Resistance (Ilyon Chronicles Book 1) (40 page)

She surely presented quite an image—covered in filth and blood. But a spark burned inside her—a spark of strength that was deeper than
herself and wouldn’t die even if she did. Tears choked her, but she wouldn’t be overcome. She refused.

Aric and Trev arrived at the cell. They glanced at each other, and Aric opened the door. “Come.”

She waited a moment, expecting them to replace her shackles, but they did not. In this state, she didn’t present a threat anyway. She gave a resigned nod and stepped out of the cell. Trev took her firmly but gently by her good arm. As much as she wanted to be strong, she shivered in his grip and ached all over. One last meal would have been helpful in facing this fate.

Aric took the lead, with Trev still at Kyrin’s side. They moved rather quickly, which made it difficult for Kyrin to maintain her footing. Her bruised feet ached with every step. Twice, she almost tripped, but Trev caught her.

“Not too much farther,” he murmured.

Kyrin glanced ahead. Nothing looked familiar. Had they even gone the same way? No, they’d turned left instead of right
…hadn’t they? Her voice cracked when she spoke. “Where are we going?”

She shook her head. What a ridiculous question, considering, but something didn’t add up. Or maybe she was just too hungry to think straight. She must look delirious.

But a smile appeared on Trev’s face and lit his eyes. “We’re getting you out of here.”

All the breath went out of Kyrin’s lungs, and they had to stop or she would have gone to the ground. She held on tight to Trev as she looked between him and Aric with wide eyes.

“You’re…you’re helping me?”

This time, Aric smiled. “We don’t believe
it’s Elôm’s time for you yet.”

At the sound of Elôm’s name from his lips, Kyrin nearly buckled again. She clung to Trev, her head a little too light.

“I know, it’s a lot to take in,” Aric said, “but we must hurry.”

Warmth tingled through Kyrin’s limbs and added stability to her body. They moved on and shortly came to a door at the end of the long hall. Here, they stopped. Aric doused the torch in a barrel of water and engulfed them in pure darkness. The door latch creaked, and light returned, only this was the pale light of Aertus and Vilai. Nighttime bugs chirped around them as they stepped outside. Kyrin looked up to find a wall towering above them. The tunnel had led them secretly and safely outside the grounds of Auréa.

Her eyes dropped down again and landed on a tall figure. “Sam!”

She put her one good arm around him, and he enveloped her in his strong embrace. Tears gushed into Kyrin’s eyes and burned her nose as the truth sank in. She was safe. She wasn’t going to die.

“Are you all right?” Sam asked in a low, thick voice.

Kyrin pulled away from him. “I think so.” But her own safety flew from her mind, and her eyes did a quick sweep of the area. “Where’s Kaden?”

“He’s all right for now,” Sam assured her. “Believe me, I wanted to bring him, but he’s being watched at Tarvin Hall. There was no way I could get him out. Not tonight.” He glanced at Aric. “Kyrin, I know you’re tired, but we have to get you out of the city before someone discovers you’re gone.”

Kyrin shook her head before he could even finish. “I can’t go without Kaden.”

“You must.”

“No.” Tears welled again. She couldn’t leave her brother behind.
What if the emperor went after him next? He’d kill him for sure—just to spite her if nothing else.

“Listen to me,” Sam said gently as he looked into her eyes. “I’ll do everything I can to get Kaden out, I promise. But you can’t stay here.
There’s nothing you can do to help him. Trust me, he wants you to go.”

A small sob caught in Kyrin’s throat, but she swallowed it down. It didn’t take much to imagine Kaden standing there and telling her to leave. Of course, he would want her to. But what if she never saw him again? Biting her lip, she nodded. She had to do what he wanted and trust Sam to help him escape.

Sam turned to guide her along with him. Two horses and another man stood under a tree nearby, dappled by the moonlight filtering through the branches. A closer look at his dark skin marked him as another talcrin. His silver-blue eyes shone as they neared.

“Kyrin, this is my nephew, Tane,” Sam said. “He’ll take you to safety.”

She looked up at the only other talcrin she had ever met. His face was younger than Sam’s, but just as kind.

Sam grabbed something from the saddle of one of the horses and turned back to her. “Put this on.”

He helped her slip a woolen overdress over her head. It was a bit big, but the thick material warded off the nighttime chill and remnants of the dungeon. He also wrapped a light cloak around her shoulders and handed her a pair of boots to slip on.

“There are more clothes in the saddlebags. You can change once you’re well away from the city.” Sam waited for her to look up at him before continuing. “You’ll have to ride hard and fast. Do you think you can do that?”

Kyrin nodded. It wouldn’t be easy, but for now, the warm coursing of adrenaline chased away the weariness.

“Good,” Sam said.

A silence fell between them. Kyrin stared up into the gold eyes she’d sought so many times for counsel and encouragement. Was this goodbye? Would they ever meet again? She fought tears, but they came too readily tonight.

“Thank you so much, Sam.” Her voice wavered. “I’d still be lost without you.”

She gave him another tight hug.

“You’re the bravest person I know,” Sam told her. “I’ve never seen the kind of bravery you displayed on that platform.”

Kyrin just shook her head. “It wasn’t me.”

Sam smiled, squeezing her arms, and then helped her mount one of the horses. Tane mounted up beside her. From the saddle, Kyrin’s eyes caught on Aric and Trev. They had risked everything to provide this escape.

“Thank you,” she told them, hoping her voice carried the depth of gratitude in her heart. They nodded, and she added, “Thank you for protecting me, Trev.”

“It was my pleasure, my lady,” he said with a smile hinting of admiration.

Kyrin’s gaze dropped back to Sam. “Goodbye. Please be careful, and please watch over Kaden as best you can.”

“You have my word.”

Kyrin’s raw throat constricted with a fierce sting and reduced her voice to a hoarse whisper. “Tell him how much I love him.”

Sam gave a solemn nod. “I will.”

He then motioned for Tane to go. The other talcrin turned his horse around, and Kyrin’s followed. As they trotted away, she looked back at the three men who’d saved her life and breathed a prayer for their protection.

They maintained a steady trot through the city, heading north, the horses’ shod hooves clacking sharply on the stone. Kyrin’s pulse matched the rhythm and throbbed in her head. Even in the darkness, she felt so exposed on the empty streets. She eyed the shadows ahead, just waiting for them to produce a swarm of gold and black that would drag her back to the dungeon.

Twenty minutes of tense travel passed as they navigated the winding, sometimes narrow, city streets. Kyrin’s chest started to ache from the constant, heavy battering of her heart, but they reached the outskirts without incident and slowed. With quieter hoof beats, they passed through one of the gates, and Tane motioned her to halt just beyond the wall. They sat still and listened for a moment before Tane murmured, “This is the last you’ll see of Valcré.”

Kyrin peered through the gate. The entire city lay on the other side, illuminated by the moons. The palace rose above it all—a pale, gold structure. Her eyes dropped to where Tarvin Hall lay, and a stone formed in her throat. For the first time in ten years, she was leaving Valcré, but she did so without her brother. It was so very wrong. They’d arrived here together—scared little children who only had each other—and now they should be leaving and facing yet another new life together. Her breath hitched.

“Are you ready?” Tane asked.

Kyrin’s eyes swept the city one last time. She had spent most of her life in Valcré. Just what kind of life awaited her outside of it? One she had no choice but to face without someone familiar at her side. It took effort, but she cleared her swollen throat.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

Tane turned his horse to the east, and the two of them rode off again at a faster, more urgent pace.

The sun rose and beamed warm on Kyrin’s face. It held a certain beauty this morning, but failed to penetrate the overwhelming pain and weariness she fought to keep at bay. She gripped both the reins and the saddle with her right hand and struggled to breathe through every burning jolt the horse’s gait shot through her shoulder. For more than an hour, she’d resisted the need to call for a break. She wouldn’t be able to go on much longer, but she didn’t have to. Her talcrin companion pulled his brown horse to a halt, and Kyrin’s sorrel stopped beside him. Both mounts panted, with foamy white sweat lathering their chests. Tane patted his horse’s neck.

“We’ll rest here for a while.”

He swung down from his saddle. Kyrin moved much more slowly and held her left arm close. Every part of her body ached. When her sore feet touched the ground, her legs almost gave out. Fortunately, Tane reached out to steady her.

“Come, sit over by this tree,” he said.

With him supporting her arm, Kyrin took wobbly steps to a large maple growing alongside the road and sank into the soft grass at the base of its trunk. The last time she’d rested comfortably was back in her room before Lady Videlle came for her. How many days ago was that?

Tane returned to the horses, dug in his saddlebags, and brought Kyrin a waterskin, a bag of jerky, and some dried apples.

“Take it slow at first,” he cautioned.

Kyrin lifted the waterskin to her lips and sipped slowly, letting the water wash around in her mouth before trickling down her parched throat.

“There you go,” Tane said with a smile.

While Kyrin dug into the jerky bag, Tane turned to unsaddle and brush the horses before letting them graze on the lush grass beside the road. The jerky and apples were not palace food, but none of the emperor’s dinners had ever been as satisfying. With the nourishment, physical strength returned to her.

“How do you feel?” Tane asked after she’d taken another long drink.

Kyrin wiped a little water from her chin, noting how her hand came away smeared with red, and looked at the talcrin. “All right, I guess.”

“How about since you were hit with the rock?”

Kyrin grimaced. “I’ve had a headache ever since I woke up in the cell. And I feel sick once in a while.” Three
times she’d nearly thrown up during the ride.

“You probably have a concussion. It would be best if you could take it easy the next few days, but we’ll have to keep riding.
What about your arm? I heard what happened with Richard.”

Kyrin wrapped her hand around her left shoulder. “It hurts quite a bit, especially when I’m riding, but I can move it.”

“Doesn’t sound like it’s dislocated, fortunately. We’ll put it in a sling and that will help.”

Tane reached into one of the supply packs and pulled out a wooden bowl, cloth, and a small looking glass. He filled the bowl with water and handed the three items to Kyrin.

“First things first, we’ll get you cleaned up and prepared for the rest of our journey.”

Kyrin held up the looking glass to see her reflection. Dried blood stained half her face, originating from a surprisingly small wound just above her left brow.

“I look awful,” she murmured.

“Thankfully, it’s not as bad as it looks,” Tane told her. “Everyone was worried.”

“Were you there when it happened?”

He nodded. “I think almost everyone was.”

Kyrin shuddered at the memory. It would surely haunt her for some time to come. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Neither have I.”

Putting it out of her mind, she soaked the cloth and wiped the blood and leftover cosmetics from her face. She frowned at the jagged strands of hair that fell just to her shoulders or shorter. She always had been different from everyone else. Now her appearance reflected that, and it wouldn’t be easy to hide.