Chapter 23

The wretched groans of Orin Faber as his mother tended to his wounds from his bed were nothing compared to the somber faces standing at the front door, waiting for Paesha and Quill to arrive safely.

I thought of the little girl who'd been so innocent when we'd spoken, and I'd felt guilty for tricking her, though nothing much had come from it. She'd been kind, even when she was scared, and that was far more than I could say for half the world's population. But what did it mean if Drexel's charge was missing? Had he hidden her away somewhere? Or had she been taken right under his nose? I couldn't help the worry as I glared at the damned tree line.

Lit by the full moon, the trees in the distance were easy enough to see, but the shadows remained dark, and each rustle of an oak branch was paired with a tiny gasp before disappointment.

"How long does it usually take Paesha to find someone?" I asked.

"It varies. Sometimes days, sometimes minutes… There." Althea jerked a finger toward a figure emerging from the darkness before she darted out the door.

Hollis was quick to follow, but not quick in general. I walked behind, unsure of where I fit into this particular situation. Paesha would not want me involved. But Quill was a child, and I could help. I wanted so desperately for the world to see me that way. It wasn't long before my steps quickened, and I'd passed Hollis and nearly beat Althea to Paesha.

"This doesn't concern you, Maiden. Go back to the roof, or wherever you like to lurk."

"Where is she?" Thea asked, ignoring Paesha's cruelty.

"I'm not saying anything until she goes away."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "I can help. I know you think I'm a snake, but if that were true, I'd have already struck. I know this world, and just like you, I've hunted in it. Let me help you."

"Orin's out of commission until further notice," Hollis said from behind, finally catching up, his presence deflating some of the animosity. "I won't have this bickering when one of ours is missing. Where is she?"

Paesha's scowl would have shredded me to pieces if looks could kill. "I've got a read on her, but it's not great. She's in Icharius's castle."

Her admission dropped into my gut like an anchor in shallow water. The king's angry fists slid across my mind as I remembered his reaction when he realized he'd been swindled out of a wife. I hadn't thought about that moment for a while.

"Where's the dog?" I asked, starting back toward the house.

"Boo's with a friend of ours. Someone we trust. He'll be fine for now," Thea said. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to need more weapons," I answered. "And you're going to give them to me."

"I'm not waiting for you, Maiden," Paesha shouted, headed to the trees.

"You can go on your own if you want, but I know exactly how to get into that castle. I know my way around, and I know what's going to be there when you get into the castle. So, unless you want your own capture tonight, fall in line, Huntress. Because I'm only doing this once."

Thea ran after me, passing me up the stairs and darting into her room. I followed, and she looked over her shoulder, considering for only a second before she sighed. "This is probably a really bad idea."

"I can confirm it is. But there's no time for debating. Slide your little wall there and let's go."

"My… you knew?"

"One of these days, we'll break into the Perth castle, and I'll show you mine."

A smile lit her pretty face. "I've seen it. It's okay."

"Okay?" I asked, drawing back.

She winked and slid the faux wall to the side, revealing a second room. "We snuck into your castle to get your clothes after, well... when Orin crashed your wedding. I got curious. But I prefer my collection more."

I was frozen to the spot, nearly reaching out to steady myself on the post of Thea's bed. "It's… gods, Thea. It's incredible."

"I tinker," she said, lifting a shoulder. "Take your pick. But if you break it and I can't fix it, we're fighting, Maiden."

I shuffled forward, stroking my hand down the twisted pommel of a sword, before studying the ornate collection of throwing knives, each narrow handle perfectly shaped and carefully carved. Chain whips and daggers and crossbows and contraptions I'd never seen filled the hidden room. But it was more than that.

"You do have power," I said in awe. "These are far too beautiful to be anything but."

"I don't advertise it, Dey. Promise you'll never take one of these without my permission. I can't… I don't want to…"

I lifted the chain from the hook, swiped two daggers, and let my hand rest over the sword before deciding to pass.

"I get it."

She bit her lip, sliding the wall back into place. "They're art."

"Not weapons for Death. It's okay. I understand more than you think."

I missed Chaos. And I would have loved to storm into Orin's room and demand her return, but if they hadn't told him Quill was missing, there was likely a solid reason. He was too damaged to be helpful, and breaking into the Silbath castle with a man that could barely keep himself upright sounded like a good way to fail.

Paesha was waiting on the front steps when we walked out. "Armed to the teeth, Maiden?"

"Just the way I like it, Huntress. Now, we're going to have to steal a carriage, unless you have one hiding around here?"

"I know where we can get one." Hollis stepped in.

Paesha's mismatched eyes scanned Hollis, softening. "Are you sure it's not too much, Hol? You can stay."

"I won't slow you down. But I can drive the carriage."

"Great," I piped in, hustling for the trees before I called over my shoulder. "Here's the plan. Hollis and Thea stay in the carriage; we won't be able to take it through the gates at the castle. You're going to have to circle. Stay close enough for us to find you, but not enough to raise suspicion. He's a new king, and I'd bet my own death he's doubled down on guards."

"He's taken the Perth guard," Hollis confirmed, falling behind. "Moved everyone off the border. Perth has completely fallen."

Five years ago, ten even, if someone had been brave enough to tell me that would ever happen, I'd have laughed in their face. My father was cunning and guarded and everything a king should have been, aside from compassionate. But maybe kings weren't meant to be kind. Maybe they were forged from iron and ruthlessness. History had surely proven that to be true. All the more reason to worry for that wide-eyed little girl likely surrounded by strangers. Enemies even.

By the time we'd gotten to the carriage and within two blocks of the castle, I could taste the citrus tang of Paesha's magic in the air. Thea gripped the edge of her wooden seat. She could feel it, too. Paesha concentrated, her power seeming more peaceful than mine, but I'd rarely witnessed anyone use magic. Ro's was different. A granted entry, but not a continuous stream.

The beautiful Huntress sat back, her long lashes falling onto her dark face as she closed her eyes and got lost in her power. The air in the enclosed space filled with my envy. I'd never feel an ounce of my magic and not loathe it. Not cower. Not hate myself a bit more.

"She's still there," she said, the smoky tone of her voice calm. "I can't tell exactly where, but I know she hasn't moved since I checked last.

"How does the magic work?" I asked, scooting forward.

Those mysterious eyes fluttered open. She began to speak and then stopped, staring out the window.

"I'm not trying to pry if it's personal. I'm just wondering if you're able to see anything when you find her or if it's a feeling you get. If you have any visions, I can probably figure out where she is and save us some time."

"We're on the same team here, P." Althea nudged her friend with a knee.

"It's different every time. This time, I can see small bits of light on a far wall. I can tell she's in an empty room, sitting in a corner. I saw the hallway earlier. There were several guards."

"Do you remember any paintings? Sculptures? Windows with a view? Something that could give us a point of reference?"

"As if you have the whole castle memorized," she said under her breath, slumping backward.

"I do."

Both heads snapped to me.

"You have your powers, and I have mine."

"There's a painting on one of the walls of the former king. He's holding a scepter and riding a stallion."

I searched my memory. We couldn't afford to make a mistake, or we'd all be in deep shit. And as the Huntress, Paesha was likely just as valuable to Icharius as I was. "Black or brown?"

"What?"

"The horse. Was it black or brown? There are two paintings, and the halls are on opposite sides of the castle."

"Gods, you really do have the whole place memorized."

"It's not that impressive," I assured her, lifting a brow to Paesha for an answer.

"I'm not sure. Maybe brown."

"Thea, does your magic allow you to bend metal, or does it lend more to the design and ingenuity?"

"I can build anything, given the proper tools and time."

I shifted to face her. "How well can you destroy something?"

"Thea's a badass, Maiden. What do you have in mind?"

"We're going to need a distraction. Let's go."

After instructing Hollis and telling Althea the plan, we left them behind so we could get as close to the moat as possible. We waited, crawling on our bellies through the grass in the dark until we could go no further without being spotted by the cluster of guards walking the parapet.

There was not a break in guards, not a single angle the king's men didn't have covered. The last time I'd come, Bram Ellis's guards were scattered. These men, dressed in full armor, stood nearly shoulder to shoulder, staring down at the world.

"Why are they prepared for battle?" I asked, mostly to myself.

"Half of them probably hate the other half, for starters. And if a usurper didn't live in a constant state of paranoia for an uprising, he'd be mad."

"No one wants a war. No one is going to come knocking down his doors. The people are going to follow the strongest player for protection, and there are no other pieces on the board. Icharius won. In a single week."

Paesha swiped at the grass in front of her. "The Maestro is far more powerful than the new king, Maiden. Should he desire that throne for even a second, it would be his. And some would argue that your playing piece is still very much on the table."

I scoffed, ducking to keep myself hidden. "I don't want a throne. I don't even want a husband. I just want to be left alone."

"I'm sure your victims felt the same way."

I studied her eyes, searching for hatred but finding mostly pain. "I'm sure they did."

The air was thick with tension, and the weight of our daring plan pressed upon us. We had to enter the castle without alerting the guards, and the diversion unfolding before our eyes was our ticket in.

Right on cue, the portcullis launched halfway down the stone bridge over the rancid moat as if it'd been kicked by a giant. At the same time, the bell in the tower on the far side of the castle came crashing down, its thunderous tolling echoing through the courtyard. The cacophony was a jarring symphony of chaos, a stark contrast to the usual stillness of the castle grounds. Amidst the clamor, a few of the guards started to panic, their armor clinking as it shrank.

"Remind me never to get on her bad side," I said, darting for the murky water.

"Told you she was a badass." Paesha grinned at me, and, for the first time, I saw a crack in her wall.

Several moments later, dripping in disgusting water, the smile was gone, replaced by absolute detest. "If you ever have a brilliant plan again, remind me to run in the other direction."

"At least we didn't have to take the sewers. The ones by Beggar's Alley in Perth are bad enough to make you question every choice made in this life and your past lives."

She shook her head before scrunching the water from her hair. "Oh, I know. You should see the ones around Misery's End. The mold down there grows on the backs of the rodents."

"Thanks for that visual."

"Consider it payment for the slop we swam through. We made it in. Now what?"

"We're going to have to go back out that way, so don't bother cursing me just yet." I pulled a throwing knife for each hand from my jacket, feeling bare without my mask. "The last time I was in this castle, I ran into a child. I don't know the court Icharius keeps, but we'll have to stay vigilant. We go up the stairs and down the left corridor. Most of the walls lining the outside and through the middle of the castle have passageways behind them. You can get through undetected if the king isn't using them for his guards or his lovers."

She pulled the sword from her back, and I turned and led her out. We barely got the door cracked before metal on metal screeched down the hallway.

"The godsdamned thing just fell," a guard shouted.

"It's the Maestro. He's coming to get the kid."

"Shit," Paesha breathed into my ear.

"Our distraction might have been a little too big," I whispered, grabbing her hand to yank her down the corridor as soon as it was clear.

We ran. I didn't look back, didn't question whether she could keep up or if she had any doubts. My heartbeat matched my steps, and judging by her silent breaths, hers did, too. Though neither of us had acknowledged it, if we were caught, there was no way we were getting out of here. But maybe that was the plan. Maybe Quill was bait.

"Use your power," I hissed, yanking her into the secret hallway. "Has she been moved yet? They're going to make it impossible to get to her."

The sweet taste of citrus filled the space. "Same place. Keep going."

"I sure hope it was the brown horse."

Avoiding the dusty walls, we soared through the passageway until we couldn't go any further. In the heart of Icharius Fern's castle, I could hardly take a full breath. If not for the danger, then for the proximity of the scorned man.

"Definitely this way, Maiden. I can feel her now," she whispered, peeking over my shoulder as I cracked the door open. "Let me lead."

"It's not safe. Let me go first."

"I think I can take care of myself," she hissed, pushing past me.

I chased after her with a growl. "There's bound to be?—"

A giant hand reached out from around a corner, grabbing her by the throat and lifting until she was dangling. She wrenched the helmet off the guard, digging her fingers into his eyes until he dropped her as I caught up.

The guard started wailing, alerting the entire kingdom of Silbath where we were.

"Go!" I shouted.

She ran, taking a turn I wouldn't have, but she knew where she was going, and I had to trust that as the sound of stomping and shouting guards grew louder behind us.

"Guards!" she yelled back at me, seconds before she was captured by another.

I whipped a dagger into the small space between his armor, and he fell to his knees but still held Paesha by the hair.

"Go get our girl, Deyanira," she said. "I'll be right behind you."

"Let me?—"

"Enough fighting, just save Quill!" she yelled as another guard ran for us.

I couldn't take the time to argue, nor could I save them both. And she knew it. She made her choice. But Quill never got one. Running past the painting of the prior king, eyes flicking to the brown horse, I slammed my entire body into the door, every bit of my skin crawling with adrenaline as I prepared for whatever I'd find.

It swung open on impact, revealing tiny Quill clutching her legs to her chest, face stained with tears, and three armed guards, swords out, standing vigil.

"Quilly, I know you're scared," I said, allowing a dangerous calm to settle over me. "Close your eyes and cover your ears. Sing Orin's favorite song as loud as you can."