27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Aliya

T he next day, Aliya munched on the last of her breakfast—an orange butter-bread roll, courtesy of Pat. He'd even sprinkled some actual sugar on the top, though where he'd managed to find that during a war, she was at a loss. She peeked around the corner of the building at the gate, the principal entrance to the palace.

Bringing her arm to her nose, she inhaled. She still stank of the catacombs, but there was at least a small chance it was all in her head. Three baths later at the public house, and she still didn't feel clean. There was no way she'd be able to access King Malkov smelling like sewage. Plus, the reek might give her away as the one who emptied his dungeons yesterday.

She laughed. How the guards had scurried around all afternoon. They reminded her of when, as a kid, she poured water on an ant pile.

Aliya studied the soldiers, and from what she could tell, none of the escaped prisoners had been recaptured. Including her father. Not that she cared if the bastard rotted in the dungeon.

She didn't.

She dragged a hand down her face. Ugh.

As much as she wanted to hate him for forcing her to marry Malkov, he was still the same man who'd cleaned her scraped knees as a child and who'd hired a magic tutor for her, in defiance of the law.

Aliya shook her head and crammed the last bit of the sweet bread into her mouth, ripping her thoughts away from her father. Maybe Pat would consider sharing his recipe. If she was successful in Mission Number Two, she'd love to eat this stuff on a regular basis.

Behind her, leather shifted against stone. Aliya spun around, yanking a dagger from its sheath.

Jalius stood several feet away, his arms raised. "Peace, Your Majesty." He gave her a wicked smile and beckoned her to follow him. "The mages are here. What's your plan?"

She followed him deeper into the alley. "I'm not quite sure yet." Glancing at her skin and hair to make sure they were still dark, she narrowed her eyes. "How did you know it was me?"

"My gift lets me perceive auras." He waved the fingers of one hand. "Yours is pink, with sparkles."

She furrowed her brow. "What?"

He laughed. "And the prisoners you rescued yesterday told me about you. The Baron did call you by name, after all."

A ball of ice coalesced in her gut. Thanks, Father. "So, my secret's out. How many know?" Would her father try to kill them, too? That was an impossible task, of course…soon, the whole kingdom would know. Her knees went weak.

A secret known by more than one person is no longer a secret, but information to be used.

Her father's lesson rang as true as the night she learned it, right after he'd killed a servant who had the misfortune of coming upon her mid-change.

Jalius stepped back, his expression guarded. "Just me, and the three mages you freed." His throat bobbed. "But don't worry. Human or not, our lives are safer having you, a magic user, on the throne. Revealing you isn't in our best interests."

Aliya narrowed her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek. That was true, for the time being. Since their goal was the same, she would trust Jalius. For now.

After all, the magic users were the only allies she had. Aliya slid her dagger back into its sheath and tipped her head to the sky, sighing.

Jalius relaxed. The gnome was perceptive. It had likely been what kept him alive.

"How many mages did you bring?"

"Come." He turned and walked down the alley. "There's a safe place to talk a few blocks this way." As she followed, he threw a quick glance over his shoulder. His eyes twinkled. "I was kidding about your aura. It's not pink, it's gold, like the queen you are."

Less than five minutes later, he escorted her into a small apartment crammed between a candlemaker's store and a seamstress' shop. The earthy scent of tallow permeated the area and made her want to gag.

Including Jalius, only three mages could make it to Lions Grove in time for the solstice—Karlee, a mousey girl about five years older than Aliya, with a thick braid that did little to tame the jungle of flyaway hairs that crowned her head, and Kord, a lanky man who had to duck to fit through the warehouse door. He seemed content to glare at the world through the front window. His sour expression, however, did nothing to diminish Karlee's infectious enthusiasm.

"Your Majesty!" The girl curtseyed. "It's an honor."

Aliya studied the other girl. "Wait—I've seen you before. In the alley, when I first met Jalius." She'd had a black eye at the time.

Karlee blushed. "Yes. He's an old family friend."

The gnome in question stepped up beside her. "That we are. I'm sorry we couldn't rouse more mages, but there are a few more stationed in strategic places around town."

Aliya raised her eyebrow. That didn't bode well. "Oh? They didn't want to come?" The three she'd rescued yesterday were also conspicuously absent. She sighed…so much for gratitude.

"Most of us are healers and whatnot. We don't have many skilled in subterfuge or combat." One corner of Jalius' mouth turned up. "But they can initiate a carefully planned distraction on the far side of town when the time calls for it."

She studied him. Based on the sparkle in his eye and the secretive smile he flashed her, he probably wouldn't tell her until the distraction was already in play. Still…

"What's the plan?"

He shrugged. "I was going to ask you the same thing. A few days ago, we started a rumor the Mage Underground was going to meet at a safehouse across the city. Hopefully by now, word has reached the king and his Arcane Inquisitor." He glanced out the window at the sky. "When the sun reaches its peak, a warehouse on the northern docks will explode."

A shock of lightning burst through her muscles. She opened her mouth to protest, but Jalius held up his hand.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. It's a storage depot with supplies for the army, but we went to great lengths to guarantee no lives would be lost. Hopefully between the meeting and the warehouse, we can put our plan into action while the guards are looking the other way."

Well, if they didn't kill any innocent bystanders, then as far as a distraction went, the two-pronged plan was better than any she'd have come up with herself. She nodded.

Jalius waved around the room. "All we need now is direction. How do we approach King Malkov?"

Hmm. She glanced around the room, studying Karlee and Kord again. With so few, a direct assault was out of the question. Aliya kicked the dirt floor of the abandoned warehouse.

"Can we walk right through the front gate?" she asked. "Get ourselves arrested for using magic?"

Jalius raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "Too risky. You emptied his dungeon. What's to keep the guards from dumping us there until he's ready?"

"You don't think, knowing they caught me, Malkov's men won't march us straight to the throne room?"

Karlee shrugged. "It's possible. But to be successful, we must take the king by surprise, or his magic will overwhelm us. There's no telling how much he's stolen and stored. He may well be the most powerful mage in the realm."

Of that, Aliya had no doubt. The man had literally stalked her in dreams for the last six weeks. "Trust me. Security will take me right to him."

Kord cleared his throat. "Then we'll need to make sure we're stationed wherever he is, so we can be ready when that happens."

Jalius fixed her with a pointed stare. "Can we sneak eyes into the castle to confirm the King's whereabouts?"

Aliya shook her head. She had no friends at court, no contacts to call on.

"Your Majesty," he said, "a cat, or a rat, perhaps?"

Oh! That's what he was asking. She patted the sword at her hip. "No. I—I don't think so." There was no way she'd go into the palace without a weapon. A small animal would make that impossible.

But Shadow was in the castle, and might be willing to act as a second set of eyes, if Aliya could find a way to ask her… But there was no time. The deadline for her vow was tonight.

She shook her head. "I can give you a basic layout of the castle, and a little more detail about specific areas I spent more time in." At Jalius' nod, she squatted, drawing in the earth. "Here's the banquet hall, and the throne room. To the north is the royal wing, with Malkov's chambers. Servants' quarters are in the eastern wing, and guest rooms in the west.

"I remember the throne room had a mezzanine that circled three of the four walls, with lots of dark alcoves. The main space has a raised dais, here, for his throne, opposite the imperial staircase."

Karlee leaned forward. "How many exits?"

Aliya closed her eyes, clawing through her memory for details that hadn't seemed relevant at the time. "I only used the main stairs, but I think I remember doors here and here." She pointed to the left and right of the throne. "They didn't seem more than servant exits, though the guards used them, too, so they might lead to a security office of some sort. Duke Penn and his mistress snuck out this door an hour into our reception."

Jalius raised his eyebrow.

"I know, right? Sneaking out of a royal wedding." She shook her head. "They're lucky Malkov didn't notice."

Kord glanced over from where he stood watch by the front window, catching Karlee's gaze. "Any exits on the mezzanine?"

Aliya shook her head. "I don't remember any but that doesn't mean they aren't there."

If only she hadn't been so focused on stupid things, like fitting into the Royal Court.

"Where will Malkov most likely be midafternoon?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I wasn't around long enough to get a sense of his daily routine when there weren't any wedding festivities to attend. I would think he's either meeting with his council in the throne room or going through proposed legislation or missives in his study. But that's a really big guess." Kings had a lot to demand their time.

"I think I can help," Kord said. He raised his arm. A falcon flew from the warehouse rafters to perch on his leather glove.

Aliya scanned her memories. "There are several windows high above in the throne room, near the ceiling. This time of year, they'd likely be open to keep the interior cool. A bird could sit in the windowsill and escape notice, if it kept quiet." It was too bad she'd never mastered flying.

The mage nodded. He blinked, stilling as his eyes went white. The raptor stared at her for a few heartbeats before lifting off. The silence stretched for several minutes.

Aliya shifted her weight from side to side while she waited for the hammer to fall.

"Kord can see through his falcon's eyes," Jalius whispered.

She'd figured. Aliya bit back the retort. Jalius was just trying to be considerate.

"Malkov's at court," Kord said, blind eyes still staring off into the distance. "There's a commotion. Many people are gathered around a map, yelling."

"What are they talking about?" Aliya asked.

Silence stretched until it seemed the aloof mage wouldn't answer. Finally, he opened his mouth. "Hard to say. Sky doesn't know much Common." He inhaled. "They're arguing about food and the army, we think. Some of the men are shouting at each other, and the King is pacing back and forth at the head of the table. He's yelling, too."

"Now seems like a good time to make our move, while Malkov's distracted," Jalius said.

Aliya nodded. "So, what should we do? How do we get inside?"

"Sky returns now." Kord blinked and shook his head. When he opened his eyes, they were back to their normal brown color. The mage gave Aliya a hard look, crossed his arms, and resumed his sulking vigil at the front window.

Aliya's pounding heart was loud in her ears. "I am not very good at strategy or tactics," she said, looking at Karlee and Jalius, pointedly ignoring Kord. If he was going to give her the cold shoulder, she'd return the favor.

Karlee glanced between Aliya and Kord, frowning. With a sigh, she squatted next to Aliya and studied the map. "If you're certain the king's guards will bring you to him, even in the middle of a Council meeting, then that's the most reliable way to get you where you need to be. Jalius is too old," she looked at the gnome in apology, "but Kord and I should be able to sneak onto the Mezzanine. We can wait until you distract Malkov, then attack from behind."

Kord shot the other mage a hard glare as he ground his teeth.

Jalius put his arms on his hips. "What's the matter, Kord? You didn't have to come, and you can still leave if you're not going to be helpful. What is your problem today?"

"My problem?" He stabbed his finger at Aliya. "Her mountain elf friend killed Therolis, and nearly beat Karlee to death, and you're all pretending nothing happened!"

Aliya's stomach crashed to the floor. She opened her mouth to deny it, but snapped her jaw shut as she caught the expression on Karlee's face. Elessan was an elven spy. Who knew what he did or didn't do? She turned on Kord. "What are you talking about?"

The weight of Karlee's hand settled on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it." She glared at Kord. "That was hardly her fault."

"Since when is a royal not responsible for the actions of those beneath them?"

"She wasn't there." Jalius' calm voice cut through the tension in the room. "Can't you see her face? Her Majesty had no idea until you brought it up."

Aliya stood, focusing on the soreness in her knees rather than the ache in her heart. "This Therolis was a friend of yours?"

Kord nodded.

"Therolis was a good man," Karlee murmured.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Aliya swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. "For what it's worth, Elessan is most likely dead. Killed by one of the human's Whisperers."

"Good riddance," Kord mumbled under his breath.

A dagger twisted in Aliya's heart. She ground her teeth and clenched her hands hard enough her fingernails nearly cut into her palms.

It shouldn't bother her so much that someone else was happy he was dead. Personally, she would feel the pain of his loss for the rest of her days, regardless of what the world thought.

"You didn't know him. He was a good elf." At least, at the end. "He died trying to save me." She swallowed again and blinked as the tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

Karlee squeezed her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault. Kord has a quick temper and isn't happy unless he's holding a grudge. But he's a good fighter, and he'll have your back." The last sounded more like a command than an assurance.

At least someone had forgiven her. Aliya sent Karlee a watery smile before she turned to Jalius. "You knew Elessan killed your friend, and you still saved my life?"

The gnome nodded. "I saw an opportunity for change, and I took it." He smiled, meeting every pair of eyes in turn. "And now, here we are, looking at the future with hope for the first time in decades."

The door to the warehouse burst open, sending shards of wood flying throughout the room. The crack sent echoes bouncing between Aliya's ears.

Karlee screamed as Brooks stuck his head through the door.

Aliya's heart jumped into her throat. He'd found her!

A rough hand grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around. Jalius' wide eyes met hers. "That way, Your Majesty! Out the back!" He pointed to a door hiding in the dark corner along the far wall that she'd missed earlier.

Glancing over her shoulder, she grabbed Karlee's hand and tugged her toward the second exit. Heavy footsteps came closer as more of Brooks' soldiers poured in.

Overhead, a falcon screamed as it dive-bombed the intruders.

A flash of crimson light from behind them lit the walls ahead just as the second door swung open. A chunk of wood and iron from the busted latch flew past Aliya's head as she ducked to the side.

A reflection off metal brought her up short. Karlee slammed into her, nearly knocking them both to the floor.

Guards stood on the far side of the second door, blocking their escape.

They were surrounded.

Aliya glanced at the ceiling, to the open skylight as Kord's falcon circled high above, picking its targets before plunging toward its next victim. If only she'd learned how to fly…

She shook her head. That might have saved her, but it would leave the rest of her friends in Brooks' hands and Malkov's dungeons, which she couldn't allow.

Grabbing a fistful of magic from her core, she hurled a fireball at the soldiers standing between her and freedom.

It hit the guards' breastplates and fizzled out as though she'd thrown flames into water.

The closest guard flashed her a self-satisfied smile as he drew his sword.

She gasped as her stomach clenched.

Grabbing even more magic, she threw it at him again.

The power hissed as it collapsed onto itself and disappeared.

"Your magic's no good against our new armor, mage."

The screams and grunts behind her were getting closer.

"Your Majesty!" Jalius' voice rang out behind her. "Run! Save yourself!"

Karlee pushed her behind a pallet of hay as she waved one arm in a circle. The air inside the warehouse spun into a mini tornado, blowing dirt and debris into the soldiers' faces.

Aliya peeked over the hay just as Brooks slammed the pommel of his sword into Jalius' temple. The old gnome collapsed at his feet.

Several paces away, Kord lay on his side, curled around his stomach as a pool of blood spread beneath him and across the floor.

Aliya ducked down, pressing her back against the hay and pulling her knees to her chest. Her heart thudded against her ribs as invisible bands contracted around her, smothering her lungs until they burned. Her vision went gray.

Karlee's wind snapped a few strands of hair across Aliya's face.

"Get out of here, Your Majesty!" Karlee screamed, whipping her tornado into a gale that threatened to rip apart the pallet of hay. "

Aliya shook her head. She couldn't run away again. Not this time.

Karlee screamed as something flew through the air and slashed her arm. A thin trickle of blood creeped down her bicep. She fell to her knees as the wind sputtered.

Catching Aliya's eye, she mouthed, "Sorry."

A red flash seared Aliya's retinas, leaving an after-image of glowing crimson bonds around Karlee's arms and chest. They reeked of Brooks' magic.

Aliya glanced around the room. There was nowhere left to hide, and the soldiers would be on them any minute.

Pulling the last of her water reserves, she changed into a rat and burrowed into the bale of hay. When she was far enough inside to not be seen, she froze.

Brooks' muffled curse followed two heartbeats later in the sudden silence as Karlee's magic released the air currents. "Hello again, Your Majesty."

A scuffle followed by a quick grunt sounded just on the other side of the hay pallet. "What? No! I'm not—" Kaylee said. "Let go of me!"

The soft smack of something hard hitting flesh reached Aliya's ears, followed by a heavy thump as a body hit the floor.

Aliya winced, biting her lower lip with her rodent teeth. She twitched her tail and swallowed against the pain in the back of her throat.

An unfamiliar voice called from across the room, "Where did the queen go?"

Several footsteps pounded across the floor. Occasional curses reached her ears as they searched. The minutes stretched out, pressing on her shoulders like the bales of hay overhead.

Finally, Brooks said, "She can't have gone far. Let's get out of here. Being in the presence of all these mages makes my skin tingle." He circled the hay once more before retreating.

By the time Aliya counted to a hundred, the warehouse was silent.

She held back a sob. Her last allies were gone, Malkov's prisoners. And his soldiers had armor that somehow repelled or was immune to magic. She buried her face in her front paws and closed her eyes as the world collapsed around her.

When the hay got so scratchy it irritated her skin with each breath, she worked her way out of the pallet. Shaking the last offending bits of straw from her fur, she glanced around. There was a large puddle of blood where Kord had fallen, with drag marks through the door.

The soldiers hadn't even bothered to pick him up. Hopefully they hadn't dragged him all the way through the streets to the palace. He'd been grievously wounded enough as it was.

Perhaps it was a good sign, though. If he'd been dead, he'd be of no use to Malkov and the soldiers would've left him.

She swallowed. The only thing she could do was operate on the theory that all three mages still lived, and would continue long enough for her to do something about it if she acted quickly.

If she didn't move soon, she'd die anyway when the deadline for her Irrevocable Vow expired tonight. But if she confronted Malkov now, he'd probably kill her today, too. Either way, she'd be dead come night fall. The only difference was if she confronted him, she may be able to distract Malkov long enough for the other three mages to escape.

Which meant there was only one option.

She met Sky's gaze as the falcon flapped its wings in the rafters. Standing on her back paws, she rolled her shoulders. At least when she arrived at the Night Gate, she'd be able to stand proud knowing she'd died for something she believed in.

Malkov leaned over his writing table, glaring at the herald. "I want this announcement read aloud in the market and the square, with posters hung on each corner of the city." He narrowed his eyes. "As prominently as possible. In two hours, I want everyone in the square. And send for the executioner." The young man saluted and spun on his heel. Clicking the back of his shoes together, he pranced out of the room, the missive clutched firmly in his hands.

Malkov leaned back in his chair. He reached for where Shadow crouched at the edge of his desk and ran his hand over her fur. "What do you think, Shadow? Will it work?"

The cat turned to him and blinked, unimpressed. She tilted her head to the side, working his hand up until he scratched one side of her neck.

"You're right," he said. "I should probably just take their magic and be done with it. But if it works, and draws my wife out of whatever corner she's hidden away in, it will be worth it." He let his gaze drift off into the distance.

"Mrow?" A soft headbutt to his hand brought his focus back to the present.

He raised an eyebrow and resumed scratching her head. "Sorry." He couldn't believe Brooks had let Aliya get away. Again. Even after he'd imbued the man with a magestone and given him the ability to track her, she had still managed to escape.

The curly-haired mage had barely a wisp of power…she wouldn't even fill a quarter of a whisperer on her own. He'd have to come up with a suitable punishment for Brooks. Nothing too permanent, but a warning he wouldn't forget anytime soon.

After the man brought Aliya to him, of course. At least she was nearby, somewhere in town. He'd have her soon.

Malkov stared, unseeing, at the pile of documents on his desk. Tonight should be quite entertaining, if nothing else.

A deep boom followed by a loud roar shook the foundation of the castle.

He shook his head, pushing to his feet. There were no military exercises scheduled for today, so there was no cause for any explosions in the parade grounds. Ice twisted in his gut as his heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be the shadow dragon…that thing was trapped behind the best physical and magical locks his artificers could create. It must be a sudden thunderstorm.

Striding to the window, he glanced outside. The sky was perfectly clear and blue, not a cloud in sight.

Running his hand through his hair, he leaned out for a better view. Off to the north, in the port district, a cloud of black smoke and flames rose above the rooftops.

His knees went weak. Thank goodness…the shadow dragon wasn't loose. Some idiot merchant or worker had improperly stored something, resulting in a fire. It had better not spread to the warehouse his army's supplies were stored in. They were going to be short enough on food in the next few weeks as it was.

The warehouses were close enough to the river, it would be but a few moments before the dockworkers and city guard brought the flames under control. There was nothing for him to worry about.

He stroked his chin with a thumb and forefinger.

Perhaps he would chat with Garrick, his Master Artificer, and see if they could add another layer of protection around the shadow dragon's prison. Just to assuage his concern.

He turned back to his desk and the missives in a tidy pile on the right side. With a sigh, he shook his head. He may as well get these done before Brooks presented Aliya to him, so he could take his time with her lovely magic tonight. Groaning, he settled back into his seat.

A horn rang out, three short bursts, coming from the far side of the city. The echoes still reverberated as another three blasts sounded.

An alarm. Damn. What now?

He rose from the chair and glanced back out the window. The horn came from the Eastern Gate. Since his window faced northwest, he'd learn nothing from here, and sending a page to discover the source of the alarm and report back would take too long. "Why must I do everything myself?"

"Mrow?" Shadow glanced up where she lounged.

"Because good help is hard to find in these trying times," he told her.

She yawned and closed her eyes.

Oh, to be a cat.

"Guards!" Malkov slung his cloak over his shoulders and stepped into the hallway. "Ready my carriage." The sentry scuttled off to carry the message. At least he had one servant who still knew how to do his job.

Drawing his hood over his face, Malkov hauled himself up into the coach a handful of minutes later. "To the Eastern Gate. As fast as you can."

The door shut behind him, and he jostled as the horses lurched forward. The three horns sounded again.

His driver took him to the outer border of the noble district. The bells were much louder now and echoed from the other gates.

The carriage rolled to a stop.

He stuck his head out the window. "What's the delay?"

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I don't think I'll be able to get you closer," his driver called back. "The market is in disarray."

"Damn." He flung the door open and jumped out onto the street. The bazaar was in shambles, vendors trying to close their stalls while looters and customers ran amok in the chaos. Slamming the carriage door, he headed toward the outer wall at a jog.

His sharp ears caught snatches of conversation as he rushed by. "An army! An army's coming!"

"The dwarves. The dwarves are attacking!"

He frowned. What in the pits of hell did those vermin think they were doing? Fear sliced through his gut, leaving ice in its wake.

Did they know about the Whisperers?

How many did he have in his stores? Only three, maybe four. Damnit. This is what he got for giving so many to Brooks and his idiot friends.

The city didn't have the food stores to withstand a siege. If they didn't have enough Whisperers to wipe out the invaders, they were done for.

He wove his way up the stairs to the battlements. The guards ran in every direction, lining up supplies, weapons and armor. No one seemed to notice him.

Another guard sprinted by. Malkov stepped forward and peered over the edge of the wall. He shielded his eyes with his hand as the afternoon sun blinded him.

He squinted into the distance. An army stretched out before them, still a mile or so away. Even at this distance, the dwarves' armor glinted in the sun. Their marching footsteps, all in sync, pounded into the earth.

Their patrols must be experts in stealth, to get so close to the capital without alerting his forces. He shuddered.

They wouldn't get him like the elves did his parents.

"Your Majesty!" The Lieutenant—Brandon? Bryson? Something like that—stepped forward and saluted him.

"Update, Lieutenant."

"We estimate five thousand soldiers, my King."

Malkov cursed. He didn't have Whisperers for half that many.

A woman in a golden headdress designed as a stylized sun crested the hills to the south, riding a white stag. The peal of her horn rang across the field.

An answering response sounded from the north.

Malkov's insides turned to stone as around him, the men sputtered and gaped. He hadn't heard that tone in decades.

Elves. The king spun on his heel and stormed down the stairs, careful to give the appearance of anger rather than fear. He scowled at his driver. "Take me back to the castle."

He may not have enough Whisperers currently, but if all went to plan, his wife would show herself soon. It was time to rectify that little problem.