincent and pressed my hands to his chest. He swallowed hard, and the shine of tears in his eyes glittered in the moonlight.

“He’s alive,” I said. “I can feel it. My magic tells me he summoned that power back in seconds. Dianna must have found a way to resurrect him. Maybe that’s why she was burning through the world.”

Vincent said nothing, seeming unwilling to look away from the sky. I stepped closer to him, brushing my body against his, and he finally looked at me.

“Glad we have that covered,” Elianna said. “I’m leaving, and if you guys are smart, you will too. Things are about to get very, very ugly.”

My head snapped toward her. “And how do you know that?”

Vincent moved with celestial speed, and Elianna yelped when he appeared behind her. He gripped her shoulders and asked, “And why are you stealing documents?”

“I’m leaving. Are you insane? Nismera fears him. Who doesn’t? We all know he’s pissed, and these papers will ensure I can hide until this damned war passes over. I don’t have anyone else but myself.”

Vincent’s eyes darted to me, and I knew what he was thinking.

“Come with us?” I asked.

Elianna shook her head. “You? Why?” she asked.

“One, you have far more information than we do, and two, we need those pages. I can see the writing from here.”

“Okay, what’s in it for me? It’s not like you two can ensure my safety. We all heard what went down in those chambers.”

“Camilla wants to return to Dianna,” Vincent interjected.

“Are you insane?” Elianna all but gasped. “She will gut us alive for what we did to Samkiel, even if he still breathes. We’re better off staying here with Nismera.”

“No.” I glanced at Vincent. “I know Dianna. War is brewing, and she cares about her family above all. I don’t just bring her information but also a way to protect them. She will help us. No heads will roll. I promise.”

Elianna held the documents a fraction closer. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because even at her lowest, her deadliest, she didn’t kill me,” I said. “And besides, we have this.”

Vincent opened his cloak, revealing the medallion inside. Elianna’s eyes widened. “How?”

“It’s not important. Are you with us or not?”

Elianna stared at us, her fingers tightening on the papers. “Vincent won’t make it past the front door after everything he’s done. I know that above all.”

“Then, if he dies, so do I, but we’re leaving,” I said, giving Vincent a small reassuring smile. “Together or not at all.”

A small smile tugged at his lips. They were the same words I had said before and the same ones he said to me when he spoke of our plan.

Elianna’s bottom lip wobbled, and I saw the longing in her eyes for something more than council meetings, death, and destruction. She shrugged as much as she could under Vincent’s hands. “Fine, whatever. We’re all going to die anyway, right?”

She said it so calmly, almost like a joke, but my magic stirred as if reacting to it like an omen.