I open my mouth to protest, but Ronan squeezes my hand.
We’re not the only ones who deserve happiness,he told me.
It’s for that exact reason that Taran needs to run.
Chapter Twenty-One
In the evening after dinner, I follow Ronan and Taran from the palace past the Alchemists’ Guild to one of Faros’s western walls.
Taran informs us that Seth is furious that he wasn’t allowed to come see his plan in motion, but I’m glad he isn’t here. It’s one less thing to worry about while we’re up on the walls overlooking Selara.
The night is clear and cool, the sky dark and cloudless. A scattering of stars has just begun to blanket the sky when we climb the narrow stairway onto the wall-walk. The walls are constructed from the same stone as the palace, but they’re far older and more crudely cut. We stick to the city side of the walk, keeping clear of the crenelations to avoid missile fire from below.
“Beautiful night to win a war, your majesty,” says a woman in Royal Guard chainmail, tall and thin as a reed, as she bows to Ronan. “You must be Sylvie. Commander Elia of House Grana, at your service.”
“Nice to meet you, Commander.” I accept her handshake and immediately regret it—it’s crushing.
Then she nods to Taran. “The command is yours, General.”
“Any movement tonight?” asks Taran. He’s drawn up his posture into his General stance, straight as an arrow and stiff as a board.
“The usual. A troupe or two shooting potshots, making sure we’re still defended. Siege engines are just out of range. We took out a ballista during today’s sortie. The furs on it had gone dry.”
“Must be running low on water-born in the forward legions,” says Taran.
“That’s our thinking as well. I’ve requested additional fire-born in the sortie troupes to take advantage.”
“Excellent, Commander.”
Elia smiles brightly, her eyes shining in the dim moonlight.
“Do you have many shadow-born here?” I ask. It’s dark tonight and getting darker. I wonder how many of the soldiers up here on the wall can see.
“A few,” she says, darkening a shadow around her. She’s shadow-born herself. “I believe I have you to thank for my elevated position. I heard you pointed out the vulnerabilities in our security.”
I beam at her. “Glad to hear they listened to at leastsomething.”
“Don’t listen to her, Commander. At least eighty percent of what I do is Sylvie’s idea,” says Ronan.
“As it should be, sir.”
“Won’t you join us, Commander?” I ask. I’m enjoying Elia’s company. “With any luck, it’ll be quite the show.”
“Gladly,” says Elia. She leads us to a section of wall protected by a higher parapet, with arrow loops instead of the wide teeth of the merlons that make up the rest of the walls. “It’s safer from here. Much less space for an arrow to make it through.”
Though it’s difficult to see through the narrow slot, I can make out much of Adria’s camp by shifting from side to side.
“Do you see that catapult in the middle? Seth said it should be somewhere behind it, a few rows of tents back,” says Ronan, looping his arm around my waist as he joins me.
“I see it.” Somewhere out there, Octavia and Vesper are approaching. Larus waits onboard thePegasus, ready to help them with their escape.
Although I’m still a bit disappointed not to be part of it, I’m glad Larus is there. If something happens to them, his earth-born magic will be invaluable if they wind up imprisoned.
“Sir, I’m sorry to interrupt,” says a messenger in black robes. “Admiral Nauta is approaching the Gap, and he wondered if you were available to have a quick word.”
“Damn, I’ve been waiting to speak with him,” Ronan says, glancing at me. “Tell him I’ll meet him in the palace in two hours.”
“Go,” I say. “I’ll be right here with Commander Elia.”
