Page 49 of Eyes of Kings

Galipei charges forward. Anton’s eyes flicker fast when he ducks, running an eye over the other occupants, the prisoners who cower beside their cots in fear of being targeted next. He cannot see much with the lamp pointing up. The cell that the heretic had occupied is wide open. Galipei must have pulled them out, cut their throat,waitedin the dark…

Galipei pounces, slashing backhanded. Though Anton blocks with his arm, the blade glancing off his jacket, he doesn’t take the opening to attack. He kicks hard instead, shoving Galipei into the bars of the open cell.

Clang!Anton raises his hands before him, blade held out. This would be an ideal opportunity to flee, but Galipei’s eyes snap to the body on the floor. A curious gesture. Anton stays put. Galipei dives toward the body, sinking one hand into the blood. Then he throws his blade.

It sinks into Anton’s thigh.

“Shit—”

As soon as Anton is distracted, bracing against the pain, Galipei grabs his ankle. Slick, metallic blood smears onto his skin, under his trouser leg. Galipei yanks hard. In slow motion, Anton feels himself begin to fall, his feet going out beneath him. He cannot land like that next to an opponent; he will be slashed topieces. He reaches for the blade embedded into his leg, and before Galipei can adjust his grip, Anton tears the knife free, slicing across Galipei’s arm.

“Ah!”

Anton rolls. He braces onto his knees. Galipei is not trying to kill him. Galipei, taking another moment to touch the blood—the heretic’s blood—on the dirty floor again, rises and charges toward him.

Galipei is trying tomarkhim.

When Galipei swings, Anton only blocks, thinking fast. He holds both blades in his hands now. He could likely parry for longer. In the past, he has fought in far less desirable conditions. But Galipei did not plot his solo invasion into San-Er and a distraction at the wall merely to kill Anton. Right as Galipei throws a fist, meaning to take Anton off-balance, Anton throws one of his blades to the floor, beside the dead body.

Galipei, baffled, turns to look.

And Anton shoves him inside the open cell. Galipei smacks against the wall, his eyes rolling as his head strikes stone. Without affording a second of recovery, Anton dives for the cell door, throwing it back into place with a ferventclick.

Galipei recovers. His expression creases with sudden rage. He has been trapped.

“Hey!”

“Stay there!” Anton barks. He leans down to pick up the fallen dagger. “Fuck!”

CHAPTER 24

August’s camp puts down its roots at the border between Leysa and Pashe, behind the cover of a mountain where the northern pass is the only way in and out.

He observes the effort from the path, his hands behind his back. Rain drenches his hair, welling where his circlet sits before sluicing down his neck, onto his shoulders. Without access to palace carriages, their movement across province lines was slower than usual—but anyway, even if they had access, it is not as though anyone marches into war using carriages. It’s far too conspicuous.

The horses served well enough. He’s lucky most of their animals had been left alone on the security base when Calla ran off with the crown.

“Your Majesty.”

August doesn’t respond to the call immediately. He stares at the sight of his half-made camp behind the mountain, searing the image into the back of his eyes. This is pathetic. For a gasp of a moment, he had possessed the entirety of San-Er.

August turns, nodding at Marra Weisanna. He’s put her in charge of the royal guards, or at least the collection who survived the coup and made it out here. In replacement of Galipei, who was as sullen as a toad when he was waved off with the nobles being escorted to Gaiyu.

“Your sister wishes to speak to you,” Marra says.

“I see,” August replies. “And how long has she been making a fuss to warrant your role as a personal messenger?”

Marra clears her throat. She appears to consider her words very carefully. There have been significant casualties among her extended family, these members of San-Er’s elite forces. August cannot afford to send off more Weisannas as he has sent off Galipei.

But if any of them resist him, he will.

“I thought to take the initiative before she could escalate her ask, Your Majesty,” Marra says. She’s more diplomatic than Galipei is, that’s for certain. “Miss Avia is in the central tent with the councilmembers. Laya has set up your maps there too.”

“All right.” August does not let his resentment show. He turns to follow Marra.

Among August’s advisors who fled San-Er, there was only one who August thought was logical enough to listen to. He also kept around two surviving councilmembers because they still held sway among their generals and made direct promises to support August’s war effort. Councilmember Naov of Pashe offered this former medical clinic as a facility to build around, hence the camp’s location. Councilmember Tishin of Ediso—who had his hand cut off by a Crescent during the first wave of attacks in San-Er—funnels food from his province in exchange for vigilant protection.

“—river for the focus. This should be straightforward provided we devastate Laho.”