Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, #5) - K.F. Breene Page 0,46

a statement to Xandre—I’m making one to this whole land. People need to see that Xandre isn’t invincible. They need to see that he can be stood up to, and he can be beaten.”

“Well, it’ll be good practice.” Sanders crossed his arms over his chest. “I sure hope you can pull some magic out of your ass, Daniels, because we’re going to need it.”

Daniels’ eyebrows lowered. For a moment it seemed as though he would ignore Sanders. A moment later, his chin rose slightly. “I have gone over all the possible scenarios and chosen one I think will work with our limited forces. The Shadow will meet us there from the other side. The hardest part will be coordinating the two forces.”

“How many Inkna are in that city?” Sanders asked.

“From the reports we’ve received, there are a great many Inkna,” Cayan said, refusing to acknowledge the tiny kernel of doubt. “There are far more Graygual. They are complacent, though. They have run that city for years. They have their system down and have not received any pushback for a long time. They won’t expect to be attacked.”

Shanti wandered toward the door. “If they know we are coming, they’ll prepare. We should hurry.” She stopped by the tent flap and glanced at Cayan. The spicy feeling of their Joining rose up, overwhelming his senses. “I’ll see you later.”

With a tiny smile, she left, her confidence surging. Confidence in him and this plan. It could only mean this was the best, or maybe the only, way.

“She’s right,” Cayan said to Daniels. “We need to leave tomorrow and waste no time. We’ll take a direct route. Hopefully we’ll have the city taken before news of our whereabouts reaches Xandre.”

“With his spies disengaged, I’m sure of it.” Daniels wiped some dirt off the corner.

“We can’t be sure of anything.” Sanders took a step away and shook his head. “What are we going to do with the captive?”

“We need information,” Cayan said. “We’ll talk to him first and see how he came by his post. Hopefully he’ll cooperate.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

Cayan clenched his jaw. “We’ll see what happens. Hopefully it won’t have to get messy.”

“Don’t let the Shadow at him, then.” Sanders took a step toward the door. “Something tells me they don’t play nice.”

“And you assume the Shumas do?” Cayan nodded in farewell to Daniels and followed Sanders out of the tent.

“You should think about the kind of statement you want to make, sir,” Sanders said, his voice deep with warning. “This land won’t want to trade one tyrant for another. We need the Shadow brutality for battle, and something tells me the Shumas will make that brutality pale in comparison to the rage they have stored up, but people shouldn’t see that side of them. We should hide them.”

Cayan shook his head. “I’d do the opposite with the Shumas. I’d put them on display. I want people to see the desecration and sorrow in their eyes, and I want people to see that they are fighting back. That they have not been beaten. People need someone to rally around. That someone will be Shanti.”

Sanders sighed. “To speak plainly, sir, I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“So do I.” Cayan scanned the land with his mind again, making sure no one waited in the woods. What he had planned could go horribly wrong. In fact, there were very few ways it could succeed. But they had to try. There were no other options.

14

Shanti rode in silence, staring next to her at an ugly man with a few wicked scars on his face and arms. It looked like someone had taken to him with a sword and then left him for dead, not expecting him to get up and keep going. He reminded her of Tomous. And of Rohnan. And herself.

His shoulders were pushed back and the set of his jaw was defiant as he looked straight ahead, his icy blue eyes unfocused. His fists occasionally clenched behind his back, and Shanti suspected he was pulling at the rope binding his wrists. Her Gift was smothered.

“So you were hacked at by the Graygual, and you thought, ‘I know what I’ll do, I’ll join up with those bastards and help kill people just like me,’ huh?” Sanders, riding on the man’s other side, spat. “That makes a lot of sense. No explanation necessary.”

Ahead of them walked a line of horses and men, following Cayan and Lucius, who led to their next destination and hopefully not their