by Candy Crum
"Anyway, next thing I know, Zuri is obsessed with growing his numbers. He's been lying to people to trick them into joining for weeks, but it wasn't until recently that he became this crazy about it. He always did the same thing. He either showed up and played the good guy and convinced people the monsters were coming and they needed protection, or he’d create a scenario where he was the hero and come in to save the day and win them over that way. For an asshole, he’s damn convincing at being the good guy."
"How large is the army?" Asim asked.
The man shrugged. "Depends on who you ask. He doesn't let anyone know anything unless it's his right-hand man, Asher. He lies to everyone else. I didn't know that until I asked someone one day and they said we had a few hundred. That was different than what Zuri had told me, so I asked someone else, and he said Zuri had told them nearly a thousand. So, I can't tell you. I swear it!"
Asim looked at Amon and Arryn and both nodded, confirming his words.
The man continued to explain everything that had happened since the death of Amara's parents. The trip to the portal, which from what Arryn had seen in her mind was quite far away, at least four or five days' on horseback from the great city. The terrifying part was the images she saw once they were at the portal.
The monster that came out was horrifying. It looked like a rhinoceros, but its back had larger plating and was hunched like a buffalo’s. The larger of the two had long, razor-sharp teeth. It was terrifying, but she was happy they had found its weakness. If she ran into one In the future, she would know what to do.
Her magic was a hell of a lot better than that Asher guy's, so she was certain her team would fare much better. Though if her last battle was any indication, she might not be strong enough yet.
When he began to tell the queen about the botched plan to trick a small village into siding with them, she got chills down her spine. The deceit and brutal murder of an innocent man were bad enough, but when she saw what had followed them up north, it was all she could do to keep her heart from exploding from her chest.
Once again, Arryn began to worry about her abilities. She hadn't been in a fight since they'd arrived on the beach. Nearly a week had passed, and she'd used only minimal magic. In fact, the mental magic she'd used that day was the most she'd used the entire time. She'd never gone that long without training or a fight.
Anxiety crept through her as she wondered if she would be enough. She didn't worry much about Zuri, but she did worry about the monsters. If one had followed Zuri’s group, it stood to reason there would be another. Maybe more.
"Excuse me," Arryn said, her eyes fading to their usual brown. "I need to speak to Margit right away."
The queen nodded once, and Arryn left the room. She went upstairs and leaned over, her hands resting on her knees as she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths.
"Ye doin' okay, kid?" Samuel asked.
She jumped. She hadn't realized he was there. He sat in a chair next to a vacant desk. He was the only one in the room.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I figgered ye could use the support. Just had a feelin'. That blonde-haired beauty o' yers is out there teachin' the newest young lass about 'er magic. Bast and Cleo 'r helpin' with battle plans. I didn't wanna leave ye all alone in here."
She smiled. "Thank you."
Arryn walked over and flopped down on the floor next to Samuel. To both her surprise and his, she laid her head in his lap. At that moment, she needed comfort. It had been a long time since she'd felt so insecure, and she didn't understand why it had to come up now.
"I don't know what's wrong with me," she said.
"What do ye mean?"
"I haven't been right since we landed here. I walked into that fight on the beach... Well, I guess I should say I stumbled into it. I ran my mouth, made a big show of it, and damn near got my ass handed to me."
Samuel ran his hand through her hair. He was surprisingly gentle for such a gruff and grumpy rearick. "Ye've been in worse situations, yeah? You were left fer dead on a feckin' mountain, for Bitch's sake. What makes this fight so different?"
She thought his words over. "I don't know. I truly don't. From the bottom of my heart, I believe that if Corrine hadn't been there that day, I'd have died. Her healing saved me."
Samuel sighed. "Lass, I think yer in a new place with a whole different way o' life. Yer not yerself. Not ta mention, ye have a daughter now. Ye adopted her just as much as she adopted ye. That changes a person. Makes ye think twice before ye act."
She snorted. "Sure as shit didn't make me think twice before jumping into that fight on the beach. I was cocky. Sure of myself. There could have been twenty more of them, and I'd have acted the same way."
"Sounds like ye were humbled a bit. Yer not invincible, kid. Ye can die just like the rest of us."
She nodded. "That's what I'm terrified of. Holy shit, can you imagine me dying and leaving Corrine to be raised by Cathillian?"
A deep belly laugh filled the room as Samuel continued stroking her hair. "Ye know I'd kidnap 'er before that happened. I'd tell his ma, though, cuz I ain't battlin' 'at one. No, ma'am."
Arryn smiled, wrapping her arms around the rearick's calf as she settled a bit more into the comfort he offered. She remembered doing the same with her father when she was a little girl and having a hard day. She wanted to laugh as she thought about the tiny things that equated to a bad day back then.
"I wouldn't want to take Elysia on either, but if you ran off with Corrine, I'm sure she'd understand." They both laughed. As it faded, another pause filled the room. "What if I can't shake this? What if this is me now? It's like a light turned off, you know?"
"I don't think this is it for you, lass. I think this is growth," he offered.
She snorted. "Growth? Fuck that. You can keep it. I don't want it if this is what it's like. What about you? You're older than me. Has anything like this ever happened to you?"
"When me daughter was alive, yes."
Arryn froze, her eyes closing as she mentally kicked herself. She'd forgotten he'd had a child. She'd died in a remnant attack. He blamed himself for not being there.
"I went on doin' things as normal. Everything was fine. I was the same badass I always was, or that's what I thought, anyway. I fought some remnant, but it was never much. One day, it was a lot, and I damn near died. If it wasn't for Sven, I surely would've."
"What happened after that?" she asked.
"When I almost died, all I saw flash before me eyes was me little lass. She'd be left without a daddy. Me fights weren't the same fer a while. I found meself holdin' back. Ye'd think it'd make ye fight harder, but I didn't. I took the safe route. I let others fight in front o' me. I did my part, but I sure as hell didn't run in first, and I sure as hell didn't take any risks. It took me a while to sort things out. Maybe that's yer problem. I'm no nosy mental-magic user, though, so take it fer whatever it's worth."
"I can't let this stop me. I can't. Bast and Cleo... They went all the way to the Dark Forest to find me. Then they waited for my return, helped us defeat the dark druids, helped us defend Arcadia, helped us defend the Heights, and then save the Daoine people. They've been patient and have been there for me at every turn. They sure as hell never backed down. All those fights were in new lands. Every. Last. One. Never did they let insecurities stop them. They deserve better."
Samuel placed a gentle hand under her chin and lifted it so she would look him in the eyes. "Then make sure they get it."
Such wisdom and concern shone in his eyes that it made her want to cry. She had her father back, but Samuel was a father figure to her, too. She was eternally grateful for him.
She nodded. "You're right." Sniffling, she unlocked her arms from around his leg and sat up. "I'm going to contact Margit. It's been over twenty-four hours, so I know she's likely to give me a mental thrashing." Arryn sighed, then gave Samuel a big smile. "Thank you."
He nodded. "Yer welcome, las
s. Always. Talk to that ol' master o' yers. Maybe she can set yer head right."
Arryn laughed. "Let's hope."
Chapter Twenty-One
Speaking to Margit hadn't gone as well as Arryn hoped. She came away with the information she'd wanted, but unfortunately, that information was scary as hell.
Arryn sent along the images she'd seen in the head of Zuri's man, and Margit recognized all of them. The four-legged beasts were overpowered, bloodthirsty, and built like tanks. Their underbelly was the best way to kill them, but it was nearly impossible to get a good shot. Margit recommended magic.
But Arryn couldn't use magic for everything. She'd learned that back on the beach.
Then there was the monstrous wolf-goat-man-thing that was over two stories tall, with a humanoid body and a smashed wolfish face with horns. Magitech fire bounced off it like it was nothing; its flesh seemed impenetrable. From what she'd seen, only the eyes were vulnerable.
Margit sent images of a similar monster she'd seen flashes of Hannah fighting in a place called New Romanov. They were everywhere, and Hannah and her crew fought them with no problem, though Margit hadn't seen how the battle ended. The mystic's knowledge of such things was limited, basically for purposes such as this one.
People sometimes compared Arryn to Hannah, but from what she'd heard, that wasn't the case. A smartass? Sure, they had that in common, but there was much more to it. Arcadia had taken from both of them, and they'd both worked their asses off to save those they cared about, but Hannah was a prodigy. She came from nothing, and she rose to be incredible.
Arryn still wondered sometimes if she knew what she was doing.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed her worried, insecure thoughts away and went to speak to the queen. Asim needed to know what Arryn had learned.
When she made her way outside, there were no less than a hundred guards standing in front of the palace steps as Asim gave them orders. They were her archers, and they were to line the southern wall and the southern corners of the eastern and western walls. She wanted as many as possible in the areas where there might be an attack. On all other sections of the walls, the archers were to stand no closer than thirty feet apart.
"Arryn," Asim said, turning to greet her with a forced but warm smile.
The druid made her way down the steps to stand next to the queen. "Forgive me for interrupting. I have information."
To the guards, Asim said, "Dismissed to stations," before turning back to Arryn. "It's no interruption. I welcome your input. From what Bast and Cleo have told me about you, I believe the Great Queen herself might have sent you. What did you learn?"
Arryn gave an awkward laugh and nodded. Trust me, she would have sent someone else, she thought.
"I spoke to Margit. It seems Julianne, as well as the Founder and his team, have seen some of the same monsters we have on their journeys. Margit only gets updates occasionally from the others, but they've shown her images that matched the ones I saw in the prisoner's mind."
"Did she have any information on how to kill them?" Asim asked.
Arryn shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. She said many of them have only a few places of weakness. A combination of magic and physical attacks seems to be the most effective way to bring them down, but if there are more than a couple..."
The queen sighed. "Fatigue."
Arryn nodded. "Yes. Battle magic is far different than training magic or what I'd imagine all of you use in the tunnels and such. From what the twins have told me, some of you use your magic all day during your shifts, and you're able to sustain it. I've seen them in battle, though. As strong as they are—and it's quite horrifying what they're capable of—they can't sustain it for long."
"Indeed. We use hard work as our training. Granted, most of our citizens have no idea how to use effective practical magic in a battle setting, but our soldiers and guards do. Bast and Cleo do, and so do I. We will do whatever it takes." She gave Arryn another warm smile. "I have faith that everything will turn out just fine. I have to."
Silence hung in the air for a moment as Arryn admired the queen. She was just a normal woman with a title. Family and duty were nearly equal to her, but Bast and Cleo were her everything. Even in a position of power, Asim was in the tunnels with her people every day until all hell started to break loose and she had to focus on her duties as a queen. She planned to go out and fight, as well. She wasn't the type to sit around and force someone else to die for her. Asim would never ask of anyone to do something she wasn't willing to do, and Arryn admired that.
Arryn prayed to the Matriarch she wouldn't let her down.
"If you were me, what would you do?" Asim asked. "Would you continue to reinforce the city and call all soldiers to action, waiting for your enemy to come to you? Or would you go out after them? Both have pros and cons."
"They do," Arryn agreed, nodding. She thought for a moment. "The object is to keep your people safe, yes?"
"Absolutely."
"Then I wouldn't wait. If you wait, you risk him being fully prepared for battle. You also risk him having more firepower. If he comes here, some of his men will make it through the wall, and some of your people will die. From some of the discussions I've overheard with you and those closest to you, the tunnels aren't ready yet. That means the people can't flee. People will die.
"Out there..." Arryn looked to the south at nothing in particular. "If we go to him, we're without the walls. We're more vulnerable, but we're more likely to catch him off-guard. If we get to him before he's fully prepared, we stand a better chance because we still don't have a clue what his army looks like." She sighed. "And there's something else."
"What is it?" Asim asked, obvious concern on her face.
"If we stay here, we could wait for another day or two, maybe even three or four. We have no idea when he will attack, which is a huge issue because of something else Margit said." She paused, reaching toward Asim. "Take my hands."
Asim hesitated only for a breath before taking Arryn's hands. The druid’s eyes flashed white.
"I need to show you something if I can. I'm not the greatest at this yet, but I'm learning."
The queen nodded, and Arryn sent her a flood of images—the images she'd seen from Margit as well as the prisoner they'd interrogated earlier. Arryn heard an audible gasp, and she could feel the fear as it coursed through the queen.
"Zuri caught an adolescent monster by the portal and killed a larger one, more than likely the parent of the one he captured. When he did, something followed him up north and attacked that village. From what Margit said, those things normally only come once every few months as they test areas for threats. It becomes more frequent over time, but if more than one comes through..."
Arryn's eyes faded, and she pulled her hands back. The queen blinked a few times and shook her head, clearing her mind.
"If more than one comes through, it's a sign that war is coming. Given that one followed Zuri and the others up here..."
Asim's brows furrowed. "Another is sure to be close behind."
Arryn nodded. "At least. If we wait, we run the risk of fighting both wars at once. We can't afford that. We'd be overrun, and those beasts would come straight north. Kemet would be overrun." She cleared her throat, trying to regain her nerve. "So, if you're asking me what I think we should do, I believe we should leave as soon as possible. I think we should go after him."
Without hesitation, the queen squared her shoulders and nodded. "I agree. I'll get the soldiers ready, and you should prepare, too. You're going to lead them."
Arryn's eyes widened. "Me? What about the twins?"
Asim smiled. "They'll be right there with you, but you've seen far more war than I have. You've seen it more recently, too. You're the best choice. I trust you."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Arryn said, filled with both hope and worry. This would be an incredible opportunity to prove to herself she wasn't weak. It was also an opportunity to mess up if she wasn’t careful.
Arryn felt a familiar presence overhead, and she reached out. She heard Echo's screech as she looped around and came to land on the rail next to her.
"Echo, can you fly south and look for Zuri's army? Get a good look at them so we can see their numbers. Then fly farther south to check out the portal. We need to know if there are any monsters coming up this way. Please make sure to stay high up, high enough you can disappear into the clouds if you have to. Don't get hurt. If you sense anything bad or you get worried, come back. Don't risk yourself, okay?"
Echo screeched and flew away. Arryn turned to Queen Asim. "There. That should give us some much-needed information. According to the prisoner, it's about two hundred and fifty miles south to the portal. She can fly pretty fast, so that'll give us about twelve hours round trip at a leisurely pace. Less if she books it."
The queen smiled. "See? Already making wise choices." She placed an arm around Arryn. "Now, let's get you fitted with some proper clothing, shall we?"
Chapter Twenty-Two
Arryn awoke to Cathillian gently brushing the hair out of her face so he could kiss her forehead. "Hey," he said softly. "Echo's back."
She groaned as she rolled over and snuggled into him. "Tell me she said everyone shook hands and agreed war was overrated, and they’re going back to whatever hole they crawled out of."
His body jerked as he silently laughed. "I'm afraid not. I think we need to wake the queen for this one."
Another groan escaped her as she nodded. "Duty calls."
"Yep. Duty calls. Just think, we don't have anything promised to anyone after this. We can go on a nice vacation after we save Kemet, just the three of us. You, me, and Corrine. Mariana—the Storm Caller who sailed us to Kemet—told me about an ancient city where the water is so blue, it’s the same color as her aquamarine eyes. We can relax on the beach and swim and play. Sound good?"
She smiled. "This is a first, you tempting me out of bed."
He laughed. "Yeah, well, there's a first time for everything."
