“I have a job for you.”
“As I said, I’m not a soldier—”
“I know where Noc is going to be, and I can send you to him. Now.”
He stutter-stepped beside me, all traces of disgust wiped from his face. “Go on.”
We rounded the corner on a set of double doors, and I pushed them open. My quarters weren’t nearly as appealing as what I’d grown used to in Hireath, but it didn’t matter. I headed for the sitting area, sinking into a tufted, cerulean settee near the hearth. Warmth bled from the crackling fire. Darrien took the high-back armchair across from me and leaned forward, pressing his elbows to his knees. With a simple jerk of his chin, he commanded his troops to line the walls and wait. At least they were loyal, unlike my own people.
“Noc and his merry band of miscreants are on their way to Cruor as we speak.”
Darrien didn’t move. “You know this how?”
I scowled. “I’ve had a beast in place to spy on them since I left.”
“Even so, it would be suicidal for me to attack him while he’s at Cruor.”
My fingers twitched. “You think too small.”
His lips peeled back in an unattractive grimace. “I don’t have to sit here and listen to your shit.”
“Then stop jumping to conclusions, and I’ll stop pointing out the obvious.” I crossed one leg over the other, waiting. He swallowed thickly, but didn’t open his mouth again. Thank the gods. “They’re currently traveling through Kitska Forest. I want to attack them there. You’re skilled with a bow and arrow, I believe? You can strike from the treetops and disappear before they even notice. Separate them, and then ambush them. We have the numbers.”
A wicked smile toyed with his lips. “It’s doable. We could pick them off one by one. Gods, the look on Noc’s face when he sees his family go down…” He stroked his jaw as he peered into nothingness, smile stretching impossibly wider. After a few moments, he let his hand fall away and pinned me with a quizzical look. The eagerness in his eyes faltered. “But why now? They can’t reach us here. And with Varek building his forces and you on the verge of raising Ocnolog… Is it necessary?”
Heat simmered through my veins. OfcourseI’d thought of all that. I knew that, tactically, there was no reason to attack, even if they were weak. Cruor and Hireath alone weren’t strong enough to take on the capital of Wilheim, let alone Ocnolog. But the Charmers… My fist clenched. Why had they listened to her and not me? What was it about her that inspired their trust? The way they’d knelt before her in the throne room, even after admitting she’d lead them into war—the very thing I’d asked of them—was a sight I couldn’t shake. It haunted me as I worked to unearth King Varek’s secrets about the captive Charmers. I wanted to hurt Leena like my people had hurt me. I wanted to rip away her family, dispose of her allies, so she was just as alone as me. Then they’d see. I was the only one capable of leading our people. I would persevere.
I’ll show them. I’ll show them all.
“If we take Leena’s allies off the board, she’ll crumble. And the Charmers won’t follow a weak leader—they’ll fall quietly to the wayside. They don’twanta war. As for Noc, well, if reclaiming Cruor for yourself isn’t something you want, then so be it.”
Darrien glowered. “I didn’t say that.”
“Glad we’re aligned. We have to leave now if you want to get into a good position before they make it to Cruor.” Flicking my wrist, I channeled my power into the emblem on my hand. The beast realm door swung open, and my Telesávra appeared. She cracked open her maw, summoning a sparking, white portal. “I changed my beast’s hearth point to Midnight Jester as I was fleeing. Near enough to Hireath and Cruor, but not close enough to catch the eye of any patrolling guards.”
Darrien regarded my beast. “How easy is it to change hearth points?”
“It’s not terribly difficult,” I said, studying my creature. “But both me and my Telesávra have to be present at the desired location in order to set the teleportation point. I can’t simply point at a location on a map and make it so. Hence why I seized the opportunity outside Midnight Jester before coming here.”
“And my brethren? How many of us can come?” He gestured to the assassins waiting silently about the room. A few had inched forward, showing obvious signs of interest in joining our mission.
I stood and extended my arms. “As many as we can fit without breaking contact. They’ll need to be touching me in order to use the portal.”
Darrien didn’t hesitate, wrapping his fingers around mine and taking a step closer to my beast. He signaled to a handful of assassins, and they flocked to our side. They gripped my arms, my back, my waist. I would’ve transported the whole damn group if it were possible, but there was only so much space available. And if one of them accidentally let go during travel, we’d never see them again. Not that I particularly cared, but a body was a body and we needed the numbers to maintain our advantage.
Anticipation gleamed in Darrien’s eyes. “This should be fun.”
“Yes. But leave Leena to me.” I didn’t bother to keep the disgust from my response. She’d threatened far too much already. And now, as Crown of the Council, she had the power to move against me—and the support to do so. I could win my people back to my side, if only she were gone. And with Ocnolog under my command and the missing Charmers found, no one would be able to deny me anything. I couldn’t,wouldn’t, be stopped.
Darrien smirked. “As long as I get Noc, I don’t care who you take down.”
My smile turned feral. “Good. Shall we?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, we stepped through the sparking portal and emerged moment’s later on the fringe of Midnight Jester. The second the assassins released their grips, I flicked my wrist and opened the beast realm door, sending my Telesávra home. She wouldn’t be able to transport us back to Wilheim, anyway. As we moved toward Kitska Forest, a low, bone-shattering roar rumbled from somewhere in the wood. Closer than expected. A wondrous idea bloomed in my mind.
I can use this.
Laughter bubbled from my chest, and Darrien shot me a glance. I waved him off and pressed on, veering toward the eerie call. These monsters had nothing on me.
