Page 82 of The Sacred and the Tormented

Arianna pulled her hood up, as did her companions. Once inside, they’d look like everyone else dressed in the faded green that almost appeared gray.

Raevina was accompanying Gavin and three of Conall’s warriors. Saoirse had refused to leave Zylah’s side. They would be joined by four others.

Arianna tried to calm her racing heart. They’d reconvene inside, but after the underground cells were empty, they’d separate all over again. She wished they could stay altogether, but they’d all agreed that solely relying on a group of strangers probably wasn’t in their best interest.

Raevina and Talon would split off to gather information while Saoirse and Zylah would focus on securing their escape route. Once they had Ellie in hand, alarms would likely start blaring through the city. They’d have minutes before Vairik confronted them personally.

Arianna chewed her lip. There was a very real possibility that one of them could end up captured. Possibly killed. Her heart pounded at the thought. If she were ever put in a position to choose between Talon or Ellie her heart might literally shatter.

Rion had gone still beside her, his eyes scanning the field and bodies below. He wasn’t pensive like the others. No, her mate was steady. He was in his element here, ready to tackle the challenge of infiltrating one of the most guarded places on the continent.

The male accompanying them nodded, indicating they were about to move. Arianna tried to steady her breathing. They needed to blend in and go unnoticed.

Her gaze scanned the fence line again. This was a training exercise, nothing more. It was just her, Talon, Rion and a stranger running through a routine.

Her heart slowed and the male’s magic sprang to life, circling them like a blanket before trickling over their bodies like rain. Her skin tingled and Rion stiffened at her side.

She waited for the magic to prod her mind, but this manipulation was different. It only acted on the outside of their bodies, blending them in with their surroundings. So long as they kept quiet, the glamour would go unnoticed.

The male stepped over the ledge they’d been hiding behind and Rion followed, pulling her along. Talon stayed close behind. Rion didn’t release her hand and she briefly wondered who he was trying to comfort. Himself or her.

They marched downward at a brisk, yet steady pace, directly in the line of sight of the guards. None stood to attention or lifted the long range weapons that hung at their sides.

The contraptions looked like crossbows but promised iron balls in place of arrows. One hit and it’d render a Fae’s magic useless.

Thankfully, no one looked up.

They slipped through a narrow section of the gate that had been ripped open, carefully moving around the boards and metal to avoid making any noise.

She glanced behind, but Rion pushed her forward, keeping his gaze locked on the buildings just ahead. Within minutes, they were blending with the crowd, keeping close to one another as they followed the male from Pádraigín.

Their movements slowed as the crowd thickened. Arianna kept her gaze on her feet and the crooked cobblestones that promised to trip her any moment. Rion’s hand never left hers.

It took far too long to enter the small storehouse. Their first checkpoint. The male from Pádraigín closed the door and removed his hood, though his magic remained in place.

“You remember where to go?” he asked.

Talon nodded. “We have it from here.”

The male bowed at the waist, first to her, then to Rion. “Be careful and stay low.”

“We will,” she whispered.

She knew the rules from here on out. Absolutely no magic from any of them. Especially Rion. Hers was already crawling beneath her skin at the command, as if it wanted to rage against being told to remain silent.

Just for a little while, she promised as if it were a sentient being. She clenched her fists. Just a little while, then she’d unleash hell on them all.

The male’s glamour left with him, and a chill skittered across her skin. Talon met their gazes before peeking his head outside the doorway. Rion reluctantly released her hand and Arianna ran her fingers over her knives to assure herself they were still there.

Talon stepped outside and they followed.

A light drizzle had started. A blessing. Conall assured them they wouldn’t have to worry, but Arianna welcomed anything that would help conceal their scents as they moved through the most dangerous city on the continent. She had to assume everyone present was an enemy who would turn her over to Vairik without hesitation.

The crowds closed in again and Arianna noted the scents from the four nations. Far more than she’d previously thought might be present. Clearly Vairik understood the advantages of them all working together.

But of course he would. He’d been born during a time when the nations functioned as a unit.

Arianna wondered if anyone here knew the real truth and what they might do if it were revealed.

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