Page 96 of Shadows of Ruin

“I’ll stay long enough to see you off,” the queen gave me an encouraging nod.

Then I said the words I never thought I’d speak to someone else in this palace, let alone Hale. This wasn’t myplan though, so I yielded despite the desire to take over. “Lead the way.”

Without hesitation, Hale lead our group through the remaining gardens and toward the stables. I knew these paths well, knew the schedule of the guards, at least from when I had been charged with them.

No one stood at any of the usual posts. As if the garden had been deserted altogether.

“Something isn’t right,” I whispered.

Hale glanced over his shoulder. “Things have changed here in the time you’ve been locked away, Ian. I’m not going to spit in the Fates’ faces now that they are with us again.”

I frowned, hating that the palace had fallen into such disarray, and instead of protecting my home, I’d been trapped beneath it.

As we rounded the final corner, crossing the small bridge to take us to the stables, the wooden planks shook beneath us. I jumped off the bridge to the other side, extending my hand for the queen and Kalliah. They stepped off the bridge just as a handful of guards appeared out of nowhere before us.

Dread settled into the pit of my stomach. We were so close to escaping, our path to the stables clear. So much so that I stared at the saddled group, Corbin already mounted on one of the steeds. Only a short distance more and we would have succeeded.

I shoved the queen behind me, while holding firm in my footing. Whatever happened, she had to be protected at all costs. As of now, she remained the last hope for Brookmere until Lana returned to exact her revenge.

Leif and Kalliah also placed themselves in front of the queen while Hale doubled back so we formed a circle surrounding her.

“You dare attack your own queen?” I shouted at the group of guards who stood before us, weapons raised. Ten in total.

Not one of them appeared to hold a shred of doubt in their mind about their actions.

“Answer me!” I shouted, losing my patience. Lucien growled from my feet, his spiked tail swishing.

A sinister laugh echoed in the air around us. “Did you really think you could get away from me, Captain?”

Andras.

Andras was here.

He sauntered down the hill toward us, robes flowing behind him, as his wicked smile brightened the longer his gaze lingered on us. His teeth glistened in the full moon’s light.

The guards in front of us shifted in formation, matching our circle with one of their own. Two held torches, the rest stood ready, blades in hands.

“The band of misfits reunited, so it seems?” Andras sneered. “Short one wayward princess. But then you’ve gained another one of her lackeys, I see?”

I narrowed my gaze on the man, refusing to allow anything else to distract me.

Andras glanced between each of us until he finally looked past me, eyes widening only slightly seeing the queen in our midst.

Queen Roxana pushed by me, fists forming at her sides. “Andras, this is enough. The time has come to end this ridiculous hunt. I am your queen and command you to cease your pursuit of Captain Stronholm.” Her voice carried such firm authority, I wanted to get on my knees before her. Even after seeing how fiercely she battled Andras’s mind magic, she still retained unwavering strength. “You are a traitor to Brookmere. Guards, arrest him immediately.”

A pregnant pause filled the air before Andras cackled uncontrollably. “You think they answer to you? Roxana, how the mighty have fallen.” Spit flew from his mouth as his rabid excitement grew. “You are the epitome of weakness, especiallysince your husband’s death. You are not worth the ground you walk on.”

“How dare you speak to your queen in such a manner,” I seethed, stepping closer to Andras. “You will not win this war, Andras. I will make sure of that. Now bow before your queen.”

Andras’s eyes gleamed in a maniacal way. “There is no one to stop me.”

Hale and Leif drew their swords. The beat of horses’ hooves sounded for a few seconds before Corbin leapt from his animal and ran toward us, sword drawn.

For the first time since daring to position themselves against us, the guards appeared hesitant. Perhaps seeing the queen standing by me, with no intention of backing down despite Andras’s taunts, jarred them out of his trance.

“Enough.” The queen’s voice echoed in the air around us as if she’d amplified it. Before I could stop her, Queen Roxana stepped forward, moving in front of me to come face-to-face with Andras. Andras held up a hand, and the hesitation I’d seen on my soldiers’ faces moments before disappeared as they regripped their weapons and inched forward.

Queen Roxana merely lifted her chin and ignored the threat. “If you think for one moment I will surrender to you,” she said, voice steady, “you are sorely mistaken. You will have to kill me before I hand over my kingdom to you.”

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