AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But, sir…”
“What!” Almanera growled.
“Won’t they know it was us?” Bowen murmured almost too softly for us to hear. “When we sent the assassin to Highblade Palace, you said it was important to make it seem like the Summerstreams had infiltrated the ancestral home so that nothing could lead back to us. But now, with this attack, wouldn’t both sides look for a third party? What if it leads back to us?”
“Would the Highblades admit that they kidnapped the heir to the Vetri throne?”
Bowen’s eyes dimmed. “No, sir, I suppose not.”
Olympia’s gaze was somber as she turned to me.
“Then that’s our cover,” Almanera declared. “No one knows these lands like we do. Our people are a mix of neomen, fire sorcerers and earth enchanters and I believe I can unite us under one banner to bring about change. I've spent decades working towards peace, and I believe we have the power to unite our kingdoms under one rule—I'm sure of it.”
“We should go,” Olympia mouthed, but I waylaid her, intent on listening to Almanera’s spiel.
His voice rumbled with conviction as he outlined his vision in the midst of the impending danger. His words were a mixture of determination and idealism. Or, perhaps, delusion.
My curiosity was piqued by Almanera's seemingly endless confidence.
I wanted to understand his plan and gauge its feasibility. I needed to determine whether his conviction was rooted in a belief that he could do a better job at ruling our kingdoms or if it was merely a product of his fat ego. Olly and I needed every advantage in the face of impending and unknown danger, and Almanera's words offered insight that was hard to walk away from.
We continued to listen, my senses alert to both the danger that lurked nearby and the potential strategy that Almanera was unveiling. If anything was worthy of high treason, this was it.
“Diplomacy hasn't worked thus far," he admitted, his voice high with exasperation. "They don't take me seriously. Well, I'll show them. If I need to use force to demonstrate that I mean business, then so be it.”
The shift in his tone was palpable, and it was clear that Almanera was prepared to take drastic measures to achieve his goal.
“But, sir.” It was Bowen again, his reedy voice unmistakable. “The risk is great, isn’t it? Attacking royalty could get us killed.”
“The risks we take are not for personal gain but for the betterment of our community, our people,” Almanera declared, earning several impassioned nods from his Alphas. “You need to find strength in the knowledge that our cause is just. Our goals are noble.”
“Let’s go,” Olly mouthed again and this time, I nodded, pushing away reluctantly from the support of the tree.
A small part of me wanted to stay—wanted to fight. It wanted Almanera on his knees, apologizing for evendaringto plot against my kingdom. But even in my best form, I wouldn’t be able to put a dent in the large wall of Almanera’s Alphas.
As I hobbled away, the skies overflowed with rain, dripping down past the canopy of the forest and pelting our foreheads. I wondered if this would be the end.
Olympia’s palm was firm on my forearm as she guided me. I sensed her fingers moving in the darkness as she examined the ground in front of us with her powers, ensuring we weren’t stepping into a pit of sinking sand or jumping off a cliff.
It would’ve been so much easier to light our path with a ball of fire, but we couldn’t risk it. Not when Almanera was so close on our trail. Any light at all would give our position away.
“There,” Olympia whispered in the darkness. “A clearing.”
My leg was beginning to stiffen, the aching muscles throbbing under my weight.
We had run and walked and jumped for the better part of an hour, and every instinct told me I had pushed the wounded leg as far as it could go.
Damn it all!
“You’re bleeding,” Olympia hissed as we hurried for the clearing.
“Yeah, no shit,” I grunted, trying not to think about it.
“No,” Olympia paused, her breaths harsh in the darkness. “You’re trailing blood. I can smell it. You’ve bled through the tunic.”
“Shit,” I cursed, peering down to no avail. That would explain the sudden numbness in my left thigh. If I was losing that much blood in such a short time…
“We have to get you somewhere safe so I can look at that wound,” Olympia said. As her breathing deepened, puffs of fog lingered in the air between us. In contrast, I could feel my breaths slowing down.
