Em’s lips twitched up. “No one can know. We need to string August along for as long as we can. At least long enough for Aren and the other Ruined to return.”
Olivia nodded. “Fine, but—” She stopped suddenly, her head jerking to the right. She stared at the window.
Em lifted her eyebrows in a silent question. Olivia stood slowly and walked to the front door. She threw it open and stepped onto the street.
Em jumped out of her chair, grabbing her sword on the way out. Olivia’s gaze was fixed on the kitchen window.
“I sensed a human,” she said.
“Listening?” Em asked.
“Maybe.” Her eyes darted over the area, and she lifted her chin before speaking again in a louder voice. “I hope the warriors know that I’ll immediately remove the head of anyone I find spying.”
“Come on,” Em said. “It’s too late to be threatening murder.”
“It’s never too late for murderous threats.” Olivia grinned as she followed Em back inside. “But seriously, if I find someone out there, I’m killing them, no questions asked.”
“I would be grateful if you’d at least let me ask a couple questions before we totally destroy our alliance with Olso.”
Olivia smiled, but Em got the feeling she wouldn’t heed that request. Their alliance with Olso might meet a more dramatic ending than she wanted.
She walked into the kitchen and grabbed her plate, depositing it next to the bucket on the counter. She didn’t have time to worry about Olivia or spying warriors tonight. She had to meet Cas, and she needed to leave soon.
“I’m going to bed,” Em lied. “Have a good night.”
“You too.”
She went to her room and sat down on her bed, listening to Olivia’s footsteps. After a few minutes, the door across the hall closed.
She waited about half an hour before slipping out of her room into the dark hallway. She grabbed her sword and coat and stepped outside, closing the door silently behind her.
The area around the apartment and courthouse appeared deserted, but she did a lap around the street just to be sure. Nothing. The street was empty as well, but she kept her head down as she made her way to the barn.
All the horses were accounted for in the barn, so she saddled the fastest one and rode out into the night. The journey seemed faster the second time, though her heart was in her throat again. She only half expected Cas to show up this time.
But she spotted him right away. The moon was full and bright tonight, and she could clearly see him cracking his knuckles not far up ahead. Violet was next to him.
“Hi, Em,” he said as she jumped off her horse and walked to him. His face and voice were softer than last time. Some of his anger had faded.
“Hi,” she said. “How was your journey?”
“Very good. We have serious support in the southern province.”
“Have you been back to see Jovita yet?” she asked.
“No, we’re going there next. And it’s not just me that the southern province supports—they agree with my Ruined policies.”
“Really.”
“I found out that my father ignored their protests when he went to war with the Ruined.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that once I kill Jovita, I can guarantee your safety. Maybe more. Maybe we could even work together. Come to an agreement.”
That seemed almost too much to hope for. “That would be nice, but we’re not there yet. Let’s talk about that after Jovita is taken care of.”
“Sure,” Cas said softly.
“Aren and the warriors should be headed back this way soon. Once they get here, we’ll be moving north. I can get you an exact day once they’re back. Let’s meet again in three days.”
“Is it a problem for you to get away?” Cas asked.
“It’s fine,” she lied.
Violet poked Cas in the ribs and walked away. Em stared after her. What did that mean? It didn’t seem fair they were already communicating without words.
“How are you?” Cas asked.
“What?” Em asked, confused.
“How are you?” he repeated, with a soft laugh. “I’m just wondering how you’re doing.”
“Oh. Fine, I guess.” Her main concern at the moment was August, but it didn’t seem right to tell him about that.
“How’s Olivia?”
“Better, actually. She’s starting to calm down.”
“Did she ever tell you she came to see me?”
“No. When?”
“A couple days after we arrived. She said she wanted to know why you liked me.” He chuckled. “I don’t think she figured it out.”
“Nah, she did. If she hadn’t, she would have told me how awful you were. I wondered why she suddenly stopped talking about you.”
His eyes held hers for several seconds.
“I should go,” Em said, breaking the silence. “Three days? You’ll come or send Galo?”
“I’ll come,” he said.
She took a step back, his face disappearing into the shadows. “Bye, Cas.”
“Bye, Em.”
She quickly turned away, her heart pounding in her ears. It was almost worse when he was nice to her. What did being nice mean? Was he over her? Was he moving on? It was far too early to move on. He had no right.
She put a hand on the side of her horse, letting out a slow breath. She could turn around and yell at him about it, maybe. But his footsteps were growing distant, and she just listened until they disappeared.
A hand clapped over Em’s mouth.
She gasped, the sound muffled against the hard grip on her mouth. She grabbed for her sword, but someone beat her to it. The handle slipped through her fingers.
“Do you think I’m an idiot?” a voice growled in her ear. August.
She twisted against him, panic shooting through her veins. He’d seen her talking to Cas. She’d just killed any hope of an alliance with Olso.
She launched her elbow backward, hitting soft flesh. August wheezed, the grip on her mouth loosening.
“Ca—” Another man darted in front of her and slapped his hand onto her mouth.
“Give it to me!” August said in a loud whisper.
A rope circled around her wrists. The man in front of her removed his hand and pulled a piece of cloth tightly around her mouth.
August leaned down so they were eye level. Even in the dark, she could see the fury on his face. “You’re going to regret the day you crossed me, Emelina.”
Cas mounted his horse, glancing behind him. Em had disappeared into the trees.
“It seemed like it went well.” Violet said. “With Em.”
“It did. She’s not ready to talk about an alliance between Lera and Ruina until Jovita is gone.”
“I heard that part. You know what I meant.”
“I don’t know. I—”
A sound echoed through the forest from behind him, cutting off his words. He looked over his shoulder.
“Did you hear that?”
“Yeah. Was it a bird?”
He jumped off his horse. “It sounded like Em.”
Violet jumped off her horse as well, following him back to where they’d met Em. He squinted in the darkness. He couldn’t hear the sound of her horse leaving.
A whisper echoed through the darkness. Then another.
He grabbed his sword, silently removing it from its sheath. He took another step forward, hidden behind the thick brush.
He spotted August’s light hair first, catching the moonlight. He was right in front of Em, surrounded by warriors. One was tying up Em’s hands.
He lunged forward, but Violet grabbed his hand, yanking him back. “Cas, look,” she breathed.
He followed her pointed finger. There was a group of at least twenty warriors on foot emerging from the trees. Em was still, her eyes narrowed and clear, but he could read the fear in her stiff shoulders. His heart jumped into his throat.
“I c
an’t leave her,” he whispered.
“There are only two of us,” Violet said, gripping his arm harder. “You can’t help her if you’re dead.”
His body began to shake. He couldn’t let them take Em. There was no telling what August planned to do to her.
He tossed Violet’s arm off and raised his sword.
“Cas,” Violet hissed. “What am I supposed to tell your people if you don’t return?”
He froze. Dread trickled into his chest. He’d made promises to the people in the southern province. Galo and Mateo probably had most of the guard on his side by now. What would they all do if he died tonight?
He watched as a warrior wrapped a gag around Em’s mouth. If they wanted to kill her, they would have done it. They wouldn’t tie her up. He repeated it to himself as he sheathed his sword.
He stepped back, careful not to make any noise. Once he was a good distance from the warriors, he broke into a run.
“Go back to the fortress,” he whispered to Violet. He practically leapt onto his horse. “Don’t tell anyone but Galo and Mateo what happened.”
“Where are you going?”
“To get Olivia.”
THIRTY-TWO
THERE WAS A human in Olivia’s home.
Her eyes sprang open and she bolted upright in bed. Moonlight filtered in from the crack in the curtains. If August was in their house, she was going to enjoy removing his head. Em could deal with it.
She placed one bare foot on the floor, then the other.
“Olivia?” a soft voice said from outside her door. Not August. But she couldn’t place the voice.
“Do you want to die?” she called. The floorboards creaked as she walked across her bedroom.
“Please. It’s about Em.”
She swung the door open to find Cas standing before her. He held the candle from the living room in front of him, the flame casting a glow across his panicked face.
“What about Em?”
“August took her. He had a bunch of warriors with him and he tied her up and he took her. I don’t know where or … or …” The candle shook in Cas’s hand, flickering light off the walls of the hallway.
She grabbed it from him and darted across the hall to Em’s room. Empty.
Olivia spun around to face Cas. She stepped toward him. He stepped back.
“Why are you here? How did you see August take her?”
“We were meeting in secret,” Cas said, talking quickly. “We were halfway between here and the fortress. August must have followed her. I’ll show you where. If we hurry, maybe we can track them.”
She ran into her room, set the candle on her dresser, and tore off her nightgown without bothering to shut the door. She grabbed the first clothes she could find and pulled them on, shoving her feet into her boots.
Cas had moved into the living room, and she grabbed him by the sleeve as she sprinted to the door.
“How did you get past the warriors and Ruined on watch?” she demanded.
“There was no one. I came straight to your house.”
She whipped her head left, then right. It was quiet and gray, the first hints of morning light beginning to show in the sky. There was no one in the streets. She should have been able to spot a warrior at the end of each road.
“Did you come alone?” she asked.
“Yes.”
He must have known how incredibly risky that was. Em wasn’t here to protect him. A Ruined could have killed him as soon as he set foot in Sacred Rock.
She turned away from him, lifting her chin as she screamed for the Ruined to wake up.
“Yell,” she commanded Cas. He obeyed.
They came running. Mariana stopped in front of them, her mouth dropping open when she spotted Cas.
“Go with Mariana and saddle all the horses,” Olivia said, shoving Cas’s shoulder. “Mariana, don’t let anyone kill him. I need him.”
Mariana nodded, grabbing Cas by the wrist.
“But kill every warrior you see,” Olivia added.
Mariana gasped, but she nodded again before taking off with Cas.
“What’s going on?” Jacobo asked breathlessly as he ran to her.
“Make sure everyone is up,” she said, ignoring the question. “I’ll head east. You go that way.”
She ran down the street, banging on doors and yelling for everyone to wake up. Everywhere she went, there were no warriors. The front door of one of their homes swung in the wind.
She returned to the center of town to see Mariana and Cas running from the stables.
“They’re almost all gone,” Mariana gasped. “The horses. Most of them are gone.”
“I have one,” Cas said. “I tied him up over there.”
“I’m going with him,” Olivia said to Mariana. She quickly relayed the situation to Mariana, the Ruineds’ eyes growing bigger by the moment.
“Send some people south,” Olivia said when she was finished. “Find as many horses as you can. I don’t care how you take them. Everyone needs to be packed and ready to go by this evening. Got it?”
“Got it,” Mariana said. She turned around and ran away.
Cas led Olivia to the tree where he’d tied his horse. He unwound the rope from the trunk and jumped up, offering his hand to Olivia. She took it, swinging her leg over the horse. She grabbed a handful of the coat on either side of his waist as they started moving.
The sun was shining brighter when Cas brought the horse to a stop. He pointed to a clearing.
“There,” he said. “That’s where they were.”
The tracks in front of them were all headed west. “They’re going to Olso.”
“The border isn’t that far. Less than two days by horse.” He stood in the saddle and hopped off. “Take the horse. It’ll be faster if you go by yourself.”
She looked at him for a moment, trying to figure out if he was leading her into some sort of trap.
But his face was open and concerned, and he couldn’t possibly be stupid enough to think he could trap her.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“I’ll walk back to the fortress. It’s not that far.”
It was actually a pretty long walk from here, but he must have known that.
“Fine.” She slid forward, grabbing the reins.
“If you find her …” Cas pushed his hands through his hair. “I don’t know how. Just figure out a way to let me know, all right? I need to know if she’s alive.”
Olivia nodded, simply because she was starting to understand there was no way to keep Em from Cas. She could tell her sister it was a bad idea until she was blue in the face. She’d never convince Em of it.
“Good luck,” he said.
She kicked the side of the horse and they began moving forward. She looked over her shoulder at Cas. He was watching her leave, a deep frown on his face.
She turned away, trying to erase the concerned image from her mind. She didn’t have the space inside to think about how maybe Em was right about Cas. She needed her rage right now. It was the only thing that was going to save her sister.
THIRTY-THREE
AUGUST TOOK THE gag off Em’s mouth as the sun rose. He smirked as he did it, like he was challenging her to scream. They both knew there was no one around to hear her.
She’d never been to this part of Lera before. They were headed west, to Olso, and the trees were thick, the dirt road barely visible beneath the weeds. It was not an area traveled often.
Warriors surrounded her on all sides. August had cleared all the warriors out of Sacred Rock, taking horses and supplies with him, and there were far too many to even think about evading them.
But Olivia had to know something was wrong by now. She would have figured it out when Em went missing, along with August and all the warriors. Em knew her sister. Olivia was on her way. It would not be pretty when she arrived.
“Let’s go,” August said. His horse was drinking from a stream, and he gestured for a warrior to bring him
over.
“Do you understand what you’ve done?” she asked.
He settled onto his horse and gestured for a warrior to help Em up. She hated riding with him, being so close to him. She stepped away from the warrior.
“Olivia is going to kill you,” she said. “Every one of you.”
“That threat rings a bit empty, considering there’s one of you and about a hundred of us,” August said.
“You know what she can do, August. She’s going to kill all of you. She’s going to know you took me when I don’t return and you’ve all disappeared.”
“Yes, she will. And she’s welcome to join us in the Olso castle. I’m counting on my brother to talk some sense into both of you.”
Em let out a short laugh. Perhaps she’d guarded August from Olivia too well. Her sister would never let him talk any kind of sense into her. Em couldn’t blame her, actually.
“What exactly are you hoping your brother will convince me of?” Em asked.
“Either you will marry me or I will simply take Ruina and rule it myself.”
“You really think I’m going to marry you after this?” She held up her bound hands.
“Not into that, then?” He laughed loudly, and she rolled her eyes. “I’m not thrilled about marrying you either, Emelina. I’d rather just take Ruina. Let’s hope my brother chooses that option, shall we?”
“It doesn’t matter what option he chooses. Olivia will kill all of you.”
“You underestimate Olso’s defenses,” August said. “You’ll see.”
The warrior waiting to help her onto the horse waved her over impatiently. She sighed loudly as he grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her up.
Regret burned in her chest. Maybe meeting with Cas had been a bad idea. She’d destroyed the alliance of the Ruined with Olso. Even if she didn’t choose to marry August, she certainly didn’t want them as enemies. If they invaded Ruina, she wasn’t sure the Ruined could hold them off. Once again, she’d put the Ruined in more danger instead of protecting them.
Unease built in her chest as they rode through the day. They stopped to rest after the sun set, and Em barely slept, instead keeping an eye out for Olivia. She kept hoping her sister would appear. If she reached them before they made it to Olso, perhaps she’d just kill these warriors instead of burning the entire kingdom to the ground.