by Lara Morgan
Aran led the way to the storehouse, crossing the open space between the end of the portico and the shadows of the smaller building. The wall behind the storehouse was three feet thick and twenty feet high, the strongest inner wall in the palace, and on the other side of it were the Guardian’s gardens and sleeping apartments.
He paused at the foot of the wall and Rafe handed him several steel spikes, each fitted with claw-like hooks and ending in a small tongue of metal. Aran wedged them between the joins of the stones, using them like steps to scale the wall. Once he was at the top he tied a rope to the uppermost spike then dropped it down to them. Rafe gripped the rope and climbed up as fast as a lizard. Shaan only hoped she’d be able to get up half as fast; the swim had tired her more than she’d thought. Rafe looked down at her and held up three fingers. Shaan nodded and watched them both disappear over the other side.
Slowly she began to count to fifty three times, watching the sky. Dawn was fast approaching and time was running short. Over in the garden Rafe and Aran should be overpowering the guards left on patrol. She couldn’t hear anything from there, but voices and footsteps drifted faintly from the central courtyard. Suddenly from the other side of the storehouse she heard the sound of someone crossing the stone. She sidled to the corner and peered around, then swore softly. A woman of about sixty was heading toward the bath house. She was the apartment’s housemaid and was practically deaf. She’d probably slept through the whole alarm.
Barely breathing Shaan watched the stooped shadow stop at the entrance, then she seemed to change her mind and turn toward the storehouse. She swore again. The woman might be deaf but she wasn’t blind; she would see her if Shaan waited where she was. Abandoning the counting, she reached for the rope and began to climb as quietly as she could, the back of her neck prickling. She expected to hear the woman cry out at any moment, but nothing came. The storehouse door creaked open then closed as she reached the top of the wall, her left arm throbbing with pain by the time she’d wrenched herself up. She struggled to breathe quietly as she coiled the rope, then lay flat looking into the garden on the other side. Below, the tops of several small flowering trees were surrounded by dark grass that stretched away to more trees and shrubs. The Guardian’s sleeping apartments were in the middle of the garden, away from the walls; the only other building was a small guardhouse near the gate.
A dozen men were usually stationed in the guardhouse, patrolling the gardens in four-man shifts, and there were three more inside the Guardian’s apartments. Two guards were normally stationed on the inner gate to the palace, but Shaan doubted they would all still be at their posts. Their plan hinged on the fight at the yards drawing some, at least in the guardhouse, away.
She felt for the other rope Aran had left for her to climb down into the garden. She was supposed to wait for Rafe, but he seemed to be taking too long. Dawn was coming much too fast; soon there would be enough light for someone to see her. The soft call of a raffia bird sounded in the garden and Shaan saw Rafe below her. She shuffled to the edge of the wall, swung her legs over and climbed the rope to the ground. As she touched the grass he whispered close to her ear, ‘Four guards, all down, but Aran thinks there may be more. Be quiet and careful.’
She nodded and followed him to a clump of shrubs nearby. Aran was crouching among them, wiping his knives on the grass.
‘Stay between me and Rafe,’ he whispered.
Shaan drew the knife from her leg sheath.
The Guardian’s apartments were still and quiet. Aran made a motion over his shoulder and they crouched down in the wet grass behind a large shrub. He gestured something to Rafe that Shaan didn’t understand. Rafe put a hand on her shoulder. ‘Go,’ he whispered, so softly she wasn’t sure if he’d said it or merely put the idea in her mind.
They raced across the open expanse of grass to the wall. Shaan’s heart thudded hard as they hesitated for a moment in the shadow below the sitting-room windows. Rafe braced himself, forming a stirrup with his hands, and the Hunter stepped up and jimmied one of the windows using his short-bladed knife. The wooden-framed pane of glass swung open against the wall and, with a powerful thrust, Rafe pushed Aran up and through the dark opening. Shaan was next, but Rafe stayed outside, keeping watch as they’d planned.
Shaan led the way across the room. Dawn was about to break and there was just enough light for her to make out the shadowy shapes of the low couches and the tables. There was likely a guard in the corridor. Shaan reached the door to Nilah’s bedroom and glanced back. His mouth set, Aran jerked his head toward the closed door. Carefully, she rotated the door handle and pushed inward, wincing at the minute squeak of the hinges as it opened.
The bedroom was large with an enormous bed raised on a platform directly opposite the door. The shadowed shapes of a table and chairs against the right wall were just visible and there was a high, square window set in the left wall. The shape of a person lay still beneath the silk sheets. Shaan crept forward, conscious of the thick rug beneath her feet, negotiating the clothes and shoes strewn across the floor. Nilah lay on her back, one arm above her head, the thin strap of her nightdress falling off the shoulder of the arm under the covers. Breathing quietly, Shaan leaned over slowly, but before she could reach her, Nilah’s eyes suddenly snapped open and with a harsh scream she whipped a knife out from under the sheet and lunged at her. Shaan flung herself backward, barely escaping the swing of the blade. Aran was on Nilah in an instant; springing on the bed he slammed her back down and wrested the knife from her grip.
‘Quiet!’ he hissed, but it was too late, heavy footsteps thudded and they heard the sound of bolts being drawn on the sitting-room door.
‘Shaan!’ Nilah stared at her in surprise from under Aran’s grip.
‘We came to get you out!’ Shaan jumped to her feet as Aran ran to the door, shooting the flimsy bolt home. There was no way that would hold the guards off for long.
‘Quick, you have to hide!’ Nilah sprang out of bed and ran over to a tall cupboard against the wall, swinging open the door. ‘In here, both of you.’
The cupboard held a rack of long silk suncoats and oiled rain cloaks.
‘We would be trapped,’ Aran said and glanced at the window, cursing under his breath. ‘Too small.’
‘Looks like we’re trapped anyway,’ Shaan said as a heavy foot struck the door.
‘Get behind us,’ she said to Nilah as Aran ran to them and they stood shoulder to shoulder facing the door. ‘How many?’ she asked the Hunter as the door shuddered under the assault.
Aran shook his head. ‘Hopefully two.’ He had both his knives drawn, ready to spring forward. ‘Stay back unless I fall.’
Swallowing Shaan nodded and gripped her knife. Behind her Nilah said softly, ‘Thank you for coming.’
Shaan didn’t answer. A strange tightness was rising in her chest, like her healing power, but different. Dangerous. Another kick and the door burst open, a tall, broad-shouldered man rushing in, his sword drawn. Aran surged forward, crouching low under the swing of the blade, his knives whirling as he sliced at the man’s legs. Behind the guard came two more men. Aran twisted and began to engage the second man at the same time, his blades moving so fast Shaan couldn’t track them. But three to one was impossible. Shaan ran to help, a sound of fury coming from her mouth as she struck a slicing blow at the back of the third man. He sensed her coming and turned, the blade only nicking his sword arm as he punched her hard in the face.
Pain exploded across her cheekbone as she fell back to the floor, dizzied and tasting blood. Nilah screamed and Shaan looked up through a dim haze to see the Guardian grappling with the guard.
There was a whoosh of air and she rolled left just as a blade passed over her head, thudding into the floor near her ear. Before the guard could wrench the sword free she kicked out, slamming into his thighs so he stumbled back, giving her enough time to gain her feet. But he recovered fast.
‘Half breed!’ he hissed, lunging for his sword.
The disgust in his eye shocked her and Shaan felt the tightness shifting inside in response: anger, wrath surging and with it a dark uncoiling. The man’s blade was falling on her and the world seemed to slow, a strange greyness filling her vision. He was going to kill her. The darkness inside her released. With a snarl she leaped forward, ducking under the blade, her left hand splayed and falling hard against the chest plate of his light armour. She felt his heart beating, saw the blood running fast through his veins, the fatted weight of his liver, the smoke-damaged cells in his lungs. Already dead. The thought came as something strange and light unfurled from her and pressed on his heart.
Stop.
The sword fell from his hand. He shuddered, gasping, and clutched at her, wide-eyed.
Stop.
She pressed and he fell, taking her with him.
Stop now.
She knelt above him and felt the valves of his heart closing, the blood slowing. His eyes closed, his breath stopped. For an eye blink there was silence, then Tallis was in her mind. Shaan? His voice brought her back. She gazed at the dead man. There was blood coming from his mouth. What had she done?
Aran and Nilah were staring at her. She got to her feet and saw the other two guards dead on the floor. Aran had a shallow cut across his chest, blood oozing slowly.
‘We have to go.’ Rafe suddenly appeared in the doorway. His dark eyes went to the guard on the floor then to Shaan without expression. ‘More are coming.’
Aran was the first to move. ‘Guardian, get your robe and shoes.’ Nilah obeyed.
‘Your knife.’ Aran handed Shaan the blade she hadn’t realised she’d dropped. It felt cold in her hand and too heavy. She closed her fingers around it.
‘Come on.’ He turned away and she followed him out the door, Nilah behind her and Rafe at the rear.
They ran across the sitting room to the window. Aran jumped out first, Shaan next, her heart pounding and her legs unsteady as she landed on the ground. Rafe lowered Nilah over the sill then climbed out after her. The sky was light with the dawn. The change of guard would be imminent.
‘To the wall,’ Aran said.
They ran across the wet grounds, dodging between the trees. Faintly, Shaan heard the sound of men’s voices, raised in alarm, coming from the apartment.
Rafe grasped Nilah’s arm, trying to pull her along faster. ‘Run, Guardian.’
‘I am!’ Nilah puffed.
Ahead, Aran turned as he ran and his eyes narrowed. Shaan glanced over her shoulder. Guards were jumping from the window and running after them, moving fast.
‘Rafe!’ he shouted, and the Seducer let go of Nilah’s arm.
‘Get to the wall,’ he said to Shaan, and then both men stopped and headed back toward the pursuing guards, drawing their swords as they ran.
‘Come on, Nilah!’ Shaan shouted, sprinting toward the wall. The sound of steel clashing against steel filled the air behind them as they raced through the garden, almost slipping on the wet grass as they skidded around the last stand of trees.
‘The rope!’ Shaan pointed. ‘Climb up it.’
‘What?’ Nilah’s face twisted with apprehension.
Shaan grabbed the rope and thrust it into her hands. ‘Come on, just do it!’
More guards were coming from around the corners of the building, eight men in total. Why were they all still here? There was no way Aran and Rafe could stop them all.
‘Nilah, climb!’
Nilah began to climb, hauling herself up, her feet trying to find purchase in the cracks. She was terrible at it, slow, her arms shaking and her feet slipping, and Shaan had the awful feeling the girl was not going to make it.
‘Come on,’ she chanted under her breath. There was no way she could attempt to follow her until she was at least halfway. The guards had forced the men to retreat back toward them. Rafe had Seduced two of them to immobility but there were simply too many. Three began to run toward the wall, Aran and Rafe unable to stop them as they battled three others.
The Guardian was just halfway up the wall. Shaan couldn’t wait any longer. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed the swaying rope and began to climb, her skin prickling as she expected to feel the hands of the guards on her legs at any moment.
‘Go, go!’ she shouted up to the other woman as she pulled herself up, hand over hand, moving as fast as she could. Her left arm streaked with pain as she sweated and grunted, the rough stone scraping her hands. Nilah’s eyes widened as she saw the guards racing toward them. The threat galvanised her and she began to move faster. Shaan was almost touching her feet as the young woman rolled onto the top of the wide wall.
‘Move over,’ Shaan gasped as she hauled herself up. The guards were an arm’s length away.
‘Pull up the rope!’ she yelled at Nilah, dragging at it. Together they coiled it up so the end danced, just out of reach of the first guard’s hand. He roared in frustration. ‘Climb down the other side,’ Shaan said, but the younger woman wasn’t listening; she was staring behind them into the small courtyard.
‘Shaan …’ she said. There was a line of guards standing against the back of the storehouse, holding crossbows with arrows aimed up at them.
‘You there,’ the one on the end shouted up at them, ‘come down or we shoot.’
Shaan froze, the rope still in her hands.
‘How dare you! Do you think to threaten the Guardian?’ Nilah shouted.
The men didn’t move and Shaan saw that they were not palace guards. The one who had spoken kept his bow aimed levelly at her chest. ‘Come down now,’ he repeated.
Tallis! Shaan called, and in an instant felt him.
I know, we’re coming.
‘Put those weapons down!’ Nilah cried out to the men below. ‘I command you.’
‘Nilah,’ Shaan said quietly, ‘they’re Lorgon’s men, be careful.’
‘They can’t shoot me!’ Nilah’s tone was incredulous. Looking back, Shaan saw that their pursuers had gone back to attack Aran and Rafe. It wouldn’t be long before they were overpowered.
Hurry! she sent to Tallis, and in that moment felt the quick fire of his presence brightening like a flame stoked into life. A sharp cry sounded in the air — a shriek like a bird of prey — and a host of serpents rose over the walls of the palace. At the same time the sun broke the horizon, rising behind the dark wings of the serpents, the pale rays glinting on their hides as they flew. They were an army of talon and claw, calling in guttural cries, a cacophony of sound.
The men below turned and stared, their bows still held up, watching the serpents coming down upon them. Squinting against the rising sun, Shaan made out the shape of Tallis hunched low over Marathin’s neck as he led them, and Attar on a smaller serpent by his side. The men below erupted in panic, firing arrows at the sky as the host came.
‘Duck!’ Shaan shouted at Nilah, and lay flat along the wall as a serpent passed by so close she could smell its musky oil. In a twisting dive it turned side-on and dragged a barbed wing across the men in the courtyard. Shouts and cries came as they fell to the ground. On the other side of the wall, in the garden, more were attacking the guards fighting Aran and Rafe.
‘Nilah.’ Shaan shuffled forward and dropped the rope back down to the ground. ‘We have to get down.’
Nilah was white, but nodded that she’d understood. Her arms shaking, Shaan grabbed the rope and, half slipping, half falling, tumbled back down to the garden, Nilah close behind.
Get to the central courtyard, Tallis’s voice came to her. Balkis and Rorc are coming. She realised then that she could hear the crash of steel and shouts of fighting. How had they got there so fast?
‘Shaan?’ Nilah took her arm as she reached the ground.
‘The central courtyard,’ she said.
‘But that’s where all the guards will be.’
‘I know,’ Shaan said numbly, ‘but Rorc and Balkis are attacking the palace, clearing a way for us to escape.’
Nilah didn’t move.
<
br /> ‘Come on.’ Shaan pulled her forward. ‘We’ve got to go.’
Keeping close together, they ran toward the gate leading out of the Guardian’s enclosure. All around them was chaos as serpents gave chase to fleeing guards. As they neared the gate the sound of fighting increased and Shaan motioned Nilah to keep behind her. Serpents were swooping down around the gatehouse, their spiked tails smashing at the roof as several of the guards took refuge inside. On the path lay the bodies of two men and at the gate four guards were fighting Aran and Rafe, blocking their escape. The Hunter now had a long gash down one leg.
Aran saw them coming and with a shout to Rafe, began to drive his attack to the left, seeking to turn the men away from the gate and make a gap. The gate was not very wide and Shaan and Nilah waited anxiously as the men battled.
With a grunted roar, Aran suddenly twisted and embedded a knife in the side of one of the men he was fighting, felling him, and Shaan sprang forward, shouting at Nilah to follow, but she managed only a few steps before she was hit by a strong compulsion to stay still, stay down. Before she knew it, her knees had hit the ground, Nilah going down beside her with a startled cry.
Rafe.
Shocked, Shaan saw that the Seducer had turned the man he was fighting around so he could see her and Nilah over the man’s shoulder. She felt him in her head, similar to Tallis, though not as strong. But there was a gap to get through now that Aran had killed one of the men, so why wouldn’t he let them out? She struggled to disobey him and saw his eyes narrow, but the man he was fighting was attacking hard and it was too much of a distraction. His hold weakened and, throwing his will aside, Shaan dragged Nilah to her feet.
‘No!’ Rafe roared as they ran toward the narrow gap between Aran and the wall. Aran was fighting only one man now; they had a clear run. But it was only as they passed under the stone archway that Shaan saw why Rafe had tried to stop them; running toward her with sword raised was a huge armsman. Nilah cannoned into her as she halted and from the corner of her eye she saw Rafe cleave the man he was fighting with one powerful thrust and turn toward her, lunging across the gap between them as the armsman swung his sword at her neck. The blade took Rafe through the chest, cutting through bone with a hideous crack. Nilah shrieked, tugging at Shaan’s shirt, trying to pull her back as Rafe dropped to his knees. The armsman yanked the blade out and raised it again. Shaan lifted her hand, feeling the darkness spring ready, but then Aran was there, his knives whirling, and a blade was embedded in the man’s throat. Choking he dropped his sword, falling back as blood gushed over his hands.
