This is going to kill me.
But staying will kill her.
Keep going.
His muscles burned, and his arms screamed with effort, but he kept going. Another inch. His fingers found cracks in the stone – barely deep enough. His boots scraped, searching, until they caught on jutting bricks. He released one hand. Reached lower. Found another hold. The wind kept trying to pry him loose. Sweat dripped down his face from anxiety and effort. But he didn’t let go.
Magical strength would be really fucking useful right now.
But his crimson was nowhere to be found. He grunted in frustration. When his boots finally hit solid earth, he nearly collapsed, legs shaking. But he couldn’t waste a second. He slipped around the guard towers, keeping low. The stables weren’t far, the faint scent of valmares lingered in the cold night air. He knew his way around here with his eyes closed – this part was easy. He eased the door open. Inside, the familiar warmth and soft nickering. His fingers found a saddle. A fresh cloak. And finally... a blade.
I’ll kill anyone who stands between me and her.
He pulled the crimson cloak tight around him, and ran his hand along the mare’s flank. She snorted, but didn’t shy.
Good girl.
He mounted in silence. Fast and efficient.
His father had given him a twenty-four hour head start. He wasn’t going to waste it. He tried not to think about the distance. How far away the City was. The ticking clock on Kara’s life. He urged the mare forward and disappeared into the dark.
He would make it.
He had to.
CHAPTER 25
VALLENNAN JUSTICE
The presiding judge in all High Council trials shall be appointed from House Caldris.
–Vallennan Judiciary Code, Article I
Two guards came for her at midday.
Cade wasn’t with them. That was some relief. One Thorne soldier actually guided her gently. They let her walk between them without hands on her, crossing the courtyard of the Hall of Justice under the midday sun. As she passed through the doors, she looked up at the stone archway above. There, carved deep, was the sigil of Vallenna itself: two hands clasped together, a symbol of the City’s founding alliance. The creed declared:
Unity Above All
She almost laughed.
The chamber was vast, lined with pillars of polished white stone, its high ornate ceiling painted with scenes from Vallenna’s history. At the end of the room sat the seven Council seats on a raised dais. Only six were filled. Kara noticed with a jolt that Tobias Thorne’s chair sat empty. Above them, a severe-looking man sat robed in pale blue. A Caldris judge – as was custom. He was flanked by two Caldris scribes, their enchanted quills already recording the proceedings. The public gallery rose on tiered seating on either side of the chamber, and every seat was full. The atmosphere was hushed and tense, citizens leaning forward on their benches, clearly eager to see her for themselves. Her cheeks flushed, but she kept her gaze forward. The guards stopped her at a plinth in the centre of the room and flanked her on either side. Her wrists were chafing and sore, arms aching, but she looked up at themdefiantly. The judge stared down at her. There would be no mercy from him – not after she’d left their golden son bleeding and bound in a forest.
Caldris wouldn’t forget that.
His voice was cold, efficient. “Confirm your name for the record.”
“Karalynna Hale,” she said, steadier than she expected. But her hands trembled against the plinth.
“You stand accused of high treason contrary to the Arcanth Accords, the unlawful assistance of a known traitor–”
Traitor? Please stop calling him that.
“–the unauthorised possession of sacred relics, and of causing magical harm to the land of Vallenna. These crimes carry the penalty of death. Do you understand the charges?”
Kara swallowed. Her hands shook worse than ever, sweat beading on her palms. “Yes.”
“You are here to answer the questions put to you by the High Council. They will consider the evidence you present and deliver their verdict. I will decide the sentence, if required. Do you understand?”
