Page 119 of An Archer's Redemption

Cribbs whistled as Marks sat back, his eyes wide.

“Irina’s spirit? Really?” Marks asked. “And you’re sure she’s here?”

Jess nodded once.

“We are certain shewashere roughly two hours before we arrived. Whether she is still in that building, or even in the capital, we do not know,” Atikus said.

Marks leaned forward again. “Speaking of your arrival, I’ve heard some fantastic rumors today. Care to share how you made it from Saltstone to Fontaine so quickly?”

“Later, Chancellor,” Jess said.

“There are only a couple places that could be,” Cribbs said. “We supply most of the candles for both the Kingdom, Melucia, and some of your neighbors to the east, too. There’s a large factory on the southern edge of town that handles most of the manufacturing, but there’s also a large shop that makes and sells sticks only a few blocks from the Palace. Do you have any idea why she would want to go to a candle factory?”

Atikus shrugged. “No clue.”

“All right, it will take a little time to gather the men and get them there. I can have teams in both locations in an hour or so. Would that work?”

Atikus looked to me.

“I think so. But Sheriff, tell your mennotto enter either building. We believe she has an overwhelming arsenal of magic at her disposal. If we’re right, she could kill your men with barely a thought,” I said.

Cribbs nodded. “Meet me at the constabulary in thirty minutes. We can go over the plan and ride to the buildings together.”

“Excellent. I have other meetings this afternoon. Declan, Atikus, please let Chancellor Marks know if you need anything else. The Kingdom is at your disposal.” Jess stood.

Marks and Cribbs rose, bowed, and left.

Jess gave Keelan a peck on the cheek and left to begin receiving her afternoon audiences.

Atikus and I stared openmouthed at Keelan.

“The Queen justkissedyou!” I blurted.

Keelan chuckled. “She does that a lot these days. You’ll get used to it.”

Then he winked at Atikus.

“This just gets stranger by the moment,” I said.

Atikus grunted.

Part V

Chapter 51

Atikus

Declan and I decided to split up so one of us could accompany each team.

If Irina really was in Fontaine, we were the only ones who could do anything about it. We also decided not to enter a building if Irina was present at either location but wait and call for the other to Travel to that location so we could fight her together. Uncertainty around just how powerful she really was, as well as fear we might only get one shot at banishing her, drove us to extra caution.

My team approached the southern warehouse, a sprawling one-story building that spanned the length of three or four moderately sized homes. The walls were stone, while the roof was an odd mix of wooden planks and thatch. Smoke filtered through the thatch and rose into the cloudless sky.

We were far enough from the center of town that there was very little traffic—foot or carriage—nearby.

A dozen Constables, shields at the ready and swords unsheathed, fanned out and surrounded the building. The men were well coordinated, their movements practiced and sure. Each remained a perfect distance from those to his left and right, encircling the building in a wide net before gradually approaching to tighten the noose.

The clanking and whooshing sounds of a working factory drifted out open windows but weren’t as overpowering as the mixture of melting wax and the dozen aromatic oils used to create the candles’ scents. I buried my nose in my arm and wondered how workers survived the malodorous assault each day.

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