Page 86 of Slaying the Shadow Prince
The rangers surged to do her bidding and Talemir was reminded yet again of how respected Drue was; the noblewoman turned wraith tracker…
While they waited for whatever came first – Fendran or the key – Drue assessed those captured.
‘Gus isn’t here,’ she said quietly when Adrienne approached.
‘Then we’ll find him.’
A woman inside the cage pushed her way to the bars. ‘This isn’t all of us,’ she croaked.
Talemir handed her a flask of water and motioned for the other rangers to do the same.
She took several grateful gulps before speaking again. ‘They took some of us elsewhere, outside this village.’
‘Who? Why?’ Adrienne asked.
‘They argued about it,’ she replied weakly. ‘Who to take. They said they wanted the strongest among us, the most skilled. At what, they didn’t say. They just interrogated us, and every day took another away.’
‘Did they say where?’ Drue pressed.
‘The lair,’ someone from the back chimed in. ‘At least, that’s what I heard.’
Talemir gripped the bars of the cage. ‘Did they say what for?’
The woman only shook her head.
Drue patted her hand through the crate. ‘Thank you.’
Another voice from within sounded. ‘What happened before?’ a boy asked. ‘How did it go all dark? How —’
‘You say the raiders have been working with the wraiths for a long time, yes?’ Drue cut in. ‘It makes sense that the monsters have shared some of their magic with the traitors… It would appear the raider in question meddled with what he couldn’t control.’
There was a murmur of agreement from within the cage, but the hair on the back of Talemir’s neck stood up. Drue had not only killed for him to keep his secret, but now she was lying to her own people… It was more than he deserved. Unease shifted in his gut, but he remained silent.
Fendran arrived and managed to prise open the cage. The captives spilt free, crying out in gratitude and relief, some collapsing into one another’s arms, some simply collapsing.
The night was far from over. Talemir and Wilder helped tend to the wounded and those in shock, having been trained in basic battlefield healing, while Drue and Adrienne took stock of what the raiders had left behind.
What seemed like hours later, Adrienne called everyone to the stronghold for an address. The cage had been removed and the raiders’ supplies pilfered and spread across several tables.
‘Victory is ours,’ she announced.
A thunderous cheer echoed back at her.
‘While the war is not over, the battle is won, and tonight, we feast and celebrate like kings!’
More vigorous applause broke out, and somewhere in the corner, the first notes of a melody sounded. The raiders, it seemed, had been living well. They had supplies from all over Naarva and a range of luxurious goods, including a harp, which Baledor, to Talemir’s surprise, took up to play.
Apparently, the Naarvians were desperate for something good, because soon, music filled the blood-soaked warehouse and casks of wine and mead were cracked open.
Talemir met Drue’s gaze across the unlikely celebrations and she smiled. She had no idea how beautiful she was, and at the sight of her, no victory had ever tasted sweeter. Despite all that plagued him, Talemir let himself appreciate the moment, let himself savour the fact that for once, the two of them fought a common enemy and not the monsters who were a part of him. He knew that battle was to come, but for now…
Drue approached him, handing him a cup of wine. Together, they surveyed the festivities. Wilder danced with Adrienne in the middle of the warehouse, looking a little more like himself than he had since Malik had been injured.
Talemir’s chest swelled. He was happy for his friend, for his brother in arms.
Feeling Drue’s gaze upon him, he turned to her.
She was luminous.
