“What is it?” asked Pashla.
“I have an idea,” said Kyra. It had come to her suddenly, but as soon as it came to mind, she knew it was the right one. It would be dangerous, but it was something she could attempt with a clear conscience. Perhaps Flick was right. Whatever she was, whatever hidden pasts she discovered, in the end she would always be the thief girl that he met on the streets so long ago.
Kyra turned to Pashla. “Cancel the raid. I’ve a new plan.” Leyus would probably tell her that her decision was driven by fear of what she was, but it wasn’t fear that motivated her this time. It was confidence—in what she was, and more importantly, in knowing what she wanted to be. “I’m going into the enemy camp,” she said. “And I’m doing it in my skin.”
T H I R T Y
Flick didn’t like the idea, of course. He never liked anything that placed Kyra in danger, and this would be far riskier than a caravan raid.
“You know, you don’t always have to pick the most foolhardy way forward,” he told her.
“But if it works, it could end it all before it begins,” said Kyra.
The plan was simple. The easiest way to control an army was to control its leaders, and the leaders currently resided in a large tent at the center of Edlan’s encampment. If someone were to, say, steal the leaders and turn them over to Forge, then Edlan’s army would have newfound motivation to retreat.
Of course, an army encampment was perhaps the very definition of “well guarded.” Kyra was fairly confident she could get in. She wasn’t nearly as confident that she could get back out, but she had to try. They had so much to gain if she succeeded.
She risked a trip back into the city and relayed her plan to Tristam and Malikel. “If all goes well, I’ll deliver Willem to your gates tomorrow night. My Demon Riders will be waiting outside the camp to guard my initial retreat, and I’ll need troops from Forge stationed by the city to guard the final stretch. If things do not go to plan…” She paused here and avoided Tristam’s eyes. “All the Demon Riders with me are dedicated to this task. They can carry out raids on the Edlan supply caravans even if I can’t help them.”
“I will have a unit by the gates ready to come to your defense,” said Malikel.
“Thank you.” She finally looked at Tristam then. She could see the effort it took for him not to object to her plan, and his struggle tugged at her chest. Kyra swallowed and met his gaze. “This is war. We do what we must.”
She left before her resolve could weaken further.
Kyra tried her best to get plenty of rest the next day, though her nerves didn’t allow her to sleep for very long. When she could no longer stay still, she paced the ground in front of her cave. She’d just about churned the snow into mud when Adele and Pashla appeared.
“We will go with you tonight,” said Pashla.
Kyra’s initial reaction was to refuse. “I can’t in good conscience make you run a mission in your skin.”
“We have stake in this as well,” said Adele.
“You can’t subdue both Alvred and Willem by yourself,” said Pashla. “And your plan does work better with us in our skin.”