Page 112 of House of Embers
Faint laughed. “Sure thing, boss. Good luck in there.”
Clover glanced to Jennith, her second, who just shrugged. The human woman was strong with an amulet, but even better, she hadfigured out basic healing through the water magic. She was their only healer, and Clover wanted to leave her behind just in case, but telling Jennith to stay behind was like asking the winter to wait before descending from the north.
Clover took a deep breath. Her soldiers were all in position. This was their first real mission. They’d been harassing the local guards and helping some of the more needy in the Dregs, but this was the first time they’d all work as a unit together, and it was essential it went well to help Kerrigan, who was currently risking her life inside the mountain.
Gods, she wanted a cigarette.
A light flickered in the distance. Exactly where Kerrigan’s reserves were waiting for the second part of the diversion.
“That’s our signal,” Clover said. “Go, go, go.”
Clover ran toward the armory, pulling magic to her from her amulet. The guards at the other exits would be taken out by Faint’s and Islay’s teams. Clover shot a burst of air at the first guard at the entrance, while Jennith blasted the second with water. One of her soldiers flew past her, punching a third guard in the mouth with stones he kept in his pockets. It was all over in a matter of seconds.
She looked down at the guards, wanting nothing more than to let her rage take over.
She could kill them. Should kill them.
Dozan would have. And Clover had harnessed her own fury under the heel of the infamous king of the Wastes.
It was Kerrigan who had first begun to show her a new way.
And she’d do it Kerrigan’s way.
She took a step back as one of her soldiers broke the door down. Peace had gotten her access to the amulet magic, not anger. She didn’t need to leave bodies in her wake, not if she could help it at least. It might come to that, but for now, she was just the distraction.
With the doors open, her people flooded the room to take in thecache of arms that the guard had been secretly filtering into this new location. They would take as much as they could until their time was up, lifting swords and knives and bows on one side and magical artifacts on the other. They’d hitched a wagon to the open doors at the back of the building and, after they’d taken out all the guards inside, began to load it full.
“Clover!” a voice rang out.
She rushed back to the front doors, a noir clutched in her hand. The magical artifact could be activated to create a smoke screen and help their escape.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Her lookout pointed off in the distance, and that was when Clover saw it. “Dragons!”
Her orderly soldiers turned into full pandemonium as Faint, Islay, Ruen, and Jennith tried to get them back into line.
“Leave everything else!” Clover ordered as she picked up a terrified soldier who had simply frozen in place with fear. “Get to the wagon. Let’s go! Jennith, signal the mountains. Now! Everyone else, move!”
She could hear the wings getting closer and just hoped that they could all make it out in time as she jumped onto the back of the wagon heading out of the Dregs.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The Distraction
Bastian’s speech was dull and tedious.
Kerrigan had heard the same insipid thoughts from him when he’d taken over the government in a coup after the council announcements. Blah, blah, blah. Voice of reason. Blah, blah, blah. Proper place in society. Blah, blah, blah. Come together for a new tomorrow.
It was all a step around the fact that he’d killed more Society members in one night than had been killed since the Great War. He was draining magic from half-Fae and enslaving humans for his work efforts. He might be speaking to the Fae that he considered of his status, but he was certainly not speaking for everyone.
And it made Kerrigan’s stomach curdle to stand in the room and have to hear his bravado.
Thankfully, it was finally cut short by a small, male attendant rushing forward and speaking urgently into Bastian’s ear. Even with his mask on, she could see the concern sweep across his body.
She smiled deviously.
Gerrond lifted his fingers to his temple. That was their signal. All free to go.
