“Yes,” Chevelle answered behind me.
I took a deep breath, watching as the woman’s raven hair whipped in a current that seemed to coil solely around her.
The group came to a staggered stop as they reached the street in front of the house. There were about thirty, a few kneeling to show respect, a few rocking impatiently from foot to foot, but most standing in wait as Camren approached further. I stepped onto the porch and Chevelle followed, coming to stand beside me. Rhys and Grey came to my right, and I heard the door shut behind them, quietly locking the fairy away from view.
“You go to take your vengeance?” Camren asked in a raw voice.
Her question left no room for the indecision I was feeling. “The fey attacked this town because of our plan to confront council.”
Camren’s jaw went tight. “Do you go to take your vengeance?”
“Retaliation could mean war,” I said.
Three of the large elves behind her spat at my answer, several others muttered. They had no fear of the fey, and council had taken one more of their own today. One too many, it appeared.
I sighed. “Many of you will die.”
No one in the line so much as flinched at my words. From the corner of my eye, I saw Steed and Anvil approaching to join us. Not an hour ago, I’d been questioning my actions, convinced I’d made a poor choice, that I would have started a war not only the north, but the whole of elvinkind would lose. Now, I could see no other way.
I glanced at Chevelle, and knew he felt the same. It was right. We would have to do it, regardless of the cost.
When I gave the order, I stared solely into Camren’s eyes. A promise. “Then we go. Recompense for the fallen.” I looked past her then, into the eyes of the men and women behind her. “Not just for today, but for all days. These men will answer for their actions.”
A clatter of sword against shield met my words, the applause of battle, and I looked to my guard. We were ready.
Chapter Twenty-one
Reckoning
The fey attack and the trackers had thrown our plans into chaos. But the gathering outside Ruby’s door added urgency. We would have no time to revise our strategy or we would risk giving council notice, not to mention a return of the fey. So I had decided to tell the mob of townspeople of my messenger, and trust them to allow her departure.
But when I opened the door to the living area and her gaze skipped over the crowd to land directly on the horses with a giddy, “Oooh, do I get one?” I actually considered letting them rip her apart. Unfortunately, I couldn’t chance sending anyone else into fey territory under the current conditions.
“Go now or not at all, fairy,” I hissed below earshot, and then bit my cheek as she curtseyed for the spectators.
Myst beamed at me before suddenly dipping and shoving off the porch to disappear about as quickly as I’ve ever seen a fey disappear. Excepting Veil, I amended.
I straightened my shoulders and took one more look around before calling the order to mount up. We had split the group into five. I would ride with the guard as we had intended, as if we were alone. Two sets of Camber’s best horsemen would ride slightly eastern and western routes, and the last two, the strongest and fastest, would come in on foot. It wasn’t the most honest formation, but they’d played dirty first, and I didn’t aim to lose any more men than necessary.
We rode swiftly and silently. I spent most of the ride falling into the minds of various birds in an effort to keep us safe. There had been a fair share of attempts on me, the guard, and the north of late so I couldn’t be sure of what exactly I was looking for, but nothing seemed amiss. It was maybe too calm. It reminded me of the ice attack. Nothing to be seen, nothing out of place.
The train of thought distracted me as I scanned the grounds below. I didn’t need to be distracted, so I forced myself to stop worrying about Veil. Stop worrying about how I could control these powers. I needed to focus on our current task. To overcome this one obstacle first.
Back to myself, I glanced left and right to find Steed and Chevelle. Chevelle’s eyes were scanning the trees, Steed’s moving from the landscape, over the horses, and back again with proficiency. Rhys and Rider rode ahead, Ruby, Grey, and Anvil behind. I checked on the horses, wondering how much farther they could run, but it seemed we might not have to continue on foot. Chevelle had been right, they were fine stock.