Page 30 of Love of the Bladed Dove
“Come,” he said simply. Layla tossed her apple core aside and stood, brushing her hands against her thighs. She followed without question, Sparrow following with his usual quiet presence. Theron led them to a small group of Antonin elites—Queen Okteria, Kain, Xaden, and a few others. All hunched over a rough-sketched map of her home. Theron stopped just beside them and turned to her, his voice firm yet gentle.
“We need you to show us where the tunnels are. Now.” Layla nodded. This was why she was here.
She led them swiftly to the edge of the forest, crouching low behind a thick veil of trees. The castle loomed in the distance, a brooding silhouette of stone and moonlight.
“You can’t see it from here,” she whispered. Lifting her arm and pointing to what looked like an ordinary stretch of wall near the cliff base below the western tower. “But right there—see the faint crack in the stone line? Press the darker block, third row from the bottom, just to the left of the ivy. It’s a release. It’ll open a narrow passage that leads under the servants’ wing and up into the library.” Theron followed her gesture with his eyes, his expression sharp and unreadable. He gave a tight nod, taking in every word.
She continued on towards the southern side of the castle. The group circled wide through the brush until they reached the jagged cliffs that rose behind the rear courtyard. Layla halted again and dropped to a crouch behind a cluster of moss-covered boulders.
“This one’s harder,” she warned, her voice even quieter now. “The door’s halfway up the cliff face, just behind that jut of stone. You won’t spot it unless you know what to look for.” She glanced over her shoulder, meeting their eyes. “It’s a latch hidden in the rock. You have to scale to reach it.”
Theron’s hand twitched at his side, like he was barely restraining the urge to stop what he knew she was implying. His jaw flexed once, tension carved into every line of his face. But he said nothing. Didn’t argue. He just gave a clipped nod, trusting her before speaking through gritted teeth.
“Lead the way. We’ll cover you.”
With a dagger in hand, she scaled the rocks like a cat, Theron close beside, Sparrow directly below. She reached the hidden crevice and pointed, heart hammering in her chest. He nodded, mouth clenching his blade. Then they quickly climbed back down in silence.
When they reached the forest floor again, Layla let out a small laugh, breathless. Shocked she didn’t slip and fall to her death on such a treacherous climb. But the relief was short lived as Theron turned on her.
“Please tell me the next tunnel doesn’t require you to risk your damn life again.” His voice was a low rasp, angry, yes—but laced with concern. Layla’s lips twitched.
“The eastern tunnel faces the ocean. You’d need a boat to reach it.” Theron just grunted at this. The tension momentarily dissipating as she could tell he was already strategizing. Already planning. But for the first time in a long time, Layla didn’t feel like a prisoner. Or a pawn. Or a princess. She felt like a warrior. And whether it was with Theron, the entire tribe, or herself alone, she was going to take back her home.
Theron.
The moment Layla revealed the layout of the tunnels, the rest of the plan fell into place like pieces of a war map finally complete. Theron outlined the divisions, two main strike forces, one for the southern and one for the western entrance, each to split again once inside. A third group would remain hidden within the tree line, flanking and providing coverif needed. He gave the orders clearly, each word like a stone dropped in water. Queen Okteria stood beside him, a silent and approving force.
But just as Theron finished, Layla stepped forward, voice urgent. “I need to go with the southern group. It’s the closest entrance to the dungeons, my family could be down there.” Her eyes burned with determination, and Theron’s chest tightened.
Queen Okteria turned slowly, the glint of venom already dancing behind her composed smile. Theron’s pulse picked up. This was not going to end well.
“You thought you were going in with us?” Queen Okteria asked, her voice a smooth blade wrapped in silk. She stepped closer, chin raised, eyes gleaming like a predator toying with its prey. “Did you truly believe we brought our entire force to save your family?”
Layla stiffened, her breath catching. She glanced toward Theron—clearly desperate for contradiction, for any flicker of denial in his eyes. But it wasn’t there.
He watched as Okteria’s lips curved into something cold. “No, princess. You were brought here for one reason: to show us how to get in. And you've served that purpose well.” She began to circle Layla slowly, the way one might appraise a sacrifice. “With your help, we’ll take down two enemies in one strike—Bartoria and your precious Graystonia. A gift, really. Wrapped in silk and blood.”
Layla’s voice cracked. “But… you told me this was about revenge. About the Bartorians invading your lands—trespassing.”
“Oh, and it is,” Okteria said, almost kindly. “Bartoria stepped onto Antonin soil and dared to kill my people. They will bleed for that. Everylast soldier rotting inside that castle will die screaming, and their bones will be left as a warning.”
Her eyes sharpened. “But don’t mistake me. That castle isn’t being attacked to save Graystonia. I care nothing for your kingdom. Your line.” Her voice dropped to a venomous whisper. “This is justice. A reckoning generations in the making. Your ancestors—your great-grandfather, your precious noble blood—they were the ones who stole Antonin land in the Great War. Who carved us up and forced a treaty we never asked for. They expanded their crown by gutting ours.”
Layla’s lips parted, but no sound came.
“I don’t care that Varyn marked you,” Okteria said coldly. “You still carry their blood. And that makes you a symbol of everything we were forced to swallow. So, if I have the chance to erase every last Eradellian from the realm, then why wouldn’t I take it?” Her smile was too calm. “I’ll let your gods ponder that question while your family burns. I’m sure Varyn will understand.”
Theron took a step forward now, jaw tight. “Mother—”
“Do not,” she hissed, turning sharply toward him. “You know what they did. You know what we lost.”
He said nothing. He didn’t know what to say, what to do…
Layla’s voice, when it came, faltered for a moment, but not from fear. “This was never about stopping Bartoria… This was about destroying me.”
Okteria tilted her head. “Not you, girl. What you represent. Blood for blood. That’s the law of our gods, is it not?” She turned to her warriors, voice rising. “The time for mercy passed long ago. This time, we end it.”
“Get her out of my sight,” the Queen snapped, her smile gone. Her voice cracked like thunder. Theron stepped in, almost instinctively, his hand closing around Layla’s. She let him pull her for a few paces before stopping short. She turned, voice cracking as her outrage boiled over.
