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Chapter 20

Roksana

It was beautiful; I could admit that much. I might hate Niersen and the Light Fae’s betrayal, but I couldn’t deny the castle was exquisite. Its white walls and delicate towers reflected the sunlight, while an intricate bridge spanned the meandering river. I loved it even if we’d spent the last hour trudging through the undergrowth to get here.

This was our last obstacle. There were no trees, and the terrain was so flat not even an air sprite could pass unseen.

‘We’ll wait here until dusk. There should be a waste canal feeding into the river,’ Irsha said, studying the blueprint Lily gave him.

‘You want me to crawl through shit?’ Tova sighed, shaking his head. ‘Fine, but it’d better not be deep.’

‘Not you, us. Sana and I. You’ll stay here and watch the horses,’ Irsha answered without even looking.

‘You think I can’t fight?’ Tova’s tone held a dangerous edge.

‘You can’t climb, or jump, and crawling through the shit, as you eloquently put it, would probably drown you.’ Irsha was being unnecessarily cruel, but the way his shoulders tensed stopped me from commenting.

‘Tova, we need an escape route and the horses ready for a swift retreat,’ I said, once again regretting having left the warhorse behind.

Even beneath the thick beard, his teeth gnashed as he stared at me.

‘Fine,’ he said, digging a large jar from his travel sack. ‘Extract as much blood as you can, and don’t forget the bone.’

‘I’ll bring you two.’ Irsha smirked, and I cursed, not liking the dreamy expression on his face.

‘That’s enough. Tova, stay here. Irsha, stop acting like a renegade blade lost in bloodlust, or I’ll leave you behind too.’

Blissful silence followed my words. I went to the horse and grabbed the rest of my equipment, arming myself with everything I had. Blades, poison, magic. Still no matter how prepared I was, nothing felt enough.

A dull thud, followed by a curse, made me turn. Irsha was cradling coils of rope.

‘It’ll be alright, Trouble. I’ll keep you safe,’ the assassin said, finally meeting my gaze.

‘I know,’ I exhaled, but the image of another castle, its dungeon, and myself as a tattered toy, along with the suffocating feeling of certain death, refused to diminish. I was trembling, and it didn’t matter how deeply I breathed; I couldn’t move.

Irsha turned me around, his warm brown eyes fixed on mine. Eventually, he sighed and pressed me to his chest. ‘I’ll go alone Sana. Wait here for me.’

‘No!’ My voice was so loud we both jumped. ‘No,’ I repeated, lowering my voice. ‘This is our only chance. You need someone to handle the castle occupants while you deal with Niersen.’

He sighed, but when I pushed away, he didn’t stop me.

Getting from the forest to the castle walls took longer than I expected. Wet soil and brambles blocked our way. Irsha tunnelled through them with his body, pushing and cutting until he uncovered the sewer entrance. Water trickled from the large pipe into a small basin before overflowing into the river.

‘Do you have a grapple?’ I muttered, my hand pressing against the almost flat wall. I might have wings, but he was too heavy to carry.

Irsha looked up, as if assessing the height, then at me. ‘I’ll boost you.’

‘What?’

‘You’ll take the rope, and I’ll boost you up. Then you drop the rope down. That will work better than a grapple.’ He moved closer, threw a rope over my head, and grabbed my waist.

‘Wait, I have win—’ I protested but he threw me in the air as if I weighed nothing.

The rim of the pipe scraped my palms, but I caught hold of it, ignoring the pain. With a grunt, I pulled myself up and gestured to him before lowering the rope.

Irsha was heavy. Yes, I was only bracing his weight, but when his head appeared over the edge, he flinched at my expression. Thankfully, he climbed up before I could let go.

‘If you ever pull such a stunt again, I’ll knock your teeth out,’ I said when he straightened. Irsha just shrugged.