Page 71 of Queen’s Gambit

‘It worked. Let’s go. We don’t have the whole night to kill this arsehole.’

I followed him along the tunnel, keeping my breaths shallow. The stench was overwhelming, even though whatever flowed at the bottom was mostly water. Rodents chattered in the darkness, and occasionally light filtered through an opening above, revealing the splattered walls of the pipe. We learned to avoid those openings after Irsha’s reflexes saved me from being showered with a stream of urine.

‘Please tell me it’ll end soon,’ I muttered, hating this less-than-glorious escapade.

‘It does. One of the alcoves here should be the entrance to the servants’ quarters,’ he answered in an equally hushed voice.

Still, it took us another half hour to find it. Only then did we find that a sturdy, locked grate barred the way.

‘Did you bring the lockpicks?’ I asked when he shook the grate, testing the steel bars’ strength.

‘Yes, but they’re with the horses.’ Irsha’s nostrils flared at his blunder. ‘Stay here. I’ll grab them.’

‘And how do you intend to climb back up to the pipe? At least I have wings. Which, by the way, I was trying to tell you when you threw me like a human spear.’ I looked at the sturdy metal, biting my lip. ‘We don’t have time for this.’

I put my hand on the lock, praying to the gods above and below that this would work. Then I called on fire. Flames blossomed in my palm, but, unsure how to direct the fire, I placed my hand over the lock and waited.

‘Sana, stop! You’ll burn yourself.’ Irsha reached for me, but I shook my head.

The iron was melting. Heavy metal globules fell to the floor, sizzling. The lock gave, and the gate opened with a worryingly loud screech.

‘There, now we can go,’ I said, looking for a clean place to wipe my hand.

‘Since when you could do that?’ Irsha asked, staring at me as if I had suddenly grown horns and scales.

‘Since I bonded with Cinared. Don’t ask me how it’s possible, but I’m glad it is. One sewer crawl a day is my limit,’ I said, with a chuckle at his baffled expression.

‘It’ll come in handy if the enemy sets your arse on fire,’ he quipped just as we entered the kitchens.

The room was empty, as expected this late at night. For a castle kitchen, it was a cosy space. Embers still glowed in the fireplace, the kitchen’s pungent scents softened by the herbs hanging from the ceiling.

The scent of herbs cleared the unpleasant odour from my nose. Irsha sneezed, and I grinned with maniacal glee.

‘Where to now?’

He pointed to the stairs, blinking back tears, then sneezed again and hid his face in the crook of his elbow.

We moved fast, Irsha with a dagger in hand and me poised to throw sleeping powder at any unfortunate soul who crossed our path. It was a blessing the Light Fae followed the natural cycles of the day. Few guards crossed our path, and Irsha’s pommel or my poisons promptly sent them into oblivion.

The moon provided more light on the upper levels of the castle. It filtered through beautiful crystalline windows that elongated our shadows, turning them into monsters prowling the night, looking for prey.

‘According to Lily’s map, that’s his bedroom. That’s where he sleeps.’ Irsha’s voice trembled, and when I turned, my friend stood tense, muscles shuddering. His fingers were wrapped so tightly over the hilt of his dagger his knuckles were white.

I placed my hand on his shoulder, and he closed his eyes. ‘Irsha, please, for the sake of Lily and Dagome, remember what we need.’

His face contorted into a grimace that mocked a smile. Death lived behind this man’s eyes. For the first time since I’d known him, I wasn’t sure I could stop him if things went too far.

The door creaked as we opened it, revealing an opulent room shrouded in darkness. Paintings hung on the wall, recognisable only by their ornate frames. A large four-poster bed stood by the opposite wall. I took in the room, cataloguing the furniture from the enormous wardrobe and two small armoires to the desk by the large, arched window with its heavy curtains.

‘He’s sleeping,’ I breathed, stepping inside.

The spell hit me between the eyes like a war hammer. For a moment I was blinded, retching in pain while my mind scrambled to form a coherent thought.

‘Run!’ I wheezed, grasping the wall to stay upright.

Lumivitae Fae were famous for their psychic power, and like a dimwit, I hadn’t strengthened my shields. Next to me, Irsha moaned, daggers clattering to the floor.

‘I told you she’d come.’ Niersen stepped from the shadows, strolling towards me with a smug sneer.