Page 49 of A Legacy of Wrath and Reckoning

Every pair of eyes in the room turned to her.

“I didn’t know you were familiar with the tunnels,” Zack admitted.

It wasn’t something she wanted to explain to all of them: the nights she’d needed to push herself, to burn off the unease she’d felt when Holt had been gone from Virian for so long. Zylah found herself fumbling for an explanation and coming up with nothing.

“She’s right,” Holt cut in. “It’s a dead end. We’ll use here and here.” He circled two spots with a rough pencil, both at the perimeter of the palace district on opposite ends. He was being cautious. And he was right to be.

They still weren’t sure how many vampires and thralls occupied the city, and that was a big problem. If they were caught out with the remaining prisoners, it would be a massacre. So much hinged on the Black Veil and Fae forces working together: the Fae to pave the way to and from the palace, the humans to get in and retrieve the prisoners; it felt like far too many things could go wrong. And now Maelissa’s archers, Thallan’s, were under Ranon and Aurelia’s command, too. Just another opponent for them to keep track of.

“How is it that your people have been down here for weeks and you didn’t know this entrance was compromised?” Daizin asked from his position at the door. Shadows spooled at his feet, and now Zylah understood a little more about her new magic, she felt certain Daizin and Nye controlled their shadows in a similar manner. Nye just leaned towards discretion far more than Daizin ever did.

Her brother didn’t baulk at the question. No one jumped to his defence, either. Zack didn’t need it. He held Daizin’s gaze, no doubt taking in the dagger, the shadows. To his credit, he didn’t baulk at those, either. “Their primary task was to evacuate anyone left in the city to the tunnels, and to retrieve supplies. We’ve some strong fighters, but humans are no match for thralls. And certainly not vampires. Almost every soldier is injured or dead.” He cast his attention out to the tunnels, to the hum of movement and voices from the scouts moving people in groups back to the base outside Kerthen. “Perhaps we should have known, but you’ve seen how stretched thin we are here. And they’re not my people. They’re his.” At that, he jutted his chin in Holt’s direction.

“They belong to no one,” Holt corrected. “The Black Veil were always the human counterpart to the Fae rebellion in the city. But like it or not, Daizin, they answer to Zack. And he’s done a fine job in my absence.” He held Daizin’s stare, and Zylah pressed her shoulder into Kej’s in a silent plea not to open his damned mouth.

As soon as the scouts were done moving out the wounded humans and Fae, they’d be moving in a small cohort comprised of both Nye’s and Arlan’s armies, and then they could begin. Because as much as they all wanted to get to the palace and rescue the remaining Fae, they needed numbers to do it safely. The plan was twofold: retrieve the prisoners, and take out as many vampires and thralls as they could to give them a clear shot at Ranon and Aurelia. In short, they wanted to take back the city.

Though Zylah knew it wouldn’t be that simple. The Iyofari riders had been delayed, and their aerial attacks would have meant far fewer casualties than they were likely to suffer without them. She rubbed her palms on her knees to release some of the dread threatening to take hold. Part of her wanted nothing more than to get as far away from Ranon and Aurelia as possible, to keep Holt and Zack, her friends safe from them, and another part wanted,neededto witness them meet their ends.

Daizin had no snappy retorts for Holt’s statement about the Black Veil, about Zack’s leadership. He was a good Fae, Zylah knew, his candour just took a little while to warm to.

“We’ll reconvene before day’s end, but if all goes well… Tomorrow.” Zack cast his gaze around the room at each of them before rising from his seat, Arlan following him out the door.

The scouts would recover in the safety of the tunnels whilst the rest of them went out into the city, preparing for their return. So many moving parts, so many of them relying on each other. Zylah was still trying to learn what it meant to lean on others, to be part of something, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit to herself that it hadn’t been easy. Change took time.

Rin took one of the seats they’d vacated, Daizin the other, his shadows reaching for Nye of their own accord for a moment before snapping back to him. Zylah wondered if the others could see them as often, or if it was her new magic that afforded her the sight.

“I like your brother,” Kej said, shoving his shoulder playfully into hers.

Zylah felt Holt’s attention on her, and Daizin’s on Kej. But she said nothing.

“Well, that went well.” Rin folded the map of the tunnels with precise, careful movements. “But we can go—”

“No,” Nye said firmly. “If you two so much as set foot outside of the tunnels, Daizin has my strict instructions to bind you both in his shadows and drag you back here.”

Kej linked his hands behind his head, leaning back against the wall. “Guess we have different definitions of punishment.”

It was Zylah’s turn to shoulder him.

“Not to mention it would make our arrangement with Arlan very difficult,” Nye added.

Kej laughed. “And here we were thinking you just cared about us, dear cousin. Right, sis?”

But Rin ignored him. “Deyna asked to see both of you.” She glanced between Holt and Zylah.

There were two other healers with them, so Luan would be pleased with the extra pairs of hands, both of them Fae, neither of whom Zylah knew. Deyna was adept at what she did, there was no doubting that, but how much the witch knew about the mating bond was a question Zylah wasn’t sure she wanted to learn the answer to. Holt remained silent, his expression blank, and she realised he likely didn’t remember Deyna, either.

“A healer,” Zylah explained. “She helped us once. You can trust her.”

“This is too fucking weird,” Kej grumbled beside her.

“Kej,” Daizin warned, shadows twisting in Kej’s direction.

“We’ll go,” Zylah told her friend. And then said to Nye, “Any luck with Okwata and his experiments?”

Nye smiled. “He’s something else. Sometimes I think he might have just fallen out of the sky with the strange things he comes out with.” Zylah suspected she wasn’t far from the truth. “But ever since you mentioned Arioch, it got me thinking. The knowledge he’ll possess. We could use that to our advantage,” Nye said from the table.

Zylah hadn’t forgotten the promise she’d made to the Seraphim. But now, the thought of returning to Ranon’s maze had her pushing to her feet and moving to the door for some breathing space beyond Kej’s insufferable spreading. Nye was right, of course. Arioch could provide information that might turn the tide for them against Ranon and Aurelia. But would he want to after lifetimes of imprisonment? That they’d be using his freedom to their advantage left a bitter taste in her mouth.

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