Page 68 of Sword of Desire
Finnegan shook his head.
“Take me to my men. I want to send a small contingent after Owen.” Then it dawned on him he didn’t know why Finnegan was there. “What do you need the horse for?”
“No one has seen or heard from Gytha.”
Ackley waved his right hand. “I sent her to Russek on a mission.” One that was no longer needed. Regardless, he had to get a message to her to return to Melenia.
“Word just came that Kerdan seized control of Russek. He is now the king.”
This was good news, and Ackley didn’t feel so panicked about Gytha being in a foreign kingdom during a civil war.
“You know what, I have a better idea. Instead of taking me to my men, bring my men here. Lyle is gone. It’s time to take the castle for Owen.”
Harley
Harley pulled on the thick riding gloves one of the soldiers had procured for her. She flexed her fingers, ensuring she could move sufficiently. Satisfied, she attached Sword of Desire to her back. Not wanting her hair to get stuck on the handle, she gathered it to the side and braided it.
“Your Majesty,” one of the captains said. “The king and our fellow Melenia soldiers are nearing from the east.”
Lyle and his men were arriving just the way her captains expected them to. “Excellent.” She stepped onto a boulder, then mounted her horse.
“Are you certain you want to ride out to meet them?” the captain asked. “We don’t know where the Marsden army is, and the king was adamant they would show up here to overthrow him.”
“Yes, I’m certain.” She would not show weakness before her men. She had a part to play so her plan would work, and she would see it through no matter the cost.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t been able to kill Lyle before; it was that she’d been too focused on killing him the way Ackley had shown her. Now, she was doing this her way. She might not be stronger or faster than Lyle, but she was smarter than him.
As she rode her horse out of the castle and to the pasture, she considered how quickly Lyle and his soldiers had arrived there. She thought she’d have a couple more days to prepare. Lyle’s plan had been to ride in behind Owen and the Marsden soldiers, boxing them in and then slaughtering them all. Since Owen hadn’t arrived, Lyle must have changed his plans. Regardless, neither Owen nor the Marsden soldiers were there, making her plan a little easier to execute.
Harley pulled her horse to a halt as she waited for Lyle to reach her. He had to be furious that she’d gotten away from the castle. Somehow, he must have discovered she was there in Losger. She braced herself for his fury. When things didn’t go according to plan, Lyle became violent. Especially when Harley challenged him. Rolling her shoulders back, she prepared to play the part necessary to get the outcome she desired.
She glanced over her shoulder, marveling at the rows and rows of soldiers lined up behind her. Truly, it was a thing of beauty. And it made her feel infinitely more powerful.
About five feet away from Harley, Lyle pulled his horse to a halt, giving the command for the three long lines of soldiers marching behind him to stop. “What’s the meaning of this?” Lyle demanded. “I’m the king and the one in charge.” The soldiers began fanning out.
Harley surveyed the men. It appeared all the soldiers from the royal castle were there, all two hundred of them. She had to hide her smile. “When the soldiers announced you were approaching Losger, I decided to come out to greet you,” Harley answered. “Welcome, husband.”
Lyle pursed his lips, his eyes scanning the soldiers behind her. He moved his horse’s reins to his left hand, his right hand rubbing his chin. She could tell she’d thrown him, and he was trying to decide what to do.
Her horse whinnied, prancing to the side a little. Harley patted its neck, calming the animal. It was time to move into the next phase of her plan. “Shall we go inside?” She started to turn the animal around.
“What’s that on your back?” Lyle asked, his voice low and lethal.
“Sword of Desire. I see you have its twin, Sword of Rage.” She pointed at the sword strapped to his waist.
His eyes narrowed, assessing her.
She pressed on. “A friend and fellow warrior gave it to me.”
“Fellow warrior?” He snorted. “You’re not a warrior.” He spoke with disdain. “I’m a warrior. My entire life has been dedicated to training, learning how to command an army, wield a sword with precision, and kill without hesitation. You know nothing of these things.”
No, she didn’t. If she did, she would have killed him that night in the bedchamber. However, she did know other things. Like the fact that he was furious with her but had to be careful since the entire Melenia army was gathered there watching. If he harmed her in any way, he’d be guilty of treason and killed on the spot. The same went with her, which was why she had to execute this so carefully.
It was time to push again. “As the commander of this army, I think that makes me a warrior.”
“Commander of the army? You must be joking. I’ve always known you were dumb, but not that dumb.” He moved his horse alongside hers. “Whatever you think you’re doing, don’t. You can’t outsmart me.”
His words sent a sliver of fear down her spine. “Who said anything about outsmarting you?” She wanted him dead.
