Page 76 of Royal Hunt
I put my free hand on his cheek, forcing his attention to me. “You can try.”
Ellis just looked at me, then nodded his head in determination. He still looked awful, but he was also stubborn enough to push through what needed to be done. Together we pulled the double doors open, confronted with a small, worried group of guards so new their armor was still bright and shining.
“Do not attack anyone. Hold the gates, but be respectful. Have any and all servants strip the larders and gather all food. Send out anyone who can hunt. We will do the best we can.”
I gave Ellis’s hand another squeeze, silently conveying my support. The guards bowed (if a bit clumsily) and rushed off to carry out their orders.
Ellis turned to me, his eyes weary. “What if it’s not enough?” he asked, fear in his voice.
I put my hands over his. “It will be. We will reach out to the other heirs. I will ride myself if needed. None of them were devastated by the games like we were. They will help.”
Ellis nodded, and we flew down through the castle and down to the lawn to greet the howling mob that lay just beyond the gate.
* * *
“ELLIS!”
Viana came racing at us, the small fragments of her personal guard who’d survived this mess scrambling behind her. They’d made an attempt at regaining their former livery by sloppily painting their cobbled armor with black and gold.
“They didn’t close the gates in time. They’re rushing in and overwhelming your guards. We need to restore order and—”
“The fae!” I cried out. “Where are they? They’re not safe if the mob—”
“Are you serious?!” Ellis cried out. “My castle is under attack by my own people and you’re worried about the fae!?” He stormed away from us, grabbing a sword from the nearest guard.
Viana gave me an odd look. I tried to explain myself. “Cassus said something about fixing the barrier. He says if they die and it goes unrepaired, it will never rain again. Everything will die, including us.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And you believe them?”
I bristled. “It hasn’t rained since they came.”
Fear flashed in Viana’s eyes so quickly that I almost missed it.
“Circumstantial. We’re in a drought,” she argued back.
My hands ran through my hair in frustration. “We have to do something. If it doesn’t rain soon, the people will rise up and kill us anyway. What can it hurt to try? They don’t have magick anymore!”
Viana rolled her eyes. “Don’t be—”
“Fall back! FALL BACK!”
A stream of people rushed toward us. Servants from the palace, guards, and families who lived and worked here. Children were crying, and the women looked afraid.
“What—”
Viana pushed me behind her and drew her sword a moment later as a mass of angry men in homemade armor rushed up the street. A man screamed and took a swing at Viana, who easily blocked it and put her sword’s point in his back. He fell and didn’t move.
“Idiots!” Viana screamed at no one, losing herself in the fighting.
I stayed low and snuck through the crowd with one goal. I didn’t care if no one believed me about the fae. It was clear things couldn’t go on as they were; the people didn’t trust the nobles, and the nobles would be forced to defend themselves. We were at war way before Cassus and Ferar had stepped foot on our soil.
The cart holding the fae was tucked out of the way, so most of the charging men had missed it. It wouldn’t be long before they’d notice, however. I had to be quick. I had to be precise.
Cassus and Ferar watched me warily as I approached, but didn’t speak. They sat at the back of the cage, sitting cross-legged calmly but with eyes that spat venom. For once they looked less-than-immaculate, with dirt and soot covering their fine tunics and boots that no longer shined. Even Cassus’s hair seemed duller and less impressive. Ferar had his arms crossed over his chest, trying to appear aloof but failing miserably.
My fingers curled around the iron bars. My heart and mind battled with each other. It felt wrong to release the fae, but I had no other choice. Ellis and Viana were dead set against it. This was the only moment I might get away with it.
I closed my eyes and saw Ellis’s dead body. His skin was snow white with dark, purple veins visible, just like when he’d been sick from drink. His dark hair was matted over his face, blood pooling under his body. I shook my head, refusing to dwell on it, but other bodies only came into view: Lily and Lyra, their blonde hair spread around their heads like halos as their blue eyes stared empty at the sky, their hands so close to each other they were almost touching. Nessian would be barely recognizable with his wounds, since there was no way anyone would harm his sisters without going through him first. What about the triplet brothers? What about Viana? What would happen to the people of the four realms if the royal families were gone? Could we band together, or would we just destroy each other in greed?
