Rachael pushed, but the wall wouldn’t budge. She guided her gift in both directions, but the wall had no end. She tried to dig her gift through under the wall, but the ground was solid. It was almost like—
Her heart missed a beat. It was like outside forces had placed the wall on her mind. Cephy must have placed a spell on her to stop her from receiving visions.
Rachael gripped the stones under her as tight as she could. This was her mind. Her gift. She wouldn’t allow someone else any power over it.
Maybe she’d pushed too hard. If she couldn’t break the wall or walk around it, maybe she could overcome it some other way. It wasn’t a real, physical structure made of bricks but an illusion. A powerful one, but fake nonetheless.
And all illusions could be broken.
Rachael relaxed. She let go of her gift. Gave it permission to do what it needed. She took a deep breath in,
breathed out,
let go,
and her gift
stepped
through the wall
like it was nothing
and the illusion
shattered.
Rachael smiled. Cephy had become something else, something too powerful and evil, but she’d never understood people’s minds like Rachael did. Knowing other people’s intentions had been vital to her survival. Knowing when a person was genuine and when they lied had been vital. But Cephy hadn’t lived on the streets for long. Cephy had been gullible the short time they’d spent together, always relying on anyone other than herself. It was how Aeron had controlled her, and it was how the Dark One controlled her now.
Rachael reached out with her gift and embraced her vision.
Her mind exploded with colour.
She stood in a room with so many books on every surface she almost didn’t see the desk hidden under the heavy tomes. A woman, holding yet another book in one hand, stared at Rachael. The woman’s breathing stopped, then came faster. Her lips trembled. She almost dropped the book but caught it and herself.
“Hello,” she said.
“Hello,” Rachael mirrored. Her heart was racing. When Kaida had told her that her gift would develop, she hadn’t imagined anything like this. “Where am I?”
The woman smiled, and Rachael knew she could trust her. Whoever this was, she was as astonished they were talking as Rachael.
“You’re in my chambers. In Sanciond.”
Rachael had never heard of it. “Where is that? Is it far from Rifarne?”
The woman’s smile turned sad. “It’s north of Rifarne. It’s the capital of the empire.”
Rachael wasn’t religious, but Maker, how far back had her vision sent her? The empire? Did this mean— “Who are you?”
“There’s no time.” She looked like she regretted it as much as Rachael. “I’ll try to—”
Rachael’s mind went dark. Her prison melted around her like ice in the Krymistian sun. She tasted iron; a slim trickle of blood ran over her lips. Everything was spinning.
She had overcome Cephy’s defences but only for a moment. The wall was back up, sturdier than before. She suspected the Dark One had granted Cephy some of his power this time, but it didn’t matter.
Rachael knew what she needed to do.
Chapter Thirteen
Cale had feared what he’d find once they returned to the White City. When Kaida had blown the roof off the palace and lifted him and Rachael out of it, Mothers had overrun the place. He’d been preoccupied with worries since Kaida had risen into the sky with him clinging to her scales; most of his fears related to who was still alive and whether the White City had been destroyed in his absence.
But he found nothing of the sort. The White Palace was in bad shape, but people worked to clear away debris and rubble from the attack.
He leaned against a wall to steady himself as Kaida returned to her human form next to him. People rushed towards them; a dragon at the heart of the city had roused a fair amount of excitement, fear, and confusion. It always amazed him that people had a habit of rushing towards potential danger just because they were curious.
“Cale!”
He stepped away from the wall, straightened, and turned around. Commander Dryden was running to him with one hand on his sword, two of his soldiers behind him.
“Commander Dryden.” It was hard to sound strong when flying on a dragon’s back wasn’t your favourite way of travelling. His legs were still shaking. “It’s good to see you again.”
They shook hands. “Likewise. You don’t know how glad I am to see you. Is the queen with you? We saw a dragon, but—”
“It’s a long story, commander.” The big understatement felt a little like a lie, but there was something… not quite desperate, but certainly rushed in the commander’s voice. He deserved an explanation, but Cale wouldn’t give it where anyone could listen. The people had to be feeling at least some tension; he didn’t want to make it worse. He needed to know more. “I need to get to my Sparrows. I’d also like a word with you in private.”
Commander Dryden clasped his armoured fist to his chest. “Understood. They’re in your headquarters.” Cale nodded and began to walk. “Kleon is with them.”
Cale paused. Kleon was the ambassador’s son, but he had helped Cale and Rachael defend the palace just before Kaida had flown them away. Cale wasn’t sure he trusted him, but they had shed blood together and he was the only family—the only blood-related family—Rachael had left. Kleon’s offer of help had seemed sincere, but he was Lis’s child… But so was Rachael. Cale would give him the benefit of the doubt for now.
“Thank you, commander. I won’t have a lot of time once I’ve talked to the Sparrows. Where will you be?”
“In my office in the prison.”
Cale nodded and ran towards his Sparrows’ headquarters. Kaida had disappeared, but he tried not to let it bother him. He’d never trusted her like Rachael had done, and now she wasn’t even human—how was he to know what she thought?
Cale heard his Sparrows even before he opened the door. He smiled; that much at least hadn’t changed. They were a vocal group and loved to chat, not unlike their avian namesakes. Fiercely loyal with a preference for smaller, familiar groups—whoever had chosen the name had done well. They were larger than any flock of birds, true, but compared to another army they were tiny. Small but effective.
When Cale entered the room, they were talking and shouting all at once. Their mixture of anger and excitement was directed at someone at the front, but Cale couldn’t see past them. Whoever they were shouting at was standing on the floor just like his Sparrows. Good. They wouldn’t respond well to someone towering over them.
But why was someone addressing them in the first place? What had they said that got such a mixed response from his family?
The door fell shut behind him, and the Sparrows turned around. They fell silent, all eyes wide in mixed shock and disbelief, but only for a second. Deafening cheers and questions exploded before him.
“Cale!” Lon fought his way through the crowd, Oren right behind him. And behind Oren, Kleon. “Where have you been? What happened? We were fighting and then suddenly the roof exploded and there was a dragon and—”
“It’s a long story.” He was starting to repeat himself, but there was no time right now. Not while every single Sparrow was listening. He trusted them, but this was a private meeting. “I need to talk to you and Oren.” He glanced at Kleon, who looked more awkward than Cale had imagined he could. “And you, too. But first I need to address everyone. Is Reeve back?”
“I am.” Reeve struggled out of the crowd behind him. Ludo was with him. “We are, I mean.”
If the other Sparrows had known that Ludo had tried to assassinate Rachael in Paranossa, they wouldn’t have cared so much about Kleon; Reeve had kept it a secret. Cale still wanted an explanation, but for now it was good enough.
“Good,” he said. “Then everyone is here.” Almost everyone. It wasn’t the same without Kiana telling him what to
do.
He made his way to the front of the room where Kleon had stood only moments ago. The Sparrows made room for him. He was relieved to see so many of them alive and well. The battle hadn’t cost as many lives as he’d feared, but he supposed it made sense. The Mothers had come for Rachael; they didn’t care about anyone else. Cale didn’t know enough about them to guess how they followed orders, but from what he’d seen, they didn’t continue a fight once their objective was removed.
Still, the Sparrows’ numbers had taken a hit. Too many new faces, not enough old ones. The number of Sparrows he trusted with his life or Rachael’s was too small.
“Sparrows, I have grave news. The enemy has taken Rachael.” His family cried out, and he swallowed. “We know where she is, and we know that time is short. I also know that all of you want to rush in and save her, but I can only take a small strike team with me. We need to travel quickly, and the larger our numbers the harder this will be. In my absence”—he cast a quick look at Kleon to make sure he was making the right decision—“Kleon Lis will train you and lead you.” Another outcry. “Kleon has stood with us and helped us defeat the Mothers. His father has abandoned him as he has betrayed all of us. Arnost Lis has committed treason, but his son had no hand in it. Further, I believe he has a personal stake in wanting Rachael safe. Isn’t that right, Kleon?”
The crowd shifted to look at Kleon. Any awkwardness had disappeared. Instead, he stood tall and proud. A leader.
“Yes, Cale. She’s all the family I have now.”
Cale turned back to his Sparrows. “You will listen to him as you would listen to me. I fear a greater battle is coming. All of you need to be ready to join the fight when the time comes.” Their faces were sullen, but no one argued. “My strike team and I will leave shortly. If all goes to plan, Rachael will be back with us before long. Persevere, Sparrows. For Rachael!”
“For Rachael!” They hadn’t been a family for long, but they responded as one.
“Lon, Oren, Reeve, Ludo, Kleon—with me.”
They followed him into a smaller adjacent room. Cale shut the door behind him.
“Care to explain why a dragon lifted you and Rachael out of the palace?” Lon asked.
“Kaida is the dragon. I don’t trust her, especially now, but I believe that she wants Rachael alive as much as we do.”
Reeve sneered. “Maybe, but for what reason?”
“If she wanted to kill Rachael, she could have done so many times when we travelled together. She’s lied to all of us, but she’s helped us and healed us when we were injured. I don’t know what her goal might be, but I don’t believe she wants us dead.”
“Sorry,” Lon said, “but did you just say that Kaida is a dragon?”
Cale grimaced. “I’m not a fan of it either.” His Sparrows looked unsure but didn’t speak up. “I’d tell you more if I could, but that’s all I know, and I suppose it’s all there is to it. We will do what we’ve always done—adapt and work with it.”
“You know we’re with you,” Lon said.
Cale nodded. “Kaida is on our side. I don’t know why she wants to help Rachael, but I won’t say no to her help. A dragon’s support can only benefit us.”
He wanted so many answers—what exactly Kleon had done since Kaida had saved him and Rachael, for one—but there wasn’t time for long explanations. He’d have to skip some questions for now and trust Lon and Dryden’s judgement.
“Reeve?” Cale raised an eyebrow and hoped Reeve understood. Reeve could give his full report in a moment, but Cale needed assurance before he continued with Ludo in the room. “Are we good?”
“Yes.” A glance passed between Reeve and Ludo—Reeve had understood, and it was complicated. More questions for later. “We’re good.”
“Excellent, then we can discuss strategy. We—”
The door flew open and banged into the wall. Desma strode inside like she oversaw… what, exactly? His Sparrows? Rifarne? Behind her, Rachael’s chambermaid Elyn looked less confident.
Cale stepped in front of his Sparrows, arms crossed. “This is a private meeting. I assume you have good reason for walking into it?”
Elyn shrank under his words, but Desma stood her ground, looking every bit like she owned this room and everyone in it.
“Rumour has it you’re going to save Rachael. I’m coming with you.”
Had one of his new Sparrows already spread the news? He’d known it would get out sooner or later, but this was fast.
“I’ve no intention of taking you with me.”
“And why not?” She took a step towards him, arms crossed like they were competing. “Because I poisoned you?”
He couldn’t deny that didn’t have something to do with it. “Because I’ve already decided who’s coming with me. Spaces are limited, and they’re all filled.”
Desma raised her eyebrows. “I’m sure there’s another seat or two on your dragon.”
Cale frowned at Elyn. “Or two? You want to come as well?”
She nodded, but it lacked the self-assured touch Desma wore like a crown. “Desma has trained me. I want to help Queen Rachael.”
“That’s admirable, but you’re not a seasoned fighter. I need stealth to get to Rachael. Speed. Courage. I can’t take everyone who offers their help, no matter how sincere they are.”
Elyn raised her eyebrows—a habit he guessed she’d picked up from Desma but hadn’t quite mastered yet. “I’m brave. I fought when the demons attacked.”
“That was brave of you, but there were other people protecting you then. This time will be different. I’m only taking people whose skills I trust. I can see you’ve been busy while we were gone, but you’re not ready to go on a mission like this one.”
Desma stepped between them. “Either we’re both going or I’m staying too.”
He shrugged. “Fine with me.”
“Rachael is my late lady’s daughter,” Desma said. “I promised I’d protect her. I swore I’d keep her safe.” Her voice had lost some of its strength. Instead, Cale heard the plea underneath. Begging didn’t suit her, and he could only guess at the resolve it took her to do it. She had fought well, and she had a personal reason to live up to her promise—no one fought harder than people who believed in their cause.
He sighed. “Fine. You’re coming with us, but you’re staying here, Elyn. I’m not arguing with you.”
He expected Desma to object, but she turned around and took Elyn’s hands. “Don’t worry, little Sparrow. I’ll bring Rachael home, and I’ll save Kiana too.”
Cale wasn’t sure where to start. “Little Sparrow?”
Elyn blushed.
“She looks up to you,” Desma said. “You’re heroes to her.”
Elyn blushed even harder.
“When we get back and all this is over, maybe we can see about officially recruiting you,” Cale said. “But right now, we need to talk about how we’re going to get Rachael back. Leave us, please.”
Elyn nodded and left the room.
Cale addressed his Sparrows. “As Desma has already pointed out, Kaida is going to fly us to Rachael.”
His Sparrows looked as pale as he’d felt flying back from the library. Lon steadied himself on the table behind him. “You mean we’re going to fly across the open ocean on a dragon?”
“How do we hold on?” Oren asked.
“By her scales.” Cale tried not to show how little he liked it. “It’s dizzying at first, but you’ll get used to it. It’s really quite smooth.”
Reeve frowned, but Ludo looked like he’d been given everything he ever wanted.
“Once we’re on Kaethe, we need to expect Mothers everywhere. It’s been their home since the empire fell, so they’ll have the advantage. We also need to assume Cephy will be there.”
“And she’ll be ready to burn us all to ashes before we get one look at Rachael,” Lon said.
“Chances are Arnost Lis will be there, too,” Desma said. “I know a little about his plans. I think he
made a deal of some sort with Cephy.”
Cale’s stomach churned. Just when he thought he knew what awaited them… “Good, I’ve unfinished business with him. Tell me everything you know about his plans after this meeting. Now, once we’re on Kaethe—”
“Not so fast,” Desma said. “He mistreated me and my lady for years and abandoned Rachael as a child. I want to kill him.”
Ludo straightened. “Only if I don’t get to him first. At the very least I want to break his nose.”
Reeve cracked his knuckles. “I’ll help you with that.”
Desma held up her hands. “How about this: we all get to punch him, and if he happens to die, we’ll call it a group effort.”
“How about this,” Cale said. “We’re not going to Kaethe to kill Arnost Lis. I won’t complain if he dies while we’re there, but he’s not our focus.”
“And if I run into him by accident?” Ludo asked.
“Don’t hold back.”
Ludo grinned.
“When we get to Kaethe, the Mothers will have the advantage, as I said. Cephy will be there, Arnost Lis is probably there, and if Kaida told the truth, Cephy has become the Dark One’s host. Even if Kaida lied, Cephy still isn’t to be underestimated. The only other person with us who has the gift is Kaida, and she might not be there when we face Cephy. Don’t think she can’t kill you with a snap of her fingers.”
Lon scratched his forehead and frowned. “So, the Dark One using her just complicates an already difficult situation?”
“That’s right.”
“Those aren’t great odds, Cale.”
But then what had that ever held him back? If he simplified it enough, it was just another prison raid. “You’re welcome to stay here. I won’t hold it against you.”
Lon laughed. “Hardly. I’ll be right there with you, burning those demons to ashes. They took Kiana and they took Rachael. Our chances are bad, but that doesn’t mean I’m not itching to go.”
Cale nodded. “To be honest with you, our chances are worse than bad. We don’t know the layout of the temple, and we don’t know where they hold Rachael. If there’s more than one temple, Rachael could be in any of them. We’ll need to split up, get Rachael as quickly as possible, and regroup somewhere outside the temple.”
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