“Listen to the gods, Lena.They will guide ye. And above all, stay safe, my queen.”
I nod my farewell and turn towards the boats before I think better of it and turn back to her.
“Thank you, Agatha, for supporting me.” I cross a hand over my chest, the sign I’ve learned is the utmost respect between warriors here.
Her somber expression is replaced by a grateful smile. “I would ha’ followed your mother anywhere. I will follow ye just the same. She would ha’ been so proud of ye.”
Her words fill my soul and lighten my chest.
“Thank you,” I breathe. The emotion flows freely through me, and I embrace it.
Agatha smiles broadly at me and takes the reins from Lachlan. She leads the horses back to the castle, leaving us alone on the bay. My eyes follow her before falling on my friends around me.
Lachlan interlaces my hand with his as he leads us to the long boat tied up offshore and guides me onboard. I stop and turn, looking back at this island that has become my sanctuary for the past several weeks. Tane helps Mathilda on board, subtly giving us a moment of privacy. We haven’t even left yet, and the familiar pains of homesickness begin to stir low in my gut.
Lachlan’s gaze is heavy on the side of my face, and he gently squeezes my hand, sensing the turmoil swirling inside of me. “We’ll be back home soon.” I gaze up at him, soaking in the last few seconds of peace and admiring the surety of his gaze.
He strokes his palm across my cheek. “I promise.”
36
DARK CAPITAL
Idirhalla is an island of ghosts.
Silence lurks, and even the shadows seem to cower.
The capital island is a mass of darkness, except for a few blazing fires shining into the blackness when we breach the shores. Smoke overpowers the crisp sea air. Evander, Elowen, and Mina slink out of the shadows and help drag our boat onto land. The only sound is our boots sinking into the thick sand.
“Okay, so we need to make it from here,” I mark an X on the sand as we crouch down on the shore, “to the Great Hall.” I drag my finger in a winding motion. “Once we get there, we need to be prepared for a few different scenarios.”
Mathilda, Tane, and Lachlan nod along, already having heard my plan on the boat. “Hopefully, it will be a swift takeover, and they will just relinquish the throne. If that’s the case, any guards that you trust need to set up a perimeter around the palace in case there is pushback from the citizens who have decided to stay.” Evander’s eyes flash to mine, the moon shining on his stern face. “But more than likely, this will be the first battle of many. Mina, Evander, Tane, and Mathildadivide the hallways amongst yourselves to guard against the reinforcements they will call in. Leave Odessa to me. Got it?”
In the dim light, Lachlan’s eyes burn with rage. “Julius is mine.”
Tane and Mathilda share a subtle smile. Mina grins wildly, the moonlight reflecting off her dark hair as she nods.
Evander stares up at me, pride lining his face before he slowly smiles. “Got it, Your Majesty.”
Surprisingly, my nerves have yet to reappear, but the air around us seems to crackle with anticipation.
“Alright, let’s stick together and follow the main road up. We’ll work as a unit, but if it gets chaotic, we might need to split up and meet at the Great Hall by the training grounds.”
As quietly as possible, we stalk from the shore and onto the road, using the buildings as cover. As we sneak up the main road, we come to some buildings that are partially ablaze or are already in smoldering cinders. I share a look with Lachlan. What happened here? Whole streets are pitch black, and where lanterns should have been lit, there’s nothing but darkness. The destruction grows as we continue on.
“What the hell is going on here?” I whisper to our group.
Mina responds, “The eclipse must’ve brought the civil unrest to a head.”
“But where are the guards?” Elowen asks, her brow furrowing.
Wood cracks loudly from the devouring flames, not too far from our hideout. The unexpected sound has me flinching. But that’s the only sound. There are no other sounds, no screaming, no yelling of “fire.”
There are no people at all.
Evander and Lachlan both wear masks of fury as they take in the ruins dotting the streets.
“Where are the people?” Mathilda whispers.
