Page 141 of Rook of Ruin
Every warrior is staring at us. I can’t wrap my mind around what is happening. I want to scream, I want to rage, I want to shake the world. But I stand numb.
Isle places her hand gently on my shoulder. “There were many casualties, not just Sir Caddel. We need to get home, where a messenger will meet us.”
“I’m sorry, I need to go,” I say quietly. Callan hugs me again.
I run to Sal, not thinking clearly, tears streaming down my face. She takes off with a nudge, leaving behind a terrorized town and a cruel reminder that what lies ahead is just as foul. Without the bright lights from Perrick, the darkness surrounds me. I allow it to devour me.
The hooves of our loyal warriors’ horses consume the silence as they race after us. Isle’s steed rides ahead, neck to neck with Sal, and we slow to allow Bow and Needle to pass, their lanterns lighting the path. I swallow the emotions threatening to overpower me and gently slow Sal when we see the lights of Brynmawr.
A lone rider waits for us at the entrance. The anguish in his face is clear, along with his desperate attempt to keep his emotions in check. Bucket dismounts when he sees us. I jump off and run to him.
“Ma’am. We lost thirty-three immediately, there are another fourteen who may not make it, and we have another nineteen who are injured but will likely heal.” Bucket wipes his forehead.
“Simon?”
His grim mouth says it all; he is one of the fourteen. I lean forward, trying to suck air into my chest. I straighten up quickly, and his voice wavers, “Red is also one of the fourteen.”
Red. My Red. I picture her in my mind and bury my emotions. He doesn’t need to see me break; he needs my comfort, they all do.
“They will be here in the morning.” He leans forward, as if the news he gave me broke him too.
Isle stands next to me, but we don’t look at the other. We will fall apart alone, silently in the night. After walking Sal to the stables, I meet a teary-eyed Dove at the door.
I whisper, “Does Milo know?”
“He’s asleep. I thought you would want to know first and then speak to him.” Dove shifts her weight. “Bàs Curse.”
I nod in understanding. Callan spoke the truth. It is fucking real. We watch our warriors filter in, our earlier win overshadowed by the extreme defeat. I don’t allow myself to cry. I don’t allow myself to feel the emotions trying to push through.
Dove wipes her eyes. “Isle was expecting a letter. It came.” She reaches across her leathers and opens the top, bringing out a folded letter.
I pick off the dark wax seal. Large words sweep across the paper, and they are beautiful.Violence. His words come off the page as if he were saying them in my ear. Kind words, ones that offer us aid and information.
Dove leaves me to hug Bow. Quickly, I walk into the study and light a fire. I read his letter one last time and toss it into the flames, waiting until the last of his words disappear.
A few minutes later, Isle comes into the study, shutting the door behind her. “I told Dove about Perrick and the Malevolent as you requested.” Isle shifts slightly. “You chose well in Dove. She is a good second for you.”
“She is.” A deep sigh escapes my mouth. “Let’s go be with our warriors.”
Isle pauses at the door before opening it. “You are a light bringer for our people.” She clears her throat. “When I was in the Stocks, I heard rumors of people from Tynan with power.”
“I’m not from Tynan. My parents were from Acros—they were good friends with the queen.” Everyone knows this; my parents died in a fire and our grandparents died before we were born. We have no relatives—it is just me and Ralin. I clear my throat. “The queen allowed us to live at the castle after my parents died . . . but I think we should send a few of our little birds to find out more about Tynan.”
Isle nods.
We walk out from the study to the front of the house. The small barracks to the east of our estate is packed, everyone is silent as they sit around, waiting for the arrival of what is left of our warriors. Dove and Isle bring in a case of spice, and we hand out small glasses.
Isle stands on a trunk. “We had a great victory and a great loss. We are celebrating the lives of those who Acros lost, who our Ruin lost. Tomorrow, after we greet our own, we will celebrate the lives of those we lost.” She nods to me.
“To those who sacrificed for Acros, we thank you, to the Untouchables, we see your burden. We pour a sip of our spirits into the ground to those who died.” I pour a tiny bit of my drink out, and my warriors follow. “We salute the spirits for their Untouchables.” I hold out the glass in front of me, they do the same. “To Tess,Conquisitor Veritatis! To Zane, may he live,Praesidia Secretorum! We drink our spirit to show our solidarity with our brothers and sisters before us.” We drink quickly.
I spend hours with our warriors, but a part of me wishes I were in Acros. To be with Paul and Zane—to be with Tess’s family and the Rooks who have lost so many. In the dark of the early morning, Isle and I walk out of the barracks and into the wakinghouse. I dread what I am about to do. I am about to crush a little heart.
Carts carrying our warriors pull into our estate mid-day. We are completely prepared with extra healers, bandages, and villagers at the ready to help our injured. But hells, we are so unprepared to see the full extent of the devastation. Isle helps a Grey Sister down. In her hands are four long, thin velvet blue-black boxes. Boxes which contain precious memories for us. I do not let them see my sorrow. I remain strong.
Simon’s last words to me ring in my head.“Don’t you dare cry.”
And I don’t. Not when Red is brought into our house, weeping silently from the loss of her legs. They had to cut them off to stop the curse from taking over her body. Viper holds himself together, his face showing every emotion that a man in love should have when facing the enemy of helplessness. He grips the stretcher tight, and we hear him murmur sweet words of comfort to his love.
