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“Go,get dressed. We’ll be waiting for you in the front courtyard.” Batse shoed us away, which wasn’t hard. Before he was finished speaking, I was rushing through the halls with the LL on my heels.
I had never been to Senadia, but if it was like Helfai or Louniva, thousands of people’s lives could be at stake.
Was it theMazza? The Mannos? Or Rainer and his cronies causing trouble just because they could?
The wild, whipping emotion started to rise again, and I exhaled, clamping it down. I wanted my powers. I needed them, to show myself and everyone else that I could do this. I could be the Mazza they needed.
But I didn’t need to create casualties along the way if I could help it. Not with my guys.
When we reached our rooms, there were no words needed. We were already dressed in our tactical outfits we’d been wearing to practice in. I threw the lid off of the weapons chest, and we strapped a series of knives and various other weapons on our waists, chest straps, and tucked in our boots at the ankles.
Not me though.
I took two small daggers out to place one on each hip for anoh shitmoment. Then I picked up my nun chucks. Those was the only weapons I really needed, or the only ones I trusted myself with.
Jari was the last to finish equipping himself, and once he turned to face us, we were off again, racing toward the courtyard. A steady hum of anticipation built under my skin the closer we got.
The worry was still there. So was the fear and self-doubt that had come to be a second skin. But now, I had a purpose.
For good or bad, I was going to help. And anyone who got in the way of us and the people of Senadia…They needed to pray to whatever deity they worshiped to save them.
Because after the hellish few weeks we’d been through, I needed an outlet.
As I looked around at the various levels of determination on everyone except Yunez, who wasn’t so much determined as deadly, I realized they needed an outlet too.
We needed a chance to redeem ourselves after the other Mazza and her bonds handed us our asses.
* * *
The courtyard was completely full of Mannos. All were dressed for battle, but two thirds wore tunics with the emblazoned three suns emblem on their chests and backs.
Simms had a stack of the same tunics over his arm. When we stopped next to him, he started handing them out. But where everyone else’s were black, these were a purple so dark and rich, from a distance they appeared black.
He winked as I slowly took a smaller size from him.
Wade’s words stuck in my head. Were we setting ourselves up to take over Fennina? I didn’t think we were, but once we rode in with differentiating tunics, ones specifically designed to set us apart as leaders, how could I pretend that we weren’t setting ourselves up for exactly that.
“So, this is it?” Sage adjusted his weapons over the three suns tunic while he gazed out over the sea of warriors.
We were coming out to Fennina. Once we stepped off this sanctuary, there would be no coming back.
Yunez joined him. “This is it. Once we leave, we will not come back until we have won, or we have lost. I wish I could offer you all words of hope and encouragement…” he trailed off, his voice catching.
“We aren’t young pups anymore.” Egan clapped Yunez on the back. “We don’t need pep talks. We walk beside you now, not behind you.”
Yunez nodded.
“Egan!” One of his sisters yelled over the crowd. Both girls appeared as they elbowed Mannos out of the way, Egil on their heels. “What’s happening?” Freyja cried, reaching out to fist her hand in his tunic.
“There’s an attack on Senadia. We have to go help them.” He cupped her jaw and kissed her forehead, holding out his other arm for Laila to hug him. Wrapping both arms tight around his sisters, he squeezed his eyes shut. When they opened, they blazed as he sought out his father. “Stay here, protect the girls, and we’ll be back as soon as we can.”
Egil gently tugged the girls back, whispering in their ears. Then he stepped away, gave them a little push back toward the castle and squared his shoulders.
“Not this time, son. I’m going with you. I was a fine soldier back in my day, and my place will be at your back. The girls will be safe here behind the wards.”
Laila and Freyja clutched each other’s hands, a calm resolve settling over them as they held their father’s gaze.Please gods, don’t let it be the last time.As tears filled their eyes, they shot Egan one last look full of love before running off toward the castle.
“Da, the girls need you,” he choked up. “I can’t take you away from them too.”
