by Candy Crum
She smiled, but quickly looked at Mama to get permission before she let him in with her. Mama was gone, but then she sensed something behind her and turned her head just enough to see the large tiger lying there.
Without warning Mama laid her enormous head on Arryn's side, the warmth from her body feeling infinitely hotter than the fire only a few feet away. Arryn lifted the leopard pelt and the cub climbed underneath, turning around once before plopping down with his little head nestled against her breasts.
Lowering the skin once again, she wrapped her arm around him and pulled him tight against her, her fingers scratching the sides of his face. His bloody fur had long since been cleaned; his mama had spent quite a while doing so, she imagined.
Arryn wasn't exactly sure why the tigers had decided to lie with her, but she imagined it was for her heat, little as it was. At that moment, it didn't matter. The only things she cared about were her full belly, that she was warm, and that she had shelter.
Somehow, even with a predator twice her size at her side, she felt safer at that moment than she had the entire time she’d been on the mountain.
As she fell asleep, her last thoughts were of her snowy rabbit friend, hoping he'd find his way back to her to let her know he was safe.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When Maddie arrived at Amelia’s office around lunchtime that afternoon, the Chancellor didn't know what to think. They had been working together to train Ash to fly between them carrying messages, and things had been going well. It was far too dangerous for them to be seen together. For Maddie to have come in person, Amelia knew something must've gone wrong.
And it had. Maddie had done exactly what Amelia had told her not to do. She’d put herself in harm’s way, but it had been a rather strategic plan, and one that might turn out for the best.
After quickly discussing things, Amelia had sent Maddie back to the Academy, telling her to find a way to make it obvious what she planned to do that evening. She needed Jackson and Caydon to know she would be out for a run that evening.
It appeared that Maddie had done her job well, though Amelia had been surprised. Maddie was nothing if not resourceful, and her training and guidance had been much of the reason Hannah had been so successful at impersonating a noble.
Amelia had taken a trusted guard with her and they threaded through the streets, avoiding any other guards whose allegiances might prove questionable. They climbed onto a rooftop and waited. It wouldn't be long before Maddie ran through with the boys on her heels.
Amelia had two Hunters hiding in the shadows below, waiting for the students to pass. They had to wait until Jackson and Caydon struck, hopefully not injuring Maddie in the process. But that was why Amelia and the guard were on the rooftop; to ensure Maddie's safety while the two Hunters took action.
Once the boys made their move, the Hunters would capture them and make as much noise as possible, angrily—and loudly—asking questions.
The idea was that people would hear and begin to watch what was happening. The questions had been pre-selected, ensuring that anyone peeking out their windows or listening behind their doors heard them and thought carefully about their meaning.
They needed to create doubt in the minds of others. Two students who were incredibly close to Talia going after a young woman known to support Arryn? That certainly looked suspicious, or at least it should. They planned to make sure it did.
The sounds of footsteps pattering down the cobblestone road caught Amelia's attention. Amelia saw Maddie turn toward the end of the street, and she looked small from that distance. Soon after, Amelia saw two shadows behind her.
Amelia wasn't the best at mental magic, but she'd learned quite a bit from Julianne in the short time she’d trained with her. She’d been getting better at it recently with all the practice she was getting.
They’re behind you, Amelia sent telepathically to Maddie. Keep up your pace, and when you hear their footsteps, I want you to run faster and make noise. If they speed up, scream. Make a scene.
Can do, was all Maddie replied.
Maddie had passed a few extra houses when Amelia saw her look over her shoulder. She heard her say something to her pursuers, but couldn't understand at that distance. Maddie's focus returned to her run and she began to speed up as Caydon and Jackson sprinted faster behind her, just as they'd expected.
As instructed, Maddie began frantically glancing behind her and making frightened noises. The boys picked up speed; they were almost too close for Amelia's liking.
Now! Scream for help, Amelia instructed.
"Get away!" Maddie cried. "Somebody help me!"
Caydon leaped, and Amelia had a fireball in her hand before he landed on Maddie, knocking her to the ground. Amelia stood and raised her hand, ready to throw it, but the Hunters were already on them, ready to do their job. There was a flash of steel as Caydon reached for a knife and dove once again for Maddie.
The Hunter slammed him in the face with an elbow before knocking him to the ground beside Maddie and taking the knife from his hand.
Are you okay? Amelia asked.
Yeah, I'm great! Maddie's internal voice sounded excited rather than scared. She jumped up, and Amelia saw a smile on her face.
The fire in Amelia's hand dissipated as she closed her fist. As long as things continued this way, she wouldn’t need it.
"Who are you?" one of the Hunters demanded. "Why are you after her?"
Amelia could see magitech lights flickering to life as the spectacle on the street began to draw attention.
"Get the hell off me!" Caydon ordered. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
Maddie took a defiant step forward. "I sure as hell do! You threatened me at the Academy today. You told me to watch my back. I didn't think you were actually serious, or I would have reported you then. But then again, who would I've reported you to? It sure as hell couldn't be the Dean!"
"You leave Talia out of this!" Jackson cried.
Everything was going even better than Amelia had expected.
"Is that true? Did you threaten her earlier today?" the Hunter asked. "I'll know if you’re lying. I'm an excellent judge of character."
"Wait just a minute," the other Hunter said. He had Jackson pinned in his arms, but the boy knew better than to fight. Caydon wasn't quite as smart. "I know who the two of you are."
"Who the hell are they?" Caydon's Hunter asked.
"This is Jackson. He's the one who got the shit beat out of him by some Boulevard students not long ago. We investigated the situation when those two students were attacked and one of them was killed."
"Yeah, by Arryn," Caydon snapped. "We've done nothing wrong. Let us go."
Caydon‘s Hunter yanked his wrists together, snapping magitech cuffs on them. "The only reason you didn’t do anything was because we interrupted you."
Maddie took a step forward and leaned down, picking something up. "This looks exactly like the knife that killed the other students. Why do you have it?"
Jackson's Hunter laughed. "That's a good damned question. You know, I'm starting to find it kind of odd. Those Boulevard students kicked your ass, and not long after, they were attacked using a knife exactly like that one right there. Now here you are, chasing down an innocent girl—"
"She's not innocent!" Caydon interjected. "She supports the murderer Arryn. That makes her a traitor."
"Is that so?" Caydon's Hunter asked. "See, you shouldn't have said anything, because now this looks a whole hell of a lot more suspicious."
"That's what I'm thinking, too," Jackson's Hunter said. "You were caught wielding a knife exactly like the one used in the murders Arryn was accused of committing, but you were using it to attempt to murder someone else, someone who supports Arryn and believes in her innocence. Maybe we didn't look at Arryn hard enough. I'm starting to think it's possible that two noble assholes had a grudge and needed a scapegoat."
Yes! Amelia thought to herself. The Hunters were doing great. They had to deviate f
rom the script a bit, but they still knew how to make all the details obvious to get anyone listening thinking about the possibilities that it wasn’t Arryn that had killed those students.
"Like someone new to the city who no one knew very well, for instance?" Caydon's Hunter asked. "The two of you are going nowhere. There are now many things we need to discuss."
The boys and their big mouths had made things far easier for Amelia than she'd imagined, though she'd hoped it would turn out the way it had.
People were starting to come out their front doors now, curious about what they'd seen from their windows and heard behind closed doors. A quick look into a mind or two told Amelia her plan had worked. Doubt about Arryn's guilt had been planted, and no one had any idea Amelia had anything to do with it. The seeds just needed time to grow.
***
Leaving Cella on the remnant’s errand was the hardest thing the governor had ever done, but it was necessary for survival of his people. He'd made large threats, and he'd been lucky the remnant had believed him. If the remnant leader was correct, Talia had been behind the whole thing.
He wondered if the Chancellor knew of the woman’s guilt. If she didn't, he planned to tell her, and if she had suspected Talia, he’d validate her theory for her.
As the governor of Cella approached the Arcadian gate, he was met by several guards. "Hello there," one of them said, stepping forward. "What can we do for you today?"
The governor smiled, having no idea what to say or how to react. He decided to be as vague as possible, in hopes the guard would lead the conversation for him. "I'm the governor of Cella, and this is my son Nathaniel. We received an invitation, and we have come to discuss the terms."
The guard smiled. "Governor, welcome to the city. Talia is expecting you."
That was all he needed to know. The guard seemed overly excited to deliver him to Talia. It stood to reason that this man, and possibly many others, were loyal to her. He needed to step lightly.
"Thank you, thank you. It's been a long time since I've been to Arcadia. I'm excited to see it again. If you'll allow us passage, we’ll head to the Academy. Thank you for your assistance."
The guard shook his head. "Oh, no. No need for all that. I will escort you myself. It would be an honor."
The governor grew very nervous, but he did his best to play it off. He forced a laugh and waved his hand. "While it's been some time since I've been here, I know how to get there. Besides, with all that’s happened lately, you men are the only thing holding the city together. Our borders rely on strength, and you are our backbone. That's what I tell my men. They are the most important part of the city, even more than myself. I don't want to pull you away from the gate, knowing the city could be in danger simply because of my arrival."
He’d hoped flattery would get him somewhere, but it was doing no good.
"Talia insisted. Really, it's fine," the guard said, his expression still happy, though the governor could tell that at this point he was straining to keep it that way. The man was growing irritated.
"Talia is the Dean of the Academy, correct?" Nathaniel asked.
The guard nodded. "Yes, sir. She is."
Nathaniel briefly glanced at his father before looking back at the guard. "Shouldn't you be taking orders from the Chancellor, not the Dean of Students?"
The other guards stepped away from their post, coming closer to the two men and their horses.
The guard who had greeted them took a step forward, making sure his magitech rifle was in sight. "Things are a bit complicated in the city at the moment, given the situation. Talia has gone to great lengths to ensure that the city is well taken care of. We take our orders from her."
He looked at the other guards for a moment before returning his attention to the governor. The other guards moved forward again. Though their posture was relaxed, the governor was well aware of the threat. If they did not allow the guard to take them to Talia, they would be taken there by force.
"This can't happen," Nathaniel said to his father.
The governor turned back to the guards. "You would offer violence if I chose to see the Chancellor? The official you swore to obey?"
The guard smiled. "If that's what you choose, yes. We prefer peace, but you will not be seeing the Chancellor. No one is to see the Chancellor."
The governor sighed and looked at his son. He had taught Nathaniel some of the basics, including fireballs, but he didn't have much training. That had been the reason he’d wanted him to attend the Academy so badly. But behind his back, Nathaniel had taken it upon himself to train with the Guard, learning things the governor himself had never even learned.
When his son looked at him and nodded once, his expression deadly serious, he knew what it meant. More than that, he trusted his son with his life.
The governor turned back to the guard standing just in front of his horse and nodded. "If that is your wish."
The governor's hands thrust out in front of him, causing a large shield to burst forth. Before the guards could react, Nathaniel was off his horse and had grabbed his spear from his back.
He ran forward and slid just enough that he could reach under the barrier, stabbing a guard in the chest with his spear before rolling back behind it for safety.
The governor jumped off his horse once the guards were focused on Nathaniel and created a fireball in his left hand while focusing on the barrier. He twisted around the barrier just far enough to allow him to throw the fireball, and it hit one of the men in the back, sending him to the ground screaming in pain. Nathaniel stabbed him in the chest, quieting him for good.
The guards lifted their magictech rifles and prepared to shoot through the shield.
"Now!" Nathaniel shouted, pulling a large dagger from his belt.
The governor dropped the barrier and Nathaniel threw his spear, hitting one of the guards in the stomach before ducking out of the way. The last guard fired relentlessly, but Nathaniel was fast, and the guard was too poor a shot. Had it been one of the Cella guards, Nathaniel would've been dead, and he knew it.
Tumbling to the side to avoid more shots, Nathaniel rose to his knees and threw the knife, striking the guard in the chest. They had taken all four guards down within a matter of moments, and the Cellans were safe.
"Do we still think we should bring our people here?" Nathaniel asked.
The governor sighed, looking at the bodies and then at his son. He shook his head. "If we stay in Cella, we risk the remnant breaking the deal. We’d be safe here from the remnant, but then there’s Talia. Son, I don't think we're safe anywhere we go. We must simply choose the lesser of the two evils. "
Nathaniel stood. "To do that, we need to talk to Amelia and find out just how bad this is, but first we need to get rid of these bodies."
They’d began dragging one of the bodies away when another guard walked around the corner.
"Shit," Nathaniel yelled.
The governor prepared to throw a fireball as Nathaniel grabbed his spear.
"Whoa!" the guard said, raising his magitech rifle. "Calm down there. You look familiar."
The governor paused, his body tense with fear and adrenaline. "I'm the governor of Cella."
Recognition struck the guard. "The governor of Cella? What the hell are you doing here?"
The governor momentarily looked at his son, who also seemed to catch the possibility behind those words. If the guard didn't realize he was supposed to be there, that he might not be on Talia's radar.
"I was invited here by Talia, but I would like to see the Chancellor first." It was a risk, but he needed to see who this man was with.
The guard looked at the other four lying on the ground. "And these men? They refused you the opportunity to see the Chancellor?"
The governor nodded. "They demanded we see Talia and forbade us the opportunity to see the Chancellor. Is that normal practice?"
The guard lowered his magitech rifle. "No, sir, but I'm sure you're aware there are a lot of things
happening. Get on your horses and follow me. There are only a few of us truly loyal to Amelia. I’m sure she’ll explain everything. I'll inform the next guards their shift is beginning early. They’ll take care of this mess. We'll close the gate until they do."
As promised, the guard safely delivered the governor and his son to the Capitol building and the Chancellor. He hurried them inside and quickly closed the doors behind them. A beautiful woman at the front desk waved them through, and the guard did not bother knocking. He walked straight into the Chancellor's office, bringing the governor and his son with him.
"Amelia, this is the governor of Cella. The guards at the front gate tried to stop him from seeing you. They wanted to take him to Talia."
The governor stepped forward. "I'm sorry to say this, but I felt that our lives were threatened. My son and I have had disturbing news, and we came here to speak to you directly. When we were told we were being taken to her, we feared the worst. The four guards at the gate are dead by our hands."
Amelia nodded. "While I hate to hear that, I know you did what you felt necessary. At any other point in time, I could guarantee your safety in our city, but unfortunately, now is not the time. Those men are under the control of a mystic, a mystic that’s in Talia’s employ. If your disturbing news concerns her, you and I have a lot to talk about."
The governor laughed, but he was unamused. "Chancellor, I'm here not because of the invitation extended by Talia herself, but because I just made a deal with the remnant. A deal stating that if I delivered her, or at least got information on her whereabouts, they wouldn’t rip my city apart again. I think we have quite a lot to discuss."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Spending time in the Dark Forest was far more intriguing than Celine could ever have imagined. Part of her wanted to abandon Arcadia entirely and live amid the beauty of the trees and wildlife. Cathillian had been right when he said it was quite a dangerous place, but most of those dangers lay outside the druids’ barrier.
