Page 29 of Lies That Bind
I love you.
What a crazy fool.
Love?It was for puppies. My father was right. Loving Jace got me nowhere. I loved my family. I loved Elaine and Tetra. But loving Kohen wasn’t going to happen. I couldn’t let it, or if it had already happened, I couldn’t acknowledge it. I wasn’t sure I’d survive it when he was ripped away from me, and I was forced to marry someone else to appease the people. No, love wasn’t on the menu.
“Ready, Empress?” someone asked, and I jerked my head in that direction, slowly pulling my leg away from Kohen’s, and nodded. “Let’s do this.”
Tonight was about revenge for my father. I needed to focus on that and not the burning desire Kohen had lit inside of me. Because I felt like I could burn the whole world down with this heat currently resting over me.
Kohen met my gaze, and I quickly looked away. I didn’t trust myself not to moan right here in front of everyone just by him looking at me.
“Let’s show Luska what happens when they mess with our capital,” I told the room.
The men and women present broke into roars of agreement, and we stepped outside and readied for our mission.
I was confident all would go well, with little issue, since Kohen said that he saw us hit our target in his vision.
Boy, was I wrong.
Chapter
Seven
I’d never been this deep into Luska before. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Snowcapped mountains surrounded most of the northern border in the distance, and the moon above us lit up a lush green landscape filled with farms and gardens. We passed a decent stretch of the Wilds where the fire sky above it trickled ember down onto the land.
The Luskins bonded with a lot of Talanagi, so that meant they would have flyers too: dragons, griffins, and all the like. I kept my eyes peeled to the skies, but they probably didn’t expect a sky attack from us. Amerseans didn’t have Talanagi until Kohen and I came along, which gave us an advantage.
Kohen and I flew about two hundred feet apart so that we didn’t draw attention moving so closely together. Liana had been fitted with a special two-person saddle, and Lieutenant Colt sat behind me as his hawk creature flew alongside us. Onyx and Liana were in constant mental communication, and we were all well-versed in the plan. I’d expected to be more nervous but I wasn‘t. I was in enemy territory, about to carry out a revenge plot so grand that if we succeeded, it would go down in history books. My father would not die in vain.
We moved under the cover of night for two reasons. One, it would conceal us, and two, so the Red Palace would be empty of tourists, occupied by only a few soldiers who guarded the perimeter. I wasn’t trying to kill a bunch of innocent Luskins; I was trying to make a statement. You kill my father… You attack our training center for imperial soldiers… I take out the one place you hold dear.
The Red Palace was Luska’s pride and joy, a masterpiece of architecture with spires and arches painted in red and gold that would make your jaw drop. I’d seen paintings of it over the years of my schooling. It also held all of their parliament meetings and war councils and some famous artwork they revered. But most importantly, it was the office of Prime Leader Vlek. We had little intel on the man. We didn’t know where he lived or how many children he had. But we knew from an Imperial Fleet prisoner who had broken free that Vlek worked in this building and that they held daily tours open to the public, including schoolchildren. Taking out his office at night would send a message to the people of Luska.
You are not invincible, and you’re going to pay for what you did to my father.But I wasn’t a monster and wouldn’t hurt children.
I peered down at the payload clutched between my creature’s claws, an explosive made of some of the most powerful dynamite we had in Amersea. This thing could blow the side off of a mountain. Dropped directly into the center courtyard of the Red Palace, it would flatten the structure completely.
‘Kohen says that when we get close, we will have to act quickly lest we be spotted by guards. He will wait for your command.’
I sent her my acknowledgment through the bond as we headed due north. We were getting close now. I could see some lights of the city still on. It was late, just past midnight, so mostpeople would be asleep. I hoped my father was among the stars, looking down on me with pride. I wouldn’t let Luska get away with what they’d done. For Nikhil and everyone else who’d died, we’d get revenge.
I peered down at the city as Liana began her descent and spotted the giant red building on the horizon. It was all lit up, floodlights beaming on their pride and joy, and for a moment, I ached to ruin such a masterpiece.
As we got lower and grew closer, I had to admit it was more beautiful than the pictures. Every inch of the building had some piece of hand-painted art, a pattern of swirls, a man blowing a trumpet, a soldier flying a creature. All painted in red and gold, it was breathtaking.
‘Now or never!’Liana cried. We were about to be directly over the center courtyard. I peered below to see two guards dressed in their red uniforms patrolling the space with their creatures behind them. I didn’t relish taking a life, but I thought of all of the lives they’d taken from us, how they wouldn’t stop until our lands were expunged of Amerseans and they’d stolen all of our ember.
I gave the command:‘Drop it.’
Liana released her claws and the payload dropped like a rock just as she veered to the right and out of harm’s way. Kohen and Onyx veered with us, and moments later the bomb ignited, sending a shockwave through the sky so powerful it rattled my chest.
It happened too fast. I gave the order and it happened. It was done.
“Holy stars!” Lieutenant Colt said from where he perched behind me. I’d forgotten he was even here. I was so lost in my thoughts.
I peered over my shoulder to see the most magnificent explosion I’d ever laid eyes on. A ball of fire reached for the sky;the bricks of the building were blowing outward in all directions. The structure was torn apart and then collapsed in on itself in seconds.
Kohen and I both grinned at each other, thrusting our fists in the air. We did it. We’d brought down the freaking Red Palace of Luska! Something even my father couldn’t achieve in his time. The thrill quickly fled as I felt Liana tense beneath me.
