The Black King (Book 7) (59 page)

The Navigator signaled him. They were inside the harbor and had dropped anchor. The Sprites were making the fog even thicker to protect all of them.

He could hear the rumble of voices, speaking Fey. There was an army out there, on the banks of the river, waiting to kill him. A Fey army.

He hoped his own people remembered to stay as quiet as they could. He hoped Coulter wouldn’t panic. He hoped the jewels would work as Matt said they would.

He hoped many things.

Most of all, he hoped that the plan would work.

SIXTY-FIVE

ISLANDERS WERE KIND. Lyndred hadn’t expected that, not in the middle of this crisis. But the only person who didn’t avert his eyes and keep walking when he saw her stumbling, muddy and bloody, through the streets of Jahn, was an Islander farmer who had dropped off supplies on the east end of the city. He had pulled his wagon over, offered her a ride, and didn’t say a word when she seemed to tilt his wagon more than her slight build suggested she might have.

He didn’t blink when she told him she needed to go to the palace, although he did ask her if she wanted medical attention, saying his sister was good with herbs and poultices and she lived just south of Jahn. Lyndred had refused, but had thanked him. He had offered twice more before letting her out about three blocks from the palace.

“You’ll have to walk the rest,” he had said. “There’s some military to-do going on up there that’s tying up the streets.”

The military to-do was the arrival of the ship. She knew that, even though the nice Islander didn’t. She could see the fog through the buildings on her left, big rolling white clouds that seemed to fill the center of Jahn.

Arianna had been silent throughout the journey, for which Lyndred had been grateful. She was afraid she’d reply verbally to Arianna. Arianna respected that, and helped her by saying nothing at all.

But Lyndred could feel Arianna’s growing nervousness. Or maybe it was Lyndred’s own. Her stomach was jumping and she felt colder than she thought she could. The river water had dried in muddy crusts, making her clothing feel heavier than before.

Do you think Rugad would be at the river?
Arianna asked.

Lyndred felt the nervousness increase. Now she knew it wasn’t hers, but Arianna’s.
No,
she thought.
I think he would want to stay as far away from the so-called mistake as he possibly could. That way, he could say it was a misunderstood order or something.

I was thinking the same thing,
Arianna said. But obviously, she had been worrying about the other plan.

If he is there, we’ll find out at the palace,
Lyndred thought.
Then we can go down there.

All right.

Arianna remained silent after that. Lyndred staggered the last three blocks, weaving in case someone was watching her. When she reached the main road, she was stunned to find it empty.

They must already be at the river,
Arianna thought.

It looked like everyone was at the river. The storefronts were empty, the houses tightly closed up. There was no one on the streets at all. The Islander could have brought them here, and hadn’t even known it.

Lyndred crossed the street, tripping purposely on a cobblestone, and catching herself before she fell. There were dozen guards by the closed palace gate, and there were more on top of the wall. They were preparing for Gift in every way they could.

This isn’t good,
Arianna said.

Lyndred agreed, but she was going to finish this. The guards saw her at the same time, turning their heads in unison. She ran toward them, a broken, ragged run that she had seen a Nyeian prisoner use once. She didn’t pick up her feet, but dragged them along as if they hurt.

She tripped again on the cobblestone and sprawled facedown. For a long moment, she lay on the cold stone, her heart pounding.

“Lyndred?” One of the guards had come forward, just as she had hoped. He crouched beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Lyndred?”

She moaned.

“Are you all right?”

She made herself look up. The guard was young, Infantry, and good-looking. She had winked at him a few times, and flirted with him once or twice. But she had never learned his name.

“I—need to see Arianna.” Lyndred made herself speak huskily as if she hadn’t used her voice in a long time.

“I can’t let you do that.” The guard looked distressed. “I have specific orders not to let you, your cousin or your father inside.”

“My father’s dead,” Lyndred whispered, the lie feeling strange, as if by telling it she might be jeopardizing her father’s life.

A frown creased the guard’s forehead. At least he was listening.

“What’re you doing?” another guard shouted.

“Just a moment,” the first guard said.

She pulled herself up and grabbed his arm. “Please let me see Arianna. I have to tell her what Gift has planned.”

“Are you alone?” the guard asked.

She nodded.

He touched the blood on her face. “What happened to you?”

“I escaped,” she said.

“But this is blood.”

“My father’s.”

The guard put a hand beneath her arm and helped her up. She stumbled against him, and he put his arm around her, pulling her tight. She let him carry most of her weight, and she limped a little with her left foot for good measure.

“What are you doing?” the second guard asked again.

“Send someone inside,” the first guard said. “Tell Arianna that her cousin is here, claiming that Bridge is dead, and that she knows what Gift’s plans are. Tell her that it looks real to us.”

The second guard peered at Lyndred. He checked her eyes for gold flecks and her chin for a Shifter’s mark. He was more efficient than the first guard. “I guess that it’s not our decision. You’ll have to wait here.”

Lyndred didn’t answer him. She let herself slip out of the first guard’s grasp and down against the wall. She leaned on it as if she didn’t have enough strength to hold herself upright. But she listened as the guards gave orders to another guard, instructing him on how to talk to the Black Queen, and then she heard footsteps hurry away.

If this doesn’t work,
Arianna said,
we’ll try to go in through one of the tunnels.

The first guard crouched beside her. “What can I get you?”

She shook her head.

“When was the last time you ate anything?”

“I don’t remember,” she said.

“Well, let me see what I can find.”

He left her, and came back a moment later with some fresh bread and a mug full of chilled water. Lyndred took the mug first and drank as if she hadn’t had any liquid in days. Then she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and noted that her skin came away filthy. She shuddered, and handed him the mug.

He took it. “Some food too?”

Her stomach was too knotted for food. “Maybe in a while.”

Then she heard footsteps behind her, and the guard stood. Apparently, the messenger was back from Rugad. Lyndred couldn’t overhear what was being said but, soon the guard was returned.

“The Black Queen has agreed to see you.

The Black Queen,
Arianna said snidely.

“Thank you,” Lyndred said.

He helped her up. She leaned against him again. Then he led her through the doors that led into the Great Hall.

The palace smelled faintly of smoke. Several of the swords were down and the stone was charred near the door. Arianna seemed startled by the changes.

The guard didn’t take Lyndred to the North Tower like she expected. Instead, they went to the South Tower. The smell of smoke was fainter here.

The fire damaged the North Tower,
Arianna said.
Remember?

Lyndred had forgotten. She hadn’t paid a lot of attention to the details of Matt’s story thinking, at the time, that it had little to do with her.

She made sure she slipped once on the stone stairs. The guard caught her and held her even tighter as he helped her the rest of the way up. But she wasn’t enjoying his touch the way she normally would. She wasn’t sure if that was because of Arianna’s influence or because of the loss of Ace. And fortunately for both of their peace of mind, Arianna had no comment about the change.

They reached the top of the stairs. The door was open. Lyndred could feel Arianna tense. Lyndred tried not to let that have an effect on her.

The guard called out that they had arrived, not the normal protocol at all, but he seemed to be afraid to let Lyndred go. Another voice, one Arianna didn’t recognize but Lyndred did, echoed the announcement.

DiPalmet.

Who’s that?
Arianna asked.

Lyndred let her memories of DiPalmet answer the question. The guard helped her inside. She collapsed against him, trying not to look like a threat.

The South Tower had been set up like the North Tower: tables, chairs, the clean floor-to-ceiling windows. Lyndred got a sense of disgust and a brief memory—of being led away from the towers by the enemy—that didn’t belong to her.

Then she concentrated on what was before her. A woman, her hair chopped off, her face hard and masculine, stood, legs apart, and hands clasped behind her back.

I don’t look like that!
Arianna said.

And she didn’t. But Rugad in Arianna’s body did.

“So,” Rugad said. “You’re back.”

I am!
Arianna said softly.

“I am,” Lyndred echoed. Her heart was pounding.

“You look terrible,” Rugad said.

“I—” she was having trouble concentrating on his words. “I—I’ve come a long way.”

Send now,
Arianna said.

Daddy!
Lyndred screamed in her own mind,
we’re here! Start! Start now!

She felt the words circle out of her head and travel down a tunnel of light. She was dizzy and Rugad was looking at her strangely. The guard continued to hold her up.

But she had done it.

She was here.

And they could begin.

SIXTY-SIX

“THEY’RE IN,” Bridge said.

Coulter felt the muscles in his shoulder tighten. He had been worried that they wouldn’t make it and afraid that they would. Now they were in. If he wanted to save Arianna again, he had to act.

Skya sat on the ground in front of Bridge and held up her jewel. Gift sat in front of her and held up his. Bridge tied his string to Skya’s jewel, and Skya tied hers to Gift’s.

They were ready.

It was up to Coulter.

His palms were sweating. He remembered how it felt holding these globes before, how they turned warm in his hands, how they illuminated everything.

He remembered the screaming.

“Let’s go, Coulter.” Gift sounded casual, but they both knew he was not.

Coulter reached down and pulled open a bag. He picked up the first globe by its sides and immediately light flared from it. The light headed directly for Bridge who moved the jewel closer to his head than Coulter would have wanted, almost like a protection.

The light missed Bridge, and hit the diamond. Bridge closed his eyes, as if in relief, and then the light traveled from the diamond to the emerald. Skya stared at it, mesmerized, as the light moved through the emerald to the heartstone.

Gift wasn’t looking at Coulter or at the jewels. Instead, he was staring intently at the light beam which was now a hard, brilliant green-black. It cut through the fog like a beacon in darkness, and Coulter heard voices rise from outside.

The ship had been discovered. They wouldn’t have much time.

He glanced down at his hands. The light from the globe was so intense that he saw his bones through his skin. The globe was getting hot. Beads of sweat were running down his face already, and they had just started.

The light remained steady. He had no idea how much power was in one of these globes, nor did he know how much power they would need. Last time they had been trying to kill an army. This time, they were trying to burn a construct out of Arianna’s brain.

He hoped it wouldn’t take as much time.

At least the light wasn’t hurting Gift or Skya or Bridge. There were no screams from outside, so it probably wasn’t hurting that standing army either. Coulter just hoped the light was getting through walls, like it was supposed to, directed straight at Rugad.

He uncovered another globe with his foot, bent over, and picked the globe up with one hand. Then he dropped the first globe while grabbing the second so that the light would be unbroken.

It wasn’t quite. There was a small break, less than an instant, and he hoped it wasn’t enough to cause a problem.

The dropped globe rolled toward Bridge. Coulter’s breath caught. He hoped the globe wouldn’t hit Bridge. Coulter had no idea what it would do to him.

Bridge didn’t even seem to notice it rolling toward him. Coulter kept one hand on the globe he was using and waved the other hand at the rolling globe, pushing it away from all of the Fey gathered at the side of the ship.

He would have to be more careful next time. He would have to make sure no one even got close to being hit.

Coulter put both hands back on the second globe. The light was still flowing from it. He could feel that light like the heat from a fire, only mixed in with this feeling was a sense of great power.

He swallowed hard. This was fighting, but not fighting—rather like taking over someone from the inside out.

The light was burning a hole through the fog. No matter how hard the Sprites tried to cover it, the hole still remained. Magick against magick. The strongest power always trumped.

He supposed it would be that way with Rugad. If Rugad’s construct was more powerful than the Islander magick, he would win. He would have Arianna’s body and the Black Throne forever.