by Candy Crum
The man lived on a small farm several miles south of Arcadia. The remnant had overrun his home, killing his entire family in the process. He’d been the only one to survive and had made haste toward the city after hearing one of the beasts mention Arcadia.
Though the Chancellor had been hesitant to cause fear and chaos, Arryn and the others believed him, and Amelia decided subtlety was their best chance.
Unfortunately for them, things had already escalated, and the attacks were controlled by outside sources. Now, the only thing they could do was hope for the best and do their best to protect their walls as the horde grew closer.
The fog seemed to thicken, and Arryn found herself wishing that the druid Chieftain’s daughter, Elysia, was there. She would have been capable of lifting it. Arryn could only control the weather when she was pissed off.
But the fog wouldn’t matter.
She knew she didn’t need to see the enemy coming. No one did. According to Samuel and Ren, the enemy was more than happy to announce themselves.
And they did…
Loud gravel-voiced screams ripped through the air, chilling Arryn to the bone. She looked at the men beside her, only to see them glancing toward one another with fear on their faces. They turned to Arryn for direction, afraid of what was about to happen.
She knew how they felt. It was up to her to be their backbone.
"Archers, aim!" Arryn shouted. She heard the wings behind her before she saw the large Golden Eagle who was Cathillian’s familiar fly overhead. "Echo, warn Cathillian. The remnant are here. Oh! And that the ladies will eat him alive, and not in the good way.”
CHAPTER ONE
Two weeks earlier
Things were changing very quickly, and Amelia had started to feel even more hope. It was almost like the old Arcadia again.
Well, minus an evil dictator.
It had been a couple of weeks since they'd tracked down and killed Doyle—a situation Amelia had regretted on behalf of Arryn because she’d wanted answers about her father, but it was a development the city rejoiced in. Knowing he was gone was a blessing.
The Governor had yet to be found, even after identifying the bodies at the farmhouse. It was no matter. Amelia would find him, too, and put an end to his plans for vengeance.
The men the city of Cella had sent were more than helpful. The factory building had been rebuilt, and now they were finishing everything on the inside. Within a few days, work would start again and the city—as well as its families—would be able to bring in money for the economy.
It had been quite an effort for Arcadia to feed and shelter so many extra people after the Battle for Arcadia, but luckily, plenty of vacant homes had been available and several local farms had been willing to donate food.
Given the impending reopening of the factory, extra men poured back into the city, no longer searching for work outside with the nobles that were building homes. Even the unemployed had lent a hand to the effort, knowing they would soon be receiving regular pay.
The factory was small, but not as small as they had anticipated. With the donated supplies and the added help from Cella, nobles, Boulevard men, and stray Arcadians returning home, they had been able to build larger and faster due to most of the wood being harvested locally.
Amelia's largest concern now, other than the factory, was getting the Arcadian Guard fully trained and ready to go. Because there were so many recruits and so few experienced fighters, the training was going very slowly.
Still, she was confident everything would turn out fine. They had to do well. It was Arcadia, after all—the grandest city in the valley, and its namesake. She needed her residents to feel safe and secure.
"Ah, Chancellor," Samuel said as Amelia approached the factory site. "It's good ta have ye. We're almost ready. I'm gonna say three days, but we might get done early. We have some magicians here installin’ the magitech lightin’ right now. We had more than plenty of glass from the old buildin’ ta melt down into enough panes ta make sure this bitch is well lit. It won’t remind anyone of the old place."
"I've never seen anything so incredible. Everyone really cooperated and put it together so quickly." She shook her head, trying to hold back her emotions. She was overjoyed and relieved, grateful to see everyone so happy. "I look forward to the reopening. I just came by to check on everyone. Do you or anyone else need anything?"
"Aye," Ren chimed in. "I could use a nice night at the Dragon’s Lair. That ought ta set me right."
Amelia laughed. "I don't think that's on the menu, rearick. Not on my coin, anyway. But you're more than welcome to head there this evening. I'm sure you'll find nothing short of plentiful entertainment there."
"Aw, ye ain't jealous now, are ye?" Ren asked. "I know how shy Arcadian women can be sometimes. No need ta be shy around old Ren."
Amelia shook her head, still smiling. "Samuel, I think you need new friends. This one's old and broken."
"Hey, Chancellor!" Andrew said as he walked out the factory’s front door. "Is Marie here with you?"
Amelia excused herself from the rearick and took a few steps forward. It made her happy to see an attractive, hard-working, and very kind man like Andrew asking about her sweet assistant, Marie.
She wasn't sure if it was simply platonic curiosity, but she couldn't help but hope for something else.
"Why, no, she isn’t. I’m here alone. Should I give her a message? I'm sure I'll see her in just a few minutes."
Laughing nervously, Andrew looked down at the cobblestone walkway and ran his fingers through his short, dark hair. "No, that's okay. I don't want to bother her. I was just curious if she was here. She's been down here every day, but she hasn't stopped in yet today. Wanted to make sure she's okay."
He was so adorable, Amelia couldn't help but smile knowingly. "I assure you she's fine, but I'll be happy to let her know you asked for her."
There was a nervous pause as he looked anywhere except into Amelia’s eyes. It was obvious he was embarrassed to ask about her.
That was rather cute on a man as attractive and masculine as he was. She’d heard the story about what he’d done with the remnant. Hopefully he'd use that brawn for something a bit more fun with sweet Marie.
Andrew was about to say something else, but he stopped, smiled, and pointed behind Amelia. "Well, there she is. I guess she surprised us."
Amelia turned, not having expected Marie to show up since she'd been working with someone on plans for the Boulevard. From the look on the woman’s face, Amelia was expecting whatever information she carried even less than her presence.
"I'm sorry to break this up," Marie said. "I know you came down here because you're excited, but I have news."
Before she walked away, Amelia turned to Andrew to say her goodbyes. "Thank you again for all your hard work. I know you and Samuel have been at the head of this, and that you’ve been working at the factory and in the Boulevard. It couldn't have been easy, so thank you. If there's ever anything you need, please let me know."
Marie shot a quick smile toward Andrew as she led Amelia away. Given the connection they had seemed to share with one another, Amelia thought Marie was acting strangely. She was usually so very excited to see the tall, dark, and handsome man.
Once they were out of earshot, Amelia started the conversation, knowing that mood would be lost if she let her assistant talk first. "Before you unleash whatever darkness is in that brain of yours on me, I need to say I think that man is adorable. He obviously likes you. I think you'd be a crazy person if you didn't at least entertain the idea."
"Amelia…"
The Chancellor put her hands up in defeat. "I don't mean to intrude. I just know you're single and you worked for Adrien for years, so that means there was absolutely no time for you to date. It's not my business, but I had to say it, because if you weren't thinking it, I figured maybe you should, that's all. Now you can go on with whatever terrible news is causing that awful expression on your face."
"I don't mind you butting in. I'm not upset by that in any way. Actually, it feels nice to have someone looking out for me, and I especially like having a woman around to talk to. Unfortunately, you're right. There is bad news." Marie paused for a moment, wringing her hands and frowning. "There was another remnant attack about three miles south of the last one and five miles farther west. Farther into the valley."
"So, it was farther from their home territory, is what you're saying?" Amelia clarified.
Marie nodded. "Yes. And this one was far worse."
Closing her eyes, Amelia sighed as the weight of that news pressed on her. A remnant attack was terrible under any circumstances, but as Chancellor, it was her responsibility to make sure that everyone remained safe.
"Were there any survivors?" Amelia asked.
Marie shook her head, pausing for a moment before she continued, "I'm afraid not. Twenty-five dead. Some of those men were ripped apart. The Hunters and Border Patrol came in this morning with carts full of corpses. They were lucky that a nearby village allowed them to commandeer the carts, or they’d still be out there. From what they could tell, all but five of them were Arcadian. The rest were just outsiders looking for work."
"I can't believe this," Amelia cried, incredulity clear in her quiet voice. "Have the families been notified?"
Marie shook her head again. "I'm sorry, Amelia, but I think we're going to need you for that. Like I said, some of those men were ripped apart. Others had their skulls crushed. It's—" Marie stopped.
Amelia frowned, knowing just how hard all this must have been on someone as kind as Marie. The Chancellor had a good heart, but she was no stranger to carnage—unfortunately.
"It's impossible to identify some of them, is that what you were going to say?" Amelia asked.
"I don't know everyone here, certainly not the Boulevard people. Even with Adrien in the Academy tower, I was locked away in the Capitol building for years. I did my best, but I'm ashamed to say that I couldn't even hold my lunch, let alone stand there long enough to identify someone I’ve probably never met. I’m embarrassed, but that's how it was."
"Don't worry, Marie, I'll take a look. And don't be ashamed for not having the stomach to look at all that. It just means you have a pure heart. If I hadn't seen so much blood myself recently, I doubt I'd be able to either." Amelia stepped forward and pulled the girl into a reassuring hug, then moved back. "It'll be okay. Why don't you go home for the day? Either go home, or go talk to that sweet man back there who’s more than likely been staring at you this whole time. I can take care of the rest."
Amelia was happy when Marie didn't argue. Knowing what she was about to have to do, the Chancellor had no desire to stand there and try to convince the woman to leave work.
Though she had to admit, she was very proud of Marie for trying to solve the problem herself before running to her. She'd certainly come a long way in a very short amount of time.
CHAPTER TWO
Things in the Girard house were becoming more familiar to Arryn and Cathillian once a routine had been set up and their training had resumed.
Today, however, things would be a little bit different for them.
With Arryn wanting to get more serious about training and improving all the time, Cathillian wanted to give Arryn what she'd asked for—to train like a traditional warrior.
On top of that, Cathillian wanted to work on his own skills. Teaching Arryn new things or helping her get stronger was always great, but he wanted to make sure to challenge himself as well.
After the big fight with Doyle, Cathillian had realized Arryn was more than ready for the harder training that warriors took part in.
That, and he wanted to do anything she asked for to make up for killing the man who had possessed information about her father before she could ask him even a single question.
That morning, the plan was to go just outside the city walls, where they would have a wide-open field to train in without hurting anyone.
Having the late Lord Girard’s nice big house to live in while in the city was one thing, but the lack of a large enough yard to train in was something else, though his home had certainly had one of the biggest yards in the city.
According to Amelia, that was where Hannah’s small group had trained, but with as active as the druids were, they needed more room—especially when long range weapons were brought into the mix.
For what they had planned, they needed a much larger area where they wouldn’t accidentally kill the neighbor’s chickens.
When they arrived out by the trees that Cathillian had been growing with his new students, they set their things down and prepared themselves for what was to come.
The sun was only beginning to rise, and the early spring air was crisp and cool, though they would warm up quickly enough once they began training.
"Just don't shoot me in the head or chest and we should be fine," Cathillian cautioned, smiling a bit as he pointedly locked eyes with her.
"Damn. With all these rules, you're just taking the fun out of everything, aren’t you?" Arryn replied.
Cathillian smiled as he lifted a hand, signaling for her to stay put. "Oh, I know. Don’t turn your back on an enemy. Don’t shoot Cat in the face. There are just so many things to remember! How will you ever remember them all?” he quipped. “That being said, if you do shoot me, it just means my ass was too slow. Don't worry too much about it, just don't aim anywhere vital."
Arryn stretched her back and arms, reaching as high as she could and brushing the tips of her fingers against the underside of the leaves on one of the lowest branches of a tree.
She smiled. "I didn't plan on it. The worrying about it part, I mean.” Picking up her staff, she began twisting it in circles, allowing the weight to relax her wrists. “I totally plan to shoot you. This is the best opportunity I’ve had in a long time!"
Laughing as she pulled her bow from her shoulder, she asked, "Is this gonna ruin my arrows? I spent a long-ass time making these. Your mom even helped a little. Speaking of which, have you sent a note back with Echo this week? We don't need her tearing down the Arcadian gate."
Cathillian looked at her incredulously. "Do you honestly think I’d forget something like that? Of course, I did, because even though she doesn't know physical magic, I'm still not sure she wouldn’t rain hellfire down on everyone if she thought we were in danger." They both laughed, having fun joking about Elysia and the terrible temper she displayed when she was angry. "I sent Echo back this morning. And I think your precious arrows will be fine."
Arryn pulled an arrow from her quiver and nocked it, waiting for further instruction. She knew exactly what he wanted to do, but she had to wait for his go-ahead or risk hurting him worse than anticipated.
He planned to make himself a moving target while she attempted to shoot him. He would deflect her arrows by any means necessary—dodging, jumping, ducking, or by sword.
With anyone else, it would have been truly dangerous. It was for them as well, but since Arryn was great with a bow and they could heal, it made the exercise far less threatening.
Cathillian drew his sword before nodding. Arryn wasted no time and began shooting. One after another, Arryn loosed a barrage of arrows at him, each one missing: either flying past him as he dodged, or was cut in half by his sword.
“You lying bitch! So much for not destroying my arrows!” Arryn pouted, nocking another arrow and shooting it only a moment after it had been pulled back.
The druid moved so quickly as he spun out of the way of one of her arrows that she nearly missed him pulling a knife from his belt before throwing it directly at her.
She jumped to her right before dropping and somersaulting once to come back up, bow drawn. She shot another arrow, this time hitting him in the thigh.
"Fuck!" Cathillian yelled before hissing in pain. "You actually got me! Damn, that was a good shot."
He snapped the end of the arrow off without hesitation, allowing him to pull it the rest of the
way through as he once again hissed in pain. He threw the broken shaft to the ground and placed his hand over the wound.
Arryn looked behind her and found the knife he had hurled buried in one of the trees Cathillian had helped the loggers grow during their magic lessons. Their magic was still weak, so it was mostly him, but they were learning.
Still, it was a pretty impressive tree.
She turned and made her way over to Cathillian, who had been gathering up arrows. As they met in the middle, they traded weapons.
"How is the class, by the way?" she asked, nodding toward the tree. "Seems like it's going well."
Cathillian shrugged. "It could be better, but I can't complain. It’s taken a couple weeks to teach them, but they’re learning. It's slow, but as you can see, the trees are growing nicely. Unfortunately, only two of them have been doing most of the work, other than me, of course. The rest are a lot like you were when you first started."
She smacked him in the chest with her free hand. "Hey!" she scolded, her angry expression belied by the smile on her face. "I’m an excellent student, I'll have you know. And a fast learner."
"Yeah, now. Before, you completely sucked at it. You got better, though." He winked as he turned and began heading in the opposite direction. "Go again?"
Arryn laughed. "You're the one being shot at here, not me, so you call the shots.” She paused for a moment, thinking over her last sentence, and laughed. “Damn, I'm witty without even trying. How can you stand it?”
He rolled his eyes. “I just do my best, I suppose. Sometimes it’s really hard.”
She smiled. “But seriously, you only have two good students out of all of those who’ve taken to nature magic? That's too bad."
"Well, there would be another, but he avoids learning magic at all costs. He wants nothing to do with it. And yes, we will be going again."
