The Promised Queen (Forgotten Empires #3)- Jeffe Kennedy Page 0,134
precious moment to click to Vesno’s vision—which snapped me back to my body in the tower. Clouds had gathered ominously, black as a sheet of obsidian, and white lightning forked out of the sky. A bolt stabbed for the tower, and Calla raised her hands, pushing back. Reversing, the lightning recoiled into the cloud and lit it up from within, a boom resounding and rolling over the island. Nahua, the next station over, seemed to be funneling energy in a continuous stream to hold off something else. Good for them.
I had no time to help them—or say anything—so I looked through Vesno’s eyes long enough to confirm that Con still lived, as did Percy, and they were mid-audience with Anure. Then, though my heart cried for me to stay with him, I forced myself to go back to Sondra. We nearly had Rhéiane out—along with the others. After that, we could pull out all the stops to extract Con and Percy.
By the time I returned to Sondra, she was leading the captives down the servants’ stairs—the best choice for moving without the cover of guards. Still no sign of Ambrose or Merle, Ejarat take them. I went back to Ibolya—and breathed a sigh of relief to find her with Kara and Brenda, aboard the Emperor’s Pet, which looked to be a well-favored sailing ship. They were all anxiously watching the gate for the third set of captives, discussing what steps they should take. Agatha and Brenda seemed to be on the verge of going after them.
Though I hated to do it, I couldn’t afford to have any of them back in the citadel, so I spoke in Ibolya’s mind, hoping she’d hear me. Far better than using her mouth to speak.
“I apologize, Ibolya. This is Lia. Tell Brenda and Agatha to stay put. Sondra and the others are on their way.” Hopefully she wouldn’t detect the prevarication in what I’d told her.
Ibolya sighed with relief. “Her Highness is here,” she said, and passed along my message.
Brenda and Kara exchanged frowns, regarding my former lady-in-waiting with consternation and disbelief. “Ibolya,” Brenda said gently, “wishful thinking can—”
“She’s not crazy,” Agatha interrupted. “Ambrose and Merle said in the citadel that Her Highness is here and helping us. Message received,” she added. “We will wait as long as possible.”
“Once that group is aboard, go,” I told her. “Do not wait for the rest of us. We’ll find another way.”
Ibolya dutifully passed that along, and they assented, though unhappily.
“Hopefully it won’t come to a battle,” Kara commented dourly, and Brenda rounded on him with a protest.
I left them to their arguing and returned to Sondra. They’d made it to the bottom of the tower, all of them bunched up and huddled in the narrow stairwell. Sondra peeked through a crack in the door, observing the busy daytime bustle of the main hall outside. They were trapped there, unless we found help.
Wait, I told her. And some tension left her shoulders.
“We’re sure not going anywhere,” she muttered softly. “Tick tock, Lia.”
Yes—every moment they waited meant increasing chances of discovery—not just of this group, but of the entire enterprise.
With no other option, I reached for Ambrose and Merle, delicately seeking their auras while skulking around the looming presences of the red and black wizards. Merle responded with a quiet purple crackle of a question. I showed him an image of Sondra and the captives in the stair.
Resignation—and worry—flowed from him, and with a sigh of acknowledgment, he flew off. I didn’t want to go with Merle—I wanted to stay with Con, try to help—but I apparently had no choice. He pulled me with him, and I was snatched away.
* * *
They were bringing Rhéiane to the throne room. At any moment, the guards would drag my sister into the room and I’d lay eyes on her for the first time since that horrible day so long ago.
And they would hurt her.
They’d hurt Rhéiane to hurt me. And it would work.
The red wizard, though, had said that he’d already sent for Rhéiane—and I knew right when he’d done it, too. He’d taken one long look at me and sent the page on an errand, but they hadn’t brought Rhéiane yet. Maybe she was already away. On the ship, or even sailing to Calanthe without us.
Bright Ejarat and Sawehl, I hoped so.
I shrugged, as nonchalantly as I could. “Sure, let’s bargain. That’s why we’re here. Though I don’t know who this Renee is.”