Ten days later, Skye watched as Dane and Leena faced each other with dual scowls. Skye had stifled a relieved sigh when Bran had shared the final decision to leave behind a small force to guard the displaced women and children. Gharra was no place for the innocent. Not until they made it safe enough for them to return home.
The Pyrannis he’d met in the desert had inevitably extended the time spent traveling. The Pyrannis were wary of traveling through the tunnels, and it had taken all four of the Lan’Ai to change their minds. When first mentioned, a few warriors had accused Skye of leading them to their deaths by taking their sight from them. The few leaders holding the camp together had stared at him with shrewd eyes. At last, the order was given, and the men assigned to move and guard the women and children helped them pack the kotis. The encampment had bustled with blond-haired men scurrying in every direction. Even when apprehensive of their route, Eiren had noted to Skye that the Pyrannis walked once again with pride and purpose.
Thankfully, the Kurites had placed torches strategically along their chosen path by staying ahead of the long line of Pyranni men. The men, who had first balked at entering the tunnels below, regained their composure upon seeing the torches. By the time they stopped the first night, the small army had loosened their hold on their respective weapons and no longer jumped at shadows.
Reaching the interconnecting tunnels beneath Gharra, the Pyranni force with Skye had rejoined their fellow warriors. The tunnels now crawled with Pyrannis, and Dane had designated specific hallways for sleeping quarters, eating areas, and training areas to accommodate the sudden influx of men. Even so, they still tripped over each other. Scuffles also broke out, a direct result of rising tensions.
Dane had taken to leading the army with natural aplomb, and the Pyrannis from the desert fell into line, following orders without hesitation. With the leery looks the Kurites had received upon announcing their presence, Skye had located and allocated an isolated hall from the rest of the army. Besides, the Kurites’ role in the coming battle was altogether separate from the battle Dane had devised. To make matters more confusing, the Pyranni warriors were split into two forces. By using the two trapdoors located in the city, they would be able to attack from two different directions, then work their way toward the castle, taking out the Malirrans as quickly and quietly as possible. The hope was to cause confusion amongst the ranks of the enemy.
Unfortunately, there was one problem with Skye’s plan.
No one present knew the layout of the castle except Leena. A few men had seen the more public areas of the castle, but that was not where Skye needed to go.
Lara said through their bond, I think Dane is going to blow a gasket. Are they together?
Skye rolled his head to the right, studying Lara’s shadowed face in the flickering light. Despite her animated voice, Lara was rolling and unrolling the end of her left sleeve. Chion sat beside her, his big body pressed against her legs.
Chion’s ears flicked his direction, proving Lara had included the paka in the conversation.
In an attempt to distract her, Skye commented, You still confuse me, Solara.
Lara flashed him a strained grin, I know. I’m rather proud of it.
Are you asking whether Dane is courting Leena? Eiren asked.
Yeah. Lara tilted her head and studied the standoff happening several strides away. They don’t touch, but Dane keeps her in his periphery day and night. He is never far from her. Look at them, Eiren, Lara jerked her chin toward the two. He’s scared to let her out of the tunnel. He wants to keep her safe.
Skye went back to watching the scene in front of him with new eyes. All this time, he’d thought Dane had dismissed Leena’s offer to guide them through the castle because she was not a fighter. Lara was right. There was something going on between the two.
Dane turned to him, desperation twisting his mouth into a frown. “Your power. Can you not do it yourself, without Leena?”
Skye crossed his arms and considered his old battlemate’s question. With a slow shake of his head, he answered, “I could. Using my magic, I can locate the Malirrans throughout the castle without help. The issue is time. I do not know the best routes to take. I have practiced my powers, but I do not have full control yet. I would spend all my time searching for the right hallway and the hidden servant staircases instead of watching for the enemy.” He looked at the almost frail woman gazing at him with determination. “If Leena does know the castle as she claims, she’d reduce the chance of someone sounding an alarm.”
“I do. The castle was once my home. I know every niche, stairway, and hall in the entire castle. If you tell me where you must go, I can lead you there.”
Grabbing her shoulder and turning her toward him, Dane growled, “How is this possible? Were you a lady-in-waiting?”
Skye, along with everyone else in the cramped war room, saw the internal debate on Leena’s face before she lifted her head. She stepped away from Dane, and for the first time, the woman stood straight, throwing her shoulders back. Despite her haggard appearance and wearing material more appropriate as rags than clothing, her entire countenance morphed into a haughty and regal bearing. In a low, commanding tone, she said, “I am Aleena Greywind, the youngest niece of the late King Ragnar and only survivor of the Greywind line. As such, I am the sole heir to the throne.”
The shock was almost a boom of sound in the small room. For a long heartbeat, no one moved, too overwhelmed at the royal visage of a bloodline thought forever lost. Almost as one, every Pyranni kneeled at her feet. Skye fought the ingrained need to do the same by locking his knees. His hand stroked Eiren’s soft ear as he took a slow breath to calm his racing heart.
The threads the Goddess wove to keep this woman alive… Eiren’s voice trailed off.
Indeed, Chion said, his own voice low and soft.
Aleena’s hands patted the air. “Please, do not kneel. We must finalize our battle plans.” When no one moved, she said with more firmness, “Stand, warriors.”
After standing, Dane stared at the woman. “Your Majesty, you cannot put yourself in harm’s way. Your people need you.”
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Aleena nodded in fierce agreement, her lips pressed flat. “Yes, Pyran needs me. As the future ruler of this kingdom, I must be present when the Malirran king and the last of his councilors are put to the death. I may not strike the death blow, but as blood to Ragnar, I have the right to see his murder avenged. My people must be saved from the blood-filled reign of Lukar. And I,” she emphasized by slapping her hand against her chest, “I must bear witness. If that requires me to guide Lukar’s executioner through the castle, I will.”
All the Pyranni men, except Dane, bowed their heads. Skye hid his grin when Dane commanded, “You will not go alone. Three Pyrannis will guard you at all times.” He turned toward Skye, his gaze filled with a raging fire. “The men will follow your every order, but their only task is to protect our queen.”
Skye agreed, “Our primary duty is to dispatch the Malirrans in any manner we can. We need Queen Aleena’s assistance, there is no doubt. However, none of us can split our attention away from our task. The three guards are necessary for our mission to succeed.” He paused a moment, thinking rapidly. “Choose those three men wisely, Dane. We must be in place as soon as the sun sets.”
With a last glance at the woman, Dane said, “I will.” He strode from the room, intent on finding the three perfect guards.
¤ ¤ ¤
Lara tightened her arms around Chion, breathing in the earthy and exotic scent of him. She whispered, “I’m not ready. I’m afraid something bad is going to happen.”
Everyone was in place. The four Pyrannis and the small unit of Kurites had followed Cai and Neal to the small trapdoor that led directly into the castle’s dungeon. It felt like months had passed since Skye had rescued her from the pit of hell, and here she was, about to fight against the cannibals. Even through her strong shield made of densely packed water, Lara felt the evil slithering across it, constantly seeking a weak point. Thank God the Lan’Ai magic had given her a stronger barrier. The feeling of evil had spread, its stain a black miasma that had drilled into the ground. She only hoped that once the cannibals were all dead, the hellish darkness would dissipate. As much as the Pyrannis were disposed toward intolerance and despised magic and all things Kureto, they were also victims. She couldn’t imagine living in a city coated in the invisible remnants of such depravity, where no hope lived. If the evil remained, the remaining Pyrannis would descend into madness.
She shuddered hard enough for Chion to huff aloud, sending her curls fluttering across her vision. My Lady, do not doubt your strength now, he admonished. We have not survived so much only to die at the hands of the Malirrans. It is the malicious emotions of the Malirrans and the hopelessness of the survivors that make you doubt the end of this night. He pulled away from her and stared into her eyes. We will fight this enemy together, Solara. We are not alone, either. Our bondmates will be at our side, ready to step in if necessary. I trust you to protect me as I would protect you.
“I know.” She took a moment to get her thoughts in order by tying her hair with a length of soft leather. “I think it has more to do with knowing I plan to kill someone when I step foot in the castle. It feels, I don’t know, cold blooded, I guess? I know the Malirrans, especially the king and his top people, are evil. I do. I mean, of everyone waiting to infiltrate the castle, I can feel their evil. Their souls are so dark, Chion. They can’t be redeemed. Still, it doesn’t make what we have to do any easier.” She sighed, staring down at the ground.
Chion dipped his head before placing a huge paw on her leg. Such is war, My Lady. You have only ever fought in defense. Even in Kureto, the men you killed had invaded our home. Solara, tonight’s battle is different for you because we are the invading force. We are not the Pyrannis, who fight to regain their kingdom. We are here because the Malirran king must die. Otherwise, his evil will fester and spread across the land.
She sniffed, scrubbing her face to make sure no tears had fallen. “Okay,” she nodded, “okay. We can do this. I can do this.” Lara searched for and found Eiren and Skye standing a few yards away. They looked as if they were having their own pep talk. Keeping Chion in the link, she told the other two, Here’s to praying for luck. You both better not get hurt.
I already had this talk with Skye, Eiren responded, walking over to join their little group.
She did, Skye admitted. Lara, Chion, stay alert. We will need both of our Lan’Ai abilities to come out of this alive. The others will guard our backs. Skye looked down at her for a long second, and then he reached down and lifted her hand. Placing a quick kiss on the back of her hand, he warned, Lara, do not underestimate the Malirrans.
I won’t, she promised. Narrowing the link to Skye alone, she added, You better follow your own advice.
He agreed with a slight smile, squeezing her fingers. Through their bond, she could feel his resolute and unswerving determination to end the short tyranny of the Malirrans. Acting out of character, he caught her by surprise by wrapping his arms around her. After a moment of hesitation—well aware they had an audience—she hugged him back before releasing him to hug Eiren next. Remember, Eiren, do not take your eyes off the Malirrans. They will use every trick in the book to kill you and Skye.
Eiren met her eyes and nodded once, her eyes ablaze with anticipation.
Suddenly, Skye cocked his head to the side and raised his hand, silencing the quiet conversations around them. “It is time, my friends. The Pyrannis are in place and will begin their assault on the Malirrans in the city soon. We must be inside the castle and in place before they attack.”
Chion nudged her leg to gain her attention. Looking around, she realized everyone was in line to enter the dungeon hallway. Aleena, with her three guards, stood behind Skye, her jaw clenched and her shoulders back. Already knowing her task, Lara focused on any emotions nearby, disregarded those located outside the sphere of the castle, and found blank space. She looked over at Skye in time to watch him blink twice in concentration. They both shook their heads at the same time; no guards were in the dungeon or the stairway.
Skye ordered, “Once we reach the main floor, there are four guards. Two stand against the opposite wall of the doorway. The other two are farther down the hall. Two archers will take out both sets of guards.” Without being told, two bowmen moved their bows into their hand and jumped to the front of the line. “We must stash the dead here in the dungeon out of sight. Prepare your illusion, Ulami. Let us not give away our entrance. At that point, Queen Aleena will lead us to the royal wing of the castle.”
Aleena gave him a curt nod before speaking up. “Yes, not too far from the dungeon exit, if we go left, there is a servant hallway. It will take us a little out of our way, but we are less likely to meet anyone who will fight us along the way.”
Turning to the small group of warriors, Skye looked at each in the eye before continuing, “Remember, stealth and quick thinking will see us to the other side of this battle and our enemy dead.” With one last sweep of his gaze across the group, Skye waved his hand at Neal to open the trapdoor. Both Neal and Cai, along with the healer, would stay and guard the entrance, ensuring they had an escape route if necessary.
Once the door was cracked open, the sweet stench of rotting bodies rolled over them, and Lara leaned over and dry-heaved. Beneath the dull roaring in her head, she made out the sound of retching behind her, and the acidic smell of vomit added to the foul odor. Her stomach rolled as she brought up her shirt to cover her nose and mouth. What the hell? she screeched through the bond.
Skye whispered, “The stairway is clear. We must go now.” With that, Skye slid through the opening, his arms reaching back to help the two archers. Aleena and her three guards were next.
It was Lara’s turn, then. Her stomach threatened to revolt again, and she swallowed several times, praying she wouldn’t throw up. Both Eiren and Chion scrabbled up the dug-out stairs, leaping through the door a second before they lost their footing. Lara shoved her shirt across her nose and mouth, took a deep breath, and climbed the steps. When her head was inside the hallway, she shook her head to get rid of the loud buzzing in her ears. Once on solid ground, she got to her feet and crept up the stairs, away from the stench, making room for the other Kurites, sticking close to Chion. She shook her head again, trying to stop the sound, yet the buzzing persisted. Oh, no. No.