Page 73 of Her Cruel Redemption

‘You. We face unsteady odds today, despite our numbers. Soveraux was right when he said we’re outmatched as far as training and experience goes. Most of the soldiers in that camp are unblooded, and the enemy has the advantage of a well-defended position.’

‘Then what will you do?’ I eyed the wall of the port in the distance. ‘Lay siege?’

Esario shook his head. ‘It would cost too much in time and lives. The walls are reinforced with magic. One of the only places in Oceatold built in such a way, which is why it should never have fallen in the first place.’ He frowned down at the city, like it had offended him personally with its inability to withstand the invasion. Then he continued. ‘A few local fishermen came to see me last night with some knowledge of the terrain, though.’ He adjusted his map, tracing a finger along the sketched coastline as he tilted it towards me. ‘There’s a network of caves with openings in the cliffside. Most are inaccessible, but there are two or three we can enter from. The network is a bit of a labyrinth, but the locals can show us through.’ He tapped his finger on the map against two inky crosses as he spoke. ‘There’s an opening in an old drainage channel by the eastern wall, and another in the back room of a tavern.’

‘And the men with this knowledge are fishermen,’ I repeated, arching a brow.

‘Smugglers, most likely. ’ He chuckled, his broad shoulders quaking. ‘I never thought I’d be grateful for a port riddled with them.’

That made more sense. ‘How many know about the caves?’

‘I’m told they aren’t widely known, even among the locals. Most who do know steer clear due to the unsavoury sorts that use them. A bunch of soldiers from foreign shores certainly won’t know of them. If we can keep the bulk of their forces at the wall, we could slip in right beneath their feet and take them by surprise.’

I nodded, mulling it over. ‘It’s a mad plan,’ I said after a moment. ‘If they cotton on to what we’re doing, any of our forces caught down there will be trapped like fish in a barrel. How many will you send into the caves?’ I glanced at the waking camp below, the figures moving about, greeting one another, gathered around coals of the previous evening’s fires with hot mugs and bowls of breakfast.

‘A third, maybe less. We need the rest to keep up appearances and draw attention. Our archers will be stationed on that ridge’—he pointed to the western flank, a spot barely visible from here but strategically positioned—'where they can rain arrows down on any soldiers who try to reinforce the gate.’

‘So you’ll need bait,’ I said slowly, piecing it together. Realising why he’d said he wanted to speak tome.‘A group to make noise at the gate, just enough to rile them up and make them think that’s the focus of our attack.’

‘Enough to draw their attention while our men get out of the tunnels. We’ll open the gate from within, and the rest of our forces can surge through and overwhelm them.’

‘You want me in that group.’

‘You do seem to have a knack for drawing Soveraux’s attention.’

I let the comment go unremarked on, even though it made my blood quicken just a little. ‘There’s also the fact that I can wield lightning.’

At this, he looked less certain, frowning. ‘It’ll be enough to demand entry, then stage an attack when it’s refused. You’ll not need to fight in any capacity, you’ll merely be there to be seen. I’ll send along some heavy catapults to make it all look convincing and cause some chaos.’

‘With all due respect, Your Majesty, if you’re sending me as a distraction then it would be stupid not to use the full spectrum of disruption I can cause. If you want me in the party attacking the gate, then I’m going to fight.’

‘Throwing around magic like that will terrify my men,’ he said firmly, ‘and that’s without even mentioning the fact that you’re a woman. It’d do more harm than good if you were to get involved in the fighting. You will be there as a spectator.’

I held his gaze, unmoved by the heat in his tone, the boom of authority in his voice. ‘You aren’t my king. You don’t command me.’

His face flushed red, and for a moment I thought he would begin shouting at me. Or perhaps calling for me to be arrested on contempt. But he had a cooler head than I would have given him credit for. ‘Gwinellyn will agree with me,’ was all he said instead. Which was far more effective than ranting and railing. ‘Eat and get some rest before we set out. This fight won’t be easy. Remember that many will likely die, and that we aren’t here to repay your vendetta. Much will be relying on you playing your part, and on our men getting through the tunnels safely.’

Well, I supposed I could consider myself chastened. I bowed my head civilly, before making my way back down the embankment, begrudgingly admitting that I was coming to respect Esario as a king. He seemed to have relatively sound judgement. And I appreciated that he was occasionally willing to level with me and recruit me to his plans.

Of course, flinging lightning around the roof of his palace had likely earned most of his current treatment of me. He could hardly be dismissive of me after that.

The morning activity in the camp gave way to a tense stillness as orders were delivered and word that we would soon be making our move spread. After I’d eaten breakfast I sat in my tent, trying to practice shielding my mind with Mae, my heartbeat unsteady as my thoughts kept darting back to what was coming no matter how hard I tried to keep them calm.

This was where Gwinellyn found us. I stiffened when she slipped into the tent, immediately scanning her features for the anger that had infused our last conversation.

‘Do you feel like you’re getting better at it?’ she asked as she took us in, both sitting cross-legged on our bedrolls. Some of my tension loosened in relief, because she’d managed to ask me a question in such a regular tone of voice.

‘No,’ I admitted.

‘She is,’ Mae quickly interjected. ‘Just slower than she’d like.’

Gwin nodded. ‘Do you think she’ll be able to fend off an attack on her mind during the battle?’

At this question, some of the optimism left Mae’s eyes. ‘Distraction and confusion might be the best strategy.’ She turned to me. ‘Just a repeated phrase, remember? A line of poetry or song can work well, since there’s a rhythm that’ll make it easy to loop through your mind.’

‘Sure,’ I muttered, feeling for the prickle of magic as I battled with the sense of failure at having been so hopeless at building my mental shields. If it came to it, I’d simply strike first, and then Draven would have no chance to test them.

‘I can’t expect you to fight today and go against your beliefs, Mae,’ Gwin said. ‘Elias and Daethie are staying here to help with the wounded, and Goras will be ferrying soldiers out of the fighting for treatment.’

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