Page 28 of Scourged

“We can likely start implementing some of these changes this week,” Orryn, a Marked City Guard captain said. “It may take some time to find craftsmen suited to the task, but?—”

The lights around them flickered.

And then went out.

Sebastian shot to his feet, the room around him deadly quiet. They stood there, waiting, counting in the dark.

One. Two.

The darkness grew louder.

Three.

Sebastian’s hands reached for his sword, the empty place in his soul where the bond had been cracking open.

Four.

Steel clinked as warriors shifted on their feet.

Five.

The lights returned, flooding the room with warm illuminance. Sebastian saw his dread, his anguish, and his fear reflected on the faces of the other men around him.

Quentin stepped forward, expression uncharacteristically hard and serious, a knife poised between his fingers. “They’ve never gone all the way out before.”

Sebastian grimaced. “No. They haven’t.”

Quentin’s green eyes blazed. “If the magic fails completely, no changes we make to the trebuchets will matter. The wards will be gone, and the pirates will wipe out the battlements in a matter of minutes.”

“Are you suggesting a solution, Quentin? Or just pointing out the obvious?” Sebastian’s patience wore thin. He was exhausted and felt his sanity slipping further and further from his reach.

“We can’t abandon the battlements,” Quentin said, “but we need ourqueenback. Or else it won’t matter.”

Sebastian opened his mouth, about to thank Quentin for the reminder, when the doors swung open. Delaynie, auburn hair hanging loose around her face, burst through, cheeks flushed a rosy pink. Quentin whirled, and Delaynie’s eyes landed on the red-haired warrior first before jumping to Sebastian.

“We have some new arrivals. You need to meet them. Now.”

Two women stoodin the cavernous throne room, a City Guard beside them, clothed in draping, paneled garb.

Sebastian halted at the sight of them. He instantly recognized them, memories from thePorofirat—Mariah’s presentation ball—flashing through his mind. “I know you.”

Their eyes had already sharpened on him, flashing his direction the moment he stepped into the room. One ofthem, her flowing skirts a pristine white, gold jewelry clinking softly, stepped forward, inclining her head. “And we know you, Armature.”

“What are you doing here?” His feet finally unrooted, and he took several steps forward, Quentin and Delaynie on his heels. The rest of the Armature followed, and out of the corner of his eye Sebastian saw Ciana rush out of a hallway, hair wild about her head.

The woman smiled. “We are here to help.”

“I’m sorry,” Ciana said, a little breathless as she approached. She fixed a hard stare on the newcomers. “Who are you?”

Sebastian was about to answer but was too slow.

“My name is Kiira,” said the woman in white and gold, brushing a dark-skinned hand down her chest as she again dipped her head. “And this is my twin sister, Rylla.” The other woman—Rylla—was nearly identical to her sister, quirked her lips into a half-smile. She crossed her arms, dark gray paneled skirts swirling and silver jewelry tinkling.

“We are the youngest daughters of Ambassador Enoch, the first Kreah Ambassador to Onita in nearly one thousand years,” Rylla said proudly. “We met Queen Ryenne—and your queen, Mariah—at thePorofirat. Queen Ryenne granted us permission to explore Verith and Onita while on our travels, and we decided to remain in Verith and experience the largest city on the continent for ourselves.” She glanced once at her sister before meeting Sebastian’s stare.

“It was in the city that we heard … rumors.”

“Rumors of what?” Ciana snapped, her tone urgent. Sebastian whipped his head to her but she dutifully ignored him.

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