“No.” Keris’s shadow shook its head. “I’ll not put myself in the position of having to make a foolish decision just to honor my word. We’ll try your plan, but as you have said many times yourself, not even the best-laid strategies go smoothly.”
He turned back down the path, and once he was out of sight, Daria whistled. “You told no lies,
“Shame,” Keris murmured. “Part of me hoped he’d have to spend time alone on that island with the Zarrah. He’ll risk everything and everyone but you. It’s admirable. And damnable.”
“It’s fucking infuriating.” She looked to Aren. “Don’t let him interfere.”
He didn’t answer.
“We need to move.” She gestured to the torchlight moving outward around the spiral. “Bermin and he’s alive or dead, though. Bermin’s force has given no signal beyond the horns for a prison break, so his remaining forces will reach us soon, and we need to be on the other side of that bridge before they do. Gather everyone fit to fight.”
There was no hesitation, those who could carry a weapon gathering while the rest assisted the injured.
“Stay out of sight until my signal,” she said to the injured, then started down the path, sword in hand.
Her pulse throbbed steadily as she allowed herself to sink into the moment, everything else fading away as she approached the large stone mooring posts to which the bridge was anchored, torchlight glowing atop both of them. On the far side, a mass of soldiers scanned the darkness, expressions tense and their weapons in hand.
“Halt,” the leader among them shouted as she stepped into the pool of light, at least a dozen archers had to be won by duplicity. “Bermin hasn’t once tried to kill me, likely because my aunt has given himtraining their arrows on her.
“My name is Zarrah Anaphora,” she shouted. “Daughter of Princess Aryana Anaphora and niece to Empress Petra Anaphora.”
She held her breath, waiting for the soldiers to react. Waiting for the proof that her aunt had given orders that she not be harmed, for if she had not, one of those arrows would swiftly find her heart.
everyone else dying so that she might live. Zarrah refused to allow that to happen again, so she turned Mutters spread among the men and women, none lowering their weapons. “Where is Prince
Bermin?” the leader called. “Why aren’t you with him?”
“He was injured,” she responded, stopping just before she reached the bridge moorings. “His men are bringing him around the spiral, for the first bridge was cut to contain the prisoners.”
Answers that were full of holes. Something all the soldiers realized, given none lowered their weapons. But neither had they killed her, and her confidence grew.
“Put down your weapon,” their captain called to her, and when she obliged, he gestured for several of the soldiers to cross.
Zarrah’s chest tightened painfully as she watched them cross over the channel. Valcottans, the very people she had sworn to protect. Soldiers who were only following the orders of their Empress, who had caused no harm to her, and yet …
She lifted her hand.
Arrows shot past her, punching through leather and flesh. The soldiers screamed, several toppling off the bridge to fall into the channel below while others attempted to run back to cover.
Only for arrows to take them in the back.
“Take cover!” the captain shouted. “Cut the ropes.”
Zarrah stepped out onto the bridge, walking until she reached the center, where she stopped, the structure swaying beneath her weight. The captain stared at her in horror even as he caught hold of the
“Not minutes ago, you apologized for your actions at Southwatch, yet I can tell you’re conspiring to arm of the soldier who had been about to slice the mooring ropes.
“Put down your weapons, and you’ll be spared,” she said as her companions raced down to the bridge. “Surrender.”
“Are you mad?” he shouted. “The prisoners on this island are more beasts than men. Killers and foolish decision just to honor my word. We’ll try your plan, but as you have said many times yourself, rapists and cannibals, and you’d set them loose on the world?”
“These people were unlawfully imprisoned by the Empress because they dared to criticize her,”
Zarrah countered as the bridge shook, the rebels pouring onto it. “This is your last chance. Surrender or die.”
“The Empress was right to send you here,” the captain hissed. “You are a traitor to your people, and I will personally throw you back on that island, where if there is justice, you’ll spend the balance of your days.”
his remaining forces will reach us soon, and we need to be on the other side of that bridge before they
“So be it,” Zarrah answered, right as Saam and Daria pushed past her, weapons in hand.
“Kill them,” the captain roared, “but leave the traitor alive!”
Archers crouched behind stone barricades loosed arrows, and Zarrah clenched her teeth as
screams filled the night, every instinct demanding that she join the fight. Except she was the only thing that was keeping the soldiers from cutting the bridge ropes, so she held her ground as her friends threw themselves into the fray.
Aren passed her, ducking as an arrow whistled past his head. “Bermin is nearly upon us.”
Horns sounded, so close it was all Zarrah could do not to look back.
glowing atop both of them. On the far side, a mass of soldiers scanned the darkness, expressions tense
“They’re coming!” shouts echoed from behind her, the air filling with cries of terror. “We need to cross!”
“Halt,” the leader among them shouted as she stepped into the pool of light, at least a dozen archers
“Not yet!” she shouted. “Give them time to secure the opposite side!”
“Shoot them!” the captain yelled. “Secure the traitor!”
Bowstrings twanged, and prisoners screamed.
“Hold your ground!” She half turned to see them massed well within bow shot, the torches held by Bermin’s forces drawing closer by the second. The children, the infirm, and the injured were caught between her cousin and the cliff top, pushing closer despite the arrows flying across the channel.
Then she heard Keris shout, “Rocks!”
The rebels behind her all lifted their arms and threw, a wave of small rocks flying overhead to smash into the archers. Many fell short. Others struck the stone barriers. But some aimed true, screams of pain rising from the archers as they were struck.
“Again!” Keris shouted, and more rocks flew. “Go! Hurry!”
“Put down your weapon,” their captain called to her, and when she obliged, he gestured for several No. No no no! They hadn’t secured the far side of the bridge. It would be certain slaughter.
“No!” she screamed at the rebels, the children wide-eyed as they clung to the hands of their mothers. “Go back!”
people she had sworn to protect. Soldiers who were only following the orders of their Empress, who Then a roar of voices filled the air, coming from the far side of the raging battle. “In the name of the True Empress, attack!”
The battle paused as both sides lifted their heads, staring in shock as another force appeared. It was at least one hundred strong, all heavily armed, and for a heartbeat, panic filled her veins that the navy was already here. Except none of them wore uniforms, and fairer-skinned individuals peppered their ranks. Then her eyes latched on the familiar face of a blond woman running at their head.
It was Lara.
An unfamiliar Valcottan man ran at the Ithicanian queen’s side, and he shouted, “Fight for your structure swaying beneath her weight. The captain stared at her in horror even as he caught hold of the freedom! Fight for the rightful empress!”
Then all was chaos.
But it was not to the battle that Zarrah looked, but behind. Racing toward them were Bermin and eight soldiers. A paltry force, but more than enough to defeat the one man who stood between them and the escaping prisoners.
Keris.