by Claire Frank
She made her way toward the outer encampment, cutting between two buildings, when a voice behind her made her pause.
“You found it, didn’t you?” Nora said.
Cecily’s stomach clenched as she turned. Nora, Owen, and Semnal stood in a line, all staring at her with stony expressions. Her touch on the Arcstone had left her disoriented, and she hadn’t been checking her surroundings.
“I have not confirmed what it is I found,” Cecily said, although she could see immediately they saw through her lie.
“We know that box,” Owen said.
“You can hand it over,” Nora said. “We’ll leave at first light and ensure it reaches the Paragon safely.”
Cecily adjusted her grip on the box. “No.”
Nora crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “Excuse me? I think we can take it back to the Lyceum without your help.”
“This isn’t going back to the Lyceum,” Cecily said. “None of you appreciate how dangerous this is. I’ll take full responsibility with the Paragon, but I can’t in good conscience let him have the Arcstone. I can’t let it be used to hurt anyone again.”
“I’m afraid that isn’t your decision to make,” Nora said. “You’re here because the Paragon asked for your help finding the stone. Do you mean to tell me you’re going to act against his wishes now that you have it?”
Cecily took a step backward. Owen and Semnal hadn’t taken their eyes off the box under her arm. “As I said, I’ll deal with the Paragon. You can leave for the Lyceum tomorrow if you want, and tell him anything you like. Tell him I stole it; I don’t care. I’m not giving it to you.”
“I’m going to ask you one last time,” Nora said, “and if you don’t hand it over, we will take it by force.”
Cecily pressed her lips together and tilted her head. “No, you won’t.”
Owen lunged but Cecily sidestepped and struck him with her Reach, pushing him sideways into the wall. She lashed out at Semnal with a Push to knock him back, clutching the box under her arm. It was an awkward weight, but she couldn’t risk setting it down.
Nora stepped back and Cecily felt a Push hit her in the chest. Wrapping her Reach around Nora’s ankles, she tugged, yanking her legs out from under her as the other two got to their feet. Owen extended a hand and the box began to heat up, burning her arm and side through her clothes. She struck with her Reach like a whip, lashing it around his wrist, and threw his arm wide to break his Wield.
A jet of flame burst from Semnal’s hand and she Pushed a gust of air as she ducked beneath the fire. Nora’s Reach tugged at the box but Cecily hit her with a Push to send her sprawling onto her back. Heat built as Owen targeted the box, warming the metal as Cecily staggered back and adjusted it to her other arm.
Another spurt of flame hurled toward her, bending as she darted to the side. She pressed herself against the building and Pushed at the air to send the fire off course. Throwing her Reach around Semnal’s chest, she applied a quick hit of Pressure, bursting the air from his lungs. He doubled over, gasping for breath, as she felt Nora try to pull the box from her grasp again. Sweeping her Reach across the alley, Cecily tripped up their legs and sent all three crumpling to the ground.
Nora threw out her hand and Cecily felt the other woman’s Reach wrap around her arms and chest. Struggling to hold onto the box, Cecily Pushed against her as the pressure tightened. A wisp of smoke hung in her nose as the box blazed beneath her arm, but she ignored the burning pain and struggled against Nora’s hold.
Flames raced from Semnal’s hands and Cecily threw herself to the ground, the metal box clanking on the dirt. Nora’s grip was tight, pressing against her chest. Looking up, she saw Semnal reach his hand out toward her, the spark of fire popping between his fingers.
These bastards are going to kill me.
Hitting Semnal with a heavy Push, she knocked him to his back and threw her Reach at Nora. The other woman’s grip failed as Cecily held her and coiled her Wielding energy around her neck. Nora’s eyes bulged and she clutched at her throat as Cecily squeezed, cutting off her air. Semnal propped himself up on one arm and sent out a gust of flame with the other. Snapping her hand closed to collapse Nora’s windpipe, Cecily swept her other arm across the alley, Pushing the air aside. Semnal’s fire singed as it passed, licking against the side of the building.
Owen looked down at Nora, his face ruddy, his eyes intense. Surging to her feet, Cecily left the box on the ground and held it between her boots. With clenched teeth, she slung her Reach at both men, wrapped it around their chests, and smashed them into the wall. Owen pushed himself up, shaking his head as Semnal stretched out his hand and tossed another jet of flame at Cecily. The heat singed holes in her leggings, burning across her thighs, but she kept hold of the box with her feet and coiled her Reach around both men’s throats.
Weakness washed over Cecily and her Reach failed, guttering out like a quenched flame. A stabbing pain cut behind her eyes and she pressed her hands to her temples, crying out as her vision filled with spots of light. Owen fell to his knees, coughing, as Semnal took gasping breaths, but Cecily couldn’t Wield. She grasped at her Wielding energy, but it fled, as if she clutched at nothing but mist.
As Semnal’s hand glowed orange with flame, Cecily’s Reach lashed at him, hitting him across the face with unintended strength, her power suddenly returned. He flew back several feet, landing hard on his back as Owen lunged toward Cecily, trying to grab the box. With a grunt, she picked up the metal box and swung it at Owen as he approached, smashing him sideways across the head. He fell to the ground, clutching the side of his head as blood leaked from a wound above his ear. Turning toward Cecily, he reached out his hand and her tunic began to smoke, the edges blackening as they curled. She hurled her Reach at him, whipping it around his neck, and applied a strong blast of Pressure. His face reddened as she squeezed, and his body slumped to the ground, unmoving.
“Cecily?” a voice said behind her and a cooling sensation ran up her outer leg to her hip.
She whipped her head around to find Pathius standing in the mouth of the alleyway between the two buildings. His eyes widened and he gasped, reaching out his hand toward her. Stepping back, she clutched the box under her arm and readied herself to throw her Reach at him. She wouldn’t let him take the box either.
A thump sounded behind her and she turned as Semnal fell to the ground, stiff and frozen.
“I didn’t know he could throw fire,” Pathius said, gesturing at the body behind her. “Are you okay? Your clothes were smoldering.”
Cecily glanced down at the burn holes in her tunic and leggings, now covered with a sparkling sheen of frost. “Thank you.”
“I thought they were supposed to be here to help you,” he said.
“So did I,” she said. Her heart thundered, her limbs were jittery, and the pain behind her eyes still made her vision swim. “They attacked me.”
“Their mistake,” he said, his eyes flicking around the scene.
Cecily swallowed hard and nodded, balancing the box between her hip and one arm. Looking back at the bodies, her stomach knotted. This was going to be bad.
“Come on, let’s get them out of here,” Pathius said.
“What?”
“We can’t just leave them lying here,” he said.
“Why are you helping me?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
Pathius let out a long sigh. “Why wouldn’t I help you? They were attacking you, but I don’t suppose you want to have to explain this to the general. They aren’t under her command, so we’ll just move their bodies with the rest of the casualties. People die in battle all the time; they were never safe here. You can take it up with the Paragon, though. That’s where my involvement ends.”
“Okay,” she said. As her head cleared, she realized he was right. They needed to dispose of the bodies before they were found. She’d send a message to the Paragon, indicating the three were killed during one of the assaults.
Adjusting her grip on the bo
x, she moved to help Pathius drag Semnal out of the alley. Her Reach was stronger, so she wrapped it around the body and pulled. Pathius paused, his gaze moving to the box. He blinked hard and his eyes widened, his mouth opening slightly as if he would speak. After a second’s hesitation, his face smoothed and he closed his mouth, turning to haul one of the other bodies as if nothing had happened.
Was that recognition on his face? Did he realize what she carried? He said nothing as they moved the bodies, and she kept the box clutched beneath her arm, unwilling to put it down. When they’d erased the evidence of the attack, he stopped, glancing back at the stronghold.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked.
Cecily nodded, unsure of what she should say. His eyes flicked to the box again and she stepped backward, suddenly uncomfortable. “I’ll be fine. I need to get this to someone, but … thank you.”
Pathius nodded and Cecily turned, walking quickly back to the encampment. Her head still ached and the scorches on her legs burned, but she wanted the Arcstone in Griff’s hands as soon as possible.
***
Pathius made his way through the dark rows of tents, keeping his footfalls quiet in order to stay hidden. He’d lost sight of Cecily, but he knew she wasn’t far ahead. Unless she was sneaking away from the encampment entirely, he suspected he knew where she was going. And the pull of the box she carried was so strong, he could have found her in a blizzard.
He crept closer to the tent where her friends, Griff, Serv, and Merrick slept. Pathius knew one of them had a dog, so he was careful not to get too close. Cecily turned and looked in his direction, and he froze. She couldn’t know he was there, could she? He held his breath as she ducked through the flap and it dropped closed behind her.
Despite his burning curiosity, Pathius decided not to approach. If caught, he could feign concern over Cecily, but he had a feeling she would see through him. What really interested him was what the box contained, although he was certain he already knew. The Arcstone.
With a shudder down his back, he turned and went back toward his own tent. He wasn’t certain what had woken him, but he’d been overcome with a rush of feeling that reminded him keenly of his captivity. It had been a long time since he’d had such a sense of panic, and he’d run from his tent to see what was happening. Had he felt the Arcstone? Perhaps Cecily had done something with it. He still carried a remnant of a connection to her, although it had faded considerably. When he’d come upon her finishing off the Wielders from the Lyceum, he’d known there was something in the box she carried. It emanated power, the tendrils leaking through the cracks. Even now he could almost feel it, as if it reached out to him.
The thought of seeing the Arcstone again filled him with a strange mixture of horror and longing. Did she really have it? Pathius had assumed the stone was gone, lost after Nihil’s defeat. He should have known better. The Lyceum wouldn’t let an item like that out of their grasp. Was that where Cecily planned to take it? He couldn’t fathom how it had ended up at the stronghold, but he did not like the idea of it in the Lyceum’s hands.
He also found himself wondering what the Arcstone could do. Its energy was palpable, like the warmth of the summer sun, tempting him.
As he stepped back into his tent, he ran his hands up and down his face and shook his head. He needed to put thoughts of the Arcstone, and Cecily, out of his mind. But he wasn’t certain he could.
56. TREBUCHETS
A horn blast jolted Pathius awake, and he sat up with a gasp as a low boom echoed across the encampment. Tossing his blanket aside, he stood and dressed, donning his leather armor and tying his hair at the nape of his neck. In a way, it was a relief to know the Attalonians were approaching. The long days of waiting were wearing on everyone, Pathius included. He simply hoped they could hold out for one more day.
Although no news of reinforcements had reached the general, she still insisted they were coming. She’d received no new orders from the king, so she maintained her course. They would hold the bridge until more soldiers arrived. Pathius looked around at the men jogging to their posts as he crossed the grounds. They’d lost a terrible number already. As long as the gates held, they could defend the stronghold, but it wasn’t going to be easy. They needed help, and they needed it soon.
As he entered the building, he veered toward the general’s war room. Another boom reverberated through the walls and the floor shook. Several uniformed men hurried in and out, and General Coryn looked up from her table as he approached.
“General,” he said.
“Commander,” she said. “Trebuchets. They’re out of range of our archers and they aren’t moving the bulk of their force any closer. Apparently they intend to sit back and hurl stones at us. We need to protect the gatehouse and the bridge.”
“Of course,” he said, then hesitated. He wasn’t sure how she would react to his intended question.
“Do you have a question, Commander?” Coryn asked.
“Given the impending attack, shouldn’t we release Daro?”
Coryn’s eyes snapped up to his. “No.”
“General, we need him.”
“The law is the law, Commander,” Coryn said. “He’s lucky to be alive. He will remain in his cell until I have word from the king instructing me otherwise.”
Pathius held still, despite his desire to cover his face with his hands in frustration. “General, may I speak plainly?”
The stronghold rumbled as it was hit again. “We’re under attack again, but you appear to believe this is worth my time, so yes,” Coryn said.
“Daro has a personal relationship with King Rogan,” Pathius said.
Coryn blinked at him. “I’m aware of that.”
“Do you really think the king will do anything other than release him?” Pathius asked. “Daro was wrong to leave; I agree with you. But we both know the king is going to tell you to set him free. Why not let him out now, so he can fight? We’ve already lost half our men and unless the gods, if there are any, are feeling particularly generous, I doubt we will see any reinforcements today. We need all the help we can get.”
Coryn pursed her lips in a thin line and looked at Pathius for a long moment, her face unreadable. “No,” she said. “He stays where he is.”
Pathius closed his eyes and exhaled. As he turned and left the room, he heard the first orders being shouted as men took up their positions. Damn Coryn for being so stubborn. Daro was worth a hundred men in a battle, and the boost to morale would be considerable. He shook his head as he made his way up the stairs to the top of the wall. There were no good reasons to keep Daro locked up in the midst of another assault.
Looking across the chasm, he could see the general was right, the enemy wasn’t approaching. They held their lines well out of range, the outlines of their trebuchets dim in the early morning light.
Raed approached and stood next to him along the edge of the wall. “They will not lose men this way. If they can stay back and use their machines, why did they not do so before?”
“I can’t say for sure, but I would guess they were trying to take the stronghold without damaging it too much,” Pathius said. A large stone hurled through the air and smashed into the side of the building, just above the bridge, the impact jolting through his legs. “Apparently they’re not worried about that anymore.”
He turned to find what had been Daro’s company gathering in front of him. Even Cecily stood with them. They looked to him now. He straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath.
“Until they bring their force closer, we have to concentrate on stopping those trebuchets,” he said. “I’ll counteract as many as I can from here. Dashal, see if you can blow the payloads off course, and Cecily, do what you can to deflect them. Kentan and Leng, your arrows might reach far enough. Remind them we aren’t helpless. The rest of you, help provide cover, and relieve each other when you can. I have a feeling this is going to be a long day.”
Pathius looked back out across the
chasm as everyone went to their positions. He took a deep breath of the cool morning air and narrowed his eyes, watching his enemy from afar.
“What about Daro?” Cecily asked. She stood next to him, her hand resting on the parapet.
“The general won’t let him out.”
“We need him out here,” Cecily said.
“I know,” Pathius said. “I tried to change her mind.”
Cecily narrowed her eyes as she turned to walk away. Pathius reached out and caught her by the wrist. She jerked her hand away and spun around, clutching her arm to her chest, her eyes cold.
Pathius held his hands up. “I’m sorry, but don’t go down there. They won’t let you in, and if you try to break him out, you’ll just wind up in a cell of your own.”
She rubbed her arm as if his hand had burned her. “This is madness. I’m getting him out.”
“I need you up here, Cecily,” he said, “not imprisoned in the bowels of this damned fortress.”
“I can only do so much without him,” Cecily said. “He Augments my Wielding, and I don’t know if I’m strong enough on my own to deflect those payloads.”
“He can Augment you?” Pathius asked. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
Cecily shrugged. “Neither did we, until he did it.”
Pathius wondered if Daro was capable of Augmenting anyone else, or if it had something to do with their Imaran bond. The thought of Imara brought an image of Ara to his mind and, for a moment, he could almost smell her hair. With a slight shake of his head, he blinked away the memory. “Those machines are going to stay just out of range of our archers.” The ground shook as another shot hit. “We don’t have many options. The stronghold can take a lot of damage, but eventually those gates are going to break. The more protection we can offer, the more we stand a chance of surviving the day.”
A crash reverberated through the stone as Cecily met his eyes. “Okay, I’ll do what I can.”
“Good. I’ll take up my position above the west side of the bridge; you take the east.” She nodded and he walked past as soldiers ran by. “And Cecily,” he said, turning back toward her. “Be careful.”
