Page 109 of Captive of the Stolen Empire

Zurina stepped between us, demanding my attention once again. “I’m taking Fernand’s body now. You all can leave during the distraction.”

“Wait!” Reyna latched onto Zurina’s arm. “You’re not coming with us?”

Zurina’s eyes softened; even her form lost some of its rigidity. “Someone must get word to the rebels. I’m in the best position to do that, and they won’t come after me once they realize you all are gone.”

“And if you run into trouble?” Reyna framed her hands on her hips. “I’m coming with you.”

“Not a chance,” Zurina replied. “You’re going with the others. If anything happens to me, they’ll need someone who knows the rebel locations.”

Reyna pursed her lips and stared down my companion with the same fire that Ilya often showed me. Zurina mentioned recently that the two were close. I’d had no idea—I’d missed it so thoroughly in the times I’d seen them together. How long had I lived with my fellow captains, guided them, without ever knowing their hearts? Zurina. Warren. Only recently had I learned their secrets, yet I should have known. My role as their first had consumed me. I’d missed a connection with the very people I’d led and loved.

Never again.

I laid a hand on Reyna’s shoulder. “Zurina knows what she’s doing. She’ll find us.”

Her gaze flitted between us before she let out a dramatic breath. “And where will she find us?”

“They’ll expect us to go to a neighboring city-state, to seek refuge there among allies. That’s what I’d expect.”

The women nodded.

“Merrowind Manor,” Zurina said.

The home of our youth. Where we’d trained, learned, and become the weapons the emperor needed. It had been abandoned long years, but the structure was well-built, the land expansive. It was so clear now. So obvious. I prided myself on games and strategy, yet I’d been so consumed with my role that I missed the moves the emperor played to get me into it.

“There are rebels camped just to the south, or they should be,” she continued. “I’ll send a bird with a message as soon as I can.”

“Do it.” I stared at Zurina. “Circle back as soon as you can and join us. Order the other rebel camps to meet there too. We’ll end this where it all began.”

Chapter49

Ilya

The air grew colder the higher we trekked into the hills. Not even the lined cloak around my shoulders could fully keep the chill at bay, especially once the misty drizzle started up again for the second time since we left Zhine. I hugged my arms around myself as the grey-and-white patched horse followed the old path through the pines.

I’d missed much of our initial flight thanks to the effects of a healing tonic, but the days since had been solemn at best. According to Lucien, our party had split upon leaving the castle, taking different paths to aid in masking our flight. Out here in the wilderness, we kept as quiet as possible, stopping only when necessary to find relief for ourselves or the horses. Nights consisted of cold bread eaten on an equally cold ground, the damp chill seeping into our bones. Fire was too risky.

At least no one had caught up to us. Yet.

I only prayed the others fared as well. The twins rode with our party. Elin, Reyna, and Gabriel travelled with Warren and his group of guards. I yearned to see them, to make sure they were alright. If anything happened to them on our journey, I wouldn’t forgive myself. It was my foolish actions that had gotten me thrown into the cells and ignited this hasty flight.

Lucien circled back, passing down our line of horses from his place at the front. “We should be nearing the rebel camp. I believe we can make it before nightfall.”

His gaze held mine, a thousand words passing between us other than what he said. We needed to talk, but there was no privacy here, and sneaking away was too risky. Soon. Soon we could discuss it all.

The sun had already begun its slide down the sky. It cast its rays at an angle through the tree branches, creating a haphazard pattern of light and shadow against the underbrush. Suddenly, part of a tree detached from itself. No. Not a tree. A man.

“Lucien!” I cried.

He whirled. The horse reared and startled at the sudden jerk of the reins. More figures moved in the underbrush, crossbows raised toward our party. Fear strangled me like a noose as my grip on the reins tightened.

Before I could take in the look of the attackers, solid stone walls surrounded us. I gasped at the sudden change. Lucien pulled his sword, angling his horse between me and the woods. Metal rang as his guards followed suit.

“Stop or we’ll shoot!” called a gruff, male voice.

“We don’t want to harm the young ones,” another said.

“Name yourselves,” Lucien said.

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