Ellery paled as understanding dawned.
“What do you mean your father is the new king?”Tucker asked.
I didn’t look at him as I replied.“I killed Ivan.”
A gasp went through many of those gathered in the clearing.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Ryker
“What?”Ianto demanded.“The king is dead?”
“Yes,” one of the women said.“We all saw it happen.”
“What did we miss?”Tucker blurted.
“A lot, and we don’t have time to talk about it.We have to go to my father’s castle; we’re going to raid his weapons room,” I told him.
Ellery gripped my shirt.“I have to go with Ruby and Scarlet.We have to get Billy and Mr.Fletcher out before the soldiers arrive.”
I grasped her hands as she stared pleadingly up at me.If we didn’t go to my father’s soon, he would send some of his guards back to protect the castle against me.He might already be organizing a contingent to do so.
But I also couldn’t let her go alone.Not when… “There’s probably already soldiers moving in on your home.”
Fear glimmered in her eyes before they narrowed.“Not yet.Likeyousaid, they’re still regrouping.I’m going.”
I didn’t like that she was using my words against me.“We need weapons, Ellery.”
“And we need our family, Ryker.You can go for the weapons while I go with Scarlet and Ruby to get Billy and Mr.Fletcher.I doubt the smoke has cleared from the fields enough for them to realize we’ve escaped.”
“They’ll send soldiers to wherever they thinkyoumight have gone if you escaped.”
“They’re still focused on trying to destroy everyone on that battlefield.We have time, but not if we keep fighting over this.We have to gonow.”
“I’m the only one who can open the portal into my father’s castle.”
“I know.”
“I can’t let them go through without me.They can’t close it if something goes wrong and they have to retreat.”
“I know.And I can’t let Ruby and Scarlet go without me.”
“We’ll go with her,” one of the new women offered.
“No,” Ryker said.“We don’t know if we can trust you yet.”
The woman opened her mouth to protest before closing it.
“We’re wasting time; we’ll each go and do what we have to before meeting back here,” Ellery said.
“They know who you are now,” I told her.“You can’t do this.”
“You’re returning to yourfather’scastle, Ryker; I think I’m the safer one here.Besides, as you said, they’ll still be on the battlefield.They wouldn’t have recovered enough to think of the next step.I doubt any of them would believe I’d return to my home.”
“They’re not going to take the chance you won’t.They’ll have guards watching.”
“Not yet, and the longer we debate this, the more dangerous it becomes.I’m going, and so are you.We each have to do this.”
