her head and looked as if she was holding something back. The Captain stared at the back of her head for a while before heaving a sigh and looking down at the head of his stallion. He seemed to be fighting with something, but Sanders had no idea what. With that woman, Sanders imagined the littlest of things became ten times more complicated.
“We’re going straight through,” the Captain said in a strong and sure voice. Sanders knew him well enough to hear the resignation in the words. “We’ll hit them hard and fast. No sneaking.”
“Sir.” Sanders braced his hand on his leg and tried not to shift uncomfortably. “All due respect, but that city is not our play. If we go through, it’ll act like a warning for the Graygual. They’ll know we’re coming, killing any chance of surprise.”
“Do you think a horde this big can go around without being noticed?” Shanti asked in irritation. She didn’t look back at him. It sounded like a repeated argument. “They’ll see us, or feel us. This isn’t like that Mugdock town. These Graygual are trained. They don’t miss much. In the time it takes us to go around, we’ll be spotted, and we’ll have an army waiting for us.”
Sanders gritted his teeth. “If you don’t mind me saying, sir.” He glanced at the silent Captain before returning his gaze to Shanti. “But there is a chance we won’t get noticed with you and the Captain running interference.”
“The interference will be noticed, as will our tracks.” Shanti shook her head. “We came this way, so we need to commit to this way. If we blaze through that town, killing or maiming everyone we can, we can be through and onward in no time.”
“The townspeople will help,” Kallon said, now directly behind them. “They are scared to act now, but when the balance is restored, they will rise up. We’ve seen this time and again. I agree with Chulan.”
“If the Captain had time to get to that challenge between you two, you wouldn’t be so sure,” Sanders growled.
“He’s right,” Rohnan said in that damn placating voice.
Is this what had happened to the Captain? He’d been browbeaten into this decision by the most stubborn people alive? Well, Sanders wasn’t so easy to sway. “What do you know about it, gorgeous?”
“I am not so mistrusting as you—”
“That’s enough.” The Captain shifted forward in his saddle and then sat back, his shoulders straight and broad. He’d made his decision and was gearing up.
Sanders shook his head. “I strongly urge you to reconsider, sir.”
“We should give the townspeople a chance to win back their freedom,” Sonson said, moving his horse closer. “We cannot do this alone. It sounds like it’s time to make our situation known.”
“I had wanted to keep that a secret a little longer, but it cannot be helped.” The Captain turned to Sanders with authority. “This situation is much like the one in the Mugdock lands. Prepare to attack.”
Sonson nodded at Sanders and turned his horse. Sanders turned his horse, too. This situation is much like the one in the Mugdock lands. The Captain had been referring to taking the city. He was talking about when they snuck onto the hillside in the dark to catch a predator without a net. It had been a fool’s errand, but had worked out exactly as Shanti had guessed.
The Captain was letting her off the leash again, and this time, all her people and the Shadow would be beside her. God help them all.
A couple of hours later, Shanti sat in the middle of the lane astride her horse with Cayan and the rest of the mental workers around her. The spicy simmer deep in her body heated up, growing into life. Electricity crackled as her power built, answering the deep well of energy boiling within Cayan. The Shadow came in next, spinning the power and morphing it, making it pulse around them. Then the Shumas boosted it, making it grow into a living thing. Like in the trials all that time ago, the power took on a life of its own, surging but playful. Flirty and dangerous.
“Unleash the fury!” Cayan yelled for everyone to hear. “Let’s free these people from tyranny!”
A cry went up from his men. The Shadow and Shumas hardened up, silent. Ready.
Shanti threw up her hand. “Let’s—” Her body jerked backward as the Bloody Bastard took off running. She heard a pounding of hooves beside her, and the thundering of the whole army behind.