Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, #5) - K.F. Breene Page 0,85

like the Hunter. He didn’t constantly change schedules and rotations. He had found what worked, and stuck with it. Every officer had their downfall. This officer was thinking he was smarter than the citizens of the town.

“Hold,” Shanti said quietly. She checked in with Kallon at the back gate, the root having worn off by now. There would be no Inkna in the area to intercept. Shanti and Sonson’s teams had made sure of that last night before they settled down for a few hours’ rest. Soon they would be missed. Soon. Not yet.

Kallon was calm and expectant. It meant Cayan’s people were close, if they were not already infiltrating the city.

“They will come,” Sonson said quietly in Shanti’s ear. “They will make it.”

Neither of them had felt the Shadow. This would be a very sticky situation if they didn’t turn up.

“Here he comes.” Shanti watched as the guard stood in front, waiting for the coach to slow. The driver, not the same one that had gone out, gestured the man out of the way. The Graygual had one moment of confusion before running in front of the horses.

Nervousness radiated through Shanti as Cayan must’ve wondered how this would go. He was going in completely blind, trusting her with everything he had. “Hopefully he’s good on his feet, because I have no idea what’ll happen in there.”

“Even if Tauneya did know, you wouldn’t be able to get the information to him,” Rohnan said.

The horse slowed as it crossed the threshold. The running Graygual grabbed the reins and started walking the horses off to the right. He didn’t try to open the door again.

“I hope he figured out how to wear black,” Shanti surmised.

“Let’s hope he gets an audience before they realize the woman isn’t in there,” Sonson said.

“True.” Shanti blew out a breath, working on finding calm so she didn’t add to Cayan’s turbulent situation. No doubt he sat inside, completely straight and tall, proving to his men that he was made of steel. It would help them. The reality wasn’t helping her.

“Okay, take aim.” Shanti sighted her borrowed bow. The change in personnel would happen any minute. “Wait until they are all on here.”

Sonson gasped. “The Shadow Lord just made contact.”

“Tell them to wait,” Shanti said urgently.

“We can’t communicate in the way you’ve devised…”

Shanti felt his swirl of various emotions, trying to warn them away. Instead, up over the rise in land, dust billowed before the heads of riders, and then horses, showed themselves. A line of multiple colors announced the hierarchy of battle-ready Shadow.

“Flak!” Shanti rose in her crouch, first checking to make sure Cayan was around the bend, and then sighting. “Here we go…” She let go of the bowstring. The arrow zipped through the air and stuck into the back of the Graygual trying to release the locking mechanism in order to close the gate.

She sent a warning to Kallon, their signal that it had begun. His answering message of alarm meant it was too early. “I know it’s too early, Kallon,” she muttered through gritted teeth. “What do you want me to do? Tell the Graygual to hold on a moment?”

“He can’t hear you from here, you know,” Sonson said. His fingers released. An arrow hit the Graygual running right in the chest. He grabbed it with clawed hands as he sank to his knees.

Fright and urgency pumped out of people in waves. “Here they come…” A swarm of Graygual ran in the direction that Cayan had disappeared, arming themselves even as they ran. One rubbed sleep out of his eyes. Another wiped off something spilled from his front.

“We disturbed their breakfast,” Sonson said, firing. He loaded again, and fired. Again. And again.

“Everyone, fire!” Shanti yelled.

Fanned out around her, bows sang. Arrows flew through the air, hitting Graygual mostly in the back as they ran to their posts. With grunts, they died or turned, staring up at the rooftops with surprise on their faces. The smart ducked for cover; the rest reached for their swords and died in the process.

“This place is about to be swarming with Inkna,” Shanti said, connecting more securely with everyone around her, and readying. She felt Cayan reach for her, obviously knowing something was happening and wanting to give her more juice.

“Not yet, Cayan,” she murmured, planting her hands securely on the rooftop and bracing.

“He can’t hear you either—”

A slap of mental power cut Sonson off. Like a blast of needle pricks, the pain hit them with force, battering their

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