Page 2 of The Last Wish of Bristol Keats
She shook her head. “No. Not a fresh start. It’s holding on to everything we still have, working out the knots, and moving forward from here.”
He entered her room like she had unlocked an invisible door, and drew her into his arms. “I wish we didn’t have to go,” he whispered.
She pushed him away. “But wedo. This mission is another second chance for us—to finish what we started. I didn’t rip out Kormick’s hair just for fun.”
“You were smiling when you pulled it out of your pockets.”
She shrugged. “Okay, maybe it was a little fun.”
She took a last sweeping glance of her room to be sure she hadn’t forgotten anything and spotted the pink line of petals on her sill. She grinned, wondering what had prompted Deek to place them there.
“Let’s go,” she said, and she and Tyghan left, hand in hand.
CHAPTER 2
Master Woodhouse had the horses saddled and ready. Their coats gleamed in the misty dawn light, and the beasts’ breaths curled in the brisk air. They stamped and whickered, eager to be on their way—except for August, who moped in his stall. He was being left behind because the king wasn’t well and had taken to his bed, and August was quite put out to miss the glory and excitement of the rescue mission.
“It’s all right, boy,” Master Woodhouse consoled. “Next time—”
“Everyone ready?”
Master Woodhouse hobbled around to face the voice.
Tyghan stood in the doorway of the barn with Bristol by his side. Three recruits followed on their heels. The old stable master stumbled over himself, apologizing for not having the king’s horse ready. “Your Majesty! I think I misunderstood Kasta’s orders.”
Tyghan breezed past Master Woodhouse. “It’s not a problem. I’ll get August ready.”
As speechless as the stable master was, no one was more surprised than Kasta, who had just exited the tack room. The rope she carried slipped from her shoulder. “What are you doing here? I thought—”
“I’m better.” He glanced at Bristol. “A good night’s rest, I guess.”
“Rest?” Kasta replied, still confused. Tyghan had been furious with Bristol just yesterday, and the last time he’d been plagued with demons, it took him weeks to recover. “All right,” she answered cautiously. “But why are they here?” She flicked her hand toward the recruits still standing in the barn doorway. “This is not what we planned—”
“It’s the plan now,” Tyghan answered, and moved quickly to gather August’s tack. He grabbed his blanket and saddle and carried it to his stall. “The recruits should all stay together,” he explained. “Olivia and Esmee both confirmed their strength as a team. They feed on each other’s magic. Brief the others.” Meaning Julia, Sashka, and Avery, who weren’t supposed to come along. And, of course, Bristol. “And we’re including that stop on our way,” he added. “The one we originally planned.”
Tyghan was so energized, Bristol was certain he didn’t notice the cold cut of Kasta’s dark eyes. They skimmed over Bristol, as if assigning blame for this deviation from the plan, but Kasta shook it off quickly, snatched up the coil of rope she had dropped, and continued her preparations. As always, she was the model soldier and knight, moving forward and following the orders of her friend and sovereign. Bristol admired her scalpel-like focus, not wasting time on her feelings but absorbed only by duty. Today wasn’t about Kasta or egos, but about the goal, which was common to them all. Not about past grievances, because those were plentiful and evenly sown. Today was about the future survival of Elphame—and the mortal world. Betrayals and angry demands were put on hold, disputes to be settled later. With less than three weeks until the Choosing Ceremony, time was running out.
Still, when Tyghan affectionately touched the small of Bristol’s back, she saw the sharp turn of Kasta’s head. Unspoken questions seared the air. Things had changed drastically since the day before.
A certain guilt filled Bristol, like she had undermined Kasta—the very officer who had secretly given her father a second chance.Secretly. A very big secret. Kasta had discovered Kierus and Maire in the forest all those months ago, but she walked away when Tyghan couldn’t.Why?Bristol wondered. At least now with a new plan on the table, she showed no signs of agitation. She was too busy briefing them as the king had ordered.
This wasn’t a drill. It was the real thing. Step one, remain undetected. Step two, get Cael. Step three, get home alive. There were a myriad of other steps between, rules and assignments that Kasta reviewed with them, but those three were the basics. She emphasized that complete silence was essential once on the ground, even if they were under the veil of invisibility. That veil didn’t suppress sound. Whispers could be heard, twigs could snap beneath boots, tree branches would bend if brushed by a careless shoulder. Not to mention Kormick had powerful wizards, and a suspicious one could cast a sweeping ward to reveal them.
“But we will give them nothing to suspect, correct?” Kasta asked.
The recruits nodded.
“Only if I approve it will we shed our invisibility, so our full powers are available to us. Understood?”
“Understood,” Julia answered for them all.
Surreptitious movement had been covered in drills too, but now its necessity wasn’t theoretical. They were heading into enemy territory—a place where Bristol’s mother lived with Kormick. Where sheworked withKormick. Bristol’s mouth went dry, and she glanced at her fellow recruits. They were also paired with knights on horses for the ride. Rose and Hollis glowed, their spirits soaring, noticeably relieved that the others were going too. But Bristol saw her friends differently this time.
More knights might die.
Their vulnerability screamed at her in a way it never had before.My mother won’t harm them, she said to herself, almost as a mantra.My mother would never—
But the restless dead would.
