Page 78 of Unbetrothed

I wiped my sweaty palms on my tunic. “What do we do?”

“When they come within range of my gifting, I may be able to knock them out as they enter the palace grounds. You, my dear, will need to practice using your gift. Follow your whyzer’s instructions.”

I bit my bottom lip.

“Just try to see what you could do to stop them.” Mamá focused her attention on the gray soldiers. Many fell to the ground with the point of a finger.

I backed away, not wanting to see how easily she dropped the men, possibly killing them. Ships from the sea cut through the still waters. My heart fluttered with hope but stilled upon seeing red-uniformed men climb out—Lux’s people. Another ship crested the horizon, but I couldn’t see the flags from this distance. Is this why Lux stopped banging on the door? There was no time for wonder.

I turned my attention to the enemy soldiers at the gate. Mamá had already knocked out several dozens of them. A horse galloped to the gate with a rider dressed in golden-trimmed attire. Four other Himzos trailed close behind. It had to be Zichri and his men.

“Mamá, stop! Not those men.” I pointed to the palace entrance.

Mamá crinkled her brow in confusion. “Many could die if we don’t stop them.”

“No. They are here for Laude and me.” In a desperate attempt to save our servants, I stretched my hand out toward the gate, feeling the pulse of fear within our soldiers.

Go hide, hide, I whispered in my mind, infusing the words with the urge to keep out of sight. Hoping beyond all hope, I reached deep enough within them to quell the battle at our gate. Zichri and his men raced into the palace yard, but other enemy soldiers made it in with Zichri. I let go of my grip on our servants the moment Zichri entered the palace. “I don’t care what you do with the rest of them.”

Mamá continued to dispatch soldiers quicker than a skilled archer. Sweat dripped along her hairline.

I strode to the other side of the bell tower to see what happened at the coast. Soldiers in red streamed onto our grounds. How long had they been pouring in? I breathed heavily from the exertion it took to calm the soldiers at the gate.

Lux must have left to meet with his countrymen and the Himzos. Even if we got out of this tiny room, where would we hide? Myla closed off access to many of the hidden passageways. Lux also knew about them because of me. I groaned at myself.Thoughtless, thoughtless girl!

Would Zichri save me amid the battle? My breath caught, and a sharp thud banged against our door. I glanced at Mamá.

“I can’t hold off the soldiers in front of the palace and the ones on the other side of the door. Try harder to subdue them.” The desperation in Mamá’s voice coiled my muscles into tight balls.

I hadn’t been trying. The little bit that I’d done helped the Himzos and not our own people. Using my gift left me weak in mind too. Nevertheless, I needed to try something. I closed my eyes like I’d seen Mamá do earlier and extended the force farther and farther out of me.

An invisible current of force released from me—rolling out in weak waves. It flowed out the door and down the stairwell. I concentrated harder—a throbbing pulsed at my temples. Hitting a person and another person with my new sense, a connection formed. Invisible cords continued to form until my sense quivered to a stop. No matter how hard I reached, my gifting wouldn’t stretch any farther. Could it be that I was spent or that there were no more people?

No time to think.I whispered through pressed lips,Be still.

The thud of the door stopped. It worked! I continued to whisper into each soul that walked into my invisible waves. One empty spot waded in the current I sent out. I had no control over him. A sharp thud sliced through the wooden door.

“Do something about that!” Mamá shouted at me.

“I can’t. It’s Lux.”

CHAPTER 40

MAMá WAVED HER HANDSout the window like a music conductor. My mouth hung open—soldier after soldier toppled to the ground. Even so, streaks of gray uniforms raced into the palace.

“Bea?” Lux’s voice held the same loving tenor as always. “I tried to warn you with the pocket watch. Didn’t you get it at the garden party?”

Yes, I remembered the beautiful pocket watch and the strange tune it played. How was I supposed to know it was a warning? Then the cogs in my mind aligned. Myla had understood his warning. I thought I had displeased her when she stormed out of my room.

If Lux was the one who had given me the watch, that proved that he wouldn’t hurt me. Yes, he threatened Mamá, but he still had affection for me. He said so, and we had always been best friends. Why is Lux doing this?

Only if Papá were … That’s it.I massaged my forehead, fighting off a headache. Lux and I were like family. But there really was one logical conclusion. Why else would he need Mamá and I to come out of the watchtower? “He wants me to be his hostage.”

Mamá continued to swoop her hands out the window. “Did you say something?”

“No one could bring down Papá. You were his first choice, but he didn’t know about your gifting.” My head spun, and nausea gripped my stomach.

Thwack.

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