Darmik pulled his horse to a stop near the edge of the forest. “This is where we part ways,” he said. Allyssa came alongside him, patting her horse’s neck. “Continue northward. You’ll run straight into Jontis.”
She couldn’t believe her father was allowing her to do this. Fear and excitement filled every inch of her.
Neco pulled his horse to a stop on her other side. “Odar will enter from the east side as if coming in from Fren.” He glanced up at the angle of the sun. “We parted ways about two hours ago, so he should already be there if he continued on at the same speed.”
“Nathenek and Kerdan are already in position,” Darmik added.
She went over the plan in her head one more time. So many elements could go wrong. However, they had several backup plans in place. Everything should be fine. In theory.
“You have your weapons?” Darmik asked.
“Yes.” Two knives strapped to her thighs under her pants, two daggers in her boots, one knife on her forearm.
“Everyone is expecting you,” Neco said. “The second you enter Jontis, all eyes will be on you. Make sure you act the part—no matter what happens.”
“Mother has no idea we’re doing this, does she?”
“She knows we are together; however, she has no idea we’re going after Jana,” Darmik answered. “She would never allow such a thing.”
“Then why are you?”
“We need to kill Jana before she destroys our kingdom and our family. This seems to be the best way to accomplish that goal.” His horse nickered, becoming restless. “And Nathenek said you could handle this. I trust his judgment.”
She couldn’t believe Nathenek had given her such high praise.
“We need to get moving,” Neco said.
Darmik absently nodded, bringing his horse in front of Allyssa’s. “If I sense anything amiss, Nathenek is pulling you out. You will do exactly as he says, understand?”
“Yes.”
“You are only needed for the first part. Once Kerdan’s men have you out of the town and someone has verified your identity, I’m putting a decoy in your place. I will not allow you to be anywhere near Jana or her psychopathic soldiers.”
“How will I know Kerdan’s men from Jana’s soldiers?”
“Kerdan pointed his men out to Nathenek the other day,” Darmik said. “Nathenek knows what each man looks like. If the wrong person lays a finger on you, they’ll be dead.”
“There’s no need to worry,” Neco assured her. “Jana was very explicit in her instructions that you be delivered alive. No one will risk incurring her wrath.”
“Be careful,” Darmik said. “Remember everything you’ve been taught.”
“You’ll be fine,” Neco added. “If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t be going along with your father’s plan.”
She almost laughed. The two of them were spending an awful lot of time assuring her that everything would be fine. They seemed more nervous than she was.
“I love you,” Darmik said.
“Love you too.” She urged her horse on before she could change her mind. This plan would work—it had to. Winding between the tall trees, she refused to look back at her father and Neco. She would see them again. Nothing would go wrong. Not when the brightest minds and greatest military leaders were working together. They would bring Jana to her knees, and then kill her. And Allyssa’s nightmares would be over.
Exiting the forest, the small town came into view. Situated between low rolling hills, Jontis served as a pit stop for travelers and consisted of several inns and taverns. Most of the structures were two-story buildings with thatched roofs. Several people were walking along the narrow streets. Not seeing anyone else on horseback, Allyssa dismounted and searched for a barn to stable her horse.
The air was frigid, so she pulled her sleeves down over her hands in an attempt to stay warm. Her horse nickered, seeming uncomfortable. She kept talking softly, trying to keep the horse calm. Most of the people she passed were hulking, wide-shouldered, heavily muscled men with long hair, typical for Russek soldiers. From here on out, she had to assume she was being tracked—by Nathenek and the enemy.
“Stable’s on the west side,” a man sitting on the ground said, making her jump. She hadn’t even noticed him sitting there. His hair was a mess, sticking out in all directions, and his smile revealed several missing teeth.
“Thank you.” She headed that way, her skin tingling with the sensation that spiders were crawling on her arms and legs. She wanted to jump up and down to shake them off, but she knew nothing was there. Rather, someone was following her. When she had first agreed to this plan, it seemed like a clever idea. Now, not so much.
How would Kerdan’s men get to her first? Stop it, she scolded herself. This was a much smaller town than Emperor’s City, and she managed just fine there all on her own. Nathenek had worked with and trained her for a reason. It was time to put everything she’d learned to use.
“Looking for a place to tie your horse?” a woman asked, holding a pitchfork in one hand.
“Yes.” Allyssa had arrived at the stables without even realizing it.
“Bring your mare in here.” The woman slid open the door, and the welcome smell of hay filled the air.
After putting her horse in one of the stalls, Allyssa paid the woman extra money, knowing she wouldn’t be back for the animal anytime soon. Leaving the stables, she suddenly felt naked without the steady presence of the horse at her side. She ignored the sensation of feeling oddly exposed and focused on the plan. She’d completed the first requirement and stabled the horse. Now onto the second. Go to the nearest tavern and inquire about Kerdan.
Glancing at the nearby buildings, she spotted a tavern across the street. Bloody hell. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. Making her way around a group of men, she pushed open the rickety door and stepped inside. Once her eyes adjusted, she headed toward the long bar at the front of the dark room. Only a handful of people sat at the tables.
“What’ll it be?” the bartender asked, wiping a mug with a towel.
“House ale.” Her late-night escapades with Grevik were paying off. Ordering a drink at a bar was something a princess wouldn’t know how to do.
The bartender pulled out a jug and filled the mug. When he slid it in front of her, she handed him a coin and realized her hands were shaking.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Fine.” She tried to smile. “Actually, I’m looking for a friend.” She couldn’t use Kerdan’s name—that would be too obvious. Kerdan had suggested she be as subtle as possible. The fact she was a female traveling alone, and she matched the description Jana gave, would be more than enough for people to recognize her. She took a sip of the ale. Blasted, that was some strong stuff. Nathenek had drilled it in her that to play a part well, she had to be the part. So, she was a scared princess looking for the exiled prince to save her lover. “Anyone new come into town today?” she asked.
The bartender laughed. “Honey, everyone that comes in here is new. No one stays. If you’re looking for someone, best go walking around searching for him. Won’t find no one sitting in here drinking.” He squinted. “Unless you’re looking for a paying customer?” He sounded skeptical.
Her face went flaming red, and she sat up nice and tall. “No, I’m not that sort of girl.” He was either teasing or testing her. Taking another sip of the ale, she glanced around the room. “What about anyone from the army?” she asked, lowering her voice. “Have you seen... a captain? Or any high-ranking officer?” She widened her eyes, trying to appear naïve.
“We don’t serve the army in here.” A patron entered, sitting at the other end of the bar. The bartender went over, pouring the man a drink.
Something in the air shifted, and Allyssa instinctively knew someone was approaching from behind her. Unsheathing one of her daggers, she held it in the palm of her hand, ready to use it if need be.
“Looking for someone, are ya?” a man asked, the smell of smoke heavy on him.
“Yes.” He sat on the stool next to her. Was he Kerdan’s man or Jana’s soldier? They should have decided on some sort of signal so she would know. Unless Kerdan didn’t want her to know so her fear would be genuine. She rolled her eyes. That was something he would do.
“Why don’t you tell me who you’re looking for, and I’ll find him for you?” He took her ale and chugged it.
She raised an eyebrow, watching him slam her empty mug down on the bar. “I don’t think you can help me. I’m looking for an officer in the army.” She made no attempt to hide her accent.
“What’s your name?” he asked, eyeing her.
“None of your business.”
He chuckled. “When I find this officer of yours, I’ll need to tell him who’s looking for him.”
A reasonable explanation. Under normal circumstances, she would never give her real name. She would use Lilly, knowing both Kerdan and Odar would recognize it. However, she needed to give her real name in this situation to ensure these men knew who she was so she could be captured.
She took a breath, glanced around, and whispered, “Allyssa.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” He stood and left.
She expected men to burst through the door, throw her into an iron cage, and haul her off to Jana. Since the first person to successfully take her to the queen would receive a substantial reward, she feared there would be several who tried to kidnap her.
“Another drink?” the bartender asked.
She shook her head, sliding her dagger up her sleeve. Jana’s soldiers had to know there were mercenaries here as well. Allyssa’s capture would need to be well orchestrated, and it couldn’t be out in the open. It felt as if there was a target painted on her. Only the smartest, the most ruthless, and the deadliest would succeed at kidnapping her. She was about to wave the bartender back over for that drink when the door opened, a sliver of bright light cutting into the dark tavern. Heavy footsteps came toward her. She tried not to react as she slowly tilted her head to the side to see who approached. With the angle of the light from the doorway pouring into the tavern, Allyssa couldn’t see the face of the man who headed directly toward her. She slid her dagger from her sleeve just as a massive hand slithered over her shoulder.
“Heard you’re looking for someone,” said a gruff voice she didn’t recognize.
Trying to act nonchalant, she shrugged. “Aren’t we all?” She wanted to tear his fingers from her shoulder.
He removed his hand and sat on the stool next to her. “I know a man looking for someone in this town. Could be you.” He ordered a mug of ale. “Your name’s Allyssa?”
“It is.”
He nodded, grabbing the mug and downing the ale. “I’ll take you to him.”
There was no way to know if the man told the truth. However, she had to trust that not only was every aspect of this plan figured out, but also that Nathenek would protect her. She reminded herself that she survived Russek. The dungeon, being tortured, Soma—all of it. So, while the idea of having someone watching over her provided an enormous amount of comfort, she knew she was her own greatest protector.
The man rose to his feet.
“Where’s he at?” she asked.
“Not far from here.” Two other men stood as well.
“Friends of yours?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
He wouldn’t want to toss her over his shoulder and haul her out of the tavern for fear he’d attract too much attention. The most logical thing for him to do would be to get her to willingly go somewhere private where there would be no witnesses. Swallowing her fear and ignoring every instinct that told her to run, she went along with him.
“Stick close by,” the man said. “Don’t want you getting lost.”
Outside, he led her three blocks north and then to the east, heading to the outskirts of the town just as she’d predicted. The two other men from the tavern followed a dozen feet back. They came to an inn and headed around to the back where a small vegetable garden was located. No one else was in sight.
“Where is he?” she asked.
“He’ll be here.” The man looked up at the second story of the inn and made a hand signal to one of the windows.
The thick clouds darkened, hinting at a storm on the horizon. Allyssa shivered, trying to stay warm. The two men who had followed her remained next to the inn, keeping a lookout.
A hefty man dressed in a long fur coat came around the other side of the inn, Odar at his side.
They stopped a few feet away. Odar’s fingers twitched, and she knew he wanted a weapon. He thrived on control, relinquishing it was proving to be difficult for him.
“You’re not Harrow,” the man next to her said. He unsheathed his sword. “What are you doing here, Sparek?”
“Hand over the girl, Hurit,” Sparek replied.
Blasted. Odar was with a Russek soldier, not one of Kerdan’s men.
“Never,” Hurit said, widening his stance, sword in hand. “The money is mine.”
Allyssa slid the dagger from her sleeve. Odar stretched his neck from side to side, preparing to fight. Well, she could rectify this situation. Focusing on Sparek, she drew an imaginary target on his stomach.
Dizziness washed over her, and her vision blurred. The last time she struck a man like this had been in the Clovek castle when she was fleeing for her life. She’d meant to strike Jana but had hit a soldier instead. What if she missed and struck Odar?
Focus, Kerdan’s voice snarled in her head. You can do this.
She glanced at Odar—he was watching her, his eyes steady and confident. He nodded once. She could do this. Allyssa counted to three and threw the dagger. Odar dropped to the ground as the dagger sailed through the air and embedded in Sparek’s stomach. Hurit swung his sword, slicing Sparek’s arm off. He dropped to the ground next to Odar, blood everywhere. Odar scrambled away from the dying man.
“It’s not safe here,” Hurit said. “Let’s get indoors.”
Instead of going to the inn as she assumed they would, he led them to a dilapidated building next to it. The inside was dark and smelled of urine.
“What’s going on?” Allyssa demanded.
Someone grabbed her from behind, yanking her arms back. Odar cursed. Kerdan had insisted she act like herself no matter what. He said her behavior in this fake kidnapping was imperative. She just prayed this was indeed fake. Taking a deep breath, she flung her head back, hitting her captor, having no idea if he was on her side or not. He wrapped a beefy arm around her waist, picking her up. She screamed and kicked at him. Managing to reach one of her knives, she withdrew it and plunged it into the man’s thigh. He hollered and dropped her. Slamming to the ground, she rolled away from him, trying to get her bearings.
Visions of being back in the dungeon assaulted her, and her breathing sped up. She swore she would never be vulnerable again. But the darkness and the smells put her right back in that vile place. Nathenek had told her she needed to face her demons to move on. Right now, the task felt overwhelming. Someone yanked her to her feet.
“Enough,” a man not far away from her said. “We need to deliver her to the queen alive. If we harm her, the queen will be mad we took that pleasure away from her.”
Several male voices agreed.
“Are they both secure?” he asked.
The man holding her pulled her arms back, tying her wrists together with rope. “Yeah,” he said. “The princess is secure.”
“The prince is secure,” another man said from a few feet away.
“Gag them. I don’t want them talking.”
Fabric that smelled like mold covered her nose and mouth, her captor tying it at the base of her neck. Vomit rose in the back of her throat, and she had to force herself to swallow it. This wasn’t the dungeon. She could do this.
“Let’s go.”
Someone grabbed her upper arm, dragging her out of the building and into the bright light. Bloody hell. Over three dozen men wielding swords and spears blocked the exit. The man holding her swore and yanked her back inside. Several men shouted, and the sound of metal clanging rang out.
“Use the back door,” Hurit said. The man holding her dragged her through the darkness. She tripped over something, but he held her upright. They exited the building and came face to face with another group of armed men. The man released her, withdrew his sword, and parried the blow from an oncoming attacker. As Allyssa scrambled back inside, she caught a glimpse of Kerdan in the distance.
“Kerdan,” she screamed through the smelly gag.
It seemed like time froze as everyone turned toward the prince. His eyes locked with hers, and he winked.
“Prince Kerdan’s over there,” someone shouted. “Get him!” Several men ran toward him. Instead of standing his ground, Kerdan sprinted away, his pursuers following him.
A knife flew past Allyssa. Not wanting to remain in the fray, she ran back inside the dilapidated building.
“Go to the rooftop,” Hurit yelled.
Standing in place for a moment, she blinked, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. A staircase was on the opposite wall. She ran for it, climbing up two steps at a time, untying the bindings around her wrists. With her hands finally free, she reached up, ripping off the gag.
“Allyssa,” Odar called out, running after her. He’d managed to free his hands and mouth as well.
Not stopping, she ran for the second floor. When she reached it, she remembered seeing the soldier signal to the second-story window of the inn. “Which direction is the inn?”
“Left,” Odar answered.
She went that way until she came to a filthy window covered with dirt and grime. Sliding it open a couple of inches, she peered outside. Directly across stood an open window about five feet away. Too small to run and jump into.
Odar grabbed a long, thick wooden board from the ground among a pile of stones and broken furniture. She pushed the window all the way open, and he slid the board out and across the alleyway. A man reached out from the window directly across from them, grabbing the board and securing it on the ledge. He waved them forward.
A crash came from the stairs. “Go,” Odar said, pushing her up.
As she climbed onto the board, it vibrated from her weight.
“Hurry.”
Without overthinking it, she crawled out, not looking down as she made her way to the other window and to the men who awaited her. Strong hands clutched onto her arms, yanking her inside. There were three men she didn’t recognize. A moment later, Odar jumped down beside her.
The board was immediately withdrawn. “Up there,” someone from the alleyway shouted.
“Blasted,” the man next to her said. He pulled out a blow dart from under his tunic and stuck his head out of the window. Placing the blow dart to his lips, he blew. A moment later, he smiled and slammed the window closed.
“Let’s go,” one of the men said.
“How do we know we can trust you?” Allyssa asked, panic setting in. Everything was happening too fast.
The man sneered. “Either come with us or die.”
The look Odar shot her made it perfectly clear that he didn’t like any of this. But they needed to stick with the plan. They left the room and followed the men to the first floor where one of them opened a door to reveal a narrow stairwell.
“Are we going underground?” Allyssa asked. Could there be prison cells down there?
“This leads to a tunnel that can get us out of this mess,” he replied. “Get moving. There isn’t much time.”
She followed close behind Odar. As they descended, the smell turned dank. At the bottom was a narrow hallway. The man leading the way had to hunch forward so his head didn’t hit the ceiling. After fifty yards, they came to another stairwell. At the top, they entered a barn where several men mounted on horses awaited them.
“Get on,” the man who had escorted them said, pointing at the horses without riders.
Hurit wasn’t among them. “This isn’t right,” she whispered to Odar.
“Run.”
She turned and bolted toward the door. Grabbing the handle, she yanked it, but it wouldn’t budge. Blimey. Odar was at her side, banging on the locked door.
“Get them,” someone said.
Two men dismounted and came toward them. Allyssa unsheathed a knife, prepared to defend herself.
Hurit ran into the barn from the underground tunnel. “Fighting is spilling to the nearby streets. We have to leave now.”
“We don’t have time for this,” another man said, pointing at Allyssa and Odar. “Shoot them.”
Something pricked her arm. When she looked down, she saw a black feather sticking out of her forearm. Her vision swam, and everything went black.