I grin. “By this time tomorrow, their skin should be as crispy as a roast duck’s.”
As he leads me toward the underground car where our rabble beasts wait, any lightness I feel over Banias’s circumstances fades with my growing apprehension. Once again, we’ve escaped New Stygarde.
But no place is safe for us now.
Not until we win this war.
2
It’s the Journey
Damien
“So what’s the plan?” Eloise asks. We lead the rabble beasts from the camouflaged underground tunnels of Mount Damocles toward the network of caves near the base of the mountain. Although we knew this day would come, we’ve never broached specifics. How could we? There were too many variables. No matter how well you prepare for an exodus like ours, you are never truly ready.
“I wish I had an answer to that question,” I grumble. “I have a goal, not a plan. My goal is to raise an army powerful enough to take back my kingdom from Brahm and Nevina. But with Banias and his men hunting us, I’m afraid any plans we might have will have to adjust to our day-to-day realities.”
“Fair.” She mounts Romulus, who is now completely healed from his former injuries. The rabble beast prances in place, elated to be out from under the mountain. A cool breeze filters to us from the north, rustling Eloise’s redcurls. “By the goddess, do you feel that? I think I just breathed my first full breath in a month.” She smiles at the moon.
Similarly, Borus chuffs and stomps with obvious excitement as I mount him. Both beasts have spent far too long in a stable of stone. They’re restless to run. “Although I’m thankful to the mountain dwellers for their hospitality, I have to agree. One never acclimates to that heat.”
“Of course, I’m excited for Banias to give it a try. Have fun searching the mountain, bootlicker.” She flips a middle finger in Banias’s direction.
I snort. “So…”
“So…” Our eyes meet, and the trust I see in hers spurs my courage and sparks the decision I’ve hesitated to make. There’s no right answer. Any choice could lead us in a direction that gets us killed. But together with this woman at my side, I’m ready to face what comes.
“Aendor,” I say confidently. “Tempest has been organizing a rebellion in the region for years. It’s the most logical place for us.”
“I know that was always the end goal, but do you think it’s safe? Brahm has to suspect Tempest after what happened at the Harvest Festival. We haven’t received a raven from her in weeks. For all we know, Aendor is no safer than Mount Damocles.”
“Banias said he interrogated the captains of the shipping fleet in Aendor. No doubt he searched the territory at the same time. They might still have soldiers stationed in the region, but we know they aren’t their best men, because those men are here. By the time we reach Aendor, they’ll have exhausted their search, know for sure we’re not there, and will assume we wouldn’t dare risk reachingout to Tempest again. With your magic disguising us, we’ll infiltrate the palace and find the lord and lady of Aendor. They’ll know how to hide us.”
I kick Borus into a walk, steering him toward the trail that leads into the dark forest on the edge of the Borderlands. Eloise sidles up next to me, leaning back in Romulus’s saddle.
“Aendor is completely on the opposite side of Tenebris, though. Do you think it’s safe to stay on the road that long? Even disguised?”
Turning my face toward the moon, I suppress a dry chuckle. It’s a fair question, but she already knows the answer, even if she hasn’t admitted it to herself yet. “As safe as anywhere else.”
“Right.” She rubs the back of her neck. “Unless…” She sits up straighter.
“Unless?”
“You know, we could leave the planet, Damien. I am the key. We could return to Earth temporarily.”
I consider the possibility. The way is open to her now, and we presumably have the blessing of the goddess to pass through the Darklands. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that all magic has consequences. “No.”
“No?”
“You’re capable, and I’m relieved the option is available should we have no other choice, but ultimately, Stygarde is my destiny.” I press a hand into my chest and turn to her. “Ourdestiny. Our people don’t have the privilege of hiding on another planet. Our time with the mountain dwellers has made one thing abundantly clear to me. To win this war, we need allies, and that means getting to know the people of Stygarde again. The common people.People I never had the chance to truly know when I was their prince. I must earn their trust if I am to win their fealty, and we can’t do that from Earth.”
“True.”
“Besides, last time we traveled through the underworld, it drained both of us. We need our strength and your magic to face what is to come.”
She narrows her eyes. “Blah, blah, blah. I think you just enjoy riding long distances.”
I grin at the way she teases me to lighten the mood. “We’ve done it before, when we left Dimhollow.”
