Page 117 of An Archer's Reckoning

“Melucia’s troubles just got worse, didn’t they?”

This time, Atikus merely grunted.

It took some time for us to calm after Jess disappeared.

I wouldn’t stop muttering and blaming myself for losing control. Dittler seemed to agree, snorting and nipping anytime I tried to walk from one side of the cavern to the other.

“We can’t stay here, Keelan. It is time to go home,” Atikus said after my third glass of wine and hundredth curse. “You know that wine will not make you drunk. Put the cup down.”

“Why can’t we go through the mirror? Just follow Jess?” I didn’t mean to slam the cup onto the table. The loudwhopnearly startled me out of my cloak. “Who knows what she’s walking into—and she thinks I just tried tokillher. After everything she’s been through, we can’t let her think I betrayed her, too.”

“We do not know if the mirror would allow you to pass through. It may only be attuned to the royal line.”

“That doesn’t make sense. You said the Mages made these things to escape. They weren’t royals.”

“That’s true.” Atikus considered a moment. “I suppose we could try, but who knows what would await us in Fontaine? We would be two Melucians, one who just tried to kill the Queen, stepping into the Crypt of Kings in the heart of the Kingdom’s capital.”

“Fine. You have a point there.” I put my head in my hands again. “I’ve spent my life protecting others, and here I am trying to kill that poor girl. After all she’s been through.”

“Keelan, we need to go home.” Atikus stared while I sulked.

“Fine. How do you propose we do that? We can’t exactly walk into Fersh or Kitchton and book passage across the bay. They’re hunting us, remember?”

“Of course, we can. They’re chasing men who took their Queen. I don’t see her anywhere around. Do you?” Atikus’s irritating grin returned.

I shook my head. “Fine. We’ll do it your way, but we have three horses. One has a mind to eat me. What do you propose we do with them?”

“Dittler is too rare to just release or sell. We should take him with us and sell the other two for passage. We can give the stallion back to Jess when the war is over. That might even earn some grace from Her Majesty.” He stood and walked to his cot. “Let’s get some rest. I would guess we are a half day’s ride to Fersh. If we find a ship across the bay, we could be home the day after tomorrow.”

“Fine,” I grumbled from behind my meaty hands.

Chapter 47

Declan

Kingdom artillery quieted in the early afternoon, allowing me some much-needed rest. I’d rationed the magical wine, allowing myself only a few sips. The fruity liquid presented itself as a light blackberry liquor and lifted my spirits but did little to revive my aching body.

I needed solid food and hours of deep sleep for that.

Hosts of civilians still waited their turn at the eastern gate when the moon crested that night. The evacuation was going as well as could be expected, only stalling a few times when a cart tipped over or a mule refused to advance. More than six hundred thousand now streamed east toward the border state of Pantrel, the friendliest of Melucia’s neighbors.

The effort had emptied the capital of horses, carts, carriages, and anything else that would carry people away from the doomed city quickly. All were heavily laden with personal items, clothing, keepsakes, and anything else the frightened refugees could grab in the few minutes the soldiers allowed for packing.Too many were forced to leave precious heirlooms that were too large or heavy to carry.

The wealthy of Saltstone owned horses, but hundreds of thousands shuffled behind the massive caravan, struggling under the weight of whatever possessions they could carry.

If Kingdom forces chose to attack, those poor souls would buy others time to race for the border.

It was one of many brutal sacrifices required by this terrible war.

Early in the evacuation, a young girl, tears staining her features, had stretched beyond her mother’s grasp to touch the wooden gate as they passed through, a gentle, sullen goodbye to the only home she’d ever known. From that moment, regardless of the frantic pace the soldiers set, each person who exited mimicked her farewell.

As the sun began to fall on the next day, the Kingdom’s catapults remained silent.

A full day of quiet had passed.

Now, thousands of men lined up silently behind their shield wall.

On both their right and left flanks, men on horseback stood in countless ranks, their horses dancing with anticipation. An uneasy stillness settled across the would-be battlefield between the Kingdom lines and Melucian walls.

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