Soon, it would be my throne.
He had seen me too, for he leaned forward, resting both elbows on his knees. Despite the darkness, I was certain he was smiling.
A smile from Lord Endrick was far more terrifying than a frown, for it deepened the many lines and scars in his face, each one created by someone he had killed on his road to power. To hide his visage, he usually wore a mask in public, but today, it was only him. And although he obviously knew I was coming, he had not bothered to protect himself with armor. I considered that an insult.
And a great worry, for he should have been at least a little concerned. His apparent eagerness to see me set my mind off balance.
I heard a cough, and my gaze fell to the bottom of the steps, upon a figure on her knees, facing away from me.
Harlyn.
Her head was lowered, and a sword was clutched in her hands. As far as I could tell, no physical harm had come to her … yet. But no doubt, Endrick had control of her heart and he would use her against me.
Indeed, as I came closer, he stood and smiled. “It was a mistake to come, Kestra. But since you are here, I would like a demonstration of your abilities. Let us begin.”
Whatever Kestra and Joth had intended in their attack upon Endrick’s palace, it seemed to be working. Because of the dark night, I was nearly at the palace before I saw the Ironheart bodies, already covered by a thin layer of snow. Death’s blanket.
I shouted immediate orders for a search to be conducted for Rosaleen, or for any other Alliance members. I could not bear to do the search myself. I hardly could tolerate riding through it.
Until this moment, I had known they were capable of terrible things, including what I’d seen them do to the smaller group of Ironhearts before. But I’d also hoped that would have shocked Kestra back into the reality of how quickly and deeply she had descended. Instead, she must have embraced it. I only hoped at the end of this, she’d be successful as Infidante. That at least would be some small justification for what I was seeing.
At the end of the row of the fallen, Joth sat alone astride his horse at the entrance to the palace gates, hands casually crossed in front of him, waiting for us. That concerned me.
So I raised a hand to call our soldiers to halt, then rode forward alone.
“Is she inside?” I asked.
Joth nodded. His eyes were heavy on me, unyielding.
“Alone?”
He shrugged, a half smile on his face. “Depends on how you define that word.”
“The people Endrick cursed in the forest, are they with her?”
His smile faded into a grimace. “Yes, some of them.”
Then the rest were out here, probably surrounding him right now, though I couldn’t see or feel their presence.
“Let us help.”
He snorted. “You are mice attempting to help a giant. At best, your help is interference.”
“We want the same thing you do.”
“And what is that?” Joth laughed aloud. “Or who is that? I’m afraid you are too late to have any chance with her again. Kestra has connected her powers with mine, which will connect her heart with mine in ways you’ll never comprehend. When her quest is complete, I will finish my own quest, and rule upon the Scarlet Throne, finally providing a home for my displaced people.” He chuckled again. “So I suppose you are correct: We do want the same thing. But I do not need your help to get what I already have.”
He raised his hand in a gesture toward me, and I felt the energy of some invisible force rushing toward me. I began to race my horse away from it, shouting, “Now!”
The distraction had worked. While Joth had talked with me, the Brill had moved into position, armed not with disk bows or swords, but with instruments all tuned to the same piercing frequency. Drawing bows along their strings, the hum was loud and vibrated into my heart, causing an ache that made me clutch at my chest, but at the same time, the invisible force of the half-lives had ceased to press upon me.
I gestured for the cavalry and the Coracks to ride forward, which they did, though the riders appeared to be in some degree of pain from the relentless vibrations. We pushed through it, directly past Joth, who sat helpless as he tried to adjust to the realization that his half-lives could not function as long as the vibrations were playing.
“Stop this!” he shouted. “You will not help her this way!”
Finally, Joth rode toward us with such fury in his eyes that I knew whatever happened next would be bad. At least his focus was on us and not on his half-lives.
“Go with your cavalry.” Eying me, Tenger crossed his horse directly in front of Joth’s, the Coracks lining up behind him.
Joth called to Tenger, “You should not challenge me, Captain.”
“Perhaps not.” Tenger straightened up in his saddle. “But I am a captain here. Which means I will die if necessary to protect my rebels.”
“As you wish.”
While Joth rode toward Tenger, Tenger shouted at me again to leave. I rode around them and into the walled courtyard, calling to the others that our priority was to get inside the palace.
However, unexpectedly we met with resistance. Inside these walls, the vibrations lost their intensity, so the half-lives must have had some force here. I dismounted, and using my right forearm, I was able to push through the barrier, allowing Gabe and Trina through, but the gap closed behind us.
I looked back at where we’d come from, trying to understand what had changed. “The vibrations didn’t get past the walls.”
“They were supposed to, the Brill were sure of it.” Gabe frowned. “Maybe there are no more vibrations.”
“Joth attacked Tenger.” Fear caused deep creases in Trina’s brow. “Maybe the vibrations ended because Tenger won.”
“Or because he lost.”
Trina’s hand flew to her mouth, but when she removed it, she said, “Joth must have gotten past Tenger and attacked the Brill.”
Which could only mean one thing. I asked Gabe, “Did you see Joth’s attack?”
Solemnly, he nodded. “Tenger fell with a single touch of Joth’s hand. It reminded me of one of Kestra’s attacks.”
“Is it possible that he has Kestra’s magic?” Trina asked.
“Joth told me they had connected powers,” I said, wondering exactly what that might mean for them, and for us.
Gabe cursed and breathed out, “Perfect.”
I withdrew my sword, and the others did the same. We entered the palace through two doors that had been blown from their frames. A horse rushed past us out the doors, rearing up in a panic.
“I recognize that animal,” Gabe said. “It was Kestra’s.”
“But where is she now?” Trina asked.
I looked around, trying to orient myself within these lavish halls. If the Alliance won tonight, the Scarlet Throne would be mine. That thought should have enticed me to fight harder, but it did just the opposite. I couldn’t imagine myself here. I didn’t belong in this place, nor would I want to become a person who’d ever be comfortable here. This building of marble and gilded gold simply wasn’t me.
“She is wherever Endrick is.” I pointed to the grand staircase toward the throne room. “He’ll be up there.”
“Wait,” Gabe said. “If it’s just the three of us, we have to agree on our priorities.”