Page 66 of When Sisters Collide
Cold sweat beaded at the nape of her neck.
The Grey-Eyed Maiden’s magic.
“Laran’s shield, that’s easy to miss,” Arnza muttered, crouching beside it. His fingers hovered near the surface but didn’t touch.
Pinaria narrowed her eyes, flicking between the barrier and the massive gate beyond. “Was it always here? That seems… impractical for the Tirynthians.”
Ennius shook his head. “No. The barrier rises only in times of danger. It lets those with peaceful intent come and go, but it won’t open for us. Even our spies are trapped inside.”
Arnza’s gaze swept the barren slope. “How do they eat? The city’s on a hill—no fields.”
“There are fertile plains on the far side,” Ennius said. “And the Tirynthians prepared well before the siege. Their gods also gifted them trees that bear fruit in all seasons and crops that never wither.”
Katell’s lip curled. “In that case, the siege?—”
“—is useless,” Ennius finished. His mouth flattened, and he swiped a hand down his face as if to wipe away weeks of frustration. “I know it. The men know it. But command demands a victory.” He turned towards the looming walls, the morning light flaring off his helmet. His eyes narrowed. “Tiryns is the last Achaean city resisting Rasennan rule. And it’s sheltering Megarian rebels.”
Katell’s breath snagged in her throat.
“Megarian rebels?” she echoed, pulse quickening.
Arnza, still crouched near the shimmering barrier, glanced back with a crooked smirk. “If that prick with ice magic is in there, this mission just became much more interesting.”
“The Megarian prince, you mean?” Ennius asked. “We believe he’s been holed up in the palace all winter.”
Leukos.
Katell and Pinaria exchanged a look. If Leukos was in Tiryns, then?—
“What about a Gifted woman with wolves?” Pinaria asked, voicing Katell’s unspoken question. “Red hair.”
Ennius shook his head. “Our spies only confirmed seeing a handful of men with the prince. No women.”
Katell’s heart lurched, sharp and traitorous.
That didn’t mean Alena wasn’t there—it only meant no one had seen her. Which could mean anything. Maybe she’d left. Maybe she was within those walls right now, no more than a stone’s throw away.
Or maybe Katell had abandoned her little sister, and Alena—her only family left—was gone.
The thought crept in like cold water. Katell’s stomach tightened. She’d told herself it had been the right choice at the time, that Alena would be safer without her. But what if she’d been wrong?
She forced the guilt back down and fixed her gaze on the shimmering barrier. She had to focus. There was a mission to carry out, and she couldn’t afford distractions.
A sharp yelp snapped her attention.
“Ow!” Arnza jerked his hand back, his fingers red where they’d grazed the barrier.
Katell studied its pearlescent shimmer, the air warping like heat above stone. “How wide is it?”
“Our spies report after nightfall, so it’s hard to say,” Ennius replied dryly. “Last estimate put it at three arm lengths thick.” He gestured vaguely towards the invisible wall. “If you want to test it, be my guest. I’m heading back to camp.”
“Wait.” Arnza scrambled to his feet, brow furrowed. “What if we cross it? You’re not staying?”
Ennius mounted with a grunt, the leather saddle creaking. He gave a faint, dismissive smile. “Tell you what—I’ll be back in three hours. You can tell me all about your progress then.”
Without waiting for an answer, Ennius galloped off, dust curling in his wake.
Arnza muttered a curse.
