Page 18 of Of Blood and Fire
Well, good.And if Rua was awake and eating, then Hannity likely was too, which was a relief.
The door behind me opened, and I glanced around. Lenny stopped several feet away and saluted.
“What is your want, my queen?”
The inner me smiled at the soft emphasis he placed onmy queen. “I want you to carry this woman to the wall. On your way out, tell Rican to run to the saddlery and fetch a climbing harness and rope.”
He nodded and, without even glancing at the other three men, moved around me, carefully picked up Francesca’s unconscious form, then walked out.
“Is not throwing her off the wall as a warning to me a bit dramatic?” Aric said, his tone dry.
I gave him a falsely sweet smile. “More than happy for you or your son to take her place if you wish.”
He laughed. “You have more of your father in you than I’d presumed. Come, I’m sure we can work out an arrangement to suit us all?—”
“Perhaps we can, but only after I deal with your mind-controlling witch. You may stay here, or you may come viewwhat lies in your future if you ever attempt to spell or double-cross me again. I care not either way.”
My gaze went to the stout man; I wasn’t sure what he saw, but he nodded once, as if in acknowledgment of my warning; perhaps he too was here under duress. I turned and walked out, my back itching with the force of their three gazes, and my hand resting lightly on the hilt of my sword.
The guards snapped to attention as I entered the hall. I nodded and continued on, hearing soft footsteps behind me but not stopping. Jarin came out of the war room as I came down the stairs, his expression curious. “Is there a problem, Commander?”
“There isn’t now,” I replied evenly. “Or there won’t be when I rid Esan of King Aric’s mind enforcer.”
His eyebrows rose, and his gaze cut to the procession following me. The man was a master of controlling his emotions in most situations, but I’d known him most of my life and though I couldn’t see the anger, I could feel it.
All he said was, “Do you need a hand?”
“No. I’ve already called in specialist help to rid us of her. But we’ll maintain the full watch on our king and his entourage. Rotating shifts until they leave. Oh, and it might be best to keep the soldiers who acted as escort into the palace level away from any secure areas for the time being. It is possible their allegiance has been forcibly altered.”
The glance he cast Aric’s way was very dark indeed. “Consider it done.”
I continued on out of the palace, down the steps, and strode around to the ones leading up to the wall. Lenny and Rican were waiting at their base, the latter holding a harness and a climbing rope.
I accepted both with a nod of thanks, then said, “Lenny, hold her upright while we get this on her.”
It proved more difficult than I’d thought, but once we’d gotten her harnessed up—putting it on backwards to reduce the risk of a spine injury when she was being carried—and the climbing rope secured, I dismissed Rican and asked Lenny to carry Francesca up to the wall walkway.
Rua appeared as we reached the top, the lights lining the wall making her scales gleam a bloody red.
Want to know what docame Kaia’s thought.
Frustration at my inability to converse directly stirred through me. I would never regret the cost of becoming kin, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t mourn what I’d lost. I want her to pick the woman up via the rope I’ve tied onto her harness, transport her into the middle of the grasslands, and place her down gently. Tell her to fly slowly to ease the risk of the woman being injured.
There were plenty of small streams and dams dotted through the grasslands, so she wouldn’t dehydrate—though that wasn’t likely to be a problem with all the rain we’d been having—and a multitude of small farming communities she could seek help from. But if she was wise, she’d use the opportunity to get the hell away from Aric. Depending, of course, on whether or not he was actually holding something over her to force obedience. It could be that she just liked abusing her power.
Rua understandscame Kaia’s comment.
Good. I glanced at Lenny. He was staring up at our hovering drakkon, his expression a mix of awe and fear. “You’ve not seen them before?”
“Oh, aye, from a distance. They are magnificent up close, though.”
“That they are.” My gaze moved past him to the three men standing at the top of the stairs. It was hard to read any of their expressions, but I hoped they were taking in the unspoken warning. Just as Esan was mine, so were her drakkons.
“Lenny, place Francesca face down in the center of the walkway, then move back.”
He did so. I picked up the rope, then motioned Rua down. She lowered slowly, her wing sweeps causing a storm of debris and her murderous claws gleaming as they drew ever closer. When there was less than two feet between us, I asked her, through Kaia, to open her claws, then threaded the rope through them both. After bidding her rise slowly, I stepped out from under her wings.
Slowly, carefully, she did so, taking up the slack in the rope first and then lifting Francesca. The woman’s body folded inward, her limbs and head hanging limply down—which would undoubtedly have been an uncomfortable position, but it was certainly better than bending her back the other way.
